Campti is a town in the northern part of Natchitoches Parish,

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 was 1,056 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area. Campti is a flat area of mostly farmland. It is located on the eastern bank of the Red River. Considerable herds of cattle are also raised in the general area.

Etymology

Tradition maintains that the name "Campti" was derived from the name of a Natchitoches Indian chief, known to the French colonists as "''Le Roi Campti''" ''(The King Campti)''. Church records in Natchitoches show that a French missionary, Père Valentin, visited the community of Campti around 1745. This was the first written record of Campti during the period of

French Louisiana The term French Louisiana ( ; ) refers to two distinct regions: * First, to Louisiana (New France), historic French Louisiana, comprising the massive, middle section of North America claimed by Early Modern France, France during the 17th and 18th ...

History

The rural parish was developed for large cotton plantations, and a majority of the population were enslaved African Americans in the antebellum years. But by the time of the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861May 26, 1865; also known by Names of the American Civil War, other names) was a civil war in the United States between the Union (American Civil War), Union ("the North") and the Confederate States of A ...

, a number of free people of color also lived in Campti and the area. They were known to be related to several of the longtime white families, who acknowledged them, and they were generally well accepted. According to one authority on this area, they lived nearly as white. At least nine men of color, and likely more, enlisted in the

Confederate Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) during the American Civil War (1861–1865), fi ...

during the Civil War and "easily entered a predominately white military company." During the war, Union Brigadier-General A. J. Smith, with two brigades, reached Campti to assist Rear-Admiral David D. Porter's gunboats on the Red River there. Confederate Brigadier-General St. John R. Liddell's scattered troops had been harassing the Union fleet but quickly retreated as Smith's overwhelming force arrived on April 13, 1864. Smith and his men burned what was left of Campti, on April 14, 1864. The gunboats were returned safely upriver to Grand Ecore in Natchitoches Parish. In the postwar years, cotton and agriculture continued as mainstays of the economy. Later cattle raising was introduced. Large-scale agriculture and ranching have reduced economic opportunities in the rural area. The population of Campti has continued to be majority African American, reflecting the history of its development.

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 , all land.

Demographics

2020 census

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 887 people, 427 households, and 192 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 1,057 people, 385 households, and 269 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 462 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 24.88%

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 ...

, 74.46% African American, 0.09% Native American, 0.28% from other races, and 0.28% 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 0.85% of the population. There were 385 households, out of which 42.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 30.4% 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, 35.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 29.9% were non-families. 26.0% of all households were made up of individuals, and 6.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.74 and the average family size was 3.36. In the town, the population was spread out, with 38.5% under the age of 18, 8.5% from 18 to 24, 25.8% from 25 to 44, 18.0% from 45 to 64, and 9.2% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 27 years. For every 100 females, there were 81.9 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 75.2 males. The median income for a household in the town was $14,844, and the median income for a family was $15,781. Males had a median income of $25,750 versus $14,000 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 $7,219. About 47.3% of families and 45.4% 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 55.9% of those under age 18 and 33.0% of those age 65 or over. In 2010, Campti had the eighth-lowest median household income of all places in the United States with a population over 1,000. The town of Campti is 75 percent

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 ...

in population.

Education

Natchitoches Parish School Board operates public schools, including Fairview Alpha Elementary School and Lakeview Junior-Senior High School. Natchitoches Parish Library operates the Northeast Branch in Campti.

Notable people

* Maxine Brown Russell, country singer, was born in Campti. *

Robert Hilburn Robert Hilburn (born September 25, 1939) is an American pop music critic, author, and radio host. As music critic and editor at the ''Los Angeles Times'' from 1970 to 2005, his reviews, essays, and profiles have appeared in publications worldwide ...

, music journalist, spent his early childhood on a farm near Campti.

References

{{authority control Towns in Louisiana Towns in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana