ZIP Code 70427

Bogalusa is a city in Washington Parish, Louisiana, United States. The name derives from the Choctaw language term bogue lusa, which translates into English as "dark water or "smoky water" Located in an area of pine forests, in the early 20th century, this industrial city was developed as a company town, to provide worker housing and services in association with a Great Southern Lumber Company sawmill. In the late 1930s, this operation was replaced with paper mills and chemical operations. It is the principal city of the Bogalusa Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes all of Washington Parish and is also part of the larger New OrleansMetairieHammond combined statistical area. At its peak in 1960, the city had more than 21,000 residents. The city was designed by architect Rathbone DeBuys of New Orleans and built from the ground up in less than a year. It was called the "Magic City" in praise of its rapid construction. In 1919 workers went on strike, triggering the largest labor strife at the town's Great Southern sawmill in the world. On August 31, 1919, Black veteran Lucius McCarty was accused of assaulting a white woman and a mob shot him more than 1,500 times. The mob then dragged his body through the black neighborhoods before burning his body in a bonfire. During the civil rights era, black workers had come to the town for work for their country. After World War II, African-American veterans struggled in Louisiana and the South against the oppression of Jim Crow laws.

History

Incorporated in 1914, Bogalusa is one of the youngest towns in Louisiana. It was founded by Frank Henry Goodyear and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear, lumber barons of Buffalo, New York. In 1919 workers went on strike, triggering the largest labor strife at the town's Great Southern Lumber Company, the largest sawmill in the world. After World War II and service for their country, African-American veterans struggled in Louisiana and the South against the oppression of Jim Crow laws, state segregation, and exclusion from the political system. In 1964, as civil rights activists continued to push for their constitutional rights, whites increased their resistance to their fight for their rights. In 1985 Crown-Zellerbach was split up but the timber industry continued. At its peak in 1960, the city had more than 21,000 residents. The city was designed by architect Rathbone DeBuys of New Orleans and built from the ground up in less than a year. The town was laid out with the "Mill Town" on the south side and "Commercial Town" in the north side. There were four quadrants with racially segregated neighborhoods defined by the railroad running northsouth and Bogue Lusa Creek running eastwest. In 1937 BogalUSA Paper Company merged with Gaylord Container Corporation; a chemical plant also run by Gaylord was built next to the mill. The paper mill and chemical operations continued to anchor the city's economy. White workers resisted integration opportunities, especially after the Civil Rights Law of 1964. Black workers also struggled against the industrial class system. Local Ku Klux Klan members dominated the region.

Geography

According to the United States Census Bureau, Bogalusa has a total area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²) of which 9.4 square miles is land and 0.1 square mile (0.3 km 2) is covered by water. The city has an elevation of 100 feet (30.5 m) according to the U.S. Census Bureau. It is located in the Central Coast Ranges of the Pacific Coast region of North America. The town has a population of 2,000 (as of the 2010 Census) and an area of 9.5 square miles (24.6 km²) with 0.3 square miles of land. It has a post office with a ZIP code of 7054. It also has a city airport with a landing strip with a diameter of 1.5 miles (2.5 km). The city's name is derived from the town's Latin name, "Bogalusa" which means "beautiful place" or "breathtaking place" and means "place of beauty" in Spanish. It was named after the city's patron saint, who is believed to have lived in the area for more than 1,000 years. In the early 1800s, the town was known as "Bagalusa", or "Baggalusa," for "breath of gold" (or "bagg of gold"). The town's name was first recorded in the 18th century.

Demographics

Bogalusa has one of the highest crime rates in America compared to all communities of all sizes- from the smallest towns to the very largest cities. One's chance of becoming a victim of either violent or property crime here is one in 17. Within Louisiana, more than 92% of the communities have a lower crime rate than Bogalusa. The median income for a household in the city was $19,261, and for a family was $24,947. About 26.1% of families and 32.9%. of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.1%. of those under age 18 and 22.0% of those age 65 or over. The city has a population of 10,659, with a crime rate of 60 per one thousand residents. The population density is 1,407.6 inhabitants per square mile (543.5/km²) The racial makeup of the city is 57.18% White, 41.21% African American, 0.32% Native American, and 0.39% Asian. Hispanics or Latinos of any race were 0.75%. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.05. The per capita income for the city in 2000 was $11,476. For every 100 females, there were 82.7 males. For each 100 females age 18 or over, there are 76.0 males. The average age of the town is 37 years.

