Claiborne Parish (French: Paroisse de Claiborne) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Homer and as of 2000, the population is 16,851.History
The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne.
The original Claiborne Parish courthouse was located in Russellville, now a ghost town. Later in the 19th century, the courthouse moved to Homer. John Ardis Cawthon of Louisiana Tech University studied several Claiborne Parish ghost towns in his book of local history, Ghost Towns Of Old Claiborne. He recalls the words of a relative, George Washington Dance, "When the courthouse moved, the glory departed. The village is now an old worn-out field."
Prominent Claiborne Parish residents include Loy F. Weaver, a retired banker who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976-1984.[2]
Pinkie C. Wilkerson represented Claiborne Parish in the state House from 1992, having defeated Kenneth Volentine in the 1991 general election. She served until her death in a six-vehicle accident in Bossier City on August 1, 2000.[3] Volentine was subsequently elected sheriff in 1995 and 1999.
Andrew R. Johnson (1856–1933) was a state senator from Claiborne and Bienville parishes from 1916-1924. He was previously the mayor of Homer and introduced electric lights and water works to the community.
T. H. Harris, pioneer educator and state education superintendent from 1908–1940, was born in the Arizona community in Claiborne Parish in 1869, the son of a Baptist minister.
The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne.
The original Claiborne Parish courthouse was located in Russellville, now a ghost town. Later in the 19th century, the courthouse moved to Homer. John Ardis Cawthon of Louisiana Tech University studied several Claiborne Parish ghost towns in his book of local history, Ghost Towns Of Old Claiborne. He recalls the words of a relative, George Washington Dance, "When the courthouse moved, the glory departed. The village is now an old worn-out field."
Prominent Claiborne Parish residents include Loy F. Weaver, a retired banker who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1976-1984.[2]
Pinkie C. Wilkerson represented Claiborne Parish in the state House from 1992, having defeated Kenneth Volentine in the 1991 general election. She served until her death in a six-vehicle accident in Bossier City on August 1, 2000.[3] Volentine was subsequently elected sheriff in 1995 and 1999.
Andrew R. Johnson (1856–1933) was a state senator from Claiborne and Bienville parishes from 1916-1924. He was previously the mayor of Homer and introduced electric lights and water works to the community.
T. H. Harris, pioneer educator and state education superintendent from 1908–1940, was born in the Arizona community in Claiborne Parish in 1869, the son of a Baptist minister.
The parish has a total area of 768 square miles (1,989.1 km2), of which 755 square miles (1,955.4 km2) is land and 13 square miles (33.7 km2) (1.68%) is water.
Major highways
U.S. Highway 79
Louisiana Highway 2
Louisiana Highway 9
Major highways
U.S. Highway 79
Louisiana Highway 2
Louisiana Highway 9
1 comment:
How interesting! - and appropriate!
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