Heart of Louisiana: Tiny Town

MADISON PARISH, La. (WVUE) - You probably know that New Orleans is the state's largest city followed by Baton Rouge, Shreveport and Lafayette, but what about Louisiana's smallest town?

The town of Mound has its own exit on interstate Highway 20 in north Louisiana, but it’s an exit for the smallest town in the state.

Margaret Yerger is the mayor of Village of Mound.

“19 people are now living in a town that was founded more than a century ago,” she said. The majority of them are relatives."

Mound was incorporated in 1917 by Ed Yerger’s Grandfather.

“It was farming and timber and there was a saw mill right east of here of about half a mile back,” says Ed.

The town was named for an Indian mound that was cleared for a house that was built on the site. Today, very few of the original buildings remain. An old hotel is now a private residence.

The old Mound General Store is gone now, but it was located next to the railroad tracks, and that’s where the farm workers had to spend their earnings.

The old store also had a basement which was used on occasion if one of the locals got unruly.

“You know...drank too much and you know, have a scuffle and wind up down there in the holding pen until they could take them to jail” Ed said.

But the jobs and the people went away when farms mechanized and the sawmill closed.

“We have three alderman, the mayor, and the chief of police, and that’s it. They are all family,” said Margret Yerger.

There’s some official paperwork to fill-out once a year, but there are no municipal taxes and no one gets paid.

Margaret Yerger does not plan to be mayor after her current term ends in three years.

“Nobody really wants to do it because of all the paperwork, which is done on the computer basically. So actually my daughter-in-law wants to do it next.”

The main attraction here is the quality of life.

The entire village of Mound covers an area of one-half square mile.

Copyright 2019 WVUE. All rights reserved.