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Claiborne Parish was created from Natchitoches Parish by Act No. 42
of the Louisiana General Assembly approved March 13, 1828, and named in
honor of the first American governor of Louisiana, William Charles Cole
Claiborne.
Known as the "Banner Parish" of North Louisiana, the original
Claiborne Parish extended for approximately 64 miles east of the Red River
along the northern border of Louisiana and extended south a distance of
approximately 60 miles. From the original parish, the following parishes
were formed entirely or in part: Bossier, Jackson, Bienville, Red River,
Webster, Lincoln and Claiborne Parishes.
The parish seats have been located in Russellville (1828-1836), Overton
(1836-1846, in present day Webster Parish), Athens (1846-1849), now known
as Old Athens), and Homer (1849-present). The courthouse at Old Athens
along with all parish records were destroyed by fire on November 6, 1849.
Homer, the present day parish seat of Claiborne Parish, was named for
the Greek poet and was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by
Frank Vaughn.
The trends in culture, architecture and traditions are set by the Anglo-Saxon
influence, rather than the French.
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| The present day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of
architecture, is one of only four pre-civil war courthouses in the State
of Louisiana still in use today. The building, completed in 1860, was accepted
by the Claiborne Parish Police Jury July 20, 1861 at a cost of $12,304.36,
and is on the National Register of Historic Places. |
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Also listed in the National Register of Historic Places, is the area
immediately around the Courthouse Square and the buildings located and including
the Louisiana and Northwest Railroad depot on U.S. Highway 79.
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General Information/Statistics
Incorporated Villiages & Towns
- Homer (population approx. 4,500)
- Haynesville (population approx. 3,500)
- Athens
- Lisbon
- Junction City
Claiborne Parish Population
- 1830 - 1,764
- 1930 - 32,285
- 1980 - 17,095
- 1990 - 17,405
- 1995 - 17,730
- 2000 - 18,260 (EST)
- 2005 - 18,860 (EST)
- 2010 - 19,600 (EST)
Area Climate
- Average Annual 65.3°F
- Average January 46.4°F
- Average July 82.5°F
- Average Annual Rainfall 48.8"
- Average Annual Snow 1.4"
- Number of days over 90°F - 67
- Number of days under 32°F - 42
Educational Facilities
- Public Homer/Haynesville (K-12)
- Private Schools
- -Claiborne Academy (K-4-12)
- -Mount Olive Christian (K-4-12)
- Claiborne Vocational-Technical
- Universities (within 100 miles)
- -Louisiana Tech, Ruston
- -Louisiana State, Shreveport
- -Grambling State, Grambling
- -Northeast Louisiana, Monroe
- -Northwestern State, Natchitoches
- -Southern, Shreveport
- -South Arkansas, Magnolia, Ar
Libraries
- Claiborne Parish, Homer (318) 927-3845
- Claiborne Parish, Haynesville Branch
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Transportation
- Louisiana & Northwest RR(2 trains/day)
- Fereral Hwy U.S. 79
- State Hwys LA 2,Alt 2,9,146,534,615,518
Common Carriers
- Morgan Time DC
- SAIA Motor Freight
- Overnight Transport
Parcel Services
- Airborne
- Emery
- Federal Express
- Purolator
- Untited Parcel Service
Air Service
- Commerical - Shreveport Regional
- General Aviation - Homer & Haynesville
Industrial Parks
- Homer (318) 927-3555
- - North & South
- Haynesville (318) 624-0911
- Claiborne (318) 624-1545
Lake Claiborne Statistics
- Length - 8.5 Miles
- Shoreline - approx. 40 miles
- Land area - 6,500 acres
- Drainage Area - 130 sq miles
- Maximum Depth - 35 feet
- Average Depth - 17 feet
- Length of dam - 5,000 feet
- Spillway - 60 ft in diameter, 30 ft opening
- Volume - 99,500 acre feet of water
- Maximum yield - 63,000 gallons/day
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