Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe (historically French: Poste-du-Ouachita) is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636 in 2009. It is the principal city of the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes the parishes of Ouachita and Union. The two-parish area had a total population of 170,053 in 2000 and an estimated population of 172,275 as of July 1, 2007. The larger Monroe-Bastrop Combined Statistical Area is composed of both the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Bastrop Micropolitan Statistical Area. The CSA had a population of 201,074 in 2000.Monroe and the neighboring city of West Monroe (pop. 13,250), which sits just across the Ouachita River, are often referred to as the Twin Cities of northeast Louisiana.
History
Monroe is named for James Monroe of Virginia, the fifth President of the United States and, with Robert R. Livingston, one of the negotiators of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase from France.During the American Civil War, Monroe and Opelousas, the seat of St. Landry Parish in south Louisiana, had Confederate training camps. They were established after the fall of New Orleans to the Union in 1862. Conscripts were soon sent to both camps.In 1862, Monroe and Delhi in Richland Parish became overcrowded with unwelcome refugees from rural areas to the east. They had fled the forces of Union General U.S. Grant, who moved into northeastern Louisiana and spent the winter of 1862-1863 at Winter Quarters south of Newellton in Tensas Parish. He was preparing for the siege of Vicksburg, Mississippi, not completed until July 4, 1863. Historian John D. Winters reported 'strong Union sympathy' in both Delhi and Monroe. As the refugees moved further west toward Minden in Webster Parish, many of the existing inhabitants, themselves very poor, refused to sell them food or shelter and treated them with contempt.Union boats came up the Ouachita River to Monroe to trade coffee, liquor, dry goods, and money for cotton. 'Confederate officers were accused by a citizen of encouraging the trade and of fraternizing with the enemy, eating their oysters, and drinking their liquor.' As the war continued, deserters and stragglers about Monroe became 'so plentiful that the Union Army sent a special detachment' from Alexandria to apprehend them.In 1913, Joseph A. Biedenharn, the first bottler of Coca-Cola, moved to Monroe from Vicksburg, Mississippi. His home and gardens at 2006 Riverside Drive in Monroe now operates as a house museum. Until Biedenharn's breakthrough, Coca-Cola had been available only when individually mixed at the soda fountain. Biedenharn was also one of the founders of Delta Airlines, originally Delta Air Service.Collett E. Woolman, the Ouachita Parish agent originally from Indiana, pioneered crop dusting to eradicate the boll weevil, which destroyed cotton in the Mississippi River delta country in the early 20th century. Woolman originated the first crop-dusting service in the world. The collapse of cotton production contributed to the Great Migration of the early 20th century, when hundreds of thousands of African Americans left the rural South for jobs in northern and midwestern cities.
Geography
Monroe is located at 32°30′37″N 92°05′42″W / 32.51028°N 92.095°W / 32.51028; -92.095 (32.510343, -92.094895) and has an elevation of 72 feet (21.9 m).According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.6 square miles (83.9 km²), of which, 28.7 square miles (74.3 km²) of it is land and 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²) of it is water. The total area is 11.46% water.
Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 53,107 people, 19,421 households, and 12,157 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,851.8 people per square mile (714.9/km²). There were 21,278 housing units at an average density of 741.9/sq mi (286.5/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 61.13% African American, 36.78% White, 0.13% Native American, 1.05% Asian, 0.03% Pacific Islander, 0.25% from other races, and 0.63% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.01% of the population.There were 19,421 households out of which 32.3% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 33.4% were married couples living together, 25.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 37.4% were non-families. 31.3% of all households were made up of individuals and 11.7% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.54, and the average family size was 3.26.In the city, the population was spread out with 29.7% under the age of 18, 15.0% from 18 to 24, 25.1% from 25 to 44, 17.5% from 45 to 64, and 12.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 29 years. For every 100 females, there were 84.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 76.6 males.The median income for a household in the city was $25,864, and the median income for a family was $33,263. Males had a median income of $31,840 versus $22,352 for females. The per capita income for the city is $15,933. About 26.3% of families and 32.3% of the population were below the poverty line, including 45.3% of those under the age of 18 and 21.6% of those 65 and older.
