Athens, Louisiana

Athens, Louisiana
Village
Athens Town Hall
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Claiborne
Elevation	302 ft (92.0 m)
Coordinates	32°39′01″N 93°01′28″W / 32.65028°N 93.02444°WCoordinates: 32°39′01″N 93°01′28″W / 32.65028°N 93.02444°W
Area	2.2 sq mi (5.7 km^2)
- land	2.2 sq mi (6 km^2)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km^2), 0%
Population	249 (2010)
Density	111.2/sq mi (42.9/km^2)
Incorporated	1902
Mayor	Hubie D. James
Timezone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
Area code	318
Location of Athens in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

Athens is a village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 249 at the 2010 census.^[1]

The Pilgrim's Pride poultry hatchery in Athens was designated for closure early in 2009, along with other company businesses in nearby Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Choudrant in Lincoln Parish, and Farmerville in Union Parish, where the company maintained a processing and protein conversion plant.^[2] Several weeks later, however, Pilgrim's Pride accepted an $80 million offer from Foster Farms of California to purchase the operations. In addition to the 1,300 direct jobs, mostly in Farmerville, the purchase spares the small farms of some three hundred independent growers. Foster Farms put up $40 million and the State of Louisiana a matching $40 million. Foster Farms will further invest $10 million in capital improvements at the Farmerville plant, to be matched by the state, in an agreement announced by Governor Bobby Jindal.^[3]

History

The village was named after the ancient city of Athens, capital of Greece.^[4] Athens became the parish seat of Claiborne Parish in 1846, but in 1848 fire destroyed the courthouse and all the records in it. Soon thereafter the Claiborne Parish Police Jury decided to move the parish seat to its present location in Homer.^[5]

Geography

Athens is located at 32°39′1″N 93°1′28″W / 32.65028°N 93.02444°W (32.650219, -93.024492).^[6]

According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 5.7 km² (2.2 sq mi), all land.

Demographics

Historical population
Census	Pop.		%±
1910	514		—
1920	493		−4.1%
1930	461		−6.5%
1940	491		6.5%
1950	487		−0.8%
1960	406		−16.6%
1970	387		−4.7%
1980	419		8.3%
1990	278		−33.7%
2000	262		−5.8%
2010	249		−5.0%
Est. 2015	234	[7]	−6.0%
U.S. Decennial Census[8]

As of the census^[9] of 2000, there were 262 people, 112 households, and 73 families residing in the village. The population density was 119.2 inhabitants per square mile (46.0/km²). There were 137 housing units at an average density of 62.3 per square mile (24.0/km²). The racial makeup of the village was 72.52% White, 24.05% African American, 2.29% Native American, 0.38% Pacific Islander, and 0.76% from two or more races.

There were 112 households out of which 34.8% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 42.9% were married couples living together, 16.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.8% were non-families. 30.4% of all households were made up of individuals and 21.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.93.

In the village the population was spread out with 28.6% under the age of 18, 5.7% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 19.8% from 45 to 64, and 18.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females there were 83.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.1 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $18,750, and the median income for a family was $26,750. Males had a median income of $23,393 versus $22,250 for females. The per capita income for the village was $13,033. About 7.0% of families and 14.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 13.6% of those under the age of eighteen and 20.0% of those sixty five or over.

Government and infrastructure

The United States Postal Service operates the Athens Post Office.^[10]

Education

Claiborne Parish School Board operates Athens High School, a PreK–12 high school, in Athens.^[11]

The Mt. Olive Christian School, pre-kindergarten through twelfth grade, operates in the former Athens High School building, constructed in 1930, with the last graduating class there in 1969.^[12]

Notable people

• Henry L. Bridges (1874–1939), a businessman originally from Athens; mayor of nearby Minden, Louisiana, from 1928 to 1932 and 1934 to 1936^[13]
• Jessie Johnson Couch, wife of utilities, railroad, and radio magnate Harvey Couch, was an Athens native.^[14]
• Maggie Renfro (1895–2010), born in Athens, one of the world's oldest supercentenarians^[15]
• Kenneth L. Volentine, former member of the Louisiana House of Representatives, with service from 1988 to 1992,^[16] and sheriff of Claiborne Parish from 1996 to 2004

References

1. "Profile of General Population and Housing Characteristics: 2010 Demographic Profile Data (DP-1): Athens village, Louisiana". U.S. Census Bureau, American Factfinder. Archived from the original on September 11, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2012.
2. "Greg Hilburn and Robbie Evans, "Pilgrim's Pride decision a bombshell: Sites closing in Arcadia, Athens, Choudrant, Farmerville". Shreveport Times. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 1, 2009.
3. Greg Hilburn (March 21, 2009). "Saved: 1,300 jobs". Monroe News Star. Archived from the original on November 13, 2014. Retrieved March 21, 2009.
4. Leeper, Clare D'Artois (19 October 2012). Louisiana Place Names: Popular, Unusual, and Forgotten Stories of Towns, Cities, Plantations, Bayous, and Even Some Cemeteries. LSU Press. p. 23. ISBN 978-0-8071-4740-5.
5. Harris, D. W.; Hulse, B. M., eds. (1886). The History of Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, From Its Incorporation in 1828 to the Close of the Year 1885. New Orleans: W. B. Stansbury & Co. pp. 19 – 20, 103.
6. "US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
7. "Annual Estimates of the Resident Population for Incorporated Places: April 1, 2010 to July 1, 2015". Retrieved July 2, 2016.
8. "Census of Population and Housing". Census.gov. Archived from the original on May 11, 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
9. "American FactFinder". United States Census Bureau. Archived from the original on 2013-09-11. Retrieved 2008-01-31.
10. "Post Office Location - ATHENS." United States Postal Service. Retrieved on October 2, 2010.
11. "Welcome to Athens High School." Claiborne Parish Schools. Retrieved on October 2, 2010.
12. "Mt. Olive Christian School". privateschoolreview.com. Retrieved January 2, 2011.
13. "Bridges Rites Held Monday: Former Mayor Succumbs to Heart Attack", Minden Herald, April 14, 1939, p. 1
14. "Harvey Couch, Utility and Rail Magnate Dies: Was Example of Farm Boy Who Made Good in Big Way", Minden Herald, August 1, 1941, p. 1
15. Vickie Welborn, "Minden woman, 112, is state's oldest living person", Shreveport Times, November 14, 2007
16. "Membership in the Louisiana House of Representatives" (PDF). legis.state.la.us. Archived from the original (PDF) on December 29, 2009. Retrieved January 2, 2011.

External links