WEBSTER PARISH, LOUISIANA

'Webster Parish' is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2000, its population was 41,831. The parish is named for 19th-century American statesman Daniel Webster.
Webster Parish was created in 1871 from lands formerly belonging to Bienville, Bossier and Claiborne parishes.

Contents

Geography

Major Highways

Adjacent parishes

Demographics

Politics

Cities and towns

Geography

The parish has a total area of 1,593 km² (615 mi²). 1,542 km² (595 mi²) of it is land and 51 km² (20 mi²) of it (3.23%) is water.

Major Highways

★ Interstate 20

★ U.S. Highway 79

★ U.S. Highway 80

★ U.S. Highway 371

★ Louisiana Highway 2

Adjacent parishes

★ Lafayette County, Arkansas (north)

★ Columbia County, Arkansas (northeast)

★ Claiborne Parish (east)

★ Bienville Parish (southeast)

★ Bossier Parish (west)

Demographics

As of the census² of 2000, there were 41,831 people, 16,501 households, and 11,567 families residing in the parish. The population density was 27/km² (70/mi²). There were 18,991 housing units at an average density of 12/km² (32/mi²). The racial makeup of the parish was 65.51% White, 32.83% Black or African American, 0.34% Native American, 0.19% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.22% from other races, and 0.86% from two or more races. 0.90% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 16,501 households out of which 30.40% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 49.70% were married couples living together, 16.30% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.90% were non-families. 27.00% of all households were made up of individuals and 12.90% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.48 and the average family size was 2.99.
In the parish the population was spread out with 25.60% under the age of 18, 8.60% from 18 to 24, 26.00% from 25 to 44, 23.60% from 45 to 64, and 16.30% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females there were 91.80 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 88.20 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $28,408, and the median income for a family was $35,119. Males had a median income of $30,343 versus $20,907 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $15,203. About 15.30% of families and 20.20% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.60% of those under age 18 and 16.10% of those age 65 or over.

Politics

Since 1992, Webster Parish has been represented in the Louisiana House of Representatives by a member of the Doerge family. Democrat Everett Doerge, a retired educator and native of Minden, unseated the short-term Republican incumbent Eugene S. Eason and held the seat until his death in 1998. His widow, Jean M. Doerge, also a former educator, a Democrat, and a native of Natchitoches Parish, won the special election as his successor. She has since been reelected twice without opposition.
From 1933 to 1980 the office of Webster Parish sheriff, who also holds the title of chief parish tax collector, was filled by only three persons, all Democrats, from two political families. Oscar Henry Haynes, Sr. (1888-1969), held the position from 1933-1952 and was a deputy sheriff for the five years before he became sheriff. His son, O.H. Haynes, Jr. (1920-1996), a 1939 graduate of Minden High School, served from 1964-1980. Like his father, Haynes, Jr., was also a deputy prior to taking office. He also served for eight years as supervisor of the state driver's license office in Minden, and he was the Exxon distributor in Webster Parish for forty years. Haynes, Jr., was the father of Louisiana State University football star, Fred Haynes (1946-2006). The Hayneses are interred in the Minden Cemetery.
Between the tenures of the Hayneses was their intraparty rival, John D. "J.D." Batton (1911-1981), who filled the post from 1952-1964. Batton was the brother of a long-term Minden city official, former Mayor Jack Batton (1913-1996). The current Webster Parish sheriff is Gary Sexton, a Democrat first elected in 2003.
A Shongaloo native, Talmadge L. Heflin, served in the Texas House of Representatives from 1983-2005. In 2007, Heflin was named the executive director of the Republican Party of Texas. He resides in the Houston suburb of Alief.

Cities and towns

★ Cotton Valley ★ Cullen ★ Dixie Inn

★ Doyline ★ Dubberly ★ Heflin

★ Minden ★ Sarepta ★ Shongaloo

★ Sibley ★ Springhill