Red River Parish, Louisiana facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Red River Parish, Louisiana
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| Parish of Red River | |
Red River Parish Courthouse in Coushatta
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Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
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Louisiana's location within the U.S.
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| Country |  United States |
| State |  Louisiana |
| Region | North Louisiana |
| Founded | March 2, 1871 |
| Named for | Red River |
| Parish seat | Coushatta |
| Largest municipality | Martin (area) Coushatta (population) |
| Incorporated municipalities |
4 (total)
1 town and 3 villages
(located entirely or partially within parish boundaries) |
| Area | |
| • Total | 1,040 km2 (402 sq mi) |
| • Land | 1,010 km2 (389 sq mi) |
| • Water | 30 km2 (13 sq mi) |
| • percentage | 9 km2 (3.3 sq mi) |
| Population
(2020)
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| • Total | 7,620 |
| • Density | 23/km2 (60/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC-6 (CST) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
| Area code | 318 |
| Congressional district | 4th |
Red River Parish (French: Paroisse de la Rivière-Rouge) is a special type of county called a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. In 2020, about 7,620 people lived here. This makes it the fourth-smallest parish in Louisiana by population.
The main town and biggest community is Coushatta. Red River Parish is one of Louisiana's newer parishes. It was created in 1871 during a time called Reconstruction. Parts of five other parishes were used to form it. Before the American Civil War, the economy here relied on growing cotton. This work was done by enslaved African people.
By 1880, there were more than twice as many Black people as white people in the parish. However, in 1898, a new state law made it very hard for Black people to vote. This happened after white leaders regained power. Many former enslaved people became sharecroppers, growing cotton. Later, machines took over farm work. This led many Black people to leave the parish in the mid-1900s. They moved to find better jobs in what is known as the Great Migration.
Contents
History of Red River Parish
After the Civil War, there was a lot of unrest in rural areas like Red River Parish. Some groups used violence to try and get power back. The state government created Red River Parish in 1871. This was part of a plan to strengthen the Republican Party.
Marshall H. Twitchell was a soldier from the Union army. He moved to the parish from Vermont and married a local woman. With help from her family, he became a successful cotton farmer and a local leader. In 1870, he was elected to the state government as a Republican. He also helped his brother and three brothers-in-law get local jobs. He gained support from freedmen (formerly enslaved people) by giving them jobs and supporting education.
During the 1870s, there was often violence in Louisiana. This was true even with federal troops in the state. A long period of economic hardship made things worse. Both freedmen and white people struggled to make a living.
The state election in 1872 caused more tension. The results were unclear for many months. Both the Democratic Party and Republican candidates claimed victory. In May 1874, a group called the White League was formed. It started in nearby Grant Parish. This group grew strong in rural areas like Red River Parish. The White League used violence against officials and stopped Black and white Republicans from voting.
In August 1874, the White League forced six white Republicans to leave their jobs in Coushatta. They were told to leave the state. But these men were killed before they could leave Louisiana. Four of them were relatives of state Senator Marshall Twitchell. The White League also killed many freedmen who were with Twitchell's relatives.
Historians call these events the Coushatta Massacre. These killings led the governor to ask President Grant for more federal troops. Many people wrote to President Grant about the violence and fear they faced.
White Democrats regained control of the state government in 1876. This happened because of voter issues and violence against Republican voters. In 1880, the parish had 8,573 people. Of these, 2,506 were white and 6,007 were Black. In 1898, a new state law made it very hard for most Black people and many poor white people to vote.
20th Century Changes
Many African Americans left Red River Parish in the Great Migration. They moved north and west to find better opportunities. They also wanted to escape unfair laws and poor schools. You can see this in the population table below. Most people left between 1940 and 1970. During this time, the parish population dropped a lot.
New machines for farming also meant fewer workers were needed. Many African Americans from Louisiana moved to California. There, jobs in factories for World War II were growing. Some people also left the parish in the 1980s. They moved to growing cities in the southern states.
