Robeline is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

in western

Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Natchitoches Parish (french: Paroisse des Natchitoches or ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,566. The parish seat is Natchitoches. The parish was formed in 1805. The Natchito ...

, United States. The population was 183 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Natchitoches Micropolitan Statistical Area.

History

Robeline was the capital of Texas for 50 years. Robeline was owned by the Spanish and a creek formed the border between Spanish Texas and French Louisiana. During 1870-1917, a railroad was built through Robeline and Marthaville, Louisiana. The town was rich with resources and money, but the railroad was abandoned in 1960, and Robeline declined. It now has a convenience store, dollar store, several churches, and considerable wilderness. According to a 2007 report,http://www.thenewspaper.com/rlc/docs/2007/la-speedtraps.pdf Robeline was named one of the ten worst speed traps in the state of Louisiana. Robeline made 85.73 percent of its revenue, an average of roughly $1,517 per capita population, from fines and forfeitures in the 2005

fiscal year A fiscal year (or financial year, or sometimes budget year) is used in government accounting, which varies between countries, and for budget purposes. It is also used for financial reporting by businesses and other organizations. Laws in many ...

. In the 1880s, Robeline had a weekly newspaper, the ''Robeline Reporter.

Alcée Fortier Alcée Fortier (June 5, 1856 – February 14, 1914) was a renowned Professor of Romance Languages at Tulane University in New Orleans. In the late 19th and early 20th century, he published numerous works on language, literature, Louisiana histor ...

, ed., ''Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form,'' (Volume 3), Century Historical Association, 1914, pp. 112-113.''

Geography

Robeline is located at (31.690873, -93.304233). According to the

United States Census Bureau The United States Census Bureau (USCB), 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 Census Bureau is part of the ...

, the village has a total area of 1.0 square miles (2.6 km), all land.

Demographics

As of the census of 2000, there were 183 people, 76 households, and 48 families residing in the village. The

population density Population density (in agriculture: standing stock or plant density) is a measurement of population per unit land area. It is mostly applied to humans, but sometimes to other living organisms too. It is a key geographical term.Matt RosenberPopul ...

was 182.0 inhabitants per square mile (70.0/km). There were 97 housing units at an average density of 96.5 per square mile (37.1/km). The racial makeup of the village was 77.05%

White White is the lightest color and is achromatic (having no hue). It is the color of objects such as snow, chalk, and milk, and is the opposite of black. White objects fully reflect and scatter all the visible wavelengths of light. White on ...

, 17.49%

African American African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...

and 5.46% Native American.

Hispanic The term ''Hispanic'' ( es, hispano) refers to people, Spanish culture, cultures, or countries related to Spain, the Spanish language, or Hispanidad. The term commonly applies to countries with a cultural and historical link to Spain and to Vic ...

Latino Latino or Latinos most often refers to: * Latino (demonym), a term used in the United States for people with cultural ties to Latin America * Hispanic and Latino Americans in the United States * The people or cultures of Latin America; ** Latin A ...

of any race were 2.19% of the population. There were 76 households, out of which 28.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.1% were married couples living together, 14.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.8% were non-families. 34.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.8% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.41 and the average family size was 3.13. In the village, the population was spread out, with 25.7% under the age of 18, 6.6% from 18 to 24, 27.9% from 25 to 44, 21.3% from 45 to 64, and 18.6% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 94.7 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 103.0 males. The median income for a household in the village was $13,036, and the median income for a family was $24,583. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $14,375 for females. The

per capita income Per capita income (PCI) or total income measures the average income earned per person in a given area (city, region, country, etc.) in a specified year. It is calculated by dividing the area's total income by its total population. Per capita i ...

for the village was $10,468. About 28.6% of families and 38.3% 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 t ...

, including 5.9% of those under the age of eighteen and 34.0% of those 65 or over.

Education

Natchitoches Parish School Board Natchitoches Parish School Board (NPSB) is a school district headquartered in Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States. The current Superintendent is Dr. Grant Eloi. Schools PK-2 Schools L.P. Vaughn Elementary School(Natchitoches, Louisiana) PK ...

operates area public schools. The former Robeline

public school Public school may refer to: * State school (known as a public school in many countries), a no-fee school, publicly funded and operated by the government * Public school (United Kingdom), certain elite fee-charging independent schools in England an ...

(Mascot was the Bulldogs) closed in 1980 because of a federal

desegregation Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups, usually referring to races. Desegregation is typically measured by the index of dissimilarity, allowing researchers to determine whether desegregation efforts are having impact o ...

order. Elementary pupils were consolidated with nearby Marthaville; high schoolers were bused to

Natchitoches Central High School Natchitoches Central High School is a public high school in Natchitoches, Louisiana, United States. It is a part of the Natchitoches Parish School Board. The development of Natchitoches Central High School, like so many schools in the 1960s and ...

Parks and recreation

Robeline is home of the annual Robeline Heritage Festival held the first weekend of October. Past performers have included several local musicians as well as

Percy Sledge Percy Tyrone Sledge (November 25, 1940 – April 14, 2015) was an American R&B, soul and gospel singer. He is best known for the song " When a Man Loves a Woman", a No. 1 hit on both the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 and R&B singles charts in 196 ...

Notable people

Bartine Burkett Bartine Burkett Zane (February 9, 1898 – May 20, 1994) was an American film actress. Burkett was born in Robeline, Louisiana to John Norvel Burkett and Bana G. (Howe) Burkett. She had a brother, Arthur. She gained acting experience in pr ...

, silent film actress * Milton Joseph Cunningham, served three nonconsecutive terms as Attorney General of Louisiana prior to 1900

References

External links

{{authority control Villages in Louisiana Villages in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana Populated places in Ark-La-Tex