Kinder, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Kinder is a town
in Allen Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. The population was 2,148 at the 2000 census.
The Lieutenant Douglas B. Fournet Memorial Park , an American Legion
enterprise, was dedicated on June 11, 1988, in Kinder to remember those who died in military service to the nation.
Kinder was the birthplace of the late Mayor
J. Rayburn Bertrand
of Lafayette
, who served from 1960–1972 and presided over the near doubling of the municipal population.
Kinder is home to Coushatta Casino Resort, the largest casino
resort in Louisiana. The resort includes Koasati Pines, an 18-hole par 72 championship layout golf course
.
According to the United States Census Bureau
, the town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all land.
of 2000, there were 2,148 people, 848 households, and 576 families residing in the town. The population density
was 1,311.4 people per square mile (505.7/km²). There were 950 housing units at an average density of 580.0 per square mile (223.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.79% White, 32.30% African American, 1.26% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.19% from other races
, and 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 848 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% were married couples
living together, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,493, and the median income for a family was $31,799. Males had a median income of $28,015 versus $19,015 for females. The per capita income
for the town was $13,187. About 19.6% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
soldier, went south during the Civil War
and after the war, he returned to the state, settling first in Rapides Parish in 1870, then moving south to Kinder. He homesteaded a Soldier's Land Grant of 138.77 acres and built a home and store where Highway 165 and Highway 190 now intersect.
His customers called the store Kinder's Store.
Jabez Bunting Watkins brought the Watkins, Kansas City and Gulf Railroad through Kinder, and purchased Kinder's land in 1892. Kinder moved to Lake Charles
.
After buying Kinder's property, JB Watkins brought in a surveyor, John W. Rhorer, to make a plat and lay out town streets. In 1903, Louisiana Gov. William Heard
issued a proclamation declaring the site The Village of Kinder.
Among the first families who came to Kinder, all employees of Watkins Enterprises were Milton B. McRill, John M. Houston and Philetus Philbrick.
Milton McRill joined JB Watkins' venture as a railroad contractor. His job was to build 100 miles of railway from Alexandria to Lake Charles. McRill bought lots at the corner of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue and built the first home in Kinder. McRill, who became one of the early mayors of Kinder, often provided lodging and meals for teachers because he believed strongly in education.
John M. Houston came south to serve as office manager and surveyor for the railroad Watkins was building. About 35 miles before the railroad reached Lake Charles, Houston selected and purchased a tract of timber land. He built a sawmill and commissary on the tract north of Kinder, alongside the railroad, to enable him to ship logs to other states. Houston's commissary became known as the Houston spur.
Philetus Philbrick came south from the University of Iowa
, where he had helped set up a Department of Engineering and taught there for 14 years. It was Philbrick's knowledge of railroading that brought him in contact with Watkins, then south to Kinder as a railroad surveyor. Philetus wrote to his brother Franklin, telling him of the available and fertile farmland. Franklin brought his family south and bought a farm north of Kinder. There was no school then, and the state would not furnish a teacher until the school had operated for three months. Franklin Philbrick opened the school and taught without pay in the small, rough-plank building.
Many other settlers came from the Midwestern states during the JB Watkins era of 1880 to 1900. At that time Watkins was spending enormous sums of money promoting his 'Garden of Eden' in southwest Louisiana. Among the new settlers were families named Storer, Mayfield, Jones, Phelps, Mayes, Reynolds, Johnson, Harvey, Leeds and Oden.
By 1903, when Kinder officially became a village, other families had arrived. They included Patrick E. Moore, who was appointed the first mayor, and four men who became aldermen Dr. R.E. Oden, Fred Moore, Edoc Roza and J.W. Kingrey.
In 1911, Kinder had a population of 1,088, thereby entitling it to be classified as a town. Gov. Jared Young Sanders proclaimed Kinder a town on March 4, 1911.
The mayors from 1903 on were Patrick Moore, Jack Dempsey, Dr. R.E. Oden, W.C. McNann, M.B. McRill, Randall H. Odom, J. W. Kingrey, S.R. Kingrey, D.T. Slocum, W.D. Horn, William Mardantel, E.E. Migues, Percy LeLand, Lee St.Romain, Cledius LaFargue and Fred Ashy.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in Allen Parish
Allen Parish, Louisiana
Allen Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Oberlin. As of the 2000 census, the population was 25,440. Allen Parish is in southwestern Louisiana, southwest of Alexandria....
, 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
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The population was 2,148 at the 2000 census.
The Lieutenant Douglas B. Fournet Memorial Park , an American Legion
American Legion
The American Legion is a mutual-aid organization of veterans of the United States armed forces chartered by the United States Congress. It was founded to benefit those veterans who served during a wartime period as defined by Congress...
enterprise, was dedicated on June 11, 1988, in Kinder to remember those who died in military service to the nation.
Kinder was the birthplace of the late Mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
J. Rayburn Bertrand
J. Rayburn Bertrand
J. Rayburn "Ray" Bertrand was a businessman, civic leader, and decorated World War II veteran who served as the Democratic mayor of Lafayette, Louisiana, from 1960 to 1972. During Bertrand's three terms, the city nearly doubled in population, having grown from 40,000 to 75,000, and the corporate...
of Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
, who served from 1960–1972 and presided over the near doubling of the municipal population.
Kinder is home to Coushatta Casino Resort, the largest casino
Casino
In modern English, a casino is a facility which houses and accommodates certain types of gambling activities. Casinos are most commonly built near or combined with hotels, restaurants, retail shopping, cruise ships or other tourist attractions...
resort in Louisiana. The resort includes Koasati Pines, an 18-hole par 72 championship layout golf course
Golf course
A golf course comprises a series of holes, each consisting of a teeing ground, fairway, rough and other hazards, and a green with a flagstick and cup, all designed for the game of golf. A standard round of golf consists of playing 18 holes, thus most golf courses have this number of holes...
.
Geography
Kinder is located at 30°29′12"N 92°50′48"W (30.486696, -92.846779).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 town has a total area of 1.6 square miles (4.1 km²), all land.
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 2,148 people, 848 households, and 576 families residing in the town. 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 1,311.4 people per square mile (505.7/km²). There were 950 housing units at an average density of 580.0 per square mile (223.7/km²). The racial makeup of the town was 73.79% White, 32.30% African American, 1.26% Native American, 1.07% Asian, 0.09% Pacific Islander, 0.19% 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 1.30% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.02% of the population.
There were 848 households out of which 36.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.0% 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, 19.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.0% were non-families. 28.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 13.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.42 and the average family size was 2.97.
In the town the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 8.1% from 18 to 24, 26.2% from 25 to 44, 19.4% from 45 to 64, and 17.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.3 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $25,493, and the median income for a family was $31,799. Males had a median income of $28,015 versus $19,015 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 town was $13,187. About 19.6% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 23.6% of those under age 18 and 25.8% of those age 65 or over.
History
James A. Kinder, a UnionUnion Army
The Union Army was the land force that fought for the Union during the American Civil War. It was also known as the Federal Army, the U.S. Army, the Northern Army and the National Army...
soldier, went south during the Civil War
American 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...
and after the war, he returned to the state, settling first in Rapides Parish in 1870, then moving south to Kinder. He homesteaded a Soldier's Land Grant of 138.77 acres and built a home and store where Highway 165 and Highway 190 now intersect.
His customers called the store Kinder's Store.
Jabez Bunting Watkins brought the Watkins, Kansas City and Gulf Railroad through Kinder, and purchased Kinder's land in 1892. Kinder moved to Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
.
After buying Kinder's property, JB Watkins brought in a surveyor, John W. Rhorer, to make a plat and lay out town streets. In 1903, Louisiana Gov. William Heard
William Wright Heard
William Wright Heard was the 32nd Governor of Louisiana from 1900 to 1904.-Early life:Heard was educated in a local school in Union Parish. In years to come, he remembered the challenges of educating children that rural residents met...
issued a proclamation declaring the site The Village of Kinder.
Among the first families who came to Kinder, all employees of Watkins Enterprises were Milton B. McRill, John M. Houston and Philetus Philbrick.
Milton McRill joined JB Watkins' venture as a railroad contractor. His job was to build 100 miles of railway from Alexandria to Lake Charles. McRill bought lots at the corner of Ninth Street and Fourth Avenue and built the first home in Kinder. McRill, who became one of the early mayors of Kinder, often provided lodging and meals for teachers because he believed strongly in education.
John M. Houston came south to serve as office manager and surveyor for the railroad Watkins was building. About 35 miles before the railroad reached Lake Charles, Houston selected and purchased a tract of timber land. He built a sawmill and commissary on the tract north of Kinder, alongside the railroad, to enable him to ship logs to other states. Houston's commissary became known as the Houston spur.
Philetus Philbrick came south from the University of Iowa
University of Iowa
The University of Iowa is a public state-supported research university located in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. It is the oldest public university in the state. The university is organized into eleven colleges granting undergraduate, graduate, and professional degrees...
, where he had helped set up a Department of Engineering and taught there for 14 years. It was Philbrick's knowledge of railroading that brought him in contact with Watkins, then south to Kinder as a railroad surveyor. Philetus wrote to his brother Franklin, telling him of the available and fertile farmland. Franklin brought his family south and bought a farm north of Kinder. There was no school then, and the state would not furnish a teacher until the school had operated for three months. Franklin Philbrick opened the school and taught without pay in the small, rough-plank building.
Many other settlers came from the Midwestern states during the JB Watkins era of 1880 to 1900. At that time Watkins was spending enormous sums of money promoting his 'Garden of Eden' in southwest Louisiana. Among the new settlers were families named Storer, Mayfield, Jones, Phelps, Mayes, Reynolds, Johnson, Harvey, Leeds and Oden.
By 1903, when Kinder officially became a village, other families had arrived. They included Patrick E. Moore, who was appointed the first mayor, and four men who became aldermen Dr. R.E. Oden, Fred Moore, Edoc Roza and J.W. Kingrey.
In 1911, Kinder had a population of 1,088, thereby entitling it to be classified as a town. Gov. Jared Young Sanders proclaimed Kinder a town on March 4, 1911.
The mayors from 1903 on were Patrick Moore, Jack Dempsey, Dr. R.E. Oden, W.C. McNann, M.B. McRill, Randall H. Odom, J. W. Kingrey, S.R. Kingrey, D.T. Slocum, W.D. Horn, William Mardantel, E.E. Migues, Percy LeLand, Lee St.Romain, Cledius LaFargue and Fred Ashy.