Red River Parish has mostly supported the Democratic Party since 1876. But in recent years, some things have changed. In presidential elections, most white voters in the parish have voted for Republican candidates. For example, they voted for U.S. President George W. Bush in 2004. However, most voters in the parish still support Democratic candidates for state and local offices.
In 2015, Louisiana was the last state to allow same-sex marriage licenses. This was after a big Supreme Court decision. Red River Parish was the very last parish in Louisiana to start issuing these licenses.
Geography and Location
The U.S. Census Bureau says the parish covers about 402 square miles. About 389 square miles are land, and 13 square miles (3.3%) are water.
Major Roads
U.S. Highway 71
U.S. Highway 84
U.S. Highway 371
Louisiana Highway 1
Louisiana Highway 174
Louisiana Highway 480
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Neighboring Parishes
Red River Parish is next to these parishes:
- Caddo Parish (northwest)
- Bossier Parish (north)
- Bienville Parish (northeast)
- Natchitoches Parish (southeast)
- De Soto Parish (west)
Protected Natural Areas
- Red River National Wildlife Refuge (part of it is in the parish)
Climate and Weather
Red River Parish has a humid subtropical climate. This means it has hot, humid summers and mild winters. The hottest temperature ever recorded was 108°F (42°C). This happened on August 3, 1998, September 4, 2000, and August 19, 2011. The coldest temperature recorded was 3°F (-16°C) on December 23, 1989.
| Climate data for Red River, Louisiana, 1991–2020 normals, extremes 1969–present | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Record high °F (°C) | 81 (27) |
87 (31) |
90 (32) |
95 (35) |
99 (37) |
103 (39) |
105 (41) |
108 (42) |
108 (42) |
97 (36) |
88 (31) |
83 (28) |
108 (42) |
| Mean maximum °F (°C) | 75.2 (24.0) |
78.1 (25.6) |
83.8 (28.8) |
88.0 (31.1) |
92.5 (33.6) |
96.3 (35.7) |
99.1 (37.3) |
100.1 (37.8) |
97.5 (36.4) |
91.1 (32.8) |
83.0 (28.3) |
77.0 (25.0) |
101.7 (38.7) |
| Mean daily maximum °F (°C) | 56.7 (13.7) |
61.0 (16.1) |
68.9 (20.5) |
76.5 (24.7) |
83.8 (28.8) |
90.2 (32.3) |
93.2 (34.0) |
93.9 (34.4) |
88.9 (31.6) |
79.1 (26.2) |
67.4 (19.7) |
58.9 (14.9) |
76.5 (24.7) |
| Daily mean °F (°C) | 46.4 (8.0) |
50.3 (10.2) |
57.8 (14.3) |
65.2 (18.4) |
73.6 (23.1) |
80.5 (26.9) |
83.3 (28.5) |
83.1 (28.4) |
77.2 (25.1) |
66.5 (19.2) |
56.0 (13.3) |
48.4 (9.1) |
65.7 (18.7) |
| Mean daily minimum °F (°C) | 36.0 (2.2) |
39.5 (4.2) |
46.6 (8.1) |
53.9 (12.2) |
63.3 (17.4) |
70.9 (21.6) |
73.4 (23.0) |
72.2 (22.3) |
65.5 (18.6) |
53.9 (12.2) |
44.7 (7.1) |
38.0 (3.3) |
54.8 (12.7) |
| Mean minimum °F (°C) | 21.7 (−5.7) |
26.7 (−2.9) |
30.9 (−0.6) |
38.7 (3.7) |
49.7 (9.8) |
62.2 (16.8) |
67.4 (19.7) |
64.7 (18.2) |
52.4 (11.3) |
39.0 (3.9) |
29.2 (−1.6) |
25.1 (−3.8) |
20.1 (−6.6) |
| Record low °F (°C) | 6 (−14) |
13 (−11) |
18 (−8) |
29 (−2) |
41 (5) |
51 (11) |
59 (15) |
50 (10) |
42 (6) |
28 (−2) |
18 (−8) |
3 (−16) |
3 (−16) |
| Average precipitation inches (mm) | 4.88 (124) |
4.43 (113) |
5.07 (129) |
5.56 (141) |
4.54 (115) |
4.23 (107) |
3.41 (87) |
3.28 (83) |
3.46 (88) |
