De Ridder, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
DeRidder is a city in and the parish seat of Beauregard Parish
, Louisiana
, United States. The population was 9,808 at the 2000 census. A small portion of the city extends into Vernon Parish
.
DeRidder is the smaller principal city of the Fort Polk South-DeRidder CSA
, a Combined Statistical Area
that includes the Fort Polk South
(Vernon Parish
) and DeRidder (Beauregard Parish) micropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 85,517 at the 2000 census
.
in the Netherlands
, where she was one of 13 children. She ran away from home at an early age, and was presumed dead by her family who only recently discovered that she had traveled to the United States
. The town was named for her by her brother in law, who brought the first railroad to that area of Louisiana.
Prior to that the little town was known as Schovall and DeRidder. The first train line to serve DeRidder came in 1902. It was the Pittsburgh & Gulf Railroad - later called the Kansas City Southern.
The July 26, 1924 DeRidder Enterprise stated: "The first house in DeRidder was made of logs and covered with board shingles, split by hand from the logs of the forest. It was constructed in 1893 and was the old homestead house of Calvin Shirley, who was the original owner of the land upon which the first business house and residence of DeRidder were built. Mr. Shirley homesteaded the 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) which was later platted and became the original townsite of DeRidder."
According to Eva Stewart Frazar, whose family came to DeRidder near the turn of the century, "The largest pine in the world grew where DeRidder now stands - or so it is claimed by timber men who knew."
About the origin of the town, she says, "...the Kansas City railroad was built from Kansas City
to Port Arthur
- and came right through here about 1896. By 1898 the trains were running. The post-office was named Miersburg for the postmaster whose name was Miers. The railroad workers had used this spot for a camping place for the workmen - and people wanted to get near the railroad - so 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land was bought for the town site.
"Immediately following the purchase of the town site, a ramble of rough houses were hurriedly built out of rough lumber... By 1898 the town consisted of nearly 300 people and a number of shack homes and a sawmill. C. Landry and Mr. George Heard had a hotel. There were about 5 small stores, besides. West Brothers had a Rous Racket store on the east side of the track."
By this time DeRidder had a sawmill, and timber
was the prime industry of the area. The Longleaf Pine
was the primary tree used in the industry. In 1903, DeRidder was finally incorporated as a town.
In April 1904, a large portion of the business section of DeRidder was destroyed by fire. The cause was apparently arson
. A Grand Jury
collected enough evidence for this to indict George Smith, a gambler, with setting the fire. The man reportedly left town.
DeRidder's first bank opened in 1906. On October 15, 1912, DeRidder was voted the parish seat of Beauregard Parish. The Beauregard Parish Court House and the Beauregard Parish Jail (see below) were built in 1914.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.70%) is water.
The building known as the "Old Beauregard Parish Jail
" is a structure that is known to be one of the most distinctive of its type in the US. The Gothic-looking structure has the characteristics of the collegiate Gothic architectural
style with shallow arches, dormer windows, and central tower. This style was popular with colleges, universities and churches. The iron bars in most of the windows give the structure an eerie appearance. Inside, there is a spiral staircase that leads up to three floors of jail cells. Another history-making fact is that each cell had a toilet, shower, lavatory and window. When the jail was in use, prisoners could often be seen waving from the barred windows.
It was built to house 50 or so prisoners, but held 13 in comfort. The walls are 13 to 21 in (0.3302 to 0.5334 m) thick, made of reinforced concrete with a blasted finish. The first floor has quarters for the jailer and his family. In the jail's basement, a long corridor leads to the courthouse next door.
In 1928, there was a famous double execution by hanging in the jail for two murderers. These were the only recorded hangings in the jail. The prisoners were hanged by an apparatus at the top of the spiral staircase. After this the jail became known as "The hanging jail".
This unique jail was used until 1982, when a court action forced it to close. However, on October 4, 1981 it was put on the National Register of Historic Places
, along with several other buildings in DeRidder.
of 2000, there were 9,808 people, 3,819 households, and 2,616 families residing in the city. The population density
was 1,155.4 people per square mile (446.0/km²). There were 4,454 housing units at an average density of 524.7 per square mile (202.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.81% White, 34.73% African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.57% from other races
, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.40% of the population.
There were 3,819 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples
living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city of DeRidder, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,952, and the median income for a family was $39,384. Males had a median income of $36,388 versus $21,302 for females. The per capita income
for the city was $16,996. About 15.0% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
operates local public schools.
For the city of DeRidder these schools are:
Grades 9 - 12 DeRidder High School http://www.beau.k12.la.us/dhs/index.htm (DeRidder)
Grades 6 - 8 DeRidder Junior High School (DeRidder)
Grades 4 & 5 Pine Wood Elementary School (DeRidder)
Grades 2 & 3 G. W. Carver Elementary School (DeRidder)
PreK - 1st Grade K. R. Hanchey Elementary School (DeRidder)
Beauregard Parish, Louisiana
Beauregard Parish [p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. Beauregard Parish was formed on 1 January 1913. The parish seat is DeRidder. As of 2000, the population was 32,986. Beauregard Parish is part of the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Fort Polk...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States. The population was 9,808 at the 2000 census. A small portion of the city extends into Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....
.
DeRidder is the smaller principal city of the Fort Polk South-DeRidder CSA
Fort Polk South-DeRidder combined statistical area
The Fort Polk South-DeRidder Combined Statistical Area is made up of two parishes in central Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Fort Polk South Micropolitan Statistical Area and the DeRidder Micropolitan Statistical Area...
, a Combined Statistical Area
Combined Statistical Area
The United States Office of Management and Budget defines micropolitan and metropolitan statistical areas. Metropolitan and micropolitan statistical areas consist of one or more counties...
that includes the Fort Polk South
Fort Polk South, Louisiana
Fort Polk South is a census-designated place in Vernon Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 11,000 at the 2000 census.Fort Polk South is the larger principal city of the Fort Polk South-DeRidder CSA, a Combined Statistical Area that includes the Fort Polk South and DeRidder ...
(Vernon Parish
Vernon Parish, Louisiana
Vernon Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Leesville and as of 2000, the population was 52,531....
) and DeRidder (Beauregard Parish) micropolitan areas, which had a combined population of 85,517 at the 2000 census
United States Census, 2000
The Twenty-second United States Census, known as Census 2000 and conducted by the Census Bureau, determined the resident population of the United States on April 1, 2000, to be 281,421,906, an increase of 13.2% over the 248,709,873 persons enumerated during the 1990 Census...
.
History
DeRidder was named for Ella de Ridder, the sister-in-law of a Dutch railroad financier. Her family originally came from the small town of GeldermalsenGeldermalsen
Geldermalsen is a municipality and a town in the western Netherlands. The municipality of Geldermalsen was formed on the 1st of January 1978 when former municipalities Beesd, Buurmalsen, Deil and Geldermalsen were joined. The new municipality with approximately 10.173 hectares is one of the...
in the Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
, where she was one of 13 children. She ran away from home at an early age, and was presumed dead by her family who only recently discovered that she had traveled to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The town was named for her by her brother in law, who brought the first railroad to that area of Louisiana.
Prior to that the little town was known as Schovall and DeRidder. The first train line to serve DeRidder came in 1902. It was the Pittsburgh & Gulf Railroad - later called the Kansas City Southern.
The July 26, 1924 DeRidder Enterprise stated: "The first house in DeRidder was made of logs and covered with board shingles, split by hand from the logs of the forest. It was constructed in 1893 and was the old homestead house of Calvin Shirley, who was the original owner of the land upon which the first business house and residence of DeRidder were built. Mr. Shirley homesteaded the 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) which was later platted and became the original townsite of DeRidder."
According to Eva Stewart Frazar, whose family came to DeRidder near the turn of the century, "The largest pine in the world grew where DeRidder now stands - or so it is claimed by timber men who knew."
