City of Mansfield
City
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	De Soto
Area	3.7 sq mi (9.6 km²)
- land	3.7 sq mi (9.6 km²)
- water	0.0 sq mi (0 km²), 0%
Center
- coordinates	32°01′58″N 93°42′09″W / 32.03278, -93.7025Coordinates: 32°01′58″N 93°42′09″W / 32.03278, -93.7025
- elevation	335 ft (102.1 m)
Population	5,582 (2000)
Density	1,515.4 /sq mi (585.1 /km²)
Time zone	CST (UTC-6)
- summer (DST)	CDT (UTC-5)
ZIP code	71052
Area code	318
Location of Mansfield in Louisiana
Location of Louisiana in the United States

The city of Mansfield is the parish seat of De Soto Parish, in the US state of Louisiana. ^{[1] [2]} The population was 5,582 at the 2000 census. According to the 2004 census, the city had a population of 5,496.

Geography

Mansfield is located at 32°1′58″N, 93°42′9″W (32.032782, -93.702475)^[3] and has an elevation of 335 feet (102.1 m)^[4].

According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 3.7 square miles (9.6 km²), all of it land.

History

The Battle of Mansfield, a Confederate victory under General Richard Taylor (son of Zachary Taylor), was fought here on April 8, 1864. This battle turned 42,000 Union Troops away from their conquest of the Louisiana Confederate Capital, Shreveport and sent them in retreat to New Orleans.

Mansfield is the birthplace of the popular former major league baseball player Vida Rochelle Blue, Jr. Josh Logan, the noted Broadway producer, was born there too, and Mary Miles Minter, the silent screen actress, came from the area.

Mansfield was the home of United States Congressman Joseph Barton Elam (1821-1885) and State Representative Charles Wheaton Elam (1866-1917).

Another state representative from Mansfield was Joe Henry Cooper (1920-1980), a merchant who was instrumental in the development of the Toledo Bend Dam and Reservoir in nearby Sabine Parish and in procuring four-year status for Louisiana State University in Shreveport, an action which benefited many in De Soto Parish.

Sammy Joe Odom (1941-2001), a football star for Minden High School and Northwestern State University in Natchitoches, played a season in 1964 for the Houston Oilers. He moved to Mansfield in 1971. At the time of his death, he was the administrator for the De Soto Parish Police Jury.

The first women's college west of the Mississippi River, Mansfield Female College, was founded by the Methodists here in 1855. As a two-year college, its first class graduated in 1856. Financial difficulties and the threat of war closed the college from 1860 to the end of the Civil War, during which its buildings served as a hospital for soldiers wounded in the Battle of Mansfield; it reopened in 1865. In 1930, Mansfield Female College merged with Centenary College of Louisiana in Shreveport and closed its doors permanently. In 2003, the Louisiana State Legislature moved to convert the main building of Mansfield Female College, the Lyceum, into a future museum.

Demographics

As of the census^[5] of 2000, there were 5,582 people,^[2] 2,054 households, and 1,390 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,515.4 people per square mile (585.7/km²). There were 2,298 housing units at an average density of 623.9/sq mi (241.1/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 34.13% White, 64.26% African American, 0.13% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.47% from other races, and 0.75% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.59% of the population.

There were 2,054 households, out of which 33.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 36.3% were married couples living together, 27.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 32.3% were non-families. 29.6% of all households were made up of individuals and 14.0% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.57 and the average family size was 3.20.

In the city of Mansfield, the population was spread out with 29.6% under the age of 18, 8.7% from 18 to 24, 25.2% from 25 to 44, 19.6% from 45 to 64, and 16.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females there were 82.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.2 males.

The median income for a household in the city was $21,981, and the median income for a family was $26,683. Males had a median income of $30,239 versus $19,854 for females. The per capita income for the city was $11,850. About 27.2% of families and 33.7% of the population were below the poverty line, including 44.1% of those under age 18 and 26.4% of those age 65 or over.

References

v â€¢ d â€¢ e Municipalities and communities of De Soto Parish, Louisiana
Parish seat: Mansfield
Cities	Mansfield
Towns	Keachi | Logansport | Stonewall
Villages	Grand Cane | Longstreet | South Mansfield | Stanley

v â€¢ d â€¢ e City of Shreveport & Shreveport/Bossier City Metro
Topics	History | Geography | Politics | Economy | Education | Culture | Media | Transportation | Shreveporters
Shreveport Neighborhoods	Downtown | Riverfront District | Highlands | Shreve City | Anderson Island | Broadmoor | Riverfront District | Shreve Island | Southern Hills | Jewella-South Park | Cross Lake | LSUS-University Area | Greenwood | Blanchard | Texas Border
The Ark-La-Tex	Shreveport | Bossier City | Texarkana | Atlanta | Stonewall | Mansfield | Minden | Homer | Haynesville | Magnolia | Hope | Waskom | Marshall | Longview | Jefferson | Carthage