4.54 (115) |
4.03 (102) |
5.00 (127) |
52.43 (1,331) |
| Average snowfall inches (cm) | 0.1 (0.25) |
0.1 (0.25) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.0 (0.0) |
0.2 (0.5) |
| Average precipitation days (≥ 0.01 in) | 9.7 | 9.6 | 9.7 | 7.8 | 8.5 | 8.4 | 7.7 | 6.7 | 6.4 | 7.4 | 8.4 | 9.8 | 100.1 |
| Average snowy days (≥ 0.1 in) | 0.1 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.2 |
| Source 1: NOAA | |||||||||||||
| Source 2: National Weather Service | |||||||||||||
Communities and Towns
Town
- Coushatta (This is the main town and where the parish government is located. It's also the most populated.)
Villages
- Edgefield (This is the smallest community in the parish.)
- Hall Summit
- Martin (This village covers the largest area of land.)
Unincorporated Communities
These are smaller communities that are not officially towns or villages:
- Crichton
- East Point
- Fairview Alpha
- Grand Bayou
- Hanna
- Harmon
- Lake End
Population Changes
| Historical population | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Census | Pop. | %± | |
| 1880 | 8,573 | — | |
| 1890 | 11,318 | 32.0% | |
| 1900 | 11,548 | 2.0% | |
| 1910 | 11,402 | −1.3% | |
| 1920 | 15,301 | 34.2% | |
| 1930 | 16,078 | 5.1% | |
| 1940 | 15,881 | −1.2% | |
| 1950 | 12,113 | −23.7% | |
| 1960 | 9,978 | −17.6% | |
| 1970 | 9,226 | −7.5% | |
| 1980 | 10,433 | 13.1% | |
| 1990 | 9,387 | −10.0% | |
| 2000 | 9,622 | 2.5% | |
| 2010 | 9,091 | −5.5% | |
| 2020 | 7,620 | −16.2% | |
| U.S. Decennial Census 1790-1960 1900-1990 1990-2000 2010 |
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| Race | Number | Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 4,150 | 54.46% |
| Black or African American (not Hispanic) | 2,952 | 38.74% |
| Native American | 41 | 0.54% |
| Other/Mixed | 289 | 3.79% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 188 | 2.47% |
In 2000, there were 9,622 people living in Red River Parish. There were 3,414 households and 2,526 families. The population density was about 25 people per square mile.
By the 2020 United States census, the population was 7,620 people. Most residents were non-Hispanic white or Black/African American.
Education in the Parish
Public schools in Red River Parish are managed by the Red River Parish School District. The parish is also served by Bossier Parish Community College.
National Guard Presence
Coushatta is home to a unit of the National Guard. It is called C Troop 2-108th Cavalry Squadron. This unit has a long history, going back to the Civil War. It was once known as "the Wildbunch." This unit has served in Iraq twice, in 2004-2005 and again in 2010.
Healthcare Services
Christus Coushatta Health Care Center is the only hospital in Red River Parish.
Notable People from the Parish
- Jean Baptiste Brevelle (1698-1754) was an early explorer and trader. He was active in the area in the 1700s.
- Andrew R. Johnson was a state senator and mayor of Homer. He is buried in Springville Cemetery in Coushatta.
- Lloyd F. Wheat was a lawyer and served in the Louisiana State Senate. He represented Red River and Natchitoches parishes from 1948 to 1952.
See also
In Spanish: Parroquia de Red River para niños
