Cotton Valley, Louisiana

"Cotton Valley" redirects here. For a settlement on the island of Saint Croix, see Cotton Valley, United States Virgin Islands.

Cotton Valley, Louisiana
Town
Town of Cotton Valley
Downtown Cotton Valley with United States Post Office at the right and municipal building at the left
Location of Cotton Valley in Webster Parish, Louisiana.
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Coordinates: 32°48′49″N93°25′22″W / 32.81361°N 93.42278°W / 32.81361; -93.42278 [1]
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Webster
Area [2]
• Total	2.65 sq mi (6.85 km2)
• Land	2.63 sq mi (6.82 km2)
• Water	0.01 sq mi (0.03 km2)
Elevation [1]	220 ft (70 m)
Population  (2020)
• Total	787
• Density	299.01/sq mi (115.45/km2)
Time zone	UTC-6 (CST)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-5 (CDT)
Area code	318
FIPS code	22-17915
GNIS feature ID	2406318 [1]
Website	cottonvalleylouisiana.net (archived)

Cotton Valley is a town in central Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,010 at the 2010 census.

History

Mayoral history

Cotton Valley was established in the mid-19th century, and incorporated in 1944 when J. B. Roby, a Democrat, became its first mayor. ^[3] In 1946, Roby was succeeded by A. C. Borland, ^[4] who served a total of 22 years. An insurance agent, Borland did not seek reelection in 1968 and was succeeded by E. M. Hollingsworth. ^[5] Borland was credited with the building of the Cotton Valley city hall, recreation center and municipal park. ^[6] Keith Chanler {Republican} was elected mayor in 2000 and again in 2004 and chose not to run in 2008. Comerdis Phillips was elected mayor in 2008 ^[7] Joseph Alexander became mayor in 2016. ^[8]

Marlon Pope Special Learning Center

Cotton Valley was the home of the former Marlon Pope Special Learning Center, ^[9] named for Chester Marlon Pope, a civic leader and Republican member of the Webster Parish School Board. ^[10]

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of 2.6 square miles (6.7 km²), all land.

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1930	1,133		—
1950	1,188		—
1960	1,145		−3.6%
1970	1,261		10.1%
1980	1,445		14.6%
1990	1,130		−21.8%
2000	1,189		5.2%
2010	1,009		−15.1%
2020	787		−22.0%
2024 (est.)	747	[11]	−5.1%
U.S. Decennial Census [12]

Cotton Valley water tower highlights the high school's "Wildcats"

Calumet Industries, formerly Cotton Valley Oil Company, located off U.S. Highway 371 in Cotton Valley

Cotton Valley racial composition as of 2020 ^[13]

Race	Number	Percentage
White (non-Hispanic)	380	48.28%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	362	46.0%
Native American	15	1.91%
Other/Mixed	18	2.29%
Hispanic or Latino	12	1.52%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 787 people, 444 households, and 289 families residing in the town.

Arts and culture

A public library replaced the former facility in the old office of Dr. John Pugh, a long-time Cotton Valley physician, who began his practice in 1902. ^[14]

Notable people

• Ken Beck, defensive tackle in the NFL Green Bay Packers; ^[15] born in Minden
• Roger Carr, former National Football League wide receiver who played for various teams.
• The Cox Family consists of Cotton Valley natives noted for their Bluegrass music.

References

1. U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Cotton Valley, Louisiana
2. "2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved March 20, 2022.
3. Minden Herald, April 14, 1944, p. 1
4. "Borland Re-elected in Cotton Valley", Minden Herald, April 12, 1956, p. 1
5. Minden Press-Herald, June 27, 1968, p. 1
6. Minden Press-Herald, January 27, 1987, p. 3
7. "Louisiana primary election returns, October 4, 2008". staticresults.sos.la.gov. Retrieved October 27, 2012.
8. "Cotton Valley Mayor-elect takes oath of office". Minden Press-Herald. Retrieved December 27, 2016.
9. "Learning center to bear Pope name", Minden Press-Herald, December 16, 1986, p. 1
10. "Marlon Pope dies", Minden Press-Herald, January 25, 1987, p. 1
11. "City and Town Population Totals: 2020-2024". United States Census Bureau. Retrieved August 9, 2025.
12. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
13. "Explore Census Data". data.census.gov. Retrieved December 29, 2021.
14. Minden Herald, September 24, 1948, p. 1
15. "Ken Beck". National Football League. Retrieved August 8, 2011.

External links

• Town of Cotton Valley