Springhill, Louisiana

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

City of Springhill
City
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Webster
Area	6.3 sq mi (16.3 km²)
- land	6.2 sq mi (16.1 km²)
- water	0.1 sq mi (0.3 km²), 1.59%
Center
- coordinates	33°00′04″N 93°27′41″W / 33.00111, -93.46139Coordinates: 33°00′04″N 93°27′41″W / 33.00111, -93.46139
- elevation	292 ft (89 m)
Population	5,439 (2000)
Density	872.9 /sq mi (337 /km²)
Settled	1818
- Incorporated	1902
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	71075
Area code	318
Location of Springhill in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

Springhill is a city in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. ^{[1] [2]} The name of the town was originally "Barefoot" (Louisiana). The population was 5,439 according to the 2000 census.

Contents 1 Geography 2 Demographics 3 History 4 Timber Industry 5 Present 6 Notable Natives/Residents 7 Recent events 8 References

[edit] Geography

Springhill is located at 33°0′4″N, 93°27′41″W (33.001234, -93.461448)^[3] and has an elevation of 292 feet (89.0 m)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 6.3 square miles (16.3 km²), of which, 6.2 square miles (16.1 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square miles (0.1 km²) of it (0.80%) is water.

[edit] Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 5,439 people,^[2] 2,258 households, and 1,485 families residing in the city. The population density was 872.9 people per square mile (337.1/km²). There were 2,551 housing units at an average density of 409.4/sq mi (158.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 73.49% White, 25.13% African American, 0.20% Native American, 0.22% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 0.26% from other races, and 0.66% from two or more races. 0.79% of the population were Hispanic or Latino of any race.

There were 2,258 households, out of which 26.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were married couples living together, 15.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 34.2% were non-families. 31.1% of all households were made up of individuals and 17.2% 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 2.90.

In the city the population was spread out with 23.8% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 23.8% from 25 to 44, 22.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 40 years. For every 100 females there were 85.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 81.8 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $27,102, and the median income for a family was $35,540. Males had a median income of $29,757 versus $17,750 for females. The per capita income for the city was $16,447. About 14.6% of families and 20.2% of the population were below the poverty line, including 29.6% of those under age 18 and 12.6% of those age 65 or over.

[edit] History

According to Parish history, Webster Parish was first permanently settled in approximately 1818. According to genealogical findings, William Farmer, Samuel Monzingo, J. A. Byrnes, & Joseph Murrell were the first settlers to establish themselves in the area. These settlers in extreme northern Webster Parish formed an area that was initially referred to informally as "Piney Woods." In 1894, though still unincorporated, what would eventually become Springhill took the name "Barefoot, La" on the notions of a Mrs. Maxwell, who assigned the name based on her observations that many men in the soon to be town tended to work without shoes. The town that is today Springhill was finally incorporated in 1902.

The 1979 film Five Days from Home, which was directed by and starred George Peppard, was filmed primarily in Springhill.

[edit] Timber Industry

Springhill's close association with the timber industry began in 1896 with the arrival of the Pine Woods Lumber Company. The Pine Woods Lumber Company's venture in what was soon to be Springhill began a relationship with the timber industry that defines the town to this day, as evidenced by the local high school's mascot which is the "Lumberjacks." The town prospered due to the timber company and became a bit of a boom town. The Pine Woods Lumber Company went out of business during the depression and Springhill quickly surrendered its boom town status as the population dwindled. The Pine Woods Lumber Company's facility was purchased by the Frost Lumber Company which eventually sold out to Springhill Lumber Company. The Springhill Lumber Company later became Anthony Forest Products and remained in the timber industry in the Springhill area until 1972. The most significant local economic force in Springhill's timber industry, however, was established with the construction of a massive paper mill in 1937 by International Paper Company. The construction of the paper mill greatly expanded the regional economic importance of Springhill and further cemented the town's ties to the timber industry. Though technically within the town of Cullen, which borders Springhill, the facility is and was generally associated with Springhill. The later addition of a wood products plant and container (box) plant by International Paper further established Springhill as one of the most important manufacturing and processing centers in Northern Louisiana. In 1979, International Paper closed the paper mill, which along with a significant general downturn in the petroleum industry which was soon to follow, had a significant effect on the economy, population and future prospects of the community. Though the paper mill was closed, International Paper maintained its wood products and container producing facilities continuing IP's presence in the area. During 2006-2007, however, IP sold the wood products plant to its main rival, Georgia Pacific, and liquidated its significant land holdings in the Springhill area leaving the container division (box plant) as the last remnant of International Paper's presence in the Springhill area.

