Eros is a town in

Jackson Parish Jackson Parish (French: ''Paroisse de Jackson'') is a parish in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 15,031. The parish seat is Jonesboro. The parish was formed in 1845 from parts of Cla ...

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 130 at the 2020 Census It is part of the Ruston Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

The Tremont Lumber company founded Eros, in the early 20th century. Mrs. Mary Collins, née Nash (wife of Samuel Collins) suggested that the sawmill boomtown be named after the 433 Eros Asteroid (discovered in 1898). Eros served as a center point for a number of small surrounding communities, such as Hog Hair, Jumping Vernon, Indian Village, Salem Guyton, Flat Creek, Head Settlement, Vernon, Fuller Town, and Bug Tussle. Most children in these communities were sent to study at the Eros school, and citizens would normally receive their mail through rural mail coming from Eros. Box suppers would be held for various causes, making Eros a social center. Naturally by 1920, the town became the largest in the

, with "a thousand residents, having a post office, three hotels, a newspaper, a company commissary, three doctors, a drug store, three churches, a jail, a bank, its own telephone exchange and Jackson Parish's first high school with six hundred pupils" (Busbice, 6). A cyclone though devastated the town in 1920, destroying the sawmill. The sawmill was rebuilt, but yet again in 1926 a fire burned it to the ground. After that, the mill company felt that most of the timber had been harvested anyway, and moved their center of operation to

Olla, Louisiana Olla is a town in northwest La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States, located in the heart of the Louisiana Central Hill Country. Olla has a federally recognized downtown Historic District and a Louisiana historic marker. The population was 1, ...

. Only a few hundred citizens stayed to maintain the town.

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

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 202 people, 77 households, and 60 families residing in the town. The population density was . There were 87 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the town was 99.50%

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 ...

and 0.50% Native American. There were 77 households, out of which 31.2% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 61.0% 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, 10.4% had a female householder with no husband present, and 20.8% were non-families. 16.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 5.2% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.62 and the average family size was 2.92. In the town, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 9.4% from 18 to 24, 25.7% from 25 to 44, 25.7% from 45 to 64, and 13.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 106.1 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 105.5 males. The median income for a household in the town was $20,313, and the median income for a family was $23,750. Males had a median income of $27,969 versus $16,250 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 $10,789. About 21.3% of families and 24.1% 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 22.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 19.0% of those 65 or over.

Notable person

*The late

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United St ...

Jesse C. Deen of

Bossier Parish Bossier Parish ( ; ) is a parish located in the northwestern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. At the 2020 census, the population was 128,746. The parish seat is Benton. The principal city is Bossier City, which is located east of the R ...

, was born in Eros.

References

Sources

*Busbice, Wayne E. and Patricia. ''Uncovering the Secrets of a Southern Family, a Memoir''.

Bloomington, Indiana Bloomington is a city in Monroe County, Indiana, United States, and its county seat. The population was 79,168 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is the List of municipalities in Indiana, seventh-most populous city in Indiana and ...

: AuthorHouse. 2007. Print. {{authority control Towns in Jackson Parish, Louisiana Towns in Louisiana Ruston micropolitan area