52-520: Vernon Parish (French: Paroisse de Vernon ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana . As of the 2020 census , the population was 48,750. The parish seat and most populous municipality is Leesville . Bordered on the west by the Sabine River , the parish was founded in 1871 during the Reconstruction era . It was long a center of the timber industry, which harvested pine in
104-593: A 76.40-mile Shreveport to Many line on October 26, 1896, an 85.80-mile Many to De Quincy line on June 30, 1897, and the 19.16-mile De Quincy to the Louisiana-Texas state line on September 11, 1897, where the southern terminus was with the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company. A 26.60-mile narrow gauge branch line was acquired from the Calcasieu, Vernon & Shreveport Railway Company (CV&S), through
156-519: A Master of Arts in Liberal Arts. The Upper Iowa University (UIU) at Fort Johnson offers classes on post to both military personnel and civilians in the area. It was opened in 1995 and offers bachelor's degrees in nine majors. Courses can also be blended with UIU distance learning programs (online and independent study) to complete 11 other majors. Certificate programs are also available. UIU offers courses on post during five eight-week terms during
208-519: A STB ruling in August 2021 that the company could not use a voting trust to assume control of KCS, due to concerns about potentially reduced competition in the railroad industry. On September 12, 2021, KCS accepted a new $ 31 billion offer from CP. Though CP's offer was lower than the offer made by CN, the STB permitted CP to use a voting trust to take control of KCS. The voting trust allowed CP to become
260-653: A railroad system consisting of 3,984 route miles (6,412 km) that extended south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS railroad, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), can haul freight into northeastern and central Mexico and to the Gulf of Mexico ports of Tampico , Altamira , and Veracruz , as well as to the Pacific Port of Lázaro Cárdenas , fulfilling the vision of KCS founder Arthur Edward Stilwell . Kansas City Southern Railway
312-634: A subsidiary. From 1940 to 1969, the Kansas City Southern operated two primary passenger trains, the Flying Crow (Trains #15 & 16) between Kansas City and Port Arthur (discontinued on May 11, 1968) and the Southern Belle (Trains #1 & 2) between Kansas City and New Orleans (discontinued on November 2, 1969). In 1995, a new Southern Belle was created as an executive train to entertain shippers and guests. It also pulls
364-462: Is a public, open-admission community college offering associate degrees and certificate programs in academic, professional and vocational/technical fields. Due to its proximity to Fort Johnson, CTC has evolved from a small junior college into a college catering to the military. CTC also help students transition from a 2-year to a 4-year degree through numerous articulation agreements with 4-year institutions nationwide. Louisiana State University offers
416-518: Is also included in the DeRidder -Fort Johnson South, LA Combined Statistical Area . The area comprising Vernon was a part of a tract of land whose control was disputed in the late 18th century between the United States and Spain. They called this land the " Neutral Strip " and refrained from posting police or military personnel there. As a result, the area became a haven for outlaws. Prior to
468-494: Is located at Fort Johnson. 31°07′N 93°11′W / 31.11°N 93.19°W / 31.11; -93.19 List of parishes in Louisiana [REDACTED] [REDACTED] The U.S. state of Louisiana is divided into 64 parishes ( French : paroisses , Spanish : parroquias ), making it the only state besides Alaska to call its subdivisions something other than "counties." Louisiana's usage of
520-486: Is part of the University of Louisiana System. The NSU -Leesville/Fort Johnson Campus is located on Highway 467 near Fort Johnson . It serves the civilian communities of Vernon, Beauregard, and Sabine parishes, as well as the military community at Fort Johnson. http://leesville.nsula.edu/ The Fort Johnson Education Center offers self-development opportunities for Service members, military family members, Department of
572-532: The Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) announced that it was purchasing KCS for US$ 29 billion. Prior, a competing cash and stock offer was made by Canadian National Railway (CN) on April 20, 2021 at $ 33.7 billion. On May 13, 2021, KCS announced in a statement that they planned to accept the higher offer from CN, but would give CP until May 21 to come up with a higher bid, which was not made. However, CN's merger attempt would be blocked by
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#1732772961096624-525: The Holiday Express train in December, making the rounds to several KCS cities and stations. In 1996, Kansas City Southern Industries won a Mexican government concession to operate the "Northeast Railroad," a potentially profitable 5,335-kilometer rail system connecting key cities and ports. This line, which carried a significant portion of Mexico's rail traffic and freight from the United States,
676-594: The Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway , a 20-mile long railroad, which was incorporated in 1887 and began operation in 1890. In 1897, Stilwell completed the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (KCP&G) with a route running north and south from Kansas City to Shreveport, Louisiana , terminating at Port Arthur, Texas . In order to comply with Louisiana laws Stilwell, William S. Taylor, E. L. Martin, and others, officers of
