From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Castor, Louisiana
Castor, Louisiana
Coordinates: 32°15′10″N 93°09′54″W / 32.25278°N Location of Castor in Louisiana
93.165°W / 32.25278; -93.165
Village of Castor
Village
Location of Louisiana in the United States
Castor Village Hall
Country United States
State Louisiana
Parish Bienville
Elevation 174 ft (53 m)
Coordinates 32°15′10″N 93°09′54″W / 32.25278°N
93.165°W / 32.25278; -93.165
Area 1.2 sq mi (3.1 km2)
- land 1.2 sq mi (3 km2)
- water 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0%
Population 209 (2000)
Density 174.6 / sq mi (67.4 / km2)
Mayor Victoria Pickett Castor welcome sign
Timezone CST (UTC-6)
- summer CDT (UTC-5)
(DST)
ZIP code 71016
Area code 318
Castor High School
Castor is a village in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, United
States. The population was 209 at the 2000 census. It was
established in 1900. The name "Castor" refers to the
genus Castoridae beaver.
1
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Castor, Louisiana
On April 23, 2000, Castor was struck by a tornado with
a ½-mile-wide path in the late evening, which caused
massive damage. There were no injuries, but the infra-
structure damage caused by the tornado and the ensuing
heavy rains caused many business and public buildings to
close for an extended period.
Discovered in 2007-2008, the Haynesville Shale, said
to be one of the biggest natural gas deposits in the United
States, sits underneath northwest Louisiana, including
Castor.[5]
Geography
Castor is located at 32°15′10″N 93°9′54″W / 32.25278°N
Castor General Store 93.165°W / 32.25278; -93.165 (32.252757, -93.164933)[6].
According to the United States Census Bureau, the
Castor’s Zip Code is 71016,[1] and its telephone num- village has a total area of 1.2 square miles (3.1 km2), all
bers start with 544. Both of these numbers are also used land.
in the adjacent communities of Alberta, Roy, New Ramah,
Ashland, and New Hope. Although not all these commu- Landscape
nities are recognized as townships, they are on Bienville At ground level, Castor seems flat and surrounded by
Parish maps. People living adjacent to Castor, but not trees; however, in reality it sets in a valley which makes
within the city limits, often file information as being it a dead-area for cell phone coverage.
"from Castor." The Castor Zip Code which rests against The so-called "town" area or center of Castor is the
Jamestown, Kepler Lake, and Ashland is a more accurate 4-way stop caution light, but the city limits extend from
representation of Castor’s actual self-proclaimed popula- the light for about a quarter mile in all directions.
tion.[2] Castor Creek is a branch of Black Lake Bayou, which
flows about four miles southwest of Castor.
History
During the American Civil War, Castor supplied salt for Demographics
the Confederate States of America. A salt works was op- As of the census[7] of 2000, there were 209 people, 88
erated west of Castor by Alfred P. King.[3] households, and 52 families residing in the village. The
Dr. Dempsey Sullivan was a physician who saw pa- population density was 174.6 inhabitants per square mile
tients from horseback. He is also a war veteran whose (67.2/km²). There were 101 housing units at an average
name is listed on the monument in Castor. His daughter density of 84.4 per square mile (32.5/km²). The racial
Willie Sullivan married Sam Smith. Sam and Miss Willie makeup of the village was 85.17% White, 11.96% African
had twenty-one children. All but one of the children who American, 2.87% from other races. Hispanic or Latino of
died are buried in the New Ebenezer Cemetery. Mrs. Bon- any race were 3.83% of the population.
nie Daniel and Mrs. Merlene Young lived the furthest There were 88 households out of which 30.7% had
away. They lived in Weatherfod and Kerrville, Texas, re- children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.6% were
spectively. They too are interred at Ebenezer. married couples living together, 10.2% had a female
The Sam and Willie Sullivan Smith family, one of the householder with no husband present, and 39.8% were
oldest in Castor, lost six members in a tornado in 1950. non-families. 38.6% of all households were made up of in-
Mr. and Mrs. Smith, Elaine Smith, Celia Sullivan (Mrs. dividuals and 23.9% had someone living alone who was
Smith’s sister), Dottie Jo Knotts, and Prentice Little were 65 years of age or older. The average household size was
all killed. The homestead was wiped clean except for a 2.38 and the average family size was 3.25.
bucket on the water well which remained undisturbed. In the village the population was spread out with
The Smith family sold most of its land to Jerry "Cotton" 30.1% under the age of 18, 5.3% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from
Guin, who raised bees there until 2009. Guin also worked 25 to 44, 14.8% from 45 to 64, and 19.6% who were 65
at Libbey Glass in Shreveport. years of age or older. The median age was 36 years. For
The Louisiana rails to trails project, which extends every 100 females there were 97.2 males. For every 100
from Sibley to Winnfield, deconstructed the once Kansas females age 18 and over, there were 87.2 males.