[edit] Present

Springhill experienced a moderate rebound from its previous economic downturn when in the early and mid 2000s a notable expansion occurred in the local retail and service industries which coincided with a successful improvement in the town's infrastructure, most notably with a revitalization of Main Street which included significant aesthetic improvements and new businesses as well as a total renovation of the town's library. The revitalization of the community also saw the dramatic renovation of an abandoned building into a pristine community center that has served as both a facility for community events and a concert venue which has hosted concerts by past and present musical icons including Willie Nelson. Springhill is also witnessing the construction of a new state of the art junior high/high school facility slated to be ready for students at the beginning of the 2007-08 school year.

[edit] Notable Natives/Residents

• Shannen W. Coffin - Georgetown University law school graduate who clerked on the federal bench. Former Deputy Assistant Attorney General of the United States. Resigned in October 2007 as General Counsel for the Office of the Vice President of the United States, Richard B. Cheney.
• John David Crow - Winner of the 1957 Heisman Trophy. He played for eleven seasons in the National Football League and played in four NFL Pro Bowls. He also served as athletic director of Texas A&M University in College Station.
• Eugene Eason (1928-2007) - Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1991-1992 and former member of the Springhill City Council.
• Danny D. Scott (1929-2007) - Publisher of Springhill Press-News Journal and the Plain Dealing Post in Plain Dealing in Bossier Parish. Scott made the Press-News Journal a central printing location for some forty area publications. He was a former president of the Louisiana Press Association and served on committees for the National Newspaper Association.^[6]
• Joe Stampley - Country music artist that experienced significant past success as the head of "The Uniques" and as part of a duo with Moe Bandy. In 1976, Stampley had eight singles which charted in Billboard Magazine and was awarded "Billboard's Single Artist of the Year".
• John Stevens - Stand out running back at Springhill High School who went on to be the 1989 Offensive Rookie of the Year while starting for the New England Patriots in the NFL.
• Duval Cortez Wimberly, Sr. (1917-2007) - a prisoner of war from 1944-1945 in Germany. He was liberated by the Russians and then escaped on May 9, 1945. He was subsequently an officer of American Ex-Prisoners of War, an organization based in Arlington, Texas, chartered by the U.S. Congress in 1942. Wimberly, a graduate of Northwestern State University in Natchitoches and Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge was principal of four Webster Parish schools during his career as an educator.
• The Springhill High School mascot is a lumberjack. Several famous football players have come from this school including John David Crow (Heisman trophy winner), and John Stevens (AFL NFL rookie of the year, 1989). Two state championships have been won, the latest of which was in 1985.

[edit] Recent events

• Springhill hosts an annual Lumberjack Festival, which includes log cutting contests, Louisiana food, live music, and a parade.
• A new high school / junior high complex is scheduled to be completed by the start of the 2007/2008 school year. The junior high was torn down in 2005. Construction is underway at Browning Elementary, with the addition of a new wing with several classrooms and a library and general updates to the rest of the school's A/C and lighting. Brown Middle School will also see similar construction very soon as the bid for work to be done there has been accepted.

[edit] References

v • d • e Municipalities and communities of Webster Parish, Louisiana Parish seat: Minden Cities Minden | Springhill Towns Cotton Valley | Cullen | Sarepta | Sibley Villages Dixie Inn | Doyline | Dubberly | Heflin | Shongaloo