Castor, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana
, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver
.
Castor's Zip Code is 71016, and its telephone
numbers start with 544. Both of these numbers are also used in the adjacent communities of Alberta, Roy
, New Ramah, Ashland
, and New Hope. Although not all these communities are recognized as townships, they are on Bienville Parish maps. People living adjacent to Castor, but not within the city limits, often file information as being "from Castor." The Castor Zip Code
which rests against Jamestown
, Kepler Lake
, and Ashland is a more accurate representation of Castor's actual self-proclaimed population.
, Castor supplied salt
for the Confederate States of America
. A salt works was operated west of Castor by Alfred P. King.
Dr. Dempsey Sullivan was a physician who saw patients from horseback. He is also a war veteran whose name is listed on the monument in Castor. His daughter Willie Sullivan married Sam Smith. Sam and Miss Willie had twenty-one children. All but one of the children who died are buried in the New Ebenezer Cemetery. Mrs. Bonnie Daniel and Mrs. Merlene Young lived the furthest away. They lived in Weatherfod
and Kerrville
, Texas
, respectively. They too are interred at Ebenezer.
The Sam and Willie Sullivan Smith family, one of the oldest in Castor, lost six members in a tornado
in 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Elaine Smith, Celia Sullivan (Mrs. Smith's sister), Dottie Jo Knotts, and Prentice Little were all killed. The homestead was wiped clean except for a bucket on the water well which remained undisturbed. The Smith family sold most of its land to Jerry "Cotton" Guin, who raised bees there until 2009. Guin also worked at Libbey Glass in Shreveport
.
The Louisiana rails to trails project, which extends from Sibley
to Winnfield
, deconstructed the once Kansas City Southern Railway track to make a recreational nature trail that, on completion, would run through the center of Castor
On April 23, 2000, Castor was struck by a tornado with a ½-mile-wide path in the late evening, which caused massive damage. There were no injuries, but the infrastructure damage caused by the tornado and the ensuing heavy rains caused many business and public buildings to close for an extended period.
Discovered in 2007-2008, the Haynesville Shale, said to be one of the biggest natural gas
deposits in the United States, sits underneath northwest Louisiana, including Castor.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.
The so-called "town" area or center of Castor is the 4-way stop caution light, but the city limits extend from the light for about a quarter mile in all directions.
Castor Creek is a branch of Black Lake Bayou
, which flows about four miles southwest of Castor.
was 174.6 inhabitants per square mile (67.2/km²). There were 101 housing units at an average density of 84.4 per square mile (32.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 85.17% White, 11.96% African American, 2.87% from other races
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
There were 88 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $35,833 for females. The per capita income
for the village was $11,963. About 17.3% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.7% of those sixty five or over.
Castor has two cemeteries
: the Old Castor Cemetery east of the downtown area toward the village of Lucky
, and the large New Ebenezer Cemetery affiliated with the New Ebenezer Baptist Church.
of Castor, having served from 1933-1945. She was also one of the first women mayors in Louisiana, but Lula Wardlow
of Montgomery
in Grant Parish
, preceded her as a woman mayor, having served from 1926-1930.
Current Castor Mayor Victoria Pickett assumed office early in 2009 following the illness and subsequent death of former Mayor Sally Gray.
.
Cable television
does not reach into Castor area. Viewers rely on antenna
s or satellites for coverage.
station, flower shop, a cafe, a beauty shop, a laundromat, a branch of the Bank of Ringgold, United States Post Office, retirement homes, and a mobile home
park.
Church.
Bienville Parish, Louisiana
Bienville Parish is a parish located in the northwestern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Arcadia and as of the 2000 census, the population is 15,752....
, United States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the genus Castoridae beaver
Beaver
The beaver is a primarily nocturnal, large, semi-aquatic rodent. Castor includes two extant species, North American Beaver and Eurasian Beaver . Beavers are known for building dams, canals, and lodges . They are the second-largest rodent in the world...
.
