Timeline of Shreveport, Louisiana facts for kids

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, USA.

19th century

• 1836 – Shreve Town Company organized; named for Henry Miller Shreve, one of its members.
• 1837 – Shreve Town Company begins selling plots of land.
• 1838 – Shreve Town becomes seat of newly formed Caddo Parish.
• 1839
  • Town of Shreveport incorporated.
  • John Octavius Sewall elected mayor.
• 1841 – Caddo Gazette newspaper begins publication.
• 1847 – Burial ground established.
• 1850
  • Population: 1,728.
  • Brewer's Hall built (approximate date).
• 1852 – South-Western newspaper begins publication.
• 1853 – Yellow fever outbreak.
• 1858 – Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad begins operating.
• 1860 – Population: 2,190.
• 1861 – St. Mary's Convent founded.
• 1863 – Shreveport designated Louisiana Confederate capital (until 1865).
• 1866 – Charity Hospital established.
• 1870 – Population: 4,607.
• 1871
  • Shreveport becomes a city.
  • Daily Shreveport Times newspaper begins publication.
  • Crisp's Gaiety Theater built.
• 1873
  • Dallas-Shreveport railway in operation.
  • Yellow fever outbreak.
• 1879 – Shreveport Daily Standard newspaper begins publication.
• 1880
  • First Presbyterian Church built.
  • Population: 8,009.
• 1886 – Grand Opera House built.
• 1887 – Shreveport Waterworks Pumping Station built.
• 1890
  • Shreveport Library Association formed.
  • Population: 11,979.
• 1895 – Evening Judge newspaper in publication.
• 1896 – Holy Trinity Catholic Church rebuilt.
• 1899 – Genevieve Orphanage established.

20th century

• 1900 – Population: 16,013.
• 1901 – People’s Library established.
• 1902 – Shreveport Journal newspaper in publication.
• 1905 – Agudath Achim Synagogue dedicated.
• 1906 – Oil discovered at Caddo Lake in vicinity of Shreveport.
• 1907 – Nearby Bossier City incorporated.
• 1909 – Centenary College of Louisiana relocated to Shreveport from Jackson.
• 1910
  • Schumpert Memorial Hospital and Chamber of Commerce established.
  • Population: 28,015.
• 1912 – United States Post Office and Courthouse built.
• 1915 – Traffic Street Bridge built.
• 1920 – Population: 43,874.
• 1922 – Shreveport Art Club active.
• 1923 – Public library built.
• 1925 – Strand Theatre built.
• 1926
  • KWKH radio begins broadcasting.
  • Caddo Parish courthouse built.
• 1927 – Dodd College established.
• 1928 – Woman’s Auxiliary to the Shreveport Medical Society formed.
• 1929 – Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium built.
• 1930
  • East Texas Oil Field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.
  • Population: 76,655.
• 1931 – Shreveport Downtown Airport begins operating.
• 1933 – U.S. military Barksdale Airfield dedicated.
• 1934 – Long–Allen Bridge opens.
• 1935 – Rodessa oil field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.
• 1940 – Population: 98,167.
• 1948
  • U.S. military Barksdale Air Force Base active.
  • KWKH's Louisiana Hayride radio programme begins broadcast.
• 1950
  • Shreveport metropolitan area was started
  • Population: 127,206.
• 1952 – North Louisiana Historical Association established.
• 1960
  • Shreveport metropolitan area Added Bossier Parish
  • Population: 164,372.
• 1967 – Louisiana State University in Shreveport opens.
• 1970 – Population: 182,064.
• 1972 – Quail Creek Cinema in business.
• 1973
  • Shreveport metropolitan area Added Webster Parish
• 1977 – Pioneer Heritage Center and Spring Street Historical Museum founded.
• 1980 – Population: 205,820.
• 1981 – General Motors plant begins operating in Shreveport.
• 1983
  • Shreveport metropolitan area Removed Webster Parish
• 1984 – Louisiana Tower (hi-rise) built.
• 1986
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport established.
  • Commercial National Bank Tower (hi-rise) built.
• 1988 – Jim McCrery becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.
• 1990 – Population: 198,525.
• 1993
  • Shreveport metropolitan area Redded Webster Parish
• 1994
  • Stephens African American Museum founded.
  • Harrah's casino built.
• 1998
  • Keith Hightower becomes mayor.
  • City website online (approximate date).

21st century

• 2003
  • Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area Replaced Webster Parish to De Soto Parish
• 2004 – Convention Center built.
• 2006 – Cedric Glover becomes first African-American in city elected mayor.
• 2007 – Hilton Hotel Convention Center built.
• 2009 – John Fleming becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.
• 2010 – Population: 199,311.
• 2014 – Ollie Tyler becomes first African-American woman in city elected mayor.