Montgomery is a town in the far northwestern portion of Grant Parish, which is located in north-central

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

, United States. The population of Montgomery was 726 at the 2010 census. The town has a poverty rate of 37 percent and a median household income of just under $22,000. The median age is just under forty; the population in 2010 was 78 percent white. Montgomery is part of the

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

Metropolitan Statistical Area though it is forty miles north of Alexandria. Founded in 1712, even before

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

, Montgomery is situated on U.S. Route 71, close to the boundary with Natchitoches and Winn parishes. It is located on the eastern bank of the Red River.

History

Image:J.D. Boston VFW Post, Montgomery, LA IMG 2440.JPG, The VFW post is named for James D. Boston Jr. One of the oldest towns in the state, the settlement today known as Montgomery was established in 1719 as a French trading post called Bon Dieu Falls. General Thomas Woodward bought the land and named it Creola Bluff in 1840. From 1860, it was renamed Montgomery and endured as an important steamboat port until the advent of the railroad in 1901.

Geography

According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau, officially the Bureau of the Census, is a principal agency of the Federal statistical system, U.S. federal statistical system, responsible for producing data about the American people and American economy, econ ...

, the town has a total area of 2.1 square miles (5.4 km), all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 622 people, 261 households, and 114 families residing in the town.

2000 census

As of the

census A census (from Latin ''censere'', 'to assess') is the procedure of systematically acquiring, recording, and calculating population information about the members of a given Statistical population, population, usually displayed in the form of stati ...

of 2000, there were 787 people, 332 households, and 210 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 395 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 77.00%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no chroma). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully (or almost fully) reflect and scatter all the visible wa ...

, 20.33%

African American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from an ...

, 0.25% Native American, 0.13% from other races, and 2.29% from two or more races.

Hispanic The term Hispanic () are people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or broadly. In some contexts, Hispanic and Latino Americans, especially within the United States, "Hispanic" is used as an Ethnici ...

or Latino of any race were 0.38% of the population. There were 332 households, out of which 28.0% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 44.9% were

married couples Marriage, also called matrimony or wedlock, is a culturally and often legally recognised union between people called spouses. It establishes rights and obligations between them, as well as between them and their children (if any), and b ...

living together, 14.2% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.7% were non-families. Nearly 32.5% of all households were made up of individuals, and 18.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.37, and the average family size was 3.03. In the town, the population was spread out, with 26.9% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.0% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.4 males. The median income for a household in the town was $18,462, and the median income for a family was $23,558. Males had a median income of $28,125 versus $17,083 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or average income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. In many countries, per capita income is determined using regular population surveys, such ...

for the town was $11,533. About 34.0% of families and 39.6% of the population were below the

poverty line The poverty threshold, poverty limit, poverty line, or breadline is the minimum level of income deemed adequate in a particular country. The poverty line is usually calculated by estimating the total cost of one year's worth of necessities for ...

, including 49.8% of those under age 18 and 32.3% of those age 65 or over.

Community life

Montgomery-area churches include First

Baptist Baptists are a Christian denomination, denomination within Protestant Christianity distinguished by baptizing only professing Christian believers (believer's baptism) and doing so by complete Immersion baptism, immersion. Baptist churches ge ...

, Northside Baptist, and Hargis Baptist, all

Southern Baptist The Southern Baptist Convention (SBC), alternatively the Great Commission Baptists (GCB), is a Christian denomination based in the United States. It is the world's largest Baptist organization, the largest Protestantism in the United States, Pr ...

in affiliation, Pleasant Hill Baptist Church, Mount Vernon Baptist Church, St. Luke A.M.E. (African Methodist Episcopal) Church, St. Patrick's

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...

, a United Methodist Church, and a

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...

congregation. Northside was located on the main highway during the 1990s. The new church building burned and was rebuilt on the same site at 330 Bienville Street. Hargis Church is located in the Hargis community east of Montgomery. Local education is provided by Montgomery High School. Montgomery High School is a combination school consisting of grades six through twelve. The current enrollment (as of 2022) is approximately 241 students. The school offers a variety of sports programs including football, basketball (girls and boys), baseball, softball, and track. Clubs offered at the school include BETA, Student Council, 4-H, Fellowship of Christian Athletes, and Healthy Living Club. In 2022, Montgomery High School won its first State Championship in the sport of softball. Currently, Montgomery High School maintains a School Performance Score of "B" by the state of Louisiana.

Notable person

* A. Leonard Allen, late U.S. representative, once taught school in the Verda community east of Montgomery.

Gallery

Image:First United Methodist Church of Montgomery, LA IMG 1856.JPG, First

United Methodist Church The United Methodist Church (UMC) is a worldwide mainline Protestant Christian denomination, denomination based in the United States, and a major part of Methodism. In the 19th century, its main predecessor, the Methodist Episcopal Church, was ...

in Montgomery Image:Revised First Baptist, Montgomery, LA IMG_7499_1.jpg, First

Church, 739 Old Jefferson Highway File:Revised Hargis Baptist Church, Montgomery, LA IMG 1818.JPG, Established in 1904, the

Hargis Baptist Church File:Northside Baptist Church of Montgomery, LA IMG 1642.JPG, Northside Baptist Church

References

{{authority control Towns in Grant Parish, Louisiana Towns in Louisiana Alexandria metropolitan area, Louisiana