Bastrop, Louisiana
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Morehouse Parish Courthouse
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| Motto(s):
The City of Spirit, Pride, and Progress
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  Bastrop Show map of Louisiana  Bastrop Show map of the United States  Bastrop Show map of North America | |
| Coordinates: 32°45′22″N 91°52′20″W / 32.75611°N 91.87222°W / 32.75611; -91.87222 | |
| Country | United States |
| State | Louisiana |
| Parish | Morehouse |
| City Charter | 1852 (172 years ago) (1852) |
| Founded by | Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop |
| Named for | Baron de Bastrop |
| Government | |
| • Type | Mayor and Board of Aldermen/City Council |
| • Mayor | Betty Alford-Olive |
| Area | |
| • Total | 8.56 sq mi (22.17 km2) |
| • Land | 8.56 sq mi (22.17 km2) |
| • Water | 0.00 sq mi (0.00 km2) |
| Elevation | 164 ft (50 m) |
| Population | |
| • Total | 9,691 |
| • Density | 1,132.39/sq mi (437.21/km2) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| ZIP Code |
71220
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| Area code | 318 |
| FIPS code | 22-04685 |
| GNIS feature ID | 1629913[2] |
| Website | www |
Bastrop is a city in Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is the parish seat of Morehouse Parish.[4] The population was 9,691 at the 2020 census,[3] down from 11,365 in 2010. The population of Bastrop is 76 percent African American.[3] It is included in the Monroe Metropolitan Statistical Area and is part of the Monroe–Ruston Combined Statistical Area.
Bastrop was founded by Felipe Enrique Neri, Baron de Bastrop, a Dutch businessman accused as an embezzler. He had fled to the then Spanish colony of Louisiana to escape prosecution and became involved in various land deals. In New Spain, he falsely claimed to be a nobleman. He received a large grant of land, provided that he could settle 450 families on it over the next several years. However, he was unable to do this, and so lost the grant. Afterwards, he moved to Texas, where he claimed to oppose the sale of Louisiana to the United States and became a minor government official. He proved instrumental in Moses Austin's plan (and later, that of his son, Stephen F. Austin) to bring American colonists to what was then northern Mexico.
Bastrop formally incorporated in 1857, and is the commercial and industrial center of Morehouse Parish. In the 19th century, it was notable as the western edge of the great North Louisiana swamp, but more favorable terrain resulted in the antebellum rail line connecting to Monroe, further to the south.
Bastrop was a Confederate stronghold during the American Civil War until January 1865, when 3,000 cavalrymen led by Colonel Embury D. Osband of the 3rd United States Colored Cavalry Regiment, embarked from Memphis, Tennessee, for northeastern Louisiana.[5]
During the Great Mississippi Flood of 1927, Bastrop was the site of a relief camp for refugees. During World War II, it was the site of a German prisoner-of-war camp.
Bastrop is the parish seat of Morehouse Parish and is within an area marketed to tourists as the Sportsman's Paradise Region of Louisiana. It is a Main Street Community and has received Transportation Enhancement funding for improvements in its historic district.[6]
Celebrations and concerts are held in the historic downtown at the restored 1914 Morehouse Parish Courthouse and Rose Theater. Bastrop is home to the Snyder Museum and Creative Arts Center, housed in the circa 1929 home of a local family. Volunteers lead heritage appreciation tours for children and interpret the history of the parish using local artifacts.[6]
Bastrop is located in western Morehouse Parish, at the crossroads of U.S. Highway 425 and U.S. Highway 165 (Madison Avenue).