Transportation
Monroe was the headquarters of Delta Airlines during the second half of the 1920s. As it expanded, it moved. Monroe Regional Airport serves the city. The airport has three main runways and is served by American Airlines, Continental Airlines and Delta Airlines.Greyhound Bus Lines provides transportation from Monroe to many cities across the nation. The city of Monroe has the oldest municipally owned transit system in the nation. Created in 1906 as a four-line street railroad, the Monroe Transit System (mtsbus.org) now provides 13 fixed bus routes covering most areas of the city, and 3 demand-response buses serving the disabled.Monroe can be accessed from I-20, U.S. Highway 165, L.A. Highway 15, U.S. Highway 80,and I-420 (proposed).Monroe has two main railroads: the Kansas City Southern Railway runs from east to west, and the Union Pacific that runs from North to South. Other railroads include:Delta Southern Railroad
Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad
Entertainment
The Monroe Civic Center has multiple facilities. The main complex is the Civic Center Arena. This arena provides 44,000 square feet (4,100 m2) of exhibit space along with 5,600 seats. The arena may have larger capacities up to 7,200 seats. The arena houses events such as banquets, circuses, and rodeos. The civic center also has the B.D. Robinson conference hall, Monroe Convention Center, equestrian pavilion, and the W.L. 'Jack' Howard Theatre.Monroe features the Louisiana Purchase Gardens and Zoo, which collectively maintains over 500 animals. The zoo also offers boat rides and a catwalk, in addition to other seasonal activities.The Monroe area is home to several museums, including the Northeast Louisiana Children's Museum, The Biedenharn Museum and Gardens, Aviation Military Museum, the Masur Museum of Arts, and the Northeast Louisiana Delta African-American Heritage Museum, one of the 26 site recently identified for the state's African American Heritage Trail.Monroe is home to the Louisiana Motor Speedway, located near Interstate 20, and Twin City Dragway.Monroe hosts Deltafest.
Golf
Chennault Golf Course
Frenchman's Bend Country Club
The Links at Muny
Bayou Desiard Country Club
Shopping
Pecanland Mallhas major anchor stores:Belk,Dillard's,JC Penney,Sears, andBurlington Coat Factory. The largest mall inNorth Louisiana, it has 200 other specialty stores. The mall also has aCinemark10-Movie Complex, Food Court and a Center Court. In mid-town Monroe,The Shoppes on Towershopping center,Twin City Plaza,Twin City Shopping CenterandEastgate Shopping Centerprovide a range of stores and amenities.
National Guard
Monroe is home to the 528th 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.
Neighborhoods
Southern Monroe (south of U.S. Highway 80) This area contains the Pecanland Mall and the Louisiana Purchase Gardens & Zoo.Burg Jones Lane
Parkview
Robinson Place
Richwood
Pine Bayou
Lamyville
Renwick's Addition
Oregon Trail
West Parkview
Oak Manor
Bryant's Addition
Grayling Bend
Tanglewood
Charmingdale
New Town
Atkinson Quarters
King Oaks
Hollywood Heights
Lincoln Park
North and East Monroe (north of U.S. Highway 80) The University of Louisiana at Monroe and the headquarters for CenturyLink can be found in this area.Betin Heights
Oakmont
Westminister
Garden District
Marie Place Addition
Sholar's Addition
Pargoud Place
Plantation Park
Point Place
Westwood
Forsythe Park
Brierfield
River Oaks
Town & Country
Northside Terrace
Cypress Point
Lakeshore
Bayou Oaks
Parkview Heights Subdivision
North Pointe Plantation
Booker T
Treasure Island
Northgate Estates
Village North
Pecan Bayou
Swartz
Post-secondary education
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Elementary
The City of Monroe has its own department of education that is set off from the larger Ouachita Parish School System. It is known as the Monroe City School System. The department consists of three high schools, three junior high schools, and 13 elementary schools.Lexington Elementary
Berg Jones Elementary
Carver Elementary
Clara Hall Elementary
J.S. Clark Magnet School
Cypress Point Elementary
Jefferson Upper Elementary
Lincoln Elementary
Minnie Ruffin Elementary
Madison James Foster Elementary
Barkdull Faulk Elementary
New Vision Learning Academy
Sallie Humble Elementary
Swayze Elementary
Robinson Elementary
Swartz Upper Elementary
Swartz Lower Elementary
Junior high
Robert E. Lee Junior High (Lee)
Carroll Junior High
Martin Luther King Junior High (MLK)
Ouachita Parish Junior High School (OJHS)
Richwood Junior High School (RJHS)
High school
Neville High School
Carroll High School
Wossman High School
Ouachita Parish High School
Richwood High School
Media
Monroe is served by a Gannett newspaper, the Monroe News Star, formerly an afternoon daily owned and operated by the late father-son team of publishers, Robert Wilson Ewing, I, and John D. Ewing. When the Ewing's Monroe Morning World ceased publication, the sister publication, the News Star, became the city's morning-only newspaper.Monroe is also served by two African-American weekly newspapers: The Monroe Free Press and the Monroe Dispatch. The Free Press was founded in 1969 by Roosevelt Wright, Jr.; its web presence began in 1996 and is located at http://monroefreepress.com. The Dispatch was founded in 1975 by Irma and Frank Detiege.The Ouachita Citizen, based in West Monroe, is a weekly newspaper that provides all-local coverage of events in Ouachita Parish, including Monroe, West Monroe, Sterlington and Richwood. Locally owned, the newspaper has been in operation since 1924. The Ouachita Citizen can be found online at www.ouachitacitizen.com. It was purchased in 1996 by the late Sam Hanna, Sr., and his son, Sam Hanna, Jr., who remains the publisher.
