Arcadia, Louisiana

Arcadia, Louisiana
Town
Town of Arcadia
Downtown Arcadia, Louisiana
Location of Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 32°33′07″N92°55′27″W / 32.55194°N 92.92417°W / 32.55194; -92.92417
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Bienville Parish
Incorporated	1855(169 years ago) (1855)
Government
• Mayor	O'Landis "Bubba" Millican (D) (winner of special runoff election on December 8, 2018, to succeed Eugene Smith (D), who died in office in 2018) [1] [2]
• Chief of Police	Ciera Murphy
Area [3]
• Total	3.67 sq mi (9.51 km2)
• Land	3.65 sq mi (9.44 km2)
• Water	0.03 sq mi (0.07 km2)
Elevation	384 ft (117 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	2,746
• Rank	BV: 1st
• Density	753.36/sq mi (290.84/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
ZIP Code	71001
Area code	318
FIPS code	22-02655
Website	www.arcadialouisiana.org

Arcadia is a town in and the parish seat of Bienville Parish in northern Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,919 at the 2010 census. ^[4] Arcadia has the highest elevation of any incorporated municipality in Louisiana. Arcadia's name commemorates the Ancient Greek region of Arcadia. ^[5]

History

In 1934, bank robbers Bonnie and Clyde were killed near Arcadia in a shootout. Their bodies were brought for embalming to a furniture store in Arcadia which also served as a funeral parlor. Enormous crowds of onlookers descended upon the city when news of the pair's deaths there became public. ^{[6] [7]}

Arcadia has been a center of the poultry industry, with up to 300 independent growers for years supplying the local feed mill operated by poultry company Pilgrim's Pride.^{[ citation needed ]} In 2009 the company, facing bankruptcy, announced that it would close most of its Louisiana operations, including plants in Arcadia, Athens, Choudrant, and Farmerville; these operations were estimated to have provided a combined 1,300 jobs. ^[8] Several weeks later, Pilgrim's Pride accepted an US$80 million (equivalent to $114 million in 2023) offer from Foster Farms of California to purchase their operations and keep the plants running. Foster Farms put up $40 million of the purchase price, with the other $40 million covered by the State of Louisiana. ^[9]

Geography

Arcadia is located at 32°33′7″N92°55′27″W / 32.55194°N 92.92417°W / 32.55194; -92.92417 (32.551931, −92.924233) ^[10] and has an elevation of 384 feet (117.0 m) above sea level. ^[11] According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 3.1 square miles (7.9 km²), all land. ^[4] It is 50 miles (80 km) east of Shreveport. ^[12]

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1890	862		—
1900	924		7.2%
1910	1,079		16.8%
1920	1,240		14.9%
1930	1,809		45.9%
1940	1,601		−11.5%
1950	2,241		40.0%
1960	2,547		13.7%
1970	2,970		16.6%
1980	3,403		14.6%
1990	3,079		−9.5%
2000	3,041		−1.2%
2010	2,919		−4.0%
2020	2,746		−5.9%
U.S. Decennial Census [13]

Arcadia racial composition as of 2020 ^[14]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	705	25.67%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	1,895	69.01%
Native American	12	0.44%
Asian	3	0.11%
Pacific Islander	1	0.04%
Other/Mixed	69	2.51%
Hispanic or Latino	61	2.22%

At the census of 2000, ^[15] there were 3,041 people, 1,071 households, and 737 families residing in the town. At the 2019 American Community Survey, Arcadia had a population of 2,774 people and 1,469 housing units. ^[16] The population density was 1,025.6 inhabitants per square mile (396.0/km²). In 2000, there were 1,231 housing units at an average density of 415.2 units per square mile (160.3 units/km²). As of the 2020 United States census, there were 2,746 people, 1,127 households, and 620 families residing in the town.

In 2019, the racial makeup of Arcadia was 73.2% Black or African American, 22% non-Hispanic white, 4.1% some other race, and 0.7% two or more races. ^[16] Previously, the racial makeup of the town was 37.98% White, 60.57% African American, 0.26% Native American, 0.10% Asian, 0.26% from various other races, and 0.82% from multiple or mixed races. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 1.61% of the population.

In 2000, there were 1,071 households, out of which 31.7% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 37.0% were married couples living together, 27.9% had a female householder with no husband present, and 31.1% were non-families. 28.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.16. In the town of Arcadia, the population was spread out, with 27.1% under the age of 18, 9.2% from 18 to 24, 24.4% from 25 to 44, 18.7% from 45 to 64, and 20.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 73.3 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $21,661, and the median income for a family was $26,250. Males had a median income of $25,885 versus $17,279 for females. The per capita income for the town was $10,962. About 27.1% of families and 31.4% of the population were below the poverty line, including 42.7% of those under age 18 and 20.6% of those age 65 or over. At the 2019 census estimates, the median household income increased to $23,494. About 41.9% of the population lived at or below the poverty line, and 17.5% of Arcadia's citizens held a bachelor's degree or higher.

Religion

Among the numerous churches in downtown Arcadia are First United Methodist Church and the First Baptist Church, both in large sanctuaries. The Louisiana Baptist Convention was founded in 1848 in nearby Mount Lebanon, south of Gibsland, Louisiana.

