Founded February 24, 1843 Congressional district 4th Area 2,246 km² Population 123,823 (2013) | Named for Pierre Bossier Time zone Central: UTC-6/-5 Largest city Bossier City County seat Benton | |
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Website www.bossierparishla.gov Colleges and Universities Bossier Parish Community College, Virginia College in Shreveport/Bossier City Cities Bossier City, Haughton, Benton, Plain Dealing Points of interest Horseshoe Casino Hotel, Barksdale Global Power M, Party Central Family Fu, North Bossier Park, The Golf Club at Stonebridge | ||
Bossier Parish (/ˈboʊʒər/ BOH-zhər; French: Paroisse de Bossier) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 116,979. The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is Bossier City, which is located east of the Red River from Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish. The parish was formed in 1843 from the western portion of Claiborne Parish.
Contents
- Map of Bossier Parish LA USA
- History
- Law government and politics
- Geography
- Major highways
- Adjacent counties and parishes
- National protected area
- Demographics
- National Guard
- Education
- Cities
- Towns
- Census designated places
- Unincorporated communities
- Notable people
- References
Map of Bossier Parish, LA, USA
Bossier Parish is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area as well as the Shreveport–Bossier City–Minden Combined Statistical Area.
Lake Bistineau and Lake Bistineau State Park are included in parts of Bossier and neighboring Webster and Bienville parishes. Loggy Bayou flows south from Lake Bistineau in southern Bossier Parish, traverses western Bienville Parish, and in Red River Parish joins the Red River.
History
Bossier Parish is named for Pierre Bossier, a 19th-century Louisiana state senator and U.S. representative from Natchitoches Parish.
Bossier Parish was spared fighting on its soil during the American Civil War. In July 1861, at the start of the war, the Bossier Parish Police Jury appropriated $35,000 for the benefit of Confederate volunteers and their family members left behind, an amount then considered generous.
Law, government, and politics
Bossier Parish is governed by a 12-member elected body, the Bossier Parish Police Jury (equivalent to county commission in other states). Eddy Shell, a prominent Bossier City educator, served on the police jury from 1992 until his death in 2008. Here is the current makeup of the police jury:
Bossier Parish is reliably Republican in most contested elections. Since 1952, George Wallace, the former governor of Alabama running in 1968 on the American Independent Party ticket, is the only non-Republican to have carried Bossier Parish.
In 2008, U.S. Senator John S. McCain of Arizona won in Bossier Parish with 32,713 votes (71.4 percent) over the Democrat Barack H. Obama of Illinois, who polled 12,703 votes (27.8 percent). In 2012, Mitt Romney polled 34,988 votes (72 percent) in Bossier Parish, or 2,275 more ballots than McCain drew in 2008. President Obama trailed in Bossier Parish with 12,956 votes (26.7 percent), or 253 more votes than he had received in 2008,
In 2011, Bossier Parish elected a Republican, Julian C. Whittington, as sheriff to succeed the long-term Larry Deen, a Democrat who later re-registered as a Republican.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 867 square miles (2,250 km2), of which 840 square miles (2,200 km2) is land and 27 square miles (70 km2) (3.1%) is water. Four miles east of Bossier City is Barksdale Air Force Base.
Major highways
Adjacent counties and parishes
National protected area
Demographics
As of the census of 2010, there were 116,979 people, 62,000 households, and 37,500 families residing in the parish. The population density was 142 people per square mile (45/km²). There were 49,000 housing units at an average density of 48 per square mile (19/km²). The racial makeup of the parish was 70.66% White, 18.52% Black or African American, 0.82% Native American, 2.18% Asian, 0.18% Pacific Islander, 1.00% from other races, and 1.65% from two or more races. 8.15% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.
There were 46,020 households out of which 36.90% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 54.60% were married couples living together, 14.10% had a female householder with no husband present, and 27.30% were non-families. 22.90% of all households were made up of individuals and 7.80% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.63 and the average family size was 3.09.
In the parish the population was spread out with 28.00% under the age of 18, 9.70% from 18 to 24, 30.50% from 25 to 44, 21.30% from 45 to 64, and 10.40% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females there were 96.10 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 92.80 males.
The median income for a household in the parish was $39,203, and the median income for a family was $45,542. Males had a median income of $32,305 versus $23,287 for females. The per capita income for the parish was $18,119. About 10.60% of families and 13.70% of the population were below the poverty line, including 19.00% of those under age 18 and 12.50% of those age 65 or over.
National Guard
The 165th CSS (Combat Service Support) Battalion is headquartered in Bossier City. This unit was deployed to Iraq in 2008. Also located in Bossier City is the 156TH Army Band which deployed as part of the 256th Infantry Brigade in 2010 to Iraq.
Education
Bossier Parish School Board operates public schools in the parish.