Vernon Parish (French: Paroisse de Vernon) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 48,750. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Leesville. Bordered on the west by the Sabine River, the parish was founded in 1871 during the Reconstruction era.
It was long a center of the timber industry, which harvested pine in the hills and bottomland hardwoods. Construction of a railway to the area in 1897 stimulated the marketing of lumber and businesses in the area.
Since World War II, Fort Polk, formerly Fort Johnson, has been most important to the parish economy. The population of the Leesville area rapidly increased fivefold after the fort was opened. Vernon Parish is part of the Fort Polk South, LA Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is also included in the DeRidder-Fort Polk South, LA Combined Statistical Area.
Contents
History
The area comprising Vernon was a part of a tract of land whose control was disputed in the late 18th century between the United States and Spain. They called this land the "Neutral Strip" and refrained from posting police or military personnel there. As a result, the area became a haven for outlaws. Prior to the United States acquisition of this territory through the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the primary settlers who came to the area were ethnic French and Spanish.
During this period, Dr. Timothy Burr, a Massachusetts native who had migrated to Louisiana from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, established the community of Burr Ferry at his landing on the Sabine River. This community became known as the "Gateway to Louisiana" from the west. For decades this area was part of the Natchitoches, Rapides, and Sabine parishes, which were established soon after the US acquired this territory in the early nineteenth century. The timber industry was most important to the local economy, with both pines of the hills and bottomland hardwoods being harvested. Some landowners had their land cleared by slaves to establish plantations for cotton cultivation.
During the American Civil War, an artillery site was constructed nearby. Now called the "Confederate Breast Works", it was manned by the Confederacy to guard against Union movements along the Nolan Trace.
On March 30. 1871, the Louisiana General Assembly passed an act to create Vernon Parish, by taking territory from the three parishes noted above, as population had increased in the area. There are four versions of how the parish was named; the only official State version is that it was named in honor of Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington.
Leesville was designated as the parish seat of Vernon from the start. It was incorporated February 15, 1900. The city was founded by Dr. Edmund E. Smart, who donated land from his plantation for the development of the parish seat. It was named by Senator John Rowell Smart, his father, in honor of General Robert E. Lee. The Big House from the Smart plantation still stands, where the city has grown up around it. It is located at what today is the corner of Lula and First streets.
In folklore there are different claims about who it was named for, including:
20th century to present
In the period after World War I, Vernon Parish became the site of two socialist-based communities. The Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony developed as New Llano, established in 1917. The second was the Christian Commonwealth Colony. These colonies attempted to attract economists and sociologists to conduct an experiment in communal membership and the sharing of labor duties. Llano del Rio was the larger community, with more than 10,000 people, and was also the longest-surviving. Both colonies failed in the 1930s during the economic stress of the Great Depression.
In 1941, the United States Army opened Camp Polk, shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe, with the German invasion of Poland and other actions. Camp Polk quickly surpassed the timber industry as the dominant force in the parish's economy. After the camp opened, the population of the parish seat of Leesville rapidly climbed from 3,500 to 18,000. Named after Leonidas Polk, the first Episcopal Bishop in Louisiana and known as the "Fighting Bishop of the Confederacy", it served as one of the major Army training camps during World War II.
In the 21st century, Fort Polk is the 5th-largest military installation in the nation. The facility covers approximately 200,000 acres (810 km2). It has stimulated the development of associated businesses in the area and related populations. With the regular reassignment of soldiers, accompanied by dependents, to and from the fort, Vernon Parish has a more varied culture than might be expected from its location. Its residents come from all over the country.
Geography
According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of 1,341 square miles (3,470 km2), of which 1,328 square miles (3,440 km2) is land and 14 square miles (36 km2) (1.0%) is water. It is the largest parish in Louisiana by land area.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 171
Louisiana Highway 8
Louisiana Highway 10
Louisiana Highway 28
Louisiana Highway 111
Louisiana Highway 113
Louisiana Highway 117
Louisiana Highway 121
Louisiana Highway 184
Louisiana Highway 377
Louisiana Highway 392
Louisiana Highway 399
Louisiana Highway 458
Louisiana Highway 463
Louisiana Highway 464
Louisiana Highway 465
Louisiana Highway 467
Louisiana Highway 468
Louisiana Highway 469
Louisiana Highway 473
Louisiana Highway 489
Louisiana Highway 1146
Louisiana Highway 1211
Louisiana Highway 1213
Louisiana Highway 3226
Adjacent parishes and counties
Sabine Parish (northwest)
Natchitoches Parish (north)
Rapides Parish (east)
Allen Parish (southeast)
Beauregard Parish (south)
Newton County, Texas (west)
National protected area
Kisatchie National Forest (part)
Demographics
2020 census
As of the 2020 census, the parish had a population of 48,750 and 12,375 families residing there.
