Minden, Louisiana

{{Use mdy dates|date=July 2023}}
{{Infobox settlement
| name                    = Minden, Louisiana
| official_name           = City of Minden
| native_name             = <!-- if different from the English name -->
| native_name_lang        = <!-- ISO 639-2 code e.g. "fr" for French. If more than one, use {{lang}} instead -->
| other_name              = 
| settlement_type         = [[List of cities in Louisiana|City]]
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
| image_skyline           = Revised copy, Minden, LA, City Hall and Civic Center IMG_0008.JPG
| imagesize               = 250px
| image_alt               = 
| image_caption           = Minden City Hall and Convention Center
| nickname                = 
| motto                   = 
| anthem                  = 
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map               = File:Webster Parish Louisiana Incorporated and Unincorporated areas Minden Highlighted.svg
| mapsize                 = 
| map_alt                 = 
| map_caption             = Location of Minden in Webster Parish, Louisiana.
| image_map1              = 
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| map_caption1            = 
| pushpin_map             = USA Louisiana<!-- name of a location map as per Template:Location_map -->
| pushpin_label           = <!-- only necessary if "name" or "official_name" are too long -->
| pushpin_map_alt         = 
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| coordinates             = {{coord|32|37|0|N|93|17|0|W|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| coor_pinpoint           = <!-- to specify exact location of coordinates (was coor_type) -->
| coordinates_footnotes   = <!-- for references: use <ref>tags --> <!-- location --> 
| subdivision_type = Country 
| subdivision_name = {{flag|United States}} 
| subdivision_type1 = States 
| subdivision_name1 = {{flag|Louisiana}} 
| subdivision_type2 = 
| subdivision_name2 = <!-- etc., subdivision_type6 / subdivision_name6 --> <!-- established --> 
| established_title = Founded 
| established_date = {{Start date and age|1836|p=fy}}
| established_title1 = <!-- Incorporated (town) --> 
| established_date1 = 
| established_title2 = <!-- Incorporated (city) --> 
| established_date2 = 
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| founder = 
| named_for = <!-- government type, leaders -->

<!-- Government -->
|government_footnotes = <ref>{{cite web | title = Mayor's Office | publisher = City of Minden | url = https://www.mindenla.org/mayors-desk/ | accessdate = December 22, 2022}}</ref>
|government_type = 
|leader_title = Mayor
|leader_name = Nick Cox
|leader_title1 = 
|leader_name1 =

| total_type = <!-- to set a non-standard label for total area and population rows --> 
| unit_pref = Imperial
<!-- enter: Imperial, to display imperial before metric --><!-- area -->| area_footnotes = <ref name="CenPopGazetteer2020">{{cite web|title=2020 U.S. Gazetteer Files|url=https://www2.census.gov/geo/docs/maps-data/data/gazetteer/2020_Gazetteer/2020_gaz_place_22.txt|publisher=United States Census Bureau|accessdate=March 20, 2022}}</ref>
<!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| dunam_link              = <!-- If dunams are used, this specifies which dunam to link. -->
| area_total_km2          = 39.39
<!-- ALL fields with measurements have automatic unit conversion -->
| area_total_sq_mi        = 15.21
<!-- see table @ Template:Infobox settlement for details -->
| area_total_acre         = 
| area_land_km2           = 38.95
| area_land_sq_mi         = 15.04
| area_water_km2          = 0.44
| area_water_sq_mi        = 0.17
<!-- dimensions -->
| length_mi               = 
| width_mi                = 
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes     = <!-- for references: use <ref> tags -->
| elevation_m             = 
| elevation_ft            = 
| elevation_point         = <!-- for denoting the measurement point -->
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<!-- population -->
| population_footnotes    = 
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| population_total        = 11928
| population_as_of        = [[2020 United States Census|2020]]
| population_rank         = 
| population_density_km2  = 306.27
<!-- for automatic calculation of any density field, use: auto -->
| population_density_sq_mi = 793.24
| pop_est_footnotes       = 
| population_est          = 
| pop_est_as_of           = 
| population_demonym      = <!-- demonym, e.g. Liverpudlian for someone from Liverpool -->
| population_note         = 
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1               = [[North American Central Time Zone|CST]]
| utc_offset1             = -6
| timezone1_DST           = [[North American Central Time Zone|CDT]]
| utc_offset1_DST         = -5
| timezone2               = 
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<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type        = ZIP code
| postal_code             = 71055
| postal2_code_type       = <!-- enter ZIP code, Postcode, Post code, Postal code... -->
| postal2_code            = 
| area_code_type          = Area code(s)
| area_code               = [[Area code 318|318]]
| geocode                 = 
| iso_code                = 
| registration_plate      = 
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website                 = {{URL|www.mindenusa.com| Minden, Louisiana}} 
| footnotes               = 
|blank_name = [[Federal Information Processing Standards|FIPS code]]
|blank_info = 22-50885
}}
'''Minden''' is a city and [[parish seat]] in [[Webster Parish, Louisiana|Webster Parish]], [[Louisiana]], United States. It is located twenty-eight miles east of [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]]. As of the 2020 census, the city had a total population of 11,928.

