Richland Parish, Louisiana Facts for Kids

Quick facts for kids Richland Parish
Parish
Alto Presbyterian Church
Location within the U.S. state of Louisiana
Louisiana's location within the U.S.
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Founded	September 29, 1878
Named for	Fertile (rich) land in the area
Seat	Rayville
Largest town	Rayville
Area
• Total	576 sq mi (1,490 km²)
• Land	559 sq mi (1,450 km²)
• Water	9.375 sq mi (24.28 km²) 1.6%
Population (2020)
• Total	20,043
• Density	34.797/sq mi (13.435/km²)
Time zone	UTC−6 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC−5 (CDT)

Richland Parish is a special kind of county called a parish in the state of Louisiana, USA. It's located in an area known as the North Louisiana Delta Country. This parish is famous for its very rich, flat farmland, open spaces, and areas with thick cane plants.

In 2020, about 20,043 people lived here. The name "Richland" was chosen because the land is so good for farming. The main town and biggest community in the parish is Rayville.

History of Richland Parish

Richland Parish was officially created on September 29, 1868. The main town, Rayville, Louisiana, got its name from John Ray. He was a politician from Monroe who owned a lot of land where Rayville is today.

Richland Parish is also home to something special: the first public library for a whole parish in Louisiana. It's called the Rhymes Memorial Library. This library was built in 1925 by a local club called the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. A man named R.R. Rhymes gave the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes.

Geography and Nature

Richland Parish has several important waterways. Bayou Macon flows through the eastern parts of the parish. Other streams and lakes include Crew Lake and the Lafourche Diversion Canal, which are in the western part. The Boeuf River flows from the north to the south, right through the middle of the parish.

Neighboring Parishes

Richland Parish shares its borders with several other parishes:

Morehouse Parish (to the north)
West Carroll Parish (to the northeast)
East Carroll Parish (to the east)
Madison Parish (to the east)
Franklin Parish (to the south)
Caldwell Parish (to the southwest)
Ouachita Parish (to the west)

Parks and Wildlife Areas

You can find some great outdoor spots in Richland Parish:

Poverty Point Reservoir State Park
Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area

Communities in Richland Parish

Richland Parish has several towns and smaller communities.

Towns

Delhi
Rayville (This is the main town and the biggest one.)

Village

Mangham

Unincorporated Areas

These are areas that are not officially part of a town or village.

Census-Designated Place

Start

Other Communities

Alto
Archibald
Bardel
Bee Bayou
Buckner
Charlieville
Crew Lake
Dehlco
Dunn
Four Forks
Gilleyville
Girard
Holly Ridge
Jonesburg
Mitchiner
New Light
Rhymes
Sacksonia
Warden

Transportation in Richland Parish

Getting around Richland Parish is made easy by several important roads and other transport options.

This bridge crosses the Boeuf River on Highway 15 near Alto, Louisiana.

	Major Roads
	Interstate 20
	U.S. Highway 80
	U.S. Highway 425
	Louisiana Highway 15
	Louisiana Highway 17
	Louisiana Highway 132
	Louisiana Highway 133
	Louisiana Highway 135
	Louisiana Highway 585

	Other Transport
	Rayville Municipal Airport
	Delhi Municipal Airport
	Monroe Regional Airport
	Kansas City Southern Railroad
	Tensas Basin Levee District

Population and People

Historical population
Census	Pop.	%±
1870	5,110	—
1880	8,440	65.2%
1890	10,230	21.2%
1900	11,116	8.7%
1910	15,769	41.9%
1920	20,860	32.3%
1930	26,374	26.4%
1940	28,829	9.3%
1950	26,672	−7.5%
1960	23,824	−10.7%
1970	21,774	−8.6%
1980	22,187	1.9%
1990	20,629	−7.0%
2000	20,981	1.7%
2010	20,725	−1.2%
2020	20,043	−3.3%
U.S. Decennial Census 1790–1960 1900–1990 1990–2000 2010

2020 Census Information

The 2020 United States census counted 20,043 people living in Richland Parish. There were 7,459 households and 4,972 families.

Here's a look at the different groups of people living in Richland Parish, based on the 2020 census:

Richland Parish Racial Makeup
Group	Number	Percentage
White (not Hispanic)	11,667	58.21%
Black or African American (not Hispanic)	7,303	36.44%
Native American	53	0.26%
Asian	50	0.25%
Other/Mixed	570	2.84%
Hispanic or Latino	400	2.0%

Education in Richland Parish

Richland Parish offers many schools for students from kindergarten through high school, as well as colleges.

Public Schools

Delhi Elementary
Delhi Junior High
Delhi High School
Holly Ridge Elementary
Mangham Elementary
Mangham Junior High
Mangham High School
Rayville Elementary
Rayville Junior High
Rayville High School
Start Elementary

Private Schools

Riverfield Academy (for grades K–12)

Charter Schools

Delhi Charter (for grades K–12)

Colleges and Universities

Louisiana Delta Community College (with campuses in nearby towns)
University of Louisiana at Monroe
Louisiana Tech University (in Ruston)
Grambling State University (in Grambling)

Famous People from Richland Parish

Many notable people have connections to Richland Parish:

Julia Letlow, from Start, became a member of the United States House of Representatives.
Luke Letlow, also from Start, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives. He passed away due to health reasons before he could take his seat.
Ralph Abraham, from Alto, also served as a member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives.
Harry W. Addison was an author and humorist who lived in Rayville for many years.
Jamar Adcock, a politician and banker, was born in Richland Parish.
Terry Doughty is a judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
Elvin Hayes, a very famous basketball player, was born in Rayville. He is in the Basketball Hall of Fame.
Arlene Howell was crowned Miss Louisiana USA in 1958 and then Miss USA in 1958.
Ralph E. King, a doctor from Winnsboro, represented Richland Parish in the Louisiana State Senate.
William L. Kirk, from Rayville, was a four-star general in the United States Air Force.
Ernie Ladd, a well-known football player and professional wrestler, was born in Rayville.
Moses J. Liddell was appointed as a judge for the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.
Wiley Person Mangham was an American publisher and editor. The town of Mangham is named after him.
Tim McGraw, a very popular Country musician, was born in Delhi and grew up in Start.
Robert Max Ross was a Republican politician who worked to create a stronger two-party system in Louisiana.
Francis C. Thompson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives and later in the Louisiana State Senate.

Images for kids

Tim McGraw, a famous country musician.
Ralph Abraham, U.S. House of Representatives.
Elvin Hayes, a basketball legend.
Wiley Person Mangham, American Publisher and Editor.
The old Rayville High School building was designed by architect Edward F. Neild and is now apartments.
Holly Ridge High School in rural Richland Parish.
The Veteran's Memorial in Mangham.
The Rhymes Memorial Library in Rayville was Louisiana's first public parish library.
Poverty Point Reservoir in Delhi.
Start Baptist Church.
The Richland Parish Courthouse in Rayville.
Alto Presbyterian Church, built in 1873.
The Richland Parish Detention Center near Alto, Louisiana.
First Baptist Church in Delhi.
The Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery.