DeSoto Parish (; French: ''Paroisse DeSoto'') is a

parish A parish is a territorial entity in many Christianity, Christian denominations, constituting a division within a diocese. A parish is under the pastoral care and clerical jurisdiction of a priest#Christianity, priest, often termed a parish pries ...

located in the U.S. state of

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 ...

. The parish was formed in 1843. At the 2020 U.S. census, the population was 26,812. Its parish seat and most populous municipality is Mansfield. DeSoto Parish is part of the Shreveport– Bossier City metropolitan statistical area.

History

It is a typical misconception that the parish was named after

Hernando de Soto Hernando de Soto (; ; 1497 – 21 May 1542) was a Spanish explorer and conquistador who was involved in expeditions in Nicaragua and the Yucatan Peninsula. He played an important role in Francisco Pizarro's conquest of the Inca Empire in Peru, ...

, the

Spaniard Spaniards, or Spanish people, are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking Ethnicity, ethnic group native to the Iberian Peninsula, primarily associated with the modern Nation state, nation-state of Spain. Genetics, Genetically and Ethnolinguisti ...

who explored the future southeastern

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and discovered and named the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the main stem, primary river of the largest drainage basin in the United States. It is the second-longest river in the United States, behind only the Missouri River, Missouri. From its traditional source of Lake Ita ...

. The parish was in fact named after the unrelated Marcel DeSoto, who led the first group of European settlers there, to a settlement historically known as Bayou Pierre. The parish's name is also commonly misspelled following the explorer's name as "De Soto Parish," but it is properly spelled following the settler's name as "DeSoto Parish."

Geography

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the parish has a total area of , of which is land and (2.1%) is water.

Major highways

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway with multiple segments. The original portion is entirely within Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from Interstate 220 (Louisiana), I-220 in Shreveport, Louisian ...

* Future Interstate 69 * U.S. Highway 84 * U.S. Highway 171 * U.S. Highway 371 * Louisiana Highway 5 * Louisiana Highway 191

Adjacent parishes

* Caddo Parish (north) * Red River Parish (east) * Natchitoches Parish (southeast) * Sabine Parish (south) * Shelby County,

Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...

(southwest) * Panola County,

(west)

National protected area

* Red River National Wildlife Refuge (part)

Communities

City

* Mansfield (parish seat and largest municipality)

Towns

* Keachi * Logansport * Stonewall

Villages

* Grand Cane * Longstreet * South Mansfield * Stanley

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated places

* Frierson * Gloster

Unincorporated communities

* Benson * Carmel * Evelyn * Funston * Hunter * Kingston * Naborton *

Pelican Pelicans (genus ''Pelecanus'') are a genus of large water birds that make up the family Pelecanidae. They are characterized by a long beak and a large throat pouch used for catching prey and draining water from the scooped-up contents before ...

Former communities

Oxford Oxford () is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and non-metropolitan district in Oxfordshire, England, of which it is the county town. The city is home to the University of Oxford, the List of oldest universities in continuou ...

Demographics

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 26,812 people, 10,821 households, and 7,254 families residing in the parish. At the 2019

American Community Survey The American Community Survey (ACS) is an annual demographics survey program conducted by the United States Census Bureau. It regularly gathers information previously contained only in the long form of the United States census, decennial census ...

, there were 10,821 households. In 2019, the racial and ethnic makeup of the parish was 58.8% non-Hispanic or Latino white, 35.3% Black or African American, 0.9% American Indian and Alaska Native, 0.1% Asian, <0.0%

Native Hawaiian Native Hawaiians (also known as Indigenous Hawaiians, Kānaka Maoli, Aboriginal Hawaiians, or simply Hawaiians; , , , and ) are the Indigenous peoples of Oceania, Indigenous Polynesians, Polynesian people of the Hawaiian Islands. Hawaiʻi was set ...

and other

Pacific Islander Pacific Islanders, Pasifika, Pasefika, Pacificans, or rarely Pacificers are the peoples of the list of islands in the Pacific Ocean, Pacific Islands. As an ethnic group, ethnic/race (human categorization), racial term, it is used to describe th ...

, 0.1% some other race, 1.9% two or more races, and 2.9% Hispanic or Latin American of any race. There were 10,821 households at the 2019 census estimates, and the home-ownership rate was 71.3%. Of the 7,716 owner-occupied units, 3,917 were married couples living together, 365 male households with no female present, and 896 female households with no male present. There was a 17.1% vacancy rate in the parish. The average family size was 3.07, and the average household size was 2.50. In the parish, 75.5% were aged 18 and older, and 17.2% were aged 65 and older; the median age was 39.3, and 6.5% were aged 5 and under. Approximately 0.8% of the population were foreign-born, and 2.1% spoke a language other than English at home. The median income for a household in the parish was $46,006; families had a median income of $56,323, married couples had a median income of $78,090, and non-family households had a median income of $25,314. An estimated 22% of the parish lived at or below the poverty line, and 30.6% of people aged under 18 were at or below the poverty line.

Education

Public schools in DeSoto Parish are operated by the DeSoto Parish School Board. It is in the service area of Bossier Parish Community College.

Notable people

* Larry Bagley (born 1949), incoming Republican member of the Louisiana House of Representatives for Caddo, Desoto, and Sabine parishes * Terry Bradshaw (born 1948), Hall of Fame professional football player, sportscaster, singer, and actor * Richard Burford (born 1946), current Louisiana state representative * Vida Blue (born 1949–2023), professional baseball player * C.L. Bryant (born 1956), Baptist minister and radio talk show host * Riemer Calhoun (1909–1994), state senator from 1944 to 1952 for DeSoto and Caddo parishes * Joe T. Cawthorn (1911–1967), state senator from 1940 to 1944 for DeSoto and Caddo parishes * Sherri Smith Cheek Buffington (born 1966), Louisiana State Senator * Joe Henry Cooper (1920–1980), Louisiana state representative * Kenny Ray Cox (born 1957), Louisiana state representative and former United States Army officer * Milton Joseph Cunningham (1842–1916), Natchitoches and

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 ...

lawyer, state senator from Natchitoches and DeSoto parishes from 1880 to 1884; state attorney general for three nonconsecutive terms ending in 1900, born in what became DeSoto Parish * George Dement (1922–2014), mayor of Bossier City * Joseph Barton Elam (1821–1885), United States Representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district * William Pike Hall, Sr. (1896–1945),

state senator A state senator is a member of a State legislature (United States), state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. History There are typically fewer state senators than there ...

for Caddo and DeSoto parishes, 1924–1932, Shreveport attorney * John Spencer Hardy (1913–2012), United States Air Force lieutenant general * Albert Lewis (1960-), professional football player * Curtis W. McCoy,

mayor In many countries, a mayor is the highest-ranking official in a Municipal corporation, municipal government such as that of a city or a town. Worldwide, there is a wide variance in local laws and customs regarding the powers and responsibilitie ...

of Mansfield * Garnie W. McGinty (1900–1984), historian at Louisiana Tech University and school principal * Mack Charles Reynolds (1935–1991), professional football player * B. H. "Johnny" Rogers (1905–1977), politician * C. O. Simpkins, Sr. (1925–2019 from Mansfield), African-American state representative, dentist, and civil rights activist in Shreveport * O.C. Smith (1932–2001), singer

Politics

References

External links

* {{Coord, 32.06, -93.74, display=title, type:adm2nd_region:US-LA_source:UScensus1990 Louisiana parishes Parishes in Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area 1843 establishments in Louisiana Populated places established in 1843