Logansport, Louisiana


Logansport is a town in western DeSoto Parish adjacent to the Sabine River in western Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,555 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The area, long a disputed boundary even after the Louisiana Purchase, was part of a neutral territory negotiated by Gen. James Wilkinson and Lt. Col. Simón de Herrera on 6 November 1806.
The Adams–Onís Treaty of 1819, that was not ratified until 1821, would have been a solution but in 1821 Mexico's independence reignited the dispute. Dr. Logan moved to the area in 1830 began practicing medicine in Louisiana and Texas. He chartered a ferry business in the area and it became known as Logan's Ferry.
Texas won independence in 1836, and the newly formed Republic of Texas agreed to the Adams–Onís Treaty, so the Sabine River became the international boundary. The survey crew began the demarcation process on 20 May 1840, at the Gulf of Mexico, and work was completed in 1841. Boundary markers were placed along the boundary, that included one in Logansport. This marker apparently is the only one surviving, meaning it is the only known international boundary marker in the United States. The Texas Annexation of 1845, ended nine years of the Sabine River international boundary.
The name Logansport was given to the town when a post office was established 28 February 1848. There were few people living in the town prior to the arrival of the railroad. With the arrival of the railroad, there was an influx of gamblers and others of questionable character, along with the citizens of better repute. At one time Logansport had more saloons than grocery stores. The town began to grow and it was incorporated. The first election was held on 25 June 1887. In this election there were only 15 qualified voters listed. Elijah Price was elected mayor, along with five other trustees. Oil and gas were also a very important source of income for the early citizens of Logansport.

Geography

Logansport is located at . According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of, of which is land and is water.
The Logansport riverfront is an entrance off U.S. Highway 84 into Louisiana from Texas. It has a terraced landscape, veterans memorial, walking paths, gazebo, picnic tables, and a pavilion.

Demographics

As of the census of 2010, there were 1,555 people. The number of males, 703. The number of females, 852. The population density was 506.4 people per square mile. There were 787 housing units at an average density of 244.5 per square mile. The racial makeup of the town was 57.42% White, 41.17% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.25% Asian, 0.06% Pacific Islander, 0.31% from other races, and 0.49% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.10% of the population.
There were 656 households out of which 34.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 43.0% were married couples living together, 20.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.8% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.5% 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 3.11.
In the town, the population was spread out with 31.9% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 23.3% from 25 to 44, 20.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 34 years. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.6 males.
The median income for a household in the town was $22,546, and the median income for a family was $31,250. Males had a median income of $31,339 versus $22,083 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,695. About 28.0% of families and 31.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 43.9% of those under age 18 and 27.1% of those age 65 or over.

Media

Newspaper

The Toledo Bend Tribune, a local newspaper for Logansport closed in 2007. There is currently no local newspaper for the town. There is however a quarterly and popular magazine titled DeSoto Life, that covers all of DeSoto Parish. Desoto Life is owned and operated by Armstrong Enterprises USA, LLC who also owns iTOUR USA™, and Armstrong Productions.
The Light and Champion, a weekly newspaper across the river in Center, Texas, began distributing a free distribution product called The Merchandiser in March 2017, to stands at several locations in Logansport. The paper's Web site, www.lightandchampion.com, also has a dedicated menu tab for Logansport. The publications are owned by Moser Community Media out of Brenham, Texas.
NameServe
Town of Logansport newspaperTown of Logansport

Government

The mayor of the town is Judge Cordray. The town clerk is Sharon Stewart. The town billing clerk is Terri Hamon. The town's occupational and property tax clerk is Lekia Henderson.

Notable people