Mooringsport is an incorporated municipality in the

U.S. state In the United States, a state is a constituent political entity, of which there are 50. Bound together in a political union, each state holds governmental jurisdiction over a separate and defined geographic territory where it shares its so ...

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 ...

, located in

Caddo Parish Caddo Parish () () is a parish located in the northwestern corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 U.S. census, the parish had a population of 237,848. The parish seat and largest city is Shreveport, which developed al ...

. Part of the

Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, officially designated Shreveport–Bossier City by the Office of Management and Budget, U.S. Office of Management and Budget, or simply Greater Shreveport, is a metropolitan statistical area in Nor ...

and located approximately outside of the principal city of

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the List of municipalities in Louisiana, third-most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge. The bulk of Shreveport is in Caddo Parish, Lo ...

, the town of Mooringsport had a population of 748 at the 2020 U.S. census.

History

Settled by

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

and

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

settlers in 1836, present-day Mooringsport served as a minor economic hub for steamboats transporting cotton. From its continued growth into an established settlement, the

Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern United States, Midwestern and Southeastern United States, Southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Ark ...

came through the area.

Geography

Mooringsport is located in western Caddo Parish on the south shore of

Caddo Lake Caddo Lake () is a lake and bayou (wetland) on the border between Texas and Louisiana, in northern Harrison County and southern Marion County in Texas and western Caddo Parish in Louisiana. The lake is named after the Caddoans or Caddo, ...

Louisiana Highway 1 Louisiana Highway 1 (LA 1) is a state highway in Louisiana. At , it is the longest numbered highway of any class in Louisiana. It runs diagonally across the state, connecting the oil field, oil and gas fields near the island of Grand Isle, ...

bypasses the municipality to the east. Downtown Shreveport is approximately to the southeast. 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 ...

in 2010, Mooringsport had a total area of , of which was land and , or 1.06%, was water.

Demographics

In 1920, Mooringsport had a historic high of 992 residents; since then, its population has fluctuated to a low of 709 at the 1950 U.S. census, to 911 in 1980. By 2020, there were 748 people, 257 households, and 140 families in Mooringsport. At the 2000 census, there were 833 people, 334 households, and 228 families. The population density was . There were 397 housing units at an average density of . Reminiscing its historically predominant

non-Hispanic white Non-Hispanic Whites, also referred to as White Anglo Americans or Non-Latino Whites, are White Americans who are classified by the United States census as "White" and not of Hispanic or Latino origin. According to annual estimates from the Unit ...

population, the racial and ethnic makeup was 80.19%

White American White Americans (sometimes also called Caucasian Americans) are Americans who identify as white people. In a more official sense, the United States Census Bureau, which collects demographic data on Americans, defines "white" as " person having ...

, 17.77% Black and African American, 0.36%

American Indian and Alaska Native Native Americans (also called American Indians, First Americans, or Indigenous Americans) are the Indigenous peoples of the United States, particularly of the lower 48 states and Alaska. They may also include any Americans whose origins lie ...

, 0.36% from other races, and 1.32% from

two or more races Multiracial Americans, also known as mixed-race Americans, are Americans who have mixed ancestry of two or more races. The term may also include Americans of mixed-race ancestry who self-identify with just one group culturally and socially (cf. t ...

in 2000.

Hispanic or Latino Americans Hispanic and Latino Americans are Americans who have a Spaniards, Spanish or Latin Americans, Latin American background, culture, or family origin. This demographic group includes all Americans who identify as Hispanic or Latino (demonym), ...

of any race were 0.72% of the population. At the 2020 census and its nationwide reflection of continued diversification, the racial and ethnic makeup was 76.2% non-Hispanic white, 12.43% Black and African American, 0.8% American Indian and Alaska Native, 7.62% from two or more races, and 2.94% Hispanic or Latino American of any race. Financially, the median income for a household was $32,177 at the 2000 census. The median income for a family was $40,625. Males had a median income of $29,167 versus $21,875 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 Mooringsport was $14,589. About 9.8% of families and 10.7% 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 10.7% of those under age 18 and 14.2% of those age 65 or over. At the 2020

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 ...

, the median household income declined to $21,346 with a mean income of $33,428. Families had a median household income of $33,438 with a mean of $44,989; married-couple families a median income of $53,542; and non-family households a median income of $17,188.

Notable people

Sam Caldwell Samuel Shepherd Caldwell (November 4, 1892 – August 14, 1953), was a Louisiana Petroleum in the United States, oilman and politician who served as List of mayors of Shreveport, Louisiana, mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana, from 1934 to 1946. ...

, mayor of Shreveport from 1934–1946, born and reared in Mooringsport *

Earl Holliman Henry Earl Holliman (September 11, 1928 – November 25, 2024) was an American actor, animal rights activist, and singer known for his many character roles in films, mostly Westerns and dramas, in the 1950s and 1960s. He won a Golden Globe Award ...

, actor, was raised in Mooringsport *

Lead Belly Huddie William Ledbetter ( ; January 1888 or 1889 – December 6, 1949), better known by the stage name Lead Belly, was an American folk music, folk and blues singer notable for his strong vocals, virtuosity on the twelve-string guitar, and the ...

(Huddie William Ledbetter, 1888–1949), singer and guitarist born in Mooringsport

References

External links

Mooringsport community website
{{authority control Villages in Caddo Parish, Louisiana Villages in Louisiana Villages in Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area