Castor's Zip Code is 71016, and its telephone
Telephone
The telephone , colloquially referred to as a phone, is a telecommunications device that transmits and receives sounds, usually the human voice. Telephones are a point-to-point communication system whose most basic function is to allow two people separated by large distances to talk to each other...
numbers start with 544. Both of these numbers are also used in the adjacent communities of Alberta, Roy
Roy, Louisiana
Roy, also known as Roytown, is a community located about 2 miles south of Castor, Louisiana in the United States. Roy is the community that grew around the former Martin Timber Co. sawmill. The community was named after Roy O. Martin, the owner of the Martin Timber Co.-History:A grocery store and...
, New Ramah, Ashland
Ashland, Louisiana
Ashland is a village located in the northernmost portion of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. It was incorporated in 1963. A few residences and a convenience store to the north spill over into neighboring Bienville Parish. The population was 291 at the 2000 census...
, and New Hope. Although not all these communities are recognized as townships, they are on Bienville Parish maps. People living adjacent to Castor, but not within the city limits, often file information as being "from Castor." The Castor Zip Code
ZIP Code
ZIP codes are a system of postal codes used by the United States Postal Service since 1963. The term ZIP, an acronym for Zone Improvement Plan, is properly written in capital letters and was chosen to suggest that the mail travels more efficiently, and therefore more quickly, when senders use the...
which rests against Jamestown
Jamestown, Louisiana
Jamestown is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 149 at the 2000 census.Lee Smith, a retired professional baseball player, was born there in 1957.Enoch T...
, Kepler Lake
Kepler Lake
Kepler Lake is a reservoir located in Northwest Louisiana, USA. It is about from Castor, from Jamestown, from Bienville and about from Gibsland, Louisiana. It is an open lake available for fishing and boating. Kepler's spillway drains into Black Lake Bayou which drains into Black Lake in...
, and Ashland is a more accurate representation of Castor's actual self-proclaimed population.
History
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Castor supplied salt
Salt
In chemistry, salts are ionic compounds that result from the neutralization reaction of an acid and a base. They are composed of cations and anions so that the product is electrically neutral...
for the Confederate States of America
Confederate States of America
The Confederate States of America was a government set up from 1861 to 1865 by 11 Southern slave states of the United States of America that had declared their secession from the U.S...
. A salt works was operated west of Castor by Alfred P. King.
Dr. Dempsey Sullivan was a physician who saw patients from horseback. He is also a war veteran whose name is listed on the monument in Castor. His daughter Willie Sullivan married Sam Smith. Sam and Miss Willie had twenty-one children. All but one of the children who died are buried in the New Ebenezer Cemetery. Mrs. Bonnie Daniel and Mrs. Merlene Young lived the furthest away. They lived in Weatherfod
Weatherford, Texas
Weatherford is a city in Parker County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Fort Worth. The population was 19,000 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Parker County and is part of the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex.-Geography:...
and Kerrville
Kerrville, Texas
Kerrville is a city in Kerr County, Texas, United States. The population was 20,425 at the 2000 census. In 2009, the population was 22,826...
, Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
, respectively. They too are interred at Ebenezer.
The Sam and Willie Sullivan Smith family, one of the oldest in Castor, lost six members in a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
in 1950. Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Elaine Smith, Celia Sullivan (Mrs. Smith's sister), Dottie Jo Knotts, and Prentice Little were all killed. The homestead was wiped clean except for a bucket on the water well which remained undisturbed. The Smith family sold most of its land to Jerry "Cotton" Guin, who raised bees there until 2009. Guin also worked at Libbey Glass in Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
.
The Louisiana rails to trails project, which extends from Sibley
Sibley, Louisiana
Sibley is a town in south Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,098 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
to Winnfield
Winnfield, Louisiana
Winnfield is a city in and the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census. It has long been associated with the Long faction of the Louisiana Democratic Party and was home to three governors of Louisiana.-Geography:Winnfield is located at ...
, deconstructed the once Kansas City Southern Railway track to make a recreational nature trail that, on completion, would run through the center of Castor
On April 23, 2000, Castor was struck by a tornado with a ½-mile-wide path in the late evening, which caused massive damage. There were no injuries, but the infrastructure damage caused by the tornado and the ensuing heavy rains caused many business and public buildings to close for an extended period.