Television
KNOE8 (CBS) & 8.2 (CW)
KTVE10 (NBC)
KAQY11 (ABC)
KLTM13 (PBS)
KARD14 (FOX)
KMCT39 (TBN)
KEJB43 (My Network TV)
FM
KBMQ 88.7Contemporary Christian
KEDM 90.3National Public Radio/University of Louisiana at Monroe HD radio
KMYY 92.3Country
KJMG 97.3Urban Adult Contemporary
KNBB 97.7Sports
KZRZ 98.3Soft Rock
KRVV 100.1Urban Contemporary
KHLL 100.9Christian
KNOE 101.9Hot AC
KQLQ 103.1Mainstream Top 40
KJLO 104.1Country
KLIP 105.3Classic Hits
KXRR 106New Rock
AM
KLIC 1230NewsTalk
KRJO 1680Urban Gospel
KMLB 540Talk/Sports
Emegencey alert sataions:KNOE 101.9 FM
KNOE TV 8
KMLB-KNOE 540 AM
Sports
Ben Sheets(Current (MLB) Oakland Athletics pitcher, played at NLU, now ULM)
Brian Bateman(PGA Golfer, 2007 Buick Open Winner)
Benoit Benjamin(FormerNBACenter for theCleveland Cavaliers)
Bubby Brister(FormerDenver BroncosQuarterback)
Billy Joe Dupree(Former Tight End for the Dallas Cowboys)
Lenny Fant, ULM basketball coach, 1957–1979, first ULM coach to win three hundred games
Ralph Garr(FormerMLBplayer)
Gerrod Henderson(American basketball player for the Anwil Włocławek 2007-09)
Stan Humphries(FormerSan Diego ChargersQuarterback)
Cardia Jackson, ULM Warhawk linebacker and NFL prospect
Bradie James(LSUand Dallas Cowboys Linebacker)
Shawn King(Former ULM/LSU andCarolina PanthersDefensive End)
Paul Millsap(Power forward for Louisiana Tech University and the Utah Jazz)
Rudy Niswanger(LSU andKansas City ChiefsCenter)
Joe Profit(Former Atlanta Falcons andNew Orleans SaintsRunning Back)
Johnny Robinson(Former LSU andKansas City Chiefssafety)
Bill Russell(FormerNBAcenter for theBoston Celtics)
Sammy White(GSU and Former Offensive Rookie of Year Receiver Minnesota Viking)
Andrew Whitworth(LSU andCincinnati BengalsOffensive tackle)
Jonathan Wilhite(Auburn andNew England PatriotsCornerback)
Aeneas Williams(FormerSt. Louis RamsFree Safety)
Pat Williams(Minnesota VikingsDefensive Tackle)
Larry Wright(GSU and FormerNBAguard for theWashington Bullets)
Zach Wilson(Former high school all-star. Now serves and protects America from all enemies, foreign and domestic.)
Musicians
Antidonnie -- Singer, songwriter
Gabe Cardinale -- Singer, songwriter of Dead Twins, former bassist for Kingdom of Snakes, frontman of Maroon.
Hamid Drake-- Jazz drummer and percussionist
Carl Fontana-- Jazz trombonist
Kevin Griffin-- Lead Singer ofBetter Than Ezra
Andy Griggs-- Country music singer
Billy Ledbetter -- Singer-songwriter; his 'Stealing Hubcaps' was a hit single in the 1960s. He was voted top lounge entertainer inLas Vegasfor five consecutive years.
