Belcher, Louisiana

Belcher is a village in Caddo Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 263 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Shreveport- Bossier city metropolitan statistical area.

History
Previously named Horseshoe after the bayou that runs through the town, Belcher was renamed in 1899 after James Clinton Belcher, a former confederate soldier and overseer of Wild Lucia plantation.

Geography
Belcher is located in northeastern Caddo Parish at 32.75056°N, -93.83389°W (32.750518, -93.833772), less than 1 mi northwest of the Red River. U.S. Route 71 passes through the western side of the village, leading north 5 mi to Gilliam and south 17 mi to Shreveport. Interstate 49 at Exit 228 is 3 mi west of the center of town.

According to the United States Census Bureau, Belcher has a total area of 4.04 km2, all land.

Demographics
As of the census of 2000, there were 272 people, 99 households, and 78 families residing in the village. The population density was 174.7 PD/sqmi. There were 107 housing units at an average density of 68.7 /sqmi. The racial makeup of the village was 75.37% White, 23.90% African American and 0.74% Native American.

There were 99 households, out of which 41.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 65.7% were married couples living together, 9.1% had a female householder with no husband present, and 21.2% were non-families. 17.2% of all households were made up of individuals, and 7.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.75 and the average family size was 3.13.

In the village, the population was spread out, with 29.4% under the age of 18, 7.4% from 18 to 24, 30.1% from 25 to 44, 21.7% from 45 to 64, and 11.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 35 years. For every 100 females, there were 98.5 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 106.5 males.

The median income for a household in the village was $39,167, and the median income for a family was $40,469. Males had a median income of $28,750 versus $20,000 for females. The per capita income for the village was $16,954. About 6.3% of families and 4.8% of the population were below the poverty line, including none of those under the age of eighteen and 4.3% of those 65 or over.

Notable people

 * Lloyd Hendrick, state senator from 1940 to 1948; graduated from Belcher High School
 * Ansel M. Stroud, Jr., adjutant general of the Louisiana National Guard from 1980 to 1997, graduated from Belcher High School.
 * Clyde Connell, sculptor