== History ==
[[File:Louisiana - Miden - NARA - 23940429 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aerial view of Minden, 1935]]
[[File:Louisiana - Miden - NARA - 23940431 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aftermath of the 1933 tornado]]
[[File:Louisiana - Miden - NARA - 23940433 (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Aftermath of the 1933 tornado]]
Minden was established in 1836 by Charles Veeder. Native sons include [[Gene Austin]] and [[Louis Dunbar]].

The town's name is derived from the German city of [[Minden]]. 

The city of Minden was used as a blueprint for the fictional city of Bon Temps, the setting of the [[Southern Vampire Mysteries]] series by [[Charlaine Harris]].

During the [[American Civil War|Civil War]], a large [[Confederate Army|Confederate]] encampment was located inside of Minden. It housed about 15,000 Confederate soldiers. The town served as a supply depot for the Confederate Army. Close to thirty Confederate soldiers who died in the Battles of Mansfield and Pleasant Hill are buried in the Old Minden Cemetery.

In the [[Great Blizzard of 1899]], Minden experienced the coldest temperature ever recorded in Louisiana, when the temperature fell on February 13, 1899 to {{convert|&minus;16|F|C|1|disp=or}}.<ref name="States">{{cite web | url=https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records#status | title=State Climate Extremes Committee - Records | publisher=[[National Centers for Environmental Information]] | accessdate=December 26, 2017}}</ref>

During the [[Great Depression]], one of the two Minden banks failed and a fire destroyed a major section of the downtown area (1931).

On May 1, 1933, a [[tornado]] occurred in the town, destroying 20% of the homes.

==Geography==
According to the [[United States Census Bureau]], the city has a total area of 31.0 [[square kilometer|km²]] (12.0 [[square mile|mi²]]). 30.8&nbsp;km{{sup|2}} (11.9&nbsp;mi²) of it is land and 0.2&nbsp;km{{sup|2}} (0.1&nbsp;mi²) of it is water. The total area is 0.75% water.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/gazetteer-files.html|publisher=[[United States Census Bureau]]|accessdate=2011-04-23|date=2011-02-12|title=US Gazetteer files: 2010, 2000, and 1990}}</ref>

===Climate===
{{Weather box
|location = Minden, Louisiana (1991–2020 normals, extremes 1893–2021)
|single line = Y
|width = auto
|Jan record high F = 85
|Feb record high F = 92
|Mar record high F = 92
|Apr record high F = 95
|May record high F = 99
|Jun record high F = 106
|Jul record high F = 111
|Aug record high F = 112
|Sep record high F = 110
|Oct record high F = 100
|Nov record high F = 94
|Dec record high F = 88
|year record high F = 112

|Jan avg record high F = 75.2
|Feb avg record high F = 78.3
|Mar avg record high F = 83.4
|Apr avg record high F = 87.0
|May avg record high F = 91.2
|Jun avg record high F = 95.5
|Jul avg record high F = 99.4
|Aug avg record high F = 100.4
|Sep avg record high F = 96.5
|Oct avg record high F = 90.4
|Nov avg record high F = 82.0
|Dec avg record high F = 76.8
|year avg record high F = 101.5

|Jan high F = 57.9
|Feb high F = 61.9
|Mar high F = 69.9
|Apr high F = 77.4
|May high F = 84.3
|Jun high F = 90.9
|Jul high F = 94.2
|Aug high F = 94.7
|Sep high F = 89.3
|Oct high F = 79.2
|Nov high F = 68.1
|Dec high F = 59.8
|year high F = 77.3
|Jan mean F = 46.0
|Feb mean F = 49.5
|Mar mean F = 57.1
|Apr mean F = 64.5
|May mean F = 73.0
|Jun mean F = 80.3
|Jul mean F = 83.5
|Aug mean F = 83.3
|Sep mean F = 77.3
|Oct mean F = 66.0
|Nov mean F = 55.4
|Dec mean F = 48.1
|year mean F = 65.3
|Jan low F = 34.2
|Feb low F = 37.2
|Mar low F = 44.3
|Apr low F = 51.5
|May low F = 61.7
|Jun low F = 69.7
|Jul low F = 72.9
|Aug low F = 71.9
|Sep low F = 65.4
|Oct low F = 52.9
|Nov low F = 42.7
|Dec low F = 36.3
|year low F = 53.4

|Jan avg record low F = 19.5
|Feb avg record low F = 24.4
|Mar avg record low F = 28.0
|Apr avg record low F = 36.8
|May avg record low F = 47.4
|Jun avg record low F = 60.8
|Jul avg record low F = 66.8
|Aug avg record low F = 64.7
|Sep avg record low F = 52.7
|Oct avg record low F = 37.1
|Nov avg record low F = 27.8
|Dec avg record low F = 22.8
|year avg record low F = 17.9