Government

The Bienville Parish Courthouse was formerly located in a residential section of Arcadia but moved in 2013 to a newly constructed building off Interstate 20. ^[17]

Media

The Bienville Democrat office in Arcadia

The weekly newspaper, The Bienville Democrat, is printed on Wednesdays in Natchitoches, and then distributed across Bienville Parish.

Education

Public schools within Arcadia are under the jurisdiction of the Bienville Parish School Board; the town has no private schools. Arcadia's two public schools are located in the Arcadia School Complex, which encompasses both Arcadia High School and Crawford Elementary School.

Transportation

The Arcadia-Bienville Parish Airport is located two nautical miles (2.3 mi; 3.7 km) southwest of Arcadia's central business district. ^[18] The Bienville Parish Council on Aging provides public transit for the general population to locations within the town or close by, operating on an as-needed basis. ^[19] Appointments should be made ahead of time. Private transport is also available for the area, including charter bus services such as J&T Charters, based in El Dorado, Arkansas. ^[20]

Notable people

• Rodney Cook, organizer of Possums Unlimited (“or PU for short” ^[21] ) and its annual Possum Festival which provided over $100,000 in its 10-year run to charities including St. Jude Children's Research Hospital
• Marcus Fizer, professional basketball player, former collegiate All-American at Iowa State University (1999–2000) and McDonald's All-American from Arcadia High School (1996–1997).
• Patrick O. Jefferson, African-American member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for District 11 since 2012; lawyer in Arcadia.
• Dub Jones (1924–2024), American football player
• Henderson Jordan (1896–1958), Bienville Parish sheriff who participated in the ambush of Bonnie and Clyde.
• C. L. McCrary (1905–1989), Arcadia businessman and state representative from Bienville Parish from 1960 to 1964.
• Philip H. Mecom (1889–1969), United States Attorney for the Western District of Louisiana.
• Danny Roy Moore (1925–c. 2020), State senator from Bienville and Claiborne parishes.
• Prentiss Oakley (1905–1957), Jordan's successor as sheriff; also part of the posse that brought down Bonnie and Clyde.
• Pol Perritt, MLB player, pitched for New York Giants in 1917 World Series.
• Bettye Swann, soul singer best known for the 1967 hit "Make Me Yours".
• Lorris M. Wimberly, former four-time Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, farmer and insurance agent.
• Rush Wimberly, lawyer in Arcadia and Shreveport, member of both houses of the Louisiana legislature from 1900 to 1912; former Bienville Parish attorney and school superintendent. ^[22]

References

1. Eugene Smith, the mayor of Arcadia from 2003 until his death in 2018, was listed among the state and local officials who endorsed the reelection in 2014 of Democrat U.S. Senator Mary Landrieu, who ultimately lost to Republican Bill Cassidy.
2. "Landrieu's GOP Endorsements Pale in Comparison To 2008 Election". thehayride.com. September 11, 2014. Retrieved September 12, 2014.
3. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
4. "Geographic Identifiers: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (G001): Arcadia town, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on February 12, 2020. Retrieved December 2, 2013.
5. Leeper, Clare D'Artois (October 19, 2012). Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. LSU Press. p. 19. ISBN   978-0-8071-4740-5.
6. Treherne, John (August 22, 2000). The Strange History of Bonnie and Clyde. Cooper Square Press. ISBN   978-1-4616-2423-3.
7. Castleden, Chloe (August 18, 2011). Bonnie and Clyde: The Notorious Barrow Gang. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN   978-1-78033-343-4.
8. Greg Hilburn and Robbie Evans. "Pilgrim's Pride decision a bombshell: Sites closing in Arcadia, Athens, Choudrant, Farmerville". Shreveport Times . Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
9. Greg Hilburn (March 21, 2009). "Saved: 1,300 jobs". Monroe News Star. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
10. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. February 12, 2011. Retrieved April 23, 2011.
11. "US Board on Geographic Names". United States Geological Survey. October 25, 2007. Retrieved January 31, 2008.
12. Calatanello, Rebecca. "The Long Road to New Bethany and Back." The New Orleans Times-Picayune . Retrieved June 3, 2014. "Fifty miles east of Shreveport, wind whipped through the nearly empty parking lot outside the Arcadia courthouse. "
13. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
14. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
15. "U.S. Census website". United States Census Bureau . Retrieved January 31, 2008.
16. "Geography Profile of Arcadia, Louisiana". data.census.gov. Archived from the original on July 9, 2021. Retrieved July 1, 2021.
17. Google Maps
18. FAA Airport Form 5010 for 5F0 PDF . Federal Aviation Administration. Effective June 30, 2011.
19. Louisiana DOTD Transit Resource Guide - Bienville Parish. Retrieved September 20, 2024
20. J&T Charters LLC: Safety By Choice, Skill By Trade, Service By Design. Retrieved September 20, 2024
21. “Celebrating the road kill without the kill”, Baltimore Sun, June 12, 1992
22. "Joseph Rush Wimberly, I". usgwarchives.net. Retrieved June 22, 2013.

External links

• Town of Arcadia official website