| Winnfield, Louisiana | |
| Settlement Type: | City |
| Image Map1: | Louisiana in United States (US48).svg |
| Map Caption1: | Location of Louisiana in the United States |
| Coordinates: | 31.9233°N -92.6403°W |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | United States |
| Subdivision Type1: | State |
| Subdivision Name1: | Louisiana |
| Subdivision Type2: | Parish |
| Subdivision Name2: | Winn |
| Established Title: | Founded |
| Government Type: | City Council/Mayor |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Mayor Gerald "Scooter" Hamm (Dem) Winnfield City Council: District 1: Erika Breda (Dem) District 2: Ada Hall (Dem) District 3: Chiquita Caldwel(No Party) District 4: Matt Miller (No Party) District 5: Teresa Phillips (No Party) Chief of Police Johnny Carpenter (Dem) |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Footnotes: | [1] |
| Area Total Km2: | 9.43 |
| Area Total Sq Mi: | 3.64 |
| Area Land Km2: | 9.43 |
| Area Land Sq Mi: | 3.64 |
| Area Water Km2: | 0.00 |
| Area Water Sq Mi: | 0.00 |
| Elevation Ft: | 128 |
| Population As Of: | 2020 |
| Population Total: | 4153 |
| Population Density Km2: | 440.32 |
| Population Density Sq Mi: | 1140.31 |
| Timezone1: | CST |
| Utc Offset1: | -6 |
| Timezone1 Dst: | CDT |
| Utc Offset1 Dst: | -5 |
| Postal Code Type: | ZIP code |
| Postal Code: | 71483 |
| Area Code: | 318 |
| Blank Name: | FIPS code |
| Blank Info: | 22-82460 |
| Blank2 Name Sec2: | Wikimedia Commons |
Winnfield is a small city in, and the parish seat of, Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 in 2010. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield: Huey Long, Earl K. Long, and Oscar K. Allen.[2]
When Winn Parish was officially formed by the state legislature in 1852, Winnfield was established as the parish seat. During the Civil War, the area around Winnfield was the site of some minor skirmishes. Confederate forces defeated a Union detachment near Salsbury Bridge sent to destroy the Drake's Salt Works in the area.
Many Civil War bandits made the region their home. Among these were the West and Kimbrel clan.
Three Louisiana governors were Winnfield natives and grew up here: Huey Long, Oscar K. Allen and Earl Long. Huey Long became governor, U.S. Senator. He was assassinated in 1935. Oscar K. Allen was elected governor in 1932. Earl Long, "the Louisiana Longshot," served in a variety of state positions, said to be more than other Louisianan, including elective office. He was elected governor in 1939, 1948 and 1956. He was elected to Congress in 1960 but died before he could assume office.
Winnfield was a major producer of salt in the Civil War days; salt kettles used at Big Cedar and Drake's Salt Works furnished salt for the Confederate army. One still exists today in front of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame, turned into a fountain. The salt works was located on Saline Bayou.[3] Later the Cary Salt Works started an 840 ft deep mine west of Winnfield. The mine was used by the federal government in Project Coyboy Plowshare Program, Cowboy Event. Between Dec 1959 and March 1960 a series of high explosives were set off inside the Carry Salt Works in an unused portion of the mine.[4] [5] [6] The mine later was flooded by an underground river. The mine and all equipment inside was abandoned.
The rock quarry operated near or on top of the salt mine and produced limestone and gravel still operates today as Winn Rock.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.3 square miles (8.6 km2), all land.
| Number | Percentage | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| White (non-Hispanic) | 1,636 | 39.39% | |
| Black or African American (non-Hispanic) | 2,210 | 53.21% | |
| Native American | 18 | 0.43% | |
| Asian | 4 | 0.1% | |
| Other/Mixed | 157 | 3.78% | |
| Hispanic or Latino | 128 | 3.08% |
, according to Bauer, Walmart, Winn Correctional Center, and the area lumber mill offer the majority of the jobs in the Winnfield area; because of the poverty in the area residents are willing to take low-paying jobs at Winn Correctional Center despite the danger present there.[7]
Winn Parish School Board operates local public schools, which include: