Morehouse Parish, Louisiana

Morehouse Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,629.[1] The parish seat is Bastrop.[2] The parish was formed in 1844.[3]

Morehouse Parish
Parish
The Morehouse Parish Courthouse (built 1914) is located in the center of downtown Bastrop.
The Morehouse Parish Courthouse (built 1914) is located in the center of downtown Bastrop.
Map of Louisiana highlighting Morehouse Parish
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Map of the United States highlighting Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°49′N 91°48′W
Country United States
State Louisiana
Founded1844
Named forAbraham Morehouse
SeatBastrop
Largest cityBastrop
Area
 • Total805 sq mi (2,080 km2)
 • Land794 sq mi (2,060 km2)
 • Water11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.4%
Population
 (2020)
 • Total25,629
 • Density32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zoneUTC−6 (Central)
 • Summer (DST)UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district5th
The Morehouse Parish Assessor's Office is located behind the parish courthouse in Bastrop.

Morehouse Parish comprises the Bastrop, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is included in the Monroe–Ruston–Bastrop, LA Combined Statistical Area.

History

Francois Bonaventure built a house on 2000~acre tract in 1775 in Bastrop, Louisiana.[4]

Morehouse Parish is named after Colonel Abraham Morehouse, who served in the Revolutionary War.[5][6][7]

Throughout the first half of the twentieth century, Morehouse County was a stronghold of the Ku Klux Klan.[8] During the trial for the 1922 Lynchings of Mer Rouge, Louisiana, many witnesses testified that county officials including Sheriff Fred Carpenter, his deputies, the district attorney, and the postmaster were Klan members. However, the grand jury, itself likely made up largely of Klan members, dismissed the case.[9]

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 806 square miles (2,090 km2), of which 795 square miles (2,060 km2) is land and 11 square miles (28 km2) (1.4%) is water.[10]

Major highways

Adjacent counties and parishes

National protected areas

Communities
Map of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

City
  • Bastrop (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

Demographics
Historical population
CensusPop.Note%±
18503,913—
186010,357164.7%
18709,387−9.4%
188014,20651.3%
189016,78618.2%
190016,634−0.9%
191018,78612.9%
192019,3112.8%
193023,68922.7%
194027,57116.4%
195032,03816.2%
196033,7095.2%
197032,463−3.7%
198034,8037.2%
199031,938−8.2%
200031,021−2.9%
201027,979−9.8%
202025,629−8.4%
U.S. Decennial Census[11]
1790–1960[12] 1900–1990[13]
1990–2000[14] 2010[15]
Morehouse Parish racial composition as of 2020[16]
Race Number Percentage
White (non-Hispanic) 12,220 47.68%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic) 11,976 46.73%
Native American 80 0.31%
Asian 89 0.35%
Pacific Islander 3 0.01%
Other/Mixed 880 3.43%
Hispanic or Latino 381 1.49%

As of the census[17] of 2000, there were 31,021 people, 11,382 households, and 8,320 families living in the parish. The population density was 39 people per square mile (15 people/km2). There were 12,711 housing units at an average density of 16 per square mile (6.2/km2). The racial makeup of the parish was 55.76% White, 43.36% Black or African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.18% Asian, 0.01% Pacific Islander, 0.12% from other races, and 0.44% from two or more races. 0.74% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race. By the 2010 United States census, there were 27,979 people living in the parish. 51.3% were White, 46.9% Black or African American, 0.4% Asian, 0.1% Native American, 0.1% Pacific Islander, 0.3% of some other race and 1.0% of two or more races. 0.9% were Hispanic or Latino (of any race). As of the 2020 United States census, there were 25,629 people, 9,732 households, and 6,194 families residing in the parish.

In 2000, there were 11,382 households, out of which 33.30% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.10% were married couples living together, 19.80% had a female householder with no husband present, and 26.90% were non-families. 24.40% 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 2.64 and the average family size was 3.14.

In the parish the population was spread out, with 27.50% under the age of 18, 9.50% from 18 to 24, 26.40% from 25 to 44, 21.40% from 45 to 64, and 15.10% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For every 100 females there were 91.40 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 86.10 males.

The median income for a household in the parish was $25,124 in 2000, and the median income for a family was $31,358. Males had a median income of $31,385 versus $18,474 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $13,197. About 21.30% of families and 26.80% of the population were below the poverty line, including 35.90% of those under age 18 and 23.80% of those age 65 or over.

Law enforcement
Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office
AbbreviationMPSO
Jurisdictional structure
General nature
Operational structure
HeadquartersBastrop, Louisiana
Agency executive
Website
http://www.mpso.net/

The Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office (MPSO) is the primary law enforcement agency of Morehouse Parish. It falls under the authority of the Sheriff, who is the chief law enforcement officer of the parish. As of 2022 the sheriff of Morehouse Parish is Mike Tubbs.

The Sheriff's Office operates the following facilities:

  • Headquarters - The headquarters building is located at 351 South Franklin Street in Bastrop.
  • Morehouse Parish Jail - The Morehouse Parish Jail is located at 250 East Walnut Street in Bastrop. The jail presently houses approximately 70 inmates, and employs twenty full-time and part-time Corrections Officers.[18]
  • Morehouse Parish Detention Center - The Morehouse Parish Detention Center is located at 6444 Patey Road in Collinston. The Detention Center presently houses approximately 272 inmates, and employs thirty three Correction Officers.[18]

Since the formation of the Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office, one deputy has been killed in the line of duty.[19]

Politics

In 1975, Edwards Barham, a farmer and businessman from Oak Ridge in Morehouse Parish, became the first Republican elected to the Louisiana State Senate since the era of Reconstruction. Barham won his seat by eighty-nine votes.[20] He was unseated after a single term in office in 1979 by the Democrat David 'Bo' Ginn of Bastrop.

In the 2012 U.S. presidential election, Morehouse Parish cast 6,591 votes (52.3 percent) for Republican nominee Mitt Romney. U.S. President Barack Obama trailed with 5,888 ballots (46.7 percent).[21] In 2008, Republican John McCain prevailed in Morehouse Parish with 7,258 votes (55 percent) to Barack Obama's 5,792 ballots (43.9 percent).[22]

United States presidential election results for Morehouse Parish, Louisiana[23]
Year Republican Democratic Third party
No. %No. %No. %
2020 6,510 56.25% 4,946 42.73% 118 1.02%
2016 6,502 54.86% 5,155 43.49% 195 1.65%
2012 6,591 52.25% 5,888 46.68% 135 1.07%
2008 7,258 54.98% 5,792 43.88% 150 1.14%
2004 7,471 57.60% 5,336 41.14% 164 1.26%
2000 6,641 53.90% 5,289 42.93% 391 3.17%
1996 5,193 41.57% 6,160 49.31% 1,140 9.13%
1992 5,364 39.84% 6,013 44.66% 2,086 15.49%
1988 7,335 60.42% 4,496 37.03% 309 2.55%
1984 8,585 62.73% 4,829 35.29% 271 1.98%
1980 7,254 58.51% 4,856 39.17% 287 2.32%
1976 5,418 55.90% 4,017 41.45% 257 2.65%
1972 5,770 66.94% 2,355 27.32% 495 5.74%
1968 1,772 19.82% 1,793 20.05% 5,377 60.13%
1964 6,222 87.47% 891 12.53% 0 0.00%
1960 2,551 53.37% 1,085 22.70% 1,144 23.93%
1956 1,850 35.70% 1,512 29.18% 1,820 35.12%
1952 2,567 46.06% 3,006 53.94% 0 0.00%
1948 242 8.60% 1,177 41.83% 1,395 49.57%
1944 478 20.45% 1,859 79.55% 0 0.00%
1940 222 8.41% 2,417 91.59% 0 0.00%
1936 172 6.40% 2,514 93.53% 2 0.07%
1932 83 3.96% 2,014 96.04% 0 0.00%
1928 340 28.81% 840 71.19% 0 0.00%
1924 141 19.50% 582 80.50% 0 0.00%
1920 38 5.76% 622 94.24% 0 0.00%
1916 3 0.53% 564 99.30% 1 0.18%
1912 8 1.74% 411 89.15% 42 9.11%

Education

Morehouse Parish School Board operates local public schools.

National Guard

The 1023rd Engineer Company (Vertical) of the 528th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in Bastrop.

See also

References
  1. "Census - Geography Profile: Morehouse Parish, Louisiana". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 22, 2023.
  2. "Find a County". National Association of Counties. Retrieved June 7, 2011.
  3. "Morehouse Parish". Center for Cultural and Eco-Tourism. Retrieved September 5, 2014.
  4. Point Pleasant, in Bastrop in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana
  5. City of Bastrop history
  6. Historical synopsis of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana from the 1930s.
  7. The Bloody End of Andrew Young Morhouse
  8. Ingram, Alton (July 10, 1961). "The Twentieth Century KU Klux Klan in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana". LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. doi:10.31390/gradschool_disstheses.8260.
  9. Ruiz, Jim (1998). The black hood of the Ku Klux Klan. Lanham, Md.: Austin & Winfield Publishers. ISBN 1-57292-043-2. OCLC 37155115.
  10. "2010 Census Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. August 22, 2012. Archived from the original on September 28, 2013. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  11. "U.S. Decennial Census". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  12. "Historical Census Browser". University of Virginia Library. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  13. "Population of Counties by Decennial Census: 1900 to 1990". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  14. "Census 2000 PHC-T-4. Ranking Tables for Counties: 1990 and 2000" (PDF). United States Census Bureau. Retrieved September 1, 2014.
  15. "State & County QuickFacts". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on June 19, 2011. Retrieved August 10, 2013.
  16. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 27, 2021.
  17. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
  18. "Morehouse Parish Correctional Division". Morehouse Parish Sheriff's Office. Retrieved October 7, 2012.
  19. Officer Down Memorial Page
  20. "Lake Charles American Press Archives, Dec 16, 1975, p. 24". NewspaperArchive.com. December 16, 1975. Retrieved May 17, 2020.
  21. "Louisiana general election returns, November 6, 2012". staticresults.sos.la.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  22. "Louisiana general election returns, November 4, 2008". staticresults.sos.la.gov. Retrieved December 7, 2012.
  23. Leip, David. "Dave Leip's Atlas of U.S. Presidential Elections". uselectionatlas.org. Retrieved March 7, 2018.

32.82°N 91.80°W / 32.82; -91.80

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