About the origin of the town, she says, "...the Kansas City railroad was built from Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
to Port Arthur
Port Arthur, Texas
-Demographics:As of the 2000 census, there were 57,755 people, 21,839 households, and 14,675 families residing in the city. The population density was 696.5 people per square mile . There were 24,713 housing units at an average density of 298.0 per square mile...
- and came right through here about 1896. By 1898 the trains were running. The post-office was named Miersburg for the postmaster whose name was Miers. The railroad workers had used this spot for a camping place for the workmen - and people wanted to get near the railroad - so 160 acre (0.6474976 km²) of land was bought for the town site.
"Immediately following the purchase of the town site, a ramble of rough houses were hurriedly built out of rough lumber... By 1898 the town consisted of nearly 300 people and a number of shack homes and a sawmill. C. Landry and Mr. George Heard had a hotel. There were about 5 small stores, besides. West Brothers had a Rous Racket store on the east side of the track."
By this time DeRidder had a sawmill, and timber
Timber
Timber may refer to:* Timber, a term common in the United Kingdom and Australia for wood materials * Timber, Oregon, an unincorporated community in the U.S...
was the prime industry of the area. The Longleaf Pine
Longleaf Pine
Pinus palustris, commonly known as the Longleaf Pine, is a pine native to the southeastern United States, found along the coastal plain from eastern Texas to southeast Virginia extending into northern and central Florida....
was the primary tree used in the industry. In 1903, DeRidder was finally incorporated as a town.
In April 1904, a large portion of the business section of DeRidder was destroyed by fire. The cause was apparently arson
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
. A Grand Jury
Grand jury
A grand jury is a type of jury that determines whether a criminal indictment will issue. Currently, only the United States retains grand juries, although some other common law jurisdictions formerly employed them, and most other jurisdictions employ some other type of preliminary hearing...
collected enough evidence for this to indict George Smith, a gambler, with setting the fire. The man reportedly left town.
DeRidder's first bank opened in 1906. On October 15, 1912, DeRidder was voted the parish seat of Beauregard Parish. The Beauregard Parish Court House and the Beauregard Parish Jail (see below) were built in 1914.
Geography
DeRidder is located at 30°51′5"N 93°17′25"W (30.851419, -93.290230) and has an elevation of 203 feet (61.9 m).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 city has a total area of 8.5 square miles (22 km²), of which, 8.5 square miles (22 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.70%) is water.
Culture
The "Hanging Jail"Beauregard Parish Jail
Beauregard Parish Jail is a former jailhouse in DeRidder, Louisiana built in 1914 in the Gothic Revival architecture style. It is often referred to as the Gothic jail or the Hanging jail. It was listed on the National Register of Historic Places on December 17, 1981. The jail is owned by the...
" is a structure that is known to be one of the most distinctive of its type in the US. The Gothic-looking structure has the characteristics of the collegiate Gothic architectural
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style with shallow arches, dormer windows, and central tower. This style was popular with colleges, universities and churches. The iron bars in most of the windows give the structure an eerie appearance. Inside, there is a spiral staircase that leads up to three floors of jail cells. Another history-making fact is that each cell had a toilet, shower, lavatory and window. When the jail was in use, prisoners could often be seen waving from the barred windows.
It was built to house 50 or so prisoners, but held 13 in comfort. The walls are 13 to 21 in (0.3302 to 0.5334 m) thick, made of reinforced concrete with a blasted finish. The first floor has quarters for the jailer and his family. In the jail's basement, a long corridor leads to the courthouse next door.
In 1928, there was a famous double execution by hanging in the jail for two murderers. These were the only recorded hangings in the jail. The prisoners were hanged by an apparatus at the top of the spiral staircase. After this the jail became known as "The hanging jail".