According to the United States Census Bureau, Bastrop has a total area of 8.59 square miles (22.2 km2), all of it land.[1]
| Climate data for Bastrop, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–1900, 1921–1925, 1935–present) | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 84 (29) |
87 (31) |
93 (34) |
94 (34) |
101 (38) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
107 (42) |
110 (43) |
100 (38) |
89 (32) |
89 (32) |
110 (43) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 53.8 (12.1) |
58.2 (14.6) |
66.9 (19.4) |
74.3 (23.5) |
81.0 (27.2) |
88.0 (31.1) |
90.6 (32.6) |
90.6 (32.6) |
86.3 (30.2) |
76.2 (24.6) |
64.4 (18.0) |
56.2 (13.4) |
73.9 (23.3) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 43.8 (6.6) |
47.5 (8.6) |
55.2 (12.9) |
62.9 (17.2) |
71.0 (21.7) |
78.4 (25.8) |
81.1 (27.3) |
80.5 (26.9) |
75.2 (24.0) |
64.2 (17.9) |
53.3 (11.8) |
46.2 (7.9) |
63.3 (17.4) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 33.9 (1.1) |
36.8 (2.7) |
43.6 (6.4) |
51.5 (10.8) |
61.0 (16.1) |
68.7 (20.4) |
71.5 (21.9) |
70.3 (21.3) |
64.1 (17.8) |
52.3 (11.3) |
42.1 (5.6) |
36.3 (2.4) |
52.7 (11.5) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 4 (−16) |
−12 (−24) |
15 (−9) |
28 (−2) |
39 (4) |
48 (9) |
54 (12) |
51 (11) |
37 (3) |
21 (−6) |
18 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
−12 (−24) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 5.72 (145) |
4.91 (125) |
4.94 (125) |
6.14 (156) |
5.21 (132) |
4.13 (105) |
4.58 (116) |
4.68 (119) |
3.41 (87) |
5.11 (130) |
4.37 (111) |
5.19 (132) |
58.39 (1,483) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 10.3 | 8.5 | 8.8 | 7.3 | 9.0 | 8.3 | 7.9 | 6.5 | 5.8 | 6.5 | 8.3 | 8.6 | 95.8 |
| Source: NOAA[7][8] | |||||||||||||
| Census | Pop. | Note | %± |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | 481 | — | |
| 1870 | 521 | 8.3% | |
| 1880 | 822 | 57.8% | |
| 1900 | 787 | — | |
| 1910 | 854 | 8.5% | |
| 1920 | 1,216 | 42.4% | |
| 1930 | 5,121 | 321.1% | |
| 1940 | 6,626 | 29.4% | |
| 1950 | 12,769 | 92.7% | |
| 1960 | 15,193 | 19.0% | |
| 1970 | 14,713 | −3.2% | |
| 1980 | 15,527 | 5.5% | |
| 1990 | 13,916 | −10.4% | |
| 2000 | 12,988 | −6.7% | |
| 2010 | 11,365 | −12.5% | |
| 2020 | 9,691 | −14.7% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census[9] | |||
| Race | Num. | Perc. |
|---|---|---|
| White | 1,928 | 19.9% |
| Black or African American | 7,345 | 75.8% |
| Native American | 24 | 0.2% |
| Asian | 29 | 0.3% |
| Other/Mixed | 365 | 3.8% |
| HispanicorLatino | 97 | 1.0% |
As of the 2020 United States Census, there were 9,691 people, 3,834 households, and 2,273 families residing in the city.
In 2008, International Paper Company, the largest area employer, ceased operations of its Bastrop mill.[10][11][12]
In 2009, poultry processor Pilgrim's Pride closed multiple facilities in the area, which impacted the economy of Bastrop.[13] DG Foods opened a poultry processing plant at Bastrop in 2011.[citation needed]
In 2015, and wood pellet facility opened in Bastrop, employing 64 people.[14][15]
The 1023rd Engineer Company (Vertical) of the 528th Engineer Battalion of the 225th Engineer Brigade is located in Bastrop.
A branch of the Morehouse Parish Public Library System is located in Bastrop.[16]
Bastrop is governed by a mayor, Betty Alford-Olive, and a city council, which includes:[17][18]
Public schools located in Bastrop are operated by the Morehouse Parish School Board, and include:[19]
Prairie View Academy is a private school in Bastrop serving kindergarten to grade 12.[20]
Louisiana Delta Community College has a campus in Bastrop.[21]
In 2011, graduating senior Damon Fowler objected to prayer at the Bastrop High School graduation exercises, claiming a looming violation of the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.[22] The American Civil Liberties Union of Louisiana asked the school not to include a prayer in the May 20 graduation.[22] At the Thursday night rehearsal for the graduation, senior Sarah Barlow included a prayer that explicitly mentioned Jesus Christ, and during the graduation, student Laci Mattice led people in the Lord's Prayer before a moment of silence. The school says that Mattice was told not to include a prayer.[22] Fowler stated that after his objections became public he was ostracized by other students.[23]
Bastrop and Morehouse Parish are served by a daily newspaper, the Bastrop Daily Enterprise.
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Municipalities and communities of Morehouse Parish, Louisiana, United States
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