Economy

Bogalusa's economy has been linked to lumbering and its byproducts since the city's founding by the Great Southern Lumber Company chartered in 1902 by the Goodyears of Buffalo, New York. The sawmill was, for many years, the largest in the world. A paper mill was added in 1918. By the mid 1960s the mill was producing some 1300 tons of paper daily with four machines. Georgia Pacific acquired the mill in 1986. The spill-over of industrial products into the Pearl River in August 2011 resulted in Federal fines of over one million dollars. The following year, 2012, Temple-Inland was acquired by International Paper headquartered in Memphis, TN and the mill came under new ownership. The Bogalusa mill still operates as a corrugated fiberboard plant making boxes and shipping containers. However production is much less than the 1960s with only two machines now in operation. As of 2019 the plant remains the city’s largest employer with 425 people. The city's largest employer is Temple-inland Corporation, the area's largest Employer. The town's population is around 6,000 people. It has a population of about 3,000. It is located in the eastern part of the U.S. and is located on the New York-New Jersey border. It was the site of the Battle of the Bulge, a World War II-era battle between the United States and Germany. The Battle was one of the largest battles ever fought.

Arts and culture

The Robert Hicks Foundation was established to carry on the work for civil rights. An annual award is made in his name. The Robert Hicks House was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 2015. A Bogalusa Civil Rights Museum is planned to open in the city in 2018, to commemorate the struggle in the 1960s and continuing work for social justice. Deacons for Defense is a 2003 television movie made about the 1965 civil rights struggle in BogalUSA. Directed by Bill Duke, it stars Academy Award-winner Forest Whitaker, with Ossie Davis and Jonathan Silverman. Robert Indiana's painting "Louisiana" (1965) : "Just As in the Anatomy of Man Every Nation: Must have its Hind Part: The Fair City of Bogalusa" is on display at the Robert "Bob" Hicks Foundation in his honor. The foundation was established by Robert Hicks in memory of his brother, Robert Hicks, who died in a car crash in 1968. The museum is expected to be open in 2018. It will be located in the former home of Robert Hicks' son, Bob Hicks, Jr. and will be open to the public. The Hicks Foundation is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit organization. It was established in his memory to commemorate his brother's life and work in the civil rights movement. It is based in the BogalUSa neighborhood of the same name, which was once known as "Bogalusas" or "The Fair City".

Government

Bogalusa is home to the 205th Engineer Battalion of the Louisiana Army National Guard. This unit is part of the 225th Engineer Brigade, which is headquartered in Pineville, Louisiana, at Camp Beauregard. The city charter designates a mayor and a council of seven members, five of whom are elected from the respective districts and two are elected at-large, all serving four-year terms. The mayor and council are all elected for four years, with the exception of the mayor, who serves a one-year term. The council is made up of five members from each of the city's five districts. The town's mayor and seven members serve four- year terms, and the mayor is elected for a two-yearterm, as is the city council's mayor, for a three- year term, and two at- Large members for two years, for each of their respective districts. The city has a population of 2,000, making it one of the smallest cities in the state. It is located on the Mississippi River, which runs through Bogalusa and into the city of Bossier City, Louisiana. It also has an airport, which serves as a hub for air traffic. The state's largest city is New Orleans, which has a total population of 1,816,000. It has an international airport, with an airport that serves as the hub for the Gulf of Mexico, the Louisiana International Airport and the Port of New Orleans. It was the site of World War II.

Education

Bogalusa operates its own public school system, consisting of seven elementary schools, one junior high and one high school. As of 2020 there are over 3600 students enrolled and almost 230 teachers working for the district. Northshore Technical Community College is located in Bogalusa. In 1930, it was the first trade school established in the state of Louisiana, and it is now a fully accredited community college. The town has a population of around 2,000 people, with most of them living in the central part of the city. The city is home to the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. It is also home to a number of other colleges and universities, including Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech, and Louisiana Tech University of the Arts and Sciences, and the Louisiana Institute of Technology, which was founded in 1883. It also has a high school and a junior high, as well as an elementary and high school, which are located in the center of the town. The community has a reputation for having a high quality of life, with many residents living in and around the central area. The area has a history of civil rights activism, particularly in the late 1800s and early 1900s, when it was known as the "Land of the Rising Sun" and was the site of the first black college in the United States. It has also been home to several civil rights organizations, including the Louisiana National Guard, the Louisiana State Police and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, which were founded in the early 20th century.