728-493: The U.S. Census Bureau , the parish has a total area of 1,341 square miles (3,470 km), of which 1,328 square miles (3,440 km) is land and 14 square miles (36 km) (1.0%) is water. It is the largest parish in Louisiana by land area. As of the 2020 United States census , there were 48,750 people, 17,696 households, and 12,375 families residing in the parish. All public schools in Vernon Parish are operated by
780-671: The Vernon Parish School Board , which operates 18 public schools and one optional school. Schools providing a secondary education include: The Louisiana Technical College (LTC) system operates the Lamar Salter campus south of New Llano. The Central Louisiana Technical College Lamar Salter campus is one of 40 LTC campuses across the state. Northwestern State University (NSU), is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana and
832-690: The American Civil War, an artillery site was constructed nearby. Now called the "Confederate Breast Works", it was manned by the Confederacy to guard against Union movements along the Nolan Trace. On March 30. 1871, the Louisiana General Assembly passed an act to create Vernon Parish, by taking territory from the three parishes noted above, as population had increased in the area. There are four versions of how
884-744: The Arkansas Construction Company, that ran from De Quincy, West Lake, Lake Charles, and Lockport, and the construction company widened the tracks to standard gauge. In 1895, the KCP&;G entered into a contract with the KCS&;G to operate and maintain its property. In 1900, KCP&G was taken over by the Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS). By 1914, the KCS owned the separate entities of
936-757: The Arkansas Western Railway Company, Fort Smith & Van Buren Railway Company, Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Railway Company, the Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Terminal Company, the Maywood & Sugar Creek Railway Company, the Port Arthur Canal & Dock Company, the Poteau Valley Railroad Company, the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company, the Arkansas Western Railway Company,
988-456: The Defense employees, military Retirees, Department of Defense contractors, and civilians from the local community in the classroom, distance learning, and online environments. Civilian students coming to the post for classes are required to use the main entrance located off U.S. Highway 171 . Central Michigan University (CMU) operates a campus at Fort Johnson. Central Texas College (CTC)
1040-681: The Glenn Pool Tank Line Company, the Joplin Union Depot Company, the Kansas City Terminal Railway Company, and the K. C. S. Elevator Company. In 1962, Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. (KCSI) was established when the company began to diversify its interests into other industries. At that time, KCS became a subsidiary of KCSI. In 2002, KCSI formally changed its name to Kansas City Southern (KCS), with KCS remaining
1092-561: The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Trust Company of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the KCP&G, incorporated the Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Railway Company (KCS&G) on September 27, 1894, to build or acquire railroads in Louisiana. The Arkansas Construction Company completed a 41.10-mile line from Arkansas-Louisiana State line (northern terminus with the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company) to Shreveport on April 15, 1896. The Kansas City Terminal Construction Company completed
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#17327729610961144-593: The Pacific Port of Lázaro Cárdenas . Canadian Pacific Railway purchased KCS in December 2021 for US$ 31 billion . On April 14, 2023, KCS became a wholly owned subsidiary of CPR, and both companies began conducting business under the name of their parent company, Canadian Pacific Kansas City . Arthur Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would eventually become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Mo . Together with Edward L. Martin , Stilwell built
1196-456: The Smart plantation still stands, where the city has grown up around it. It is located at what today is the corner of Lula and First streets. Folklore accounts of the naming of the parish are: 1) that it was named after a race horse owned by Joe Moore, one of the members of the committee chosen to name the parish, who claimed that by naming the parish after his fast horse the committee would insure
1248-561: The United States acquisition of this territory through the Louisiana Purchase from France in 1803, the primary settlers who came to the area were ethnic French and Spanish. During this period, Dr. Timothy Burr, a Massachusetts native who had migrated to Louisiana from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, established the community of Burr Ferry at his landing on the Sabine River. This community became known as the "Gateway to Louisiana " from
1300-660: The academic year. All courses are offered during the evenings and on weekends. The Vernon Parish Library operates public libraries. It operates the main library and the Dunbar Branch Library in Leesville and the Pitkin Branch Library in Pitkin . The Louisiana Army National Guard maintains a maintenance facility which services its vehicles on Fort Johnson . 3-156 IB part of 256th Tiger Brigade
1352-475: The beneficial owner of KCS in December 2021, but the two railroads operated independently until receiving approval for a merger of operations from the STB. That approval came on March 15, 2023, which permitted the railroads to merge as soon as April 14, 2023. KCS hauled freight for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and minerals, military, automotive, chemical and petroleum, energy, industrial and consumer products and intermodal. KCS had