As of the 2020 census, the median age was 32.8 years. 25.6% of residents were under the age of 18 and 13.1% of residents were 65 years of age or older. For every 100 females there were 104.4 males, and for every 100 females age 18 and over there were 104.4 males age 18 and over.
As of the 2020 census, the racial makeup of the parish was 72.0% White, 13.3% Black or African American, 1.2% American Indian and Alaska Native, 1.8% Asian, 0.6% Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander, 2.7% from some other race, and 8.4% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino residents of any race comprised 8.6% of the population.
As of the 2020 census, 42.2% of residents lived in urban areas, while 57.8% lived in rural areas.
As of the 2020 census, there were 18,761 households in the parish, of which 34.6% had children under the age of 18 living in them. Of all households, 50.7% were married-couple households, 20.6% were households with a male householder and no spouse or partner present, and 23.9% were households with a female householder and no spouse or partner present. About 27.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 9.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older.
As of the 2020 census, there were 21,953 housing units, of which 14.5% were vacant. Among occupied housing units, 56.7% were owner-occupied and 43.3% were renter-occupied. The homeowner vacancy rate was 1.3% and the rental vacancy rate was 13.4%.
Education
Primary and secondary education
All public schools in Vernon Parish are operated by the Vernon Parish School Board, which operates 18 public schools and one optional school.
Schools providing a secondary education include:
Evans High School (Grades PK-12)
Hicks High School (Grades PK-12)
Hornbeck High School (Grades PK-12)
Pitkin High School (Grades PK-12)
Simpson High School (Grades PK-12)
Anacoco High School (Grades 7–12)
Pickering High School (Grades 7–12)
Rosepine Junior/Senior High School (Grades 7–12)
Leesville High School (Grades 9–12)
Vernon Parish Optional School (Grades 7–12)
Faith training Christian academy (private k4-12)
Colleges and universities
The Louisiana Technical College (LTC) system operates the Lamar Salter campus south of New Llano. The Central Louisiana Technical College Lamar Salter campus is one of 40 LTC campuses across the state.
Northwestern State University (NSU), is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana and is part of the University of Louisiana System. The NSU-Leesville/Fort Polk Campus is located on Highway 467 near Fort Polk. It serves the civilian communities of Vernon, Beauregard, and Sabine parishes, as well as the military community at Fort Polk.
http://leesville.nsula.edu/
The Fort Polk Education Center offers self-development opportunities for Service members, military family members, Department of the Defense employees, military Retirees, Department of Defense contractors, and civilians from the local community in the classroom, distance learning, and online environments. Civilian students coming to the post for classes are required to use the main entrance located off U.S. Highway 171.
Central Michigan University (CMU) operates a campus at Fort Polk.
Central Texas College (CTC) is a public, open-admission community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in academic, professional and vocational/technical fields. Due to its proximity to Fort Polk, CTC has evolved from a small junior college into a college catering to the military. CTC also help students transition from a 2-year to a 4-year degree through numerous articulation agreements with 4-year institutions nationwide.
Louisiana State University offers a Master of Arts in Liberal Arts.
The Upper Iowa University (UIU) at Fort Polk offers classes on post to both military personnel and civilians in the area. It was opened in 1995 and offers bachelor's degrees in nine majors. Courses can also be blended with UIU distance learning programs (online and independent study) to complete 11 other majors. Certificate programs are also available. UIU offers courses on post during five eight-week terms during the academic year. All courses are offered during the evenings and on weekends.
Public libraries
The Vernon Parish Library operates public libraries. It operates the main library and the Dunbar Branch Library in Leesville and the Pitkin Branch Library in Pitkin.
National Guard
The Louisiana Army National Guard maintains a maintenance facility which services its vehicles on Fort Polk.
3-156 IB part of 256th Tiger Brigade is located at Fort Polk.
Communities
Cities
DeRidder (most of DeRidder is in Beauregard Parish, with a very small portion reaching into Vernon)
Leesville (parish seat and largest municipality)
Towns
Hornbeck
New Llano
Rosepine
Villages
Anacoco
Simpson
Unincorporated areas
Fort Polk North
Fort Polk South
Pitkin
Notable people
Bert A. Adams, state representative from Vernon Parish from 1956 to 1968
Eddie Fuller, running back for the Buffalo Bills
Frank A. Howard, former Vernon Parish sheriff and Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives
Buddy Leach, former member of the United States House of Representatives, Louisiana House of Representatives, and Louisiana Democratic Party chairman
Kevin Mawae, All-Pro center for the Tennessee Titans
Demond Mallet, professional basketball player in the German League and with Joventut Badalona
Jim McCrery, former U.S. Representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district
Charles M. Poston Sr., member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1960 to 1964
Bryan A. Poston, member of the Louisiana State Senate from 1964 to 1992
Jewel Prestage, first African-American woman to earn a PhD in political science, former Dean of the School of Public Policy and Urban Affairs at Southern University
D'Anthony Smith, nose tackle for the Chicago Bears