Infrastructure

Bogalusa is located at the juncture of Louisiana Highways 10 running eastwest and 21 running northsouth. The Bogalusa Bayou Railroad (BBAY) serves the city's International Paper plant. There is no passenger rail to the city, but the BBAY connects it northward with the Canadian National line in Mississippi. The Police Department employs 35 officers and 12 reserves. The city is home to the George R. Carr Memorial Air Field, which is owned by the city. It is located north of the city and is a hub for air travel to and from the airport. The town has a population of about 2,000 people, with most of its residents living in the central part of the town. It has an estimated population of 3,000. It was founded in 1881. The current mayor is Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who took office on January 1, 2011. The mayor's office is located in the city center and is under the control of the mayor's son. The police department has a police force of 35 officers, with 12 reserves, and employs 35 officers and 12 reserves. It also has a fire department, which has a station on the outskirts of the City. The airport is located near the city; it is owned and operated by the City of Bogalusa and is known as the BogalUSa Airport. It is a hub of air travel for the area.

Air Quality, Water Quality, Superfund Sites & UV Index

The Air Quality index is in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana = 87. These Air Quality index is based on annual reports from the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The number of ozone alert days is used as an indicator of air quality, as are the amounts of seven pollutants including particulates, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, lead, and volatile organic chemicals. The Water Quality Index is 20. A measure of the quality of an area’s water supply as rated by the EPA. Higher values are better (100=best). The EPA has a complex method of measuring the watershed quality, using 15 indicators such as pollutants, turbidity, sediments, and toxic discharges. The Superfund Sites Index is 99. Higher is better (100=best). Based upon the number and impact of EPA Superfund pollution sites in the county, including spending on the cleanup efforts. The UV Index in Bogalusa = 6 and is a measure of an area's exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays. This is most often a combination of sunny weather, altitude, and latitude. The UV Index has been defined by the WHO (www.who.int/news-room/questions-and-answers/item/radiation-the-ultraviolet-(uv)-index) and is uniform worldwide.

Employed

The most recent city population of 10,659 individuals with a median age of 35.1 age the population dropped by -5.96% in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana population since 2000 and are distributed over a density of 1,121.41 residents per square mile of area (432.98/km²). There are average 2.34 people per household in the 5,268 households with an average household income of $23,112 a year. The unemployment rate in Alabama is 9.60% of the available work force and has dropped -6.44% over the most recent 12-month period and the projected change in job supply over the next decade based on migration patterns, economic growth, and other factors will increase by 17.52%. The number of physicians in Bogalusa per 100,000 population = 71.3.

Weather

The annual rainfall in Bogalusa = 62.2 inches and the annual snowfall = 0.2 inches. The annual number of days with measurable precipitation (over .01 inch) = 113. The average number of days per year that are predominantly sunny = 221. 92 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily high temperature for the month of July and 38.3 degrees Fahrenheit is the average daily low temperature for the month of January. The Comfort Index (higher=better) is 23, where higher values mean a more pleasant climate. The Comfort Index measure recognizes that humidity by itself isn't the problem. (Have you noticed nobody ever complains about the weather being 'cold and humid?) It's in the summertime that we notice the humidity the most, when it's hot and muggy. Our Comfort Index uses a combination of afternoon summer temperature and humidity to closely predict the effect that the humidity will have on people.

Median Home Cost

The percentage of housing units in Bogalusa, Washington Parish, Louisiana which are owned by the occupant = 54.53%. A housing unit is a house, apartment, mobile home, or room occupied as separate living quarters. The average age of homes = 46 years with median home cost = $64,250 and home appreciation of 0.42%. This is the value of the years most recent home sales data. Its important to note that this is not the average (or arithmetic mean). The median home price is the middle value when you arrange all the sales prices of homes from lowest to highest. This is a better indicator than the average, because the median is not changed as much by a few unusually high or low values. The property tax rate of $3.67 shown here is the rate per $1,000 of home value. If for simplification for example the tax rate is $14.00 and the home value is $250,000, the property tax would be $14.00 x ($250,000/1000), or $3500. This is the 'effective' tax rate.

Study

The local school district spends $5,434 per student. There are 15.9 students for each teacher in the school, 348 students for each Librarian and 139 students for each Counselor. 2.14% of the area’s population over the age of 25 with an Associate Degree or other 2-year college degree, 6.47% with a master’s degree, Ph.D. or other advanced college degree and 4.36% with high school diplomas or high school equivalency degrees (GEDs).