Discovered in 2007-2008, the Haynesville Shale, said to be one of the biggest natural gas
Natural gas
Natural gas is a naturally occurring gas mixture consisting primarily of methane, typically with 0–20% higher hydrocarbons . It is found associated with other hydrocarbon fuel, in coal beds, as methane clathrates, and is an important fuel source and a major feedstock for fertilizers.Most natural...
deposits in the United States, sits underneath northwest Louisiana, including Castor.
Geography
Castor is located at 32°15′10"N 93°9′54"W (32.252757, -93.164933).According to the United States Census Bureau
United States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km²), all land.
Landscape
At ground level, Castor seems flat and surrounded by trees; however, in reality it sets in a valley which makes it a dead-area for cell phone coverage.The so-called "town" area or center of Castor is the 4-way stop caution light, but the city limits extend from the light for about a quarter mile in all directions.
Castor Creek is a branch of Black Lake Bayou
Black Lake Bayou
Black Lake Bayou is a waterway in northwest Louisiana, USA, that extends from north of Gibsland and travels south to Clarence. The watershed covers much of northwest Louisiana. The bayou meanders its way through Claiborne Parish, Webster, Bienville, Red River and Natchitoches parishes...
, which flows about four miles southwest of Castor.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 209 people, 88 households, and 52 families residing in the village. The population densityPopulation density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 174.6 inhabitants per square mile (67.2/km²). There were 101 housing units at an average density of 84.4 per square mile (32.5/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 85.17% White, 11.96% African American, 2.87% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 3.83% of the population.
There were 88 households out of which 30.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 10.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 23.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.38 and the average family size was 3.25.
In the village the population was spread out with 30.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
The median income for a household in the village was $23,125, and the median income for a family was $35,000. Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $35,833 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the village was $11,963. About 17.3% of families and 20.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of those under the age of eighteen and 15.7% of those sixty five or over.
Religion
Castor has two churches within the immediate village: The United Methodist on Louisiana Highway 507 and First Baptist Church, a Southern Baptist affiliate on Front Street adjacent to the Castor School Complex. South on Louisiana Route 153 is the New Ebenezer Baptist Church, also a Southern Baptist congregation.Castor has two cemeteries
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
: the Old Castor Cemetery east of the downtown area toward the village of Lucky
Lucky, Louisiana
Lucky is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 355 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Lucky is located at .According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of...
, and the large New Ebenezer Cemetery affiliated with the New Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Castor government
Myrtis Lucille Gregory Methvin was the first woman mayorMayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Castor, having served from 1933-1945. She was also one of the first women mayors in Louisiana, but Lula Wardlow
Lula Wardlow
Lula Ethredge Wardlow was a businesswoman, United Methodist minister, and the first woman ever elected mayor of a Louisiana community. She served from 1926-1930 in Montgomery , a village in northern Grant Parish.Mrs. Wardlow was born in Grant Parish to Wesley Ethredge and the former Alpha Jane Baker...
of Montgomery
Montgomery, Louisiana
left|thumb|200px|First Baptist Church in MontgomeryMontgomery is a town in Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 787 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Alexandria Metropolitan Statistical Area. Founded in 1712, even before New Orleans, Montgomery is situated on U.S...
in Grant Parish
Grant Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 18,698 people, 7,073 households, and 5,276 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 8,531 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
, preceded her as a woman mayor, having served from 1926-1930.
Current Castor Mayor Victoria Pickett assumed office early in 2009 following the illness and subsequent death of former Mayor Sally Gray.
Education
Castor has one school located on Front Street. The complex contains a Pre-K and Kindergarten, elementary, middle, and high school buildings. The current principal is Dr. James Guin.Public transportation
Council on Aging works in the area to give elderly and disabled means of transportation.Roads
Running through Castor are three main highways: Hwy 153 (known in Castor as Front Street), Hwy 507 and Hwy 4 which intersect in the middle of Castor at a 4-way-stop caution light. Other roads include: The Ridge Rd, Elm St, Pardee St, Oak St, Watson Rd and Lodge St.Water systems
Castor and the area around has two sources of water: the Castor Water System and Alberta Water System. The Alberta Water System was founded by local businessman Reginald A. Page.Media
The primary source of news in Castor is the Shreveport Times. There are also the Ringgold Progress and the Bienville Democrat, which is published in ArcadiaArcadia, Louisiana
Arcadia is a town in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,041 at the 2000 census....