This unique jail was used until 1982, when a court action forced it to close. However, on October 4, 1981 it was put on the National Register of Historic Places
National Register of Historic Places
The National Register of Historic Places is the United States government's official list of districts, sites, buildings, structures, and objects deemed worthy of preservation...
, along with several other buildings in DeRidder.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 9,808 people, 3,819 households, and 2,616 families residing in the city. The population density
Population 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 1,155.4 people per square mile (446.0/km²). There were 4,454 housing units at an average density of 524.7 per square mile (202.6/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 60.81% White, 34.73% African American, 0.57% Native American, 1.42% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.57% 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...
, and 1.88% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 2.40% of the population.
There were 3,819 households, out of which 33.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 16.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.5% were non-families. 28.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 3.03.
In the city of DeRidder, the population was spread out with 27.1% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 27.3% from 25 to 44, 22.4% from 45 to 64, and 14.5% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.3 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $31,952, and the median income for a family was $39,384. Males had a median income of $36,388 versus $21,302 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 city was $16,996. About 15.0% of families and 18.0% of the population were below the poverty line, including 22.1% of those under age 18 and 18.2% of those age 65 or over.
Education
Beauregard Parish School BoardBeauregard Parish School Board
Beauregard Parish School Board is a school district headquartered in DeRidder, Louisiana, United States.The district serves Beauregard Parish.-PK-12 schools:* Merryville High School * Singer High School...
operates local public schools.
For the city of DeRidder these schools are:
Grades 9 - 12 DeRidder High School http://www.beau.k12.la.us/dhs/index.htm (DeRidder)
Grades 6 - 8 DeRidder Junior High School (DeRidder)
Grades 4 & 5 Pine Wood Elementary School (DeRidder)
Grades 2 & 3 G. W. Carver Elementary School (DeRidder)
PreK - 1st Grade K. R. Hanchey Elementary School (DeRidder)
Notable people
- Joe M. Aguillard (president of Louisiana CollegeLouisiana CollegeLouisiana College is a private institution of higher education located in Pineville, Louisiana, affiliated with the Louisiana Baptist Convention, serving a student body of approximately 1,300 students. The college operates on a semester system, with two shorter summer terms...
in PinevillePineville, LouisianaPineville is a city in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is adjacent to the city of Alexandria, and is part of that city's Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 13,829 at the 2000 census....
; former Beauregard Parish school superintendent) - Mel Branch (College/Professional Football Player -LSU/Dallas Texans/Kansas City Chiefs/Miami Dolphins)
- Chris Cagle (football)Chris Cagle (football)Christian "Red" Keener Cagle was a professional American football halfback and quarterback from 1930 to 1934, who was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 1954.-College career:...
- Chris CagleChris CagleChris Cagle is an American country music artist. Signed with Virgin Records Nashville in 2000, Cagle made his debut on the Billboard Hot Country Singles & Tracks charts with the single "My Love Goes On and On", the first single from his debut album Play It Loud...
(country music singer) - Rusty HamerRusty HamerRusty Hamer was an American television actor best known for his role as Rusty Williams in the popular NBC/CBS situation comedy The Danny Thomas Show also known as Make Room for Daddy.-Career:...
(former child actor who committed suicide in DeRidder in 1990) - Johnny JonesJohnny JonesJohn "Johnny" Jones was a pioneer settler in New Zealand.Born in New South Wales, Australia, Jones spent his early life on sealing and whaling ships, before becoming a ferryman at Port Jackson...
(College/College Head Basketball coach - LSU/Head coach at University of North Texas) - Michael Sanders (College/NBA basketball player - UCLA/Kansas City Kings/Cleveland Cavaliers)
- Jennifer WeinerJennifer WeinerJennifer Weiner is a Jewish American writer, television producer, and former journalist. She is based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.-Background and career:...
(author) - H.O. West (founder of West Brothers clothing stores)
External links
- City of DeRidder
- Beauregard Parish History
- Historic DeRidder: Downtown Walking Tour, a pamphlet published by the Beauregard Tourist Commission (June 2000).