City Southern Railway track to make a recreational na- The median income for a household in the village was
ture trail that, on completion, would run through the $23,125, and the median income for a family was $35,000.
center of Castor[4]
2
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Castor, Louisiana
Males had a median income of $23,750 versus $35,833 Castor has two churches within the immediate village:
for females. The per capita income for the village was The United Methodist on Louisiana Highway 507 and
$11,963. About 17.3% of families and 20.3% of the pop- Church,
First Baptist Church a Southern Baptist affiliate on Front
ulation were below the poverty line, including 20.8% of Street adjacent to the Castor School Complex.[2] South on
those under the age of eighteen and 15.7% of those sixty Louisiana Route 153 is the New Ebenezer Baptist Church,
five or over. also a Southern Baptist congregation.
Castor has two cemeteries: the Old Castor Cemetery
Religion east of the downtown area toward the village of Lucky,
and the large New Ebenezer Cemetery affiliated with the
New Ebenezer Baptist Church.
Castor government
Myrtis Lucille Gregory Methvin was the first woman
mayor of Castor, having served from 1933-1945. She was
also one of the first women mayors in Louisiana,[8] but
Lula Wardlow of Montgomery in Grant Parish, preceded
her as a woman mayor, having served from 1926-1930.
Current Castor Mayor Victoria Pickett assumed office
early in 2009 following the illness and subsequent death
of former Mayor Sally Gray.
The First Baptist Church of Castor Education
Castor has one school located on Front Street. The com-
plex contains a Pre-K and Kindergarten, elementary,
middle, and high school buildings.[1] The current princi-
pal is Dr. James Guin.
Public transportation
Council on Aging works in the area to give elderly and
disabled means of transportation.
Roads
Running through Castor are three main highways: Hwy
153 (known in Castor as Front Street), Hwy 507 and Hwy
4 which intersect in the middle of Castor at a 4-way-stop
caution light. Other roads include: The Ridge Rd, Elm St,
New Ebenezer Baptist Church south of Castor Pardee St, Oak St, Watson Rd and Lodge St.
Water systems
Castor and the area around has two sources of water: the
System.
Castor Water System and Alberta Water System The Al-
berta Water System was founded by local businessman
Reginald A. Page.[1]
Media
The primary source of news in Castor is the Shreveport
Times. There are also the Ringgold Progress and the Bienville
Democrat, which is published in Arcadia.
Cable television does not reach into Castor area.
Viewers rely on antennas or satellites for coverage.
Entrance to New Ebenezer Cemetery
3
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Castor, Louisiana
Economy • Lee Smith, pitcher, awaiting his nomination to the
Baseball Hall of Fame
Castor has several businesses: The General Store, a gaso-
line station, flower shop, a cafe, a beauty shop, a laundro-
mat, a branch of the Bank of Ringgold, United States Post
References
Office, retirement homes, and a mobile home park.[1] [1] ^ Castor, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile -
relocation, real estate, travel, jobs, hospitals,
Miscellaneous [2]
schools, crime, news, sex offenders
^ 71016 Zip Code (Castor, Louisiana) Detailed
Castor has two main cemeteries: the Old Castor Cemetery Profile - residents and real estate info
east of town and the New Ebenezer Cemetery south of [3] Historical marker, "King’s Salt Works", U.S. Post
Castor on the highway to Ashland. New Ebenezer is affil- Office in Castor
iated with the Ebenezer Baptist Church. [4] LOUISIANA TRAILS - Enjoy the Landscape
[5] MyOilPro.com - Haynesville shale oil & gas leasing
Notable people [6]
in the ark-la-tex
"US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990". United
• Jamie Fair, member of the Louisiana House of States Census Bureau. 2011-02-12.
Representatives from 1980–1984 http://www.census.gov/geo/www/gazetteer/
• John Len Lacy, represented Bienville Parish in the gazette.html. Retrieved 2011-04-23.
Louisiana House from 1964–1968 [7] "American FactFinder". United States Census
• J. Frank McInnis, Louisiana state court judge Bureau. http://factfinder.census.gov. Retrieved
(1930–1953), based in Minden, was born in Castor. 2008-01-31.
• E. R. Minchew, principal of Castor High School [8] "DeWitt Talmage Methvin, Jr.".
(1932–1964) familytreemaker.genealogy.com.
• Enoch T. Nix, banker from Bossier City and 30-year http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/m/
member of the Louisiana State Board of Education e/t/Mildred-Methvin/WEBSITE-0001/
and its replacement body, the Board of Elementary UHP-0001.html. Retrieved December 2, 2010.
and Secondary Education, was born in Jamestown [9] "Enoch T. Nix Obit". jenforum.org.
but graduated from Castor High School.[9] http://www.jenforum.org/nix/messages/
• Stephen Pate, Business and marketing operations 1729.html. Retrieved June 9, 2011.
manager for 2010 World Champion New Orleans
Saints football team (2008–present)
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Castor,_Louisiana&oldid=463142399"
Categories:
• Populated places in Bienville Parish, Louisiana
• Villages in Louisiana
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