Editing Hornbeck, Louisiana (section)

==History==
As early as the 1830s people settled in the area now known as Hornbeck, but a town didn’t begin to form until 1897, when an agent for the Arkansas Town Site Company named F.A. Hornbeck purchased land along the [[Kansas City Southern Railway|Kansas City Southern Railroad]] (KCS) for $8,640. Structures necessary for servicing locomotives were constructed as well as a brick kiln to supply bricks for construction.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's">All information contained in the History Section may be found at the [http://townofhornbeck.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC={6021A0CB-FBB6-4B2D-948C-4E2A99600869} Town of Hornbeck's] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120311233509/http://townofhornbeck.com/index.asp?Type=B_BASIC&SEC=%7B6021A0CB-FBB6-4B2D-948C-4E2A99600869%7D |date=March 11, 2012 }} official website.</ref>

In 1897, the first [[Post office|Post Office]] opened in the area with Walter Carey as the first [[postmaster]] and later that same year he was succeeded by D.B. Pate.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

The first public school in Hornbeck opened in 1898, with Miss Fannie Monk and W.L. Ford serving as the primary and grammar school teachers. The first secondary school opened in 1907 with G.S. Graybeal serving as its principal, then in 1910 the school became an affiliated high school.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

On October 21, 1902, Governor [[William Wright Heard]] issued a proclamation declaring that Section 16, Township 4, North Range 10 West was incorporated as Hornbeck; with W.M. Conerly appointed mayor and G.G. Leach, W.L. Maddox and John Carter appointed aldermen; W. Johnson became the town marshal.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

[[Kansas City Southern Railway|Kansas City Southern Railroad]] established a presence in Hornbeck with the construction of the [[Railway roundhouse|roundhouse]], which allowed for the servicing of engines. The presence of  the roundhouse contributed to making Hornbeck a significant junction between [[Port Arthur, Texas|Port Arthur]], Texas and [[Shreveport, Louisiana|Shreveport]] as well as providing an abundance of jobs and influencing the town’s growth. The early twentieth century was a prosperous time for Hornbeck with both the timber and railroad industries having an established presence in the area. Hornbeck became a bustling little town, with a bank, a newspaper, five hotels, five saloons and ten retail stores.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

[[File:Hornbeck Town Hall.JPG|left|thumb|250px|The New Town Hall in Hornbeck, LA in June 2011.]]In 1912, [[Kansas City Southern Railway|KCS]] decided to move the [[Railway roundhouse|roundhouse]] to [[Leesville, Louisiana|Leesville]]; this decision was disastrous for Hornbeck’s economy, with the town surviving on the timber, turpentine and farming industries for nearly two more decades. However, when the [[Great Depression]] hit in late 1929 it caused the timber and turpentine industries to collapse and brought an abrupt end to Hornbeck’s prosperity.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

In the 1940s the [[United States Department of War|Department of War]] established [[Fort Johnson|Camp Polk]] and conducted what became known as the “[[Louisiana Maneuvers]].” The location of Camp Polk in Vernon Parish helped to stimulate Hornbeck’s economy as well as that of the entire region, especially [[Vernon Parish, Louisiana|Vernon Parish]].<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

In the 1960s, with the construction of [[Toledo Bend Reservoir]] on the [[Sabine River (Texas–Louisiana)|Sabine River]], Hornbeck gained an asset and started promoting itself as the “Gateway” to Toledo Bend.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>

Today, Hornbeck has maintained modest growth, with its elected officials taking a pro-active approach to economic development. On October 21, 2002, Hornbeck celebrated its 100th anniversary.<ref name="Town of Hornbeck's"/>