DeSoto Parish, Louisiana

DeSoto Parish, Louisiana
DeSoto Parish Courthouse in Mansfield
Flag
Location in the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location in the U.S.
Founded	1843
Named for	settler, Marcel DeSoto
Seat	Mansfield
Largest city	Mansfield
Area
• Total	895 sq mi (2,318 km2)
• Land	876 sq mi (2,269 km2)
Population
• (2010)	26,656
• Density	30/sq mi (12/km²)
Congressional district	4th
Time zone	Central: UTC-6/-5

DeSoto Parish (French: Paroisse DeSoto) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 26,656. Its seat is Mansfield. The parish was formed in 1843.

DeSoto Parish is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City, LA Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

It is a typical misconception that the parish was named after Hernando de Soto, the Spaniard who explored the future southeastern United States and discovered and named the Mississippi River. The parish was in fact named after the unrelated Marcel DeSoto, who led the first group of European settlers there, to a settlement historically known as Bayou Pierre. The parish's name is also commonly misspelled following the explorer's name as "De Soto Parish," but it is properly spelled following the settler's name as "DeSoto Parish."

The Battle of Mansfield was fought in DeSoto Parish on April 8, 1864. General Alfred Mouton was killed in the fighting, but his position was carried forward by Prince de Polignac, a native of France. The battle is commemorated at the Mansfield State Historic Site four miles south of Mansfield off Louisiana Highway 175. The Confederate victory prevented a planned Union invasion thereafter of Texas. Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, a Confederate victory, occurred with one year and one day left in the duration of the war. Mansfield was quickly followed by the Battle of Pleasant Hill to the south.

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 895 square miles (2,320 km²), of which 876 square miles (2,270 km²) is land and 19 square miles (49 km²) (2.1%) is water.

Major highways

• Interstate 49
• Future Interstate 69
• U.S. Highway 84
• U.S. Highway 171
• U.S. Highway 371
• Louisiana Highway 5

Adjacent parishes

• Caddo Parish (north)
• Red River Parish (east)
• Natchitoches Parish (southeast)
• Sabine Parish (south)
• Shelby County, Texas (southwest)
• Panola County, Texas (west)

National protected area

• Red River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1850	8,023		—
1860	13,298		65.7%
1870	14,962		12.5%
1880	15,603		4.3%
1890	19,860		27.3%
1900	25,063		26.2%
1910	27,689		10.5%
1920	29,376		6.1%
1930	31,016		5.6%
1940	31,803		2.5%
1950	24,398		−23.3%
1960	24,248		−0.6%
1970	22,764		−6.1%
1980	25,727		13.0%
1990	25,346		−1.5%
2000	25,494		0.6%
2010	26,656		4.6%
Est. 2014	27,142		1.8%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010-2013

As of the census of 2010, there were 32,000 people, 12,562 households, and 7,012 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile (11/km²). There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile (5/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 56.97% White, 38.16% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 0.41% Asian, 0.15% Pacific Islander, 0.54% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 2.85% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 9,691 households out of which 33.50% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.70% were married couples living together, 18.60% had a female householder with no husband present, and 28.10% were non-families. 25.40% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.60% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.60 and the average family size was 3.11.

In the parish the population was spread out with 28.40% under the age of 18, 8.30% from 18 to 24, 26.30% from 25 to 44, 23.00% from 45 to 64, and 14.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 90.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 87.00 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $28,252, and the median income for a family was $33,196. Males had a median income of $30,780 versus $20,182 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,606. About 21.00% of families and 25.10% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.80% of those under age 18 and 24.90% of those age 65 or over.

Education

Public schools in DeSoto Parish are operated by the DeSoto Parish School Board.

Communities

Map of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

City

• Mansfield (parish seat)

Towns

• Keachie
• Logansport
• Stonewall

Villages

• Grand Cane
• Longstreet
• South Mansfield
• Stanley

Unincorporated communities

• Carmel
• Frierson
• Gloster
• Kingston
• Naborton

Notable people

• Larry Bagley (1949- ), incoming Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Caddo, Desoto, and Sabine parishes
• Terry Bradshaw (1948-), professional football player, sportscaster, singer, and actor
• Richard Burford (1946-), current Louisiana state representative
• Vida Blue (1949-), professional baseball player
• C.L. Bryant (born 1956), Baptist minister and radio talk show host
• Riemer Calhoun (1909-1994), state senator from 1944 to 1952 for DeSoto and Caddo parishes
• Joe T. Cawthorn (1911-1967), state senator from 1940 to 1944 for DeSoto and Caddo parishes
• Sherri Smith Cheek Buffington (1966-), Louisiana State Senator
• Joe Henry Cooper (1920–1980), Louisiana state representative
• Kenny Ray Cox (born 1957), Louisiana state representative and former United States Army officer
• Milton Joseph Cunningham (1842-1916), Natchitoches and New Orleans lawyer, state senator from Natchitoches and DeSoto parishes from 1880 to 1884; state attorney general for three nonconsecutive terms ending in 1900, born in what became DeSoto Parish
• George Dement (1922-2014), mayor of Bossier City
• John H. Eastman (1861-1938), mayor of Shreveport
• Joseph Barton Elam (1821–1885), United States Representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district
• William J. Fleniken (1908-1979), U.S. attorney and state 1st Judicial District Court judge in Shreveport; born in DeSoto Parish
• William Pike Hall, Sr. (1896-1945), state senator for Caddo and DeSoto parishes, 1924-1932, Shreveport attorney
• John Spencer Hardy (1913-2012), United States Air Force lieutenant general
• Albert Lewis (1960-), professional football player
• Walter M. Lowrey (1921-1980), historian at Centenary College of Louisiana
• Garnie W. McGinty (1900-1984), historian at Louisiana Tech University and school principal
• O. E. Price (1924-2006), state appeals court judge
• Mack Charles Reynolds (1935–1991), professional football player
• B. H. "Johnny" Rogers (1905-1977), politician
• C. O. Simpkins, Sr. (born 1925 in Mansfield), African-American state representative, dentist, and civil rights activist in Shreveport
• O.C. Smith (1932–2001), singer

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana

Further reading

• De Vries, Mark Leon, “Between Equal Justice and Racial Terror: Freedpeople and the District Court of DeSoto Parish during Reconstruction,” Louisiana History, 56 (Summer 2015), 261–93.

External links

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