Winnfield, Louisiana | |
City | |
Downtown Winnfield
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|
Country | United States |
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State | Louisiana |
Parish | Winn |
Elevation | 128 ft (39.0 m) |
Coordinates | 31°55′24″N 92°38′25″W / 31.92333°N 92.64028°WCoordinates: 31°55′24″N 92°38′25″W / 31.92333°N 92.64028°W |
Area | 3.3 sq mi (8.5 km2) |
- land | 3.3 sq mi (9 km2) |
- water | 0.0 sq mi (0 km2), 0% |
Population | 5,749 (2000) |
Density | 1,733.4/sq mi (669.3/km2) |
Government | City Council/Mayor |
Mayor | Mayor Kiah Beville (R) Winnfield City Council: |
Timezone | CST (UTC-6) |
- summer (DST) | CDT (UTC-5) |
ZIP code | 71483 |
Area code | 318 |
Location of Louisiana in the United States
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Website: Official website | |
Winnfield City Council:
District 2: Gerald "Scooter" Hamms (No Party)
District 5: Jessie Edwards (D)
Chief of Police Johnny Carpenter (D)
Winnfield is a small city in the parish seat of Winn Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,749 at the 2000 census, and 4,840 at the 2010 census. Three governors of the state of Louisiana were from Winnfield.
When Winn Parish was officially formed by the state legislature in 1852, Winnfield was established as the parish seat. During the Civil War, the area around Winnfield was the site of some minor skirmishes. Confederate forces defeated a Union detachment sent to destroy the Cary Salt Works in the area.
Many Civil War bandits made the region their home. Among these were the West and Kimbrill clans, which at one time included the Frank & Jesse James.
Three Louisiana governors were Winnfield natives and grew up here: Huey Long, Oscar K. Allen and Earl Long. Huey Long became governor, U.S. Senator, and challenged Franklin D. Roosevelt for Presidency in 1932. He was assassinated in 1935. Oscar K. Allen was elected governor in 1932. Earl Long, "the Louisiana Longshot," served in a variety of state positions, said to be more than other Louisianan, including elective office. He was elected governor in 1939, 1948 and 1956. He was elected to Congress in 1960 but died before he could assume office.
Winnfield was a major producer of salt in the Civil War days, salt kettles used at Big Cedar furnished salt for the Confederate army. One still exists today in front of the Louisiana Political Museum and Hall of Fame, turned into a fountain. The salt works was located on Saline Bayou. Later the Cary Salt Works started a 840 ft deep mine south of Winnfield. The mine was used by the federal government in Project Coyboy Plowshare Program, Cowboy Event. Between Dec 1959 and March 1960 a series of high explosives were set off inside the Carry Salt Works in an unused portion of the mine. The mine later was flooded by an underground river. The mine and all equipment inside was abandoned.