1404-452: The colonial ecclesiastical parishes. On March 31, 1807, the territorial legislature created 19 parishes without abolishing any of the old counties (which term continued to exist until 1845). In 1811, a constitutional convention was held to prepare for Louisiana's admission into the Union . This organized the state into seven judicial districts, each consisting of groups of parishes. In 1816,
1456-501: The early 21st century. In the period after World War I, Vernon Parish became the site of two socialist-based communities. The Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony developed as New Llano , established in 1917. The second was the Christian Commonwealth Colony. These colonies attempted to attract economists and sociologists to conduct an experiment in communal membership and the sharing of labor duties. Llano del Rio
1508-464: The expanding KCS bought 49 percent of Tex-Mex Railway . At the time, the investment was considered questionable by some observers, because TM had no connection to KCSR. The solution would not come until 1996, when Union Pacific and Southern Pacific agreed to provide Tex-Mex with trackage rights from Robstown northbound and through the Houston area to connect with KCSR at Beaumont . This agreement
1560-406: The fifth Reconstruction parish, Cameron, was created, which was followed by the sixth, seventh, and eighth parishes (Red River, Vernon, and Webster, respectively) in 1871. The ninth parish to be formed under Radical Republican rule was Lincoln, named after the late president and formed in 1873. In 1877, the old parish of Carroll divided into East and West Carroll parishes, which are unofficially called
1612-514: The first being Iberia and Richland parishes. Plans for creating a parish like Iberia from St. Martin and St. Mary parishes had dated from the 1840s. (A surveying error in Iberia's creation broke St. Martin Parish into two non-contiguous parts, making it and Norfolk County, Massachusetts as the only county-level units with their own exclaves .) Tangipahoa and Grant parishes followed in 1869. In 1870,
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1664-577: The first official map of the state used the term parish , as did the 1845 constitution. Since then, the official term for Louisiana's primary civil divisions has been parishes . The 19 original parishes were joined by Catahoula Parish in 1808. In 1810 four additional parishes were created from the formerly Spanish West Florida territory—these are part of what is now referred to as the Florida Parishes . By April 1812, Attakapas Parish became St. Martin Parish and St. Mary Parish. On April 30,
1716-475: The growth of the parish: 2) that it was named after a popular teacher who had been an officer in the Royal Navy , only mentioned as "Mr. Vernon". The decision was made to avoid disputes among the parish founders, each of whom wanted to name it after himself. 3) The final account tells that the committee had been arguing over the name while drinking in a store. Trying to preserve his precious whiskey and profits,
1768-561: The hills and bottomland hardwoods. Construction of a railway to the area in 1897 stimulated the marketing of lumber and businesses in the area. Since World War II , Fort Johnson , formerly Fort Polk, has been most important to the parish economy. The population of the Leesville area rapidly increased fivefold after the fort was opened. Vernon Parish is part of the Fort Johnson South , LA Micropolitan Statistical Area , which
1820-568: The host suggested the committee stop a local man passing by on a mule-drawn cart and name the parish whatever the man said was the mule's name. The man responded, "I calls him Vernon, 'cause he's the fastes' mule in de country." In the late 1890s the timber industry, which was the dominant industry in the parish from its creation, began to boom with the construction of the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1897. It increased access to markets. The railway continues to operate in
1872-503: The most substantial being the division of Lake Pontchartrain among Tangipahoa, St. Tammany, Orleans, Jefferson, St. John the Baptist, and St. Charles Parishes in 1979. Kansas City Southern Railway The Kansas City Southern Railway Company ( reporting mark KCS )
1924-405: The nation. The facility covers approximately 200,000 acres (810 km). It has stimulated the development of associated businesses in the area and related populations. With the regular reassignment of soldiers, accompanied by dependents, to and from the fort, Vernon Parish has a more varied culture than might be expected from its location. Its residents come from all over the country. According to
1976-481: The parish was named; the only official State version is that it was named in honor of Mt. Vernon , the home of George Washington . Leesville was designated as the parish seat of Vernon from the start. It was incorporated February 15, 1900. The city was founded by Dr. Edmund E. Smart, who donated land from his plantation for the development of the parish seat. It was named by Senator John Rowell Smart, his father, in honor of General Robert E. Lee . The Big House from
2028-528: The parish's economy. After the camp opened, the population of the parish seat of Leesville rapidly climbed from 3,500 to 18,000. Named after Leonidas Polk , the first Episcopal Bishop in Louisiana and known as the "Fighting Bishop of the Confederacy", it served as one of the major Army training camps during World War II . In the 21st century, Fort Johnson is the 5th-largest military installation in