Frank Ticheli-- Internationally known composer, conductor, Professor of Music, University of Southern California I
Leon 'Pee Wee' Whittaker-- African Americantrombonistwho played with the Rabbit's Foot Minstrels from Monroe between 1935 and 1950
William Lon Wilson -- Singer, songwriter, drummer----wrote numerous top 10 country songs, consistently voted top studio drummer in Nashville
The Vidrines
Heath Forbes -- Singer, songwriter originally from Sterlington, LA
Politicians
Jamie Mayo,Democraticmayorof Monroe since 2001
Edwards Barham, former member of theLouisiana State SenatefromMorehouse Parish
Robert J. Barham, Director of the Louisiana Wildlife and Fisheries Commission; former Louisiana state senator from Morehouse Parish
William R. Boles, Sr., attorney and former Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate
Marcus R. Clark(born 1956), associate justice of theLouisiana Supreme Court; former district court judge
James L. Dennis(born 1936),Judgeof theUnited States Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit
Jimmy Dimos, formerSpeakerof theLouisiana House of Representativesand retiredjudge
John C. Ensminger(born 1934), Monroe businessman, state representative (1972–1991) and state senator (1991–1992) from Ouachita Parish
William C. Feazel(1895–1965), interimU.S. Senatorin 1948; member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1932–1936; father-in-law of Shady R. Wall
Lee Fletcher(1966–2009), Republican political consultant
H. Lawrence Gibbs(1919–1993), member of both houses of the Louisiana Legislature
John S. Hunt, III(1928–2001), Monroe attorney and former member of theLouisiana Public Service Commission
Neal Lane 'Lanny' Johnson(born 1940), former Ouachita Parish school superintendent and member of the Louisiana House from 1976-1980 fromFranklinandTensasparishes; first All-American in basketball at the University of Louisiana at Monroe, then NLSC
Kay Katz, member of the Louisiana House of Representatives and formerRepublicanNational Committeewoman from Louisiana
Robert Kostelka, Republican state senator and former judge
Scott Leehy, Republican judge of the Fourth Judicial District
Sam Little, Republican state representative from Morehouse Parish and portions of Ouachita,West Carroll, andEast Carrollparishes
James A. Noe, Governor of Louisiana, founder of WNOE & KNOE radio & TV stations
Lawson Swearingen, former Louisiana state senator and president of ULM
Chet D. Traylor, Associate justice of theLouisiana Supreme Court, 1997–2009; Republican primary candidate for U.S. Senate, 2010
Ruth L. Ulrich, Republican national committeewoman from Louisiana
Shady R. Wall(1922–1985), state representative from 1948–1956 and 1968–1984
Mike Walsworth, Louisiana state senator from Ouachita and Morehouse parishes
W.E. Whetstone, former member of the Louisiana State Board of Education
Aubrey W. Young(1922–2010), Drug and alcohol abuse coordinator within the Department of Health and Hospitals, 1965–1999;aide-de-campto Governor John McKeithen
Businesspeople
Edmund Graves Brown(1921–2008), executive of theMonroe News Starfrom 1952–1977; member of theEwingnewspaperfamily
Grady A. Dugas(1923–2007), inventor of the 'Safer Automatic Wheelchair Wheel Locks'
Robert Ewing, III(1935–2007), Monroe newspaper executive andphotographer
Lloyd E. Lenard, author, originally advertising manager of KNOE Radio, later in theinsurancebusiness in Shreveport, formerCaddo Parishcommissioner
Philip Nelson, Jr, Technology Emmy nominee forNewTekTriCaster[citation needed]and San AntonioBusiness Journal40 under 40 Class of 2010
Sol Rosenberg(1926–2009), steel industrialist; philanthropist;Holocaustsurvivor
Collett E. Woolman, one of the original directors of Delta Air Service. The founders were Collett Woolman, C.H. McHenry, Travis Oliver, and M.S. Biedenharn.
Actors/entertainment
Clay Jordan, contestant onSurvivor Thailand
Mantan Moreland, former actor and comic of the 1930s and 1940s
Ed Nelson, formerPeyton Placeco-star and New Orleans native retired toSterlingtonafterHurricane Katrina
Parker Posey, American film actress
Susan Ward, American film and soap opera actress
Valerie Mason, September 2008PlayboyPlaymate
Activists
Huey P. Newton,Black Panthersfounder
Writers
Harry W. Addison, writer and humorist
Speed Lamkin, novelist and playwright
Margaret Sartor, memoirist (Miss American Pie) and photographer
William Y. Thompson, retired historian fromLouisiana Tech University
Others
Moon Griffon, statewide radiotalk showhost