.
Cable television
Cable television
Cable television is a system of providing television programs to consumers via radio frequency signals transmitted to televisions through coaxial cables or digital light pulses through fixed optical fibers located on the subscriber's property, much like the over-the-air method used in traditional...
does not reach into Castor area. Viewers rely on antenna
Antenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
s or satellites for coverage.
Economy
Castor has several businesses: The General Store, a gasolineGasoline
Gasoline , or petrol , is a toxic, translucent, petroleum-derived liquid that is primarily used as a fuel in internal combustion engines. It consists mostly of organic compounds obtained by the fractional distillation of petroleum, enhanced with a variety of additives. Some gasolines also contain...
station, flower shop, a cafe, a beauty shop, a laundromat, a branch of the Bank of Ringgold, United States Post Office, retirement homes, and a mobile home
Mobile home
Mobile homes or static caravans are prefabricated homes built in factories, rather than on site, and then taken to the place where they will be occupied...
park.
Miscellaneous
Castor has two main cemeteries: the Old Castor Cemetery east of town and the New Ebenezer Cemetery south of Castor on the highway to Ashland. New Ebenezer is affiliated with the Ebenezer BaptistBaptist
Baptists comprise a group of Christian denominations and churches that subscribe to a doctrine that baptism should be performed only for professing believers , and that it must be done by immersion...
Church.
Notable people
- Jamie FairJamie FairJames Hartwell Fair, Jr., known as Jamie Fair , is a former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Bienville Parish in north Louisiana. A Democrat, Fair resides off Louisiana Highway 9 between Castor and Saline. He served in the state House for a single term from 1980-1984.Fair was...
, member of the Louisiana House of RepresentativesLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from 1980–1984 - John Len LacyLen LacyJohn Len Lacy, usually known as Len Lacy , was a prominent farmer, cattleman, landowner, and businessman who served from 1964-1968 as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Castor in Bienville Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
, represented Bienville Parish in the Louisiana House from 1964–1968 - J. Frank McInnisJ. Frank McInnisJesse Frank McInnis, known as J. Frank McInnis , was a judge of his state's Second Circuit Court of Appeal from Minden, Louisiana. In 1952, McInnis succeeded Robert F. Kennon of Minden, in the circuit judgeship which Kennon vacated to become governor of Louisiana...
, Louisiana state court judge (1930–1953), based in MindenMinden, LouisianaMinden is a city in the American state of Louisiana. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census...
, was born in Castor. - E. R. MinchewE. R. MinchewElmer Reid Minchew, usually known as E. R. Minchew , was a prominent Louisiana educator whose career spanned the forty-six years from 1929 to 1975.-Background:...
, principal of Castor High School (1932–1964) - Enoch T. NixEnoch T. NixEnoch Talton Nix was a banker and civic figure from Bossier City, Louisiana, who served for thirty years on the elected Louisiana State Board of Education and its successor organization established under the Louisiana State Constitution of 1974, the Louisiana Board of Elementary and Secondary...
, banker from Bossier CityBossier City, LouisianaBossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
and 30-year member of the Louisiana State Board of Education and its replacement body, the Board of Elementary and Secondary Education, was born in JamestownJamestown, LouisianaJamestown is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 149 at the 2000 census.Lee Smith, a retired professional baseball player, was born there in 1957.Enoch T...
but graduated from Castor High School. - Stephen PateStephen PateStephen Pate is an internationally competitive cyclist and former Olympian. After turning pro in 1986, Pate won three world pro medals and set as many world pro records for 200m, 500m, and 1 km. In 1991, he won a bronze medal at the World Professional Championship at Stuttgart...
, Business and marketing operations manager for 2010 World Champion New Orleans SaintsNew Orleans SaintsThe New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. They are members of the South Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League ....
football team (2008–present) - Lee SmithLee Smith (baseball)Lee Arthur Smith is an American right-handed former baseball pitcher who played 18 years in Major League Baseball for eight teams. Pitching primarily for the Chicago Cubs, with whom he spent his first eight seasons, Lee served mostly as a relief pitcher during his career...
, pitcher, awaiting his nomination to the Baseball Hall of Fame