Formed January 18, 1838 (34th parish)
Caldwell Parish (9,642), Columbia (279), Clarks (1,051)
The tan brick and concrete Modern courthouse of Caldwell Parish was built in 1937 in the town square. The structure is located on Main Street at Pearl Street. Main Street is two blocks east of United States Highway 165 passing through this small community. Caldwell Parish was created on January 18, 1838 from parts of Ouachita and Catahoula parishes as the 34th parish with Columbia as the only parish seat. J. W. Smith and Associates served as the architects for this facility. The building was enlarged in 1971. An Annex was added in 1956. Caldwell was named for one of the settling families in the region. The parish seat was also named for a settler. Caldwell Parish was the birthplace of 1 Louisiana Governor, John J. McKeithen.
Caldwell Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive). It has 12 Police Jury Members (legislative.) One District Court Judge and Two Justice Court Judges serve Caldwell Parish (judicial.) The parish is located in north central Louisiana northeast of Alexandria, Louisiana and south of Monroe, Louisiana. Black Bayou forms the eastern border of the parish. The parish center is 5.1 miles South of Columbia nearer Grayson. The parish is surrounded clockwise by Ouachita, Richland, Franklin, Catahoula, La Salle, Winn, and Jackson parishes.
The area of the parish is 541 square miles. It is 48 out of 64 in the state. It ranks 59 out of 64 in population in the state. It has a density of 17.8 persons per square mile making it 56 out of 64 in the state. Caldwell Parish has 18.5% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 165 enters from Ouachita Parish to the north and exits into La Salle Parish to the south. The parish is shaped like box on its side spilling out to the east. Columbia is near to the center of the parish. Clarks is located in the southwest quarter of the parish. Columbia is the parish seat and Clarks is the largest city. Columbia is 2.9% of the parish population while Clarks is 10.9% of the parish population.
Clarks
Columbia
Grayson