2080-801: The shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri , and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The KCS, along with the Union Pacific railroad, was one of only two Class I railroads based in the United States that has not originated as the result of a merger between previously separate companies. The company owned or contracted with intermodal facilities along its rail network in Kansas City, MO; Jackson, Miss. ; Wylie, Texas ; Kendleton, Texas ; and Laredo, Texas . KCS operated over
2132-456: The state was admitted to the Union with 25 parishes. By 1820, Washington Parish was added, and Feliciana Parish split into West and East in 1824. The next year, Jefferson Parish was carved from Orleans Parish. By 1830, Claiborne Parish was created, and the old Warren Parish was mostly absorbed into Ouachita Parish, only to return as Carroll Parish a few years later. In 1838, Caddo Parish
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2184-547: The tenth and eleventh Reconstruction parishes, as the project ended that year. No new parishes were formed until 1886, when Acadia Parish was formed from St. Landry. Again, no new parishes were formed, this time until 1908, when the western half of Catahoula parish became LaSalle parish. In 1910, the parish count rose to 61 with the creation of Evangeline Parish, and the 62nd, 63rd, and 64th parishes (Allen, Beauregard, and Jefferson Davis) were created from areas of Calcasieu Parish. There were several minor boundary changes afterward,
2236-474: The term "parish" for a geographic region or local government dates back to the French colonial and Spanish colonial periods and is connected to ecclesiastical parishes . Thirty-eight parishes are governed by a council called a police jury . The remaining 26 have various other forms of government, including: council-president, council-manager , parish commission, and consolidated parish/city . Louisiana
2288-542: The west. For decades this area was part of the Natchitoches , Rapides , and Sabine parishes, which were established soon after the US acquired this territory in the early nineteenth century. The timber industry was most important to the local economy, with both pines of the hills and bottomland hardwoods being harvested. Some landowners had their land cleared by slaves to establish plantations for cotton cultivation. During
2340-459: Was an American Class I railroad . Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern and Southeastern U.S. states : Illinois , Missouri , Kansas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Tennessee , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana and Texas . KCS owned the shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri , and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico . The focus of the routes was the fastest way to connect Kansas City to seaports, since it
2392-405: Was created from Natchitoches, as were Madison and Caldwell parishes in the east. In 1839, Union Parish was formed from Ouachita, and Calcasieu was formed from St. Landry in 1840. Five parishes were created in 1843: Bossier, DeSoto, Franklin, Sabine, and Tensas. Morehouse Parish and Vermilion Parish were formed from Ouachita and Lafayette parishes, respectively, in 1844. The next year, Jackson Parish
2444-546: Was formed from French and Spanish colonies, which were both officially Roman Catholic . Local colonial government was based upon parishes , as the local ecclesiastical division. Following the Louisiana Purchase , the territorial legislative council in April 1805 divided the Territory of Orleans (the predecessor of Louisiana state) into 12 counties . The borders of these counties were poorly defined, but largely coincided with
2496-399: Was formed, the old county units were abandoned, and the units were officially referred to as "parishes". In 1848, Bienville Parish was formed from Claiborne Parish. In 1852, Winn Parish was formed, while parishes further south added and lost land. In 1853, Lafourche Interior Parish was renamed to Lafourche Parish. During Reconstruction , state government created a number of new parishes, with
2548-411: Was highly sought after due to its strategic location, including proximity to numerous auto assembly plants. The concession was operated by a new company known as Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) , which was a joint venture of KCSI with Transportación Maritima Mexicana (TMM). In 2005, TMM sold its share of TFM to KCSI, prompting a rename to Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM) . In 1995 ,
2600-534: Was one of the conditions imposed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for the approval of the proposed merger between UP and SP. Responding to increased international trade between the US and Mexico, the railroad built a large railroad yard and intermodal freight transport facility at Laredo in 1998 . They also won Regional Railroad of the Year that same year. On March 21, 2021,
2652-520: Was only 800 miles from Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico compared to 1,400 miles between Kansas City and the Atlantic Ocean ports. KCS operated over a railroad system consisting of 3,984 route miles (6,412 km) that extended south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS-operated railroad, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), hauled freight into northeastern and central Mexico and to several Gulf of Mexico ports and
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#17327729610962704-647: Was the larger community, with more than 10,000 people, and was also the longest-surviving. Both colonies failed in the 1930s during the economic stress of the Great Depression . In 1941, the United States Army opened Camp Polk , shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe, with the German invasion of Poland and other actions. Camp Polk quickly surpassed the timber industry as the dominant force in
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