|Jan record low F = 0
|Feb record low F = -16
|Mar record low F = 14
|Apr record low F = 25
|May record low F = 34
|Jun record low F = 48
|Jul record low F = 50
|Aug record low F = 52
|Sep record low F = 37
|Oct record low F = 22
|Nov record low F = 12
|Dec record low F = 2
|year record low F = -16
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation inch = 5.27
|Feb precipitation inch = 5.01
|Mar precipitation inch = 5.66
|Apr precipitation inch = 6.45
|May precipitation inch = 4.89
|Jun precipitation inch = 4.93
|Jul precipitation inch = 3.68
|Aug precipitation inch = 3.24
|Sep precipitation inch = 3.69
|Oct precipitation inch = 4.68
|Nov precipitation inch = 4.36
|Dec precipitation inch = 5.73
|year precipitation inch = 57.59
|Jan snow inch = 0.1
|Feb snow inch = 0.3
|Mar snow inch = 0.0
|Apr snow inch = 0.0
|May snow inch = 0.0
|Jun snow inch = 0.0
|Jul snow inch = 0.0
|Aug snow inch = 0.0
|Sep snow inch = 0.0
|Oct snow inch = 0.0
|Nov snow inch = 0.0
|Dec snow inch = 0.0
|year snow inch = 0.4
|unit precipitation days = 0.01 in
|Jan precipitation days = 9.0
|Feb precipitation days = 8.8
|Mar precipitation days = 9.4
|Apr precipitation days = 7.5
|May precipitation days = 7.9
|Jun precipitation days = 8.2
|Jul precipitation days = 7.4
|Aug precipitation days = 6.7
|Sep precipitation days = 6.1
|Oct precipitation days = 6.8
|Nov precipitation days = 7.9
|Dec precipitation days = 9.0
|year precipitation days = 94.7
|unit snow days = 0.1 in
|Jan snow days = 0.1
|Feb snow days = 0.2
|Mar snow days = 0.0
|Apr snow days = 0.0
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.0
|Nov snow days = 0.0
|Dec snow days = 0.1
|year snow days = 0.4
|source 1 = [[NOAA]]<ref name= nws>
{{cite web
| url = https://w2.weather.gov/climate/xmacis.php?wfo=shv
| title = NowData - NOAA Online Weather Data
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 21, 2021}}</ref><ref name=NCEI>
{{cite web
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/services/data/v1?dataset=normals-monthly-1991-2020&startDate=0001-01-01&endDate=9996-12-31&stations=USC00166244&format=pdf
| title = Station: Minden, LA
| work = U.S. Climate Normals 2020: U.S. Monthly Climate Normals (1991-2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = August 21, 2021}}</ref>
}}

==Demographics==
{{US Census population
|1850= 533
|1860= 1144
|1870= 1100
|1880= 1113
|1890= 1298
|1900= 1561
|1910= 3002
|1920= 6105
|1930= 5623
|1940= 6677
|1950= 9787
|1960= 12785
|1970= 13996
|1980= 15084
|1990= 13661
|2000= 13027
|2010= 13082
|2020= 11928
|footnote=U.S. Decennial Census<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.census.gov/prod/www/decennial.html|title=Census of Population and Housing|publisher=Census.gov|accessdate=June 4, 2016}}</ref>
}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:right"
|+Minden racial composition as of 2020<ref>{{Cite web|title=Explore Census Data|url=https://data.census.gov/cedsci/table?g=1600000US2250885&tid=DECENNIALPL2020.P2|access-date=2021-12-29|website=data.census.gov}}</ref>
!scope="col"| Race
!scope="col"| Number
!scope="col"| Percentage
|-
!scope="row"| [[White (U.S. Census)|White]] (non-Hispanic)
| 4,966
| 41.63%
|-
!scope="row"| [[African American (U.S. Census)|Black or African American]] (non-Hispanic)
| 6,352
| 53.25%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Native American (U.S. Census)|Native American]]
| 25
| 0.21%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Asian (U.S. Census)|Asian]]
| 60
| 0.5%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Pacific Islander (U.S. Census)|Pacific Islander]]
| 7
| 0.06%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Race (United States Census)|Other/Mixed]]
| 334
| 2.8%
|-
!scope="row"| [[Hispanic (U.S. Census)|Hispanic]] or [[Latino (U.S. Census)|Latino]]
| 184
| 1.54%
|}
As of the [[2020 United States census]], there were 11,928 people, 5,189 households, and 3,126 families residing in the city.

==Notable people==
* [[L'Jarius Sneed]] (born 1997), [[NFL]] cornerback for the [[Kansas City Chiefs]]

==References==
{{Commons category}}
{{reflist}}

{{Webster Parish, Louisiana}}

{{authority control}}

[[Category:Minden, Louisiana| ]]
[[Category:Cities in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Cities in the Ark-La-Tex]]
[[Category:Cities in Webster Parish, Louisiana]]
[[Category:Parish seats in Louisiana]]
[[Category:Populated places established in 1836]]
[[Category:County seats in the Ark-La-Tex]]
[[Category:1836 establishments in Louisiana]]