Oak Ridge is a village in

Morehouse Parish, Louisiana Morehouse Parish (French:Paroisse de Morehouse) is a List of parishes in Louisiana, parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,629. The parish seat is Bastrop, Louis ...

, United States. The population was 124 at the 2020 census.

History

The earliest inhabitants of the area were different Native American societies that existed prior to European contact. Between 1540 and 1685 a multimound site with an adjoining central plaza was built. Since its archeological rediscovery, the area has come to be known as the Jordan Mounds. It is believed that by 1700 the site was abandoned, likely due to contact with explorers like

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, ...

Morehouse Parish Morehouse Parish (French:Paroisse de Morehouse) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 25,629. The parish seat is Bastrop. The parish was formed in 1844. Morehouse Parish comprises th ...

was formed in 1844 after the result of an increasing population in the area. It is thought that a small farming community was formed near Oak Ridge's modern location around this time. Cedars Plantation located at 4987 Lake Irwin Rd is considered the oldest surviving structure not just in the town, but the whole parish, built in 1840. It was added to the

National Register of Historic Places The National Register of Historic Places (NRHP) is the Federal government of the United States, United States federal government's official United States National Register of Historic Places listings, list of sites, buildings, structures, Hist ...

on May 19, 1976. It had been abandoned in 2008 after the last homeowner passed away, but in 2010 a proposal was created in order for the property to be restored. Not much is known about the towns early history, but one surviving relic is a small wooden jail that is estimated to have been built in 1850. Simply known as the "Oak Ridge, Louisiana Jail", it is believed to be the last surviving pre-

Civil War A civil war is a war between organized groups within the same Sovereign state, state (or country). The aim of one side may be to take control of the country or a region, to achieve independence for a region, or to change government policies.J ...

wooden jail in the state. The existence of this jail hints at the fact that Oak Ridge may have served an administrative purpose for the parish at the time. It is written that "the parish sheriff would use this jail to lock up free and enslaved men." The jail was eventually donated and now sits at the

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as Louisiana State University (LSU), is an American Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louis ...

- Rural Life Museum in

Baton Rouge Baton Rouge ( ; , ) is the List of capitals in the United States, capital city of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It had a population of 227,470 at the 2020 United States census, making it List of municipalities in Louisiana, Louisiana's second-m ...

. Oak Ridge was incorporated as a village in 1882. The

Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 The Great Mississippi Flood of 1927 was the most destructive river flood in the history of the United States, with inundated in depths of up to over the course of several months in early 1927. The period cost of the damage has been estimate ...

affected Oak Ridge much as it did the other states and towns within the

Mississippi River Basin The Mississippi River is the 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. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, ...

Geography

Oak Ridge is located in southern Morehouse Parish.

U.S. Route 425 U.S. Route 425 (US 425) is a north–south United States highway that travels in the U.S. states of Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. It was first commissioned in 1989. The route's northern terminus is in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, at ...

passes through the village, leading north and west to Bastrop, the

parish seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in five countries: Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, and the United States. An equivalent term, shire town, is used in ...

, and south to Rayville. According to the

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

, the village has a total area of , all land. The Jordan Mounds are located one mile north of the village.

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 142 people, 63 households, and 38 families residing in the village. The population density was . There were 72 housing units at an average density of . The racial makeup of the village was 91.55%

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 ...

, 7.75%

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 ...

, and 0.70% from two or more races. There were 63 households, out of which 28.6% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 57.1% 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, 4.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 38.1% were non-families. 34.9% of all households were made up of individuals, and 25.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.25 and the average family size was 2.95. In the village, the population was spread out, with 24.6% under the age of 18, 4.2% from 18 to 24, 26.1% from 25 to 44, 23.2% from 45 to 64, and 21.8% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 41 years. For every 100 females, there were 89.3 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 78.3 males. The median income for a household in the village was $37,500, and the median income for a family was $70,417. Males had a median income of $75,287 versus $24,583 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 village was $25,408. There were 9.8% of families and 17.5% of the population living 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 17.5% of under eighteens and 33.3% of those over 64.

Notable people

Edwards Barham Erle Edwards Barham (July 10, 1937 – October 17, 2014) was a Republican member of the Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and particip ...

, Oak Ridge farmer and former Republican member of the

Louisiana State Senate The Louisiana State Senate (; ) is the upper house of Louisiana’s legislature. Senators serve four-year terms and participate in various committees. Composition The Louisiana State Senate has 39 members elected from single-member districts ...

, who served from 1976 to 1980 *

Abner Wimberly Abner Wimberly (May 4, 1926 – September 18, 1976) was an American football player who played three seasons for the Green Bay Packers of the National Football League (NFL). He also played one season in the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) ...

NFL The National Football League (NFL) is a professional American football league in the United States. Composed of 32 teams, it is divided equally between the American Football Conference (AFC) and the National Football Conference (NFC). The N ...

defensive end Defensive end (DE) is a defensive position in the sport of gridiron football. This position has designated the players at each end of the defensive line, but changes in formation (American football), formations over the years have substantially ...

for the

Los Angeles Dons The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the newly formed football league the All-America Football Conference (AAFC) from 1946 Los Angeles Dons season, 1946 to 1949 Los Angeles Dons season, 1949, and played their home games in the L ...

and

Green Bay Packers The Green Bay Packers are a professional American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. The Packers compete in the National Football League (NFL) as a member of the National Football Conference (NFC) NFC North, North division. They ar ...

References

External links