Morehouse Parish, Louisiana

Morehouse Parish
Parish
The Morehouse Parish Courthouse (built 1914) is located in the center of downtown Bastrop.
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Coordinates: 32°49′N91°48′W / 32.82°N 91.8°W / 32.82; -91.8
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	1844
Named for	Abraham Morehouse
Seat	Bastrop
Largest city	Bastrop
Area
• Total	805 sq mi (2,080 km2)
• Land	794 sq mi (2,060 km2)
• Water	11 sq mi (30 km2)  1.4%
Population  (2020)
• Total	25,629
• Density	32/sq mi (12/km2)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)
Congressional district	5th

The Morehouse Parish Assessor's Office is located behind the parish courthouse in Bastrop.

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 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

• U.S. Highway 165
• U.S. Highway 425
• Louisiana Highway 2
• Louisiana Highway 133
• Louisiana Highway 134

Adjacent counties and parishes

• Union County, Arkansas (northwest)
• Ashley County, Arkansas (north)
• Chicot County, Arkansas (northeast)
• West Carroll Parish (east)
• Richland Parish (southeast)
• Ouachita Parish (southwest)
• Union Parish (west)

National protected areas

• Handy Brake National Wildlife Refuge
• Upper Ouachita National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Communities

Map of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana With Municipal Labels

City

• Bastrop (parish seat and largest municipality)

Villages

• Bonita
• Collinston
• Mer Rouge
• Oak Ridge

Demographics

Historical population

Census	Pop.	Note	%±
1850	3,913		—
1860	10,357		164.7%
1870	9,387		−9.4%
1880	14,206		51.3%
1890	16,786		18.2%
1900	16,634		−0.9%
1910	18,786		12.9%
1920	19,311		2.8%
1930	23,689		22.7%
1940	27,571		16.4%
1950	32,038		16.2%
1960	33,709		5.2%
1970	32,463		−3.7%
1980	34,803		7.2%
1990	31,938		−8.2%
2000	31,021		−2.9%
2010	27,979		−9.8%
2020	25,629		−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
Abbreviation	MPSO
Jurisdictional structure
General nature	Local civilian police
Operational structure
Headquarters	Bastrop, Louisiana
Agency executive	Mike Tubbs, Sheriff
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 ^[update] 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

• United States portal

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

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. Archived (PDF) from the original on March 27, 2010. 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°49′N91°48′W / 32.82°N 91.80°W / 32.82; -91.80