Pollock, Louisiana

The town proper that sprang up in 1892 around a sawmill was named in honor of the manager of the Big Creek Sawmill and Lumber Company, Captain James W. Pollock.{{Cite web |title=History of Pollock |url=http://www.pollockla.us/index.asp?Type=B_PR&SEC={3E978751-E262-4BC6-824A-7CBB558030B4}&DE={85E5CD88-B3C3-4089-A497-8B5BBFDBF1CA} |access-date=May 25, 2011 |website=Town of Pollock, Louisiana}}

Pollock was for many years a sundown town, a community that did not allow black people to be there after sundown.{{Cite web |title=Showing Pollock in LA... |url=https://sundown.tougaloo.edu/sundowntownsshow.php?id=1160 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180623054855/https://sundown.tougaloo.edu/sundowntownsshow.php?id=1160 |archive-date=June 23, 2018 |website=sundown.tougaloo.edu}} Historian Herbert Aptheker reported a sign "Niggers stay out of Pollock" at the town's boundary during World War II when he commanded a group of black soldiers nearby.{{Cite news |last=Carlson |first=Peter |date=February 20, 2006 |title=When Signs Said 'Get Out' in 'Sundown Towns,' Racism in the Rearview Mirror |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/02/21/when-signs-said-get-out-span-classbankheadin-sundown-towns-racism-in-the-rearview-mirrorspan/0e80ab6c-51a7-4412-a320-168315ced22b/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190215050609/https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/2006/02/21/when-signs-said-get-out-span-classbankheadin-sundown-towns-racism-in-the-rearview-mirrorspan/0e80ab6c-51a7-4412-a320-168315ced22b/ |archive-date=2019-02-15 |access-date=2024-04-04 |work=The Washington Post}} The town's official history notes "the few individuals of African descent" living in the Pollock area left soon after the Colfax massacre.{{Cite web |title=History of Pollock |url=https://www.pollockla.us/index.asp?SEC=3E978751-E262-4BC6-824A-7CBB558030B4&Type=B_PR}} The Louisiana Almanac reported that as late as 1990, Pollock still had no black residents.{{Cite tweet |number=1096145801292775426 |user=jbenton |title=I thought I remembered this from when I was a kid, and thanks to the @internetarchive I now have proof: At least in… |date=February 14, 2019}}{{Cite web |year=1992 |title=Louisiana almanac, 1992-93 |url=https://archive.org/details/louisianaalmanac00milb}}

Pollock is located in southeastern Grant Parish. U.S. Route 165 is the main highway through the town, leading north {{convert|16|mi}} to Georgetown and south 16 miles to Alexandria. According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of {{convert|3.3|km2|order=flip}}, all land.

Pollock is within Kisatchie National Forest. Stuart Lake Recreational Area, part of the national forest, is {{convert|2.5|mi}} southwest of the center of town.

{{US Census population

|1900= 637

|1910= 675

|1920= 353

|1930= 376

|1940= 317

|1950= 421

|1960= 366

|1970= 341

|1980= 399

|1990= 330

|2000= 376

|2010= 469

|2020= 394

|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census{{Cite web |title=Census of Population and Housing |url=https://www.census.gov/programs-surveys/decennial-census.html |access-date=June 4, 2015 |publisher=Census.gov}}

}}

As of the census{{Cite web |title=U.S. Census website |url=https://www.census.gov |access-date=January 31, 2008 |publisher=United States Census Bureau}} of 2000, there were 376 people, 157 households, and 108 families residing in the town. The population density was {{convert|298.7|PD/sqmi|PD/km2|sp=us|adj=off}}. There were 204 housing units at an average density of {{convert|162.1|/mi2|/km2|disp=preunit|units |units|}}. The racial makeup of the town was 97.87% White, 0.27% Native American, 0.53% Asian, and 1.33% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 1.86% of the population.

There were 157 households, out of which 36.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 48.4% were married couples living together, 18.5% had a female householder with no husband present, and 30.6% were non-families. 30.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.39 and the average family size was 2.98.

In the town, the population was spread out, with 28.5% under the age of 18, 7.7% from 18 to 24, 25.5% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.7% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 38 years. For every 100 females, there were 91.8 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 83.0 males.

The median income for a household in the town was $25,625, and the median income for a family was $29,063. Males had a median income of $21,250 versus $28,125 for females. The per capita income for the town was $12,134. About 20.5% of families and 22.9% of the population were below the poverty line, including 33.3% of those under age 18 and 14.5% of those age 65 or over.

The Federal Correctional Complex, Pollock, consisting of the United States Penitentiary, Pollock and Federal Correctional Institution, Pollock, is located nearby."[http://www.bop.gov/locations/institutions/pol/index.jsp USP Pollock]." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on May 29, 2010."[http://www.bop.gov/DataSource/execute/dsFacilityAddressLoc?start=y&facilityCode=pol USP Pollock Contact Information] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100527140551/http://www.bop.gov/DataSource/execute/dsFacilityAddressLoc?start=y&facilityCode=pol |date=2010-05-27 }}." Federal Bureau of Prisons. Retrieved on May 29, 2010.

Pollock residents are zoned to Grant Parish School Board schools.

• Henry E. Hardtner, timber magnate and Louisiana legislator
• Russ Springer, pitcher for 10 Major League baseball teams spanning 18 seasons from 1992 until 2010

{{Portal|United States}}

• List of sundown towns in the United States

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.pollockla.us/ Town of Pollock official website]

{{Grant Parish, Louisiana}}

{{Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

Category:Towns in Louisiana

Category:Towns in Grant Parish, Louisiana

Category:Alexandria metropolitan area, Louisiana

Category:Sundown towns in the United States