Rapides Parish, Louisiana

Alexander State Forest Headquarters Building Alexandria Garden District Alexandria Hall-Louisiana College Alexandria National Cemetery Alexandria Post-War Suburbs Historic District Alexandria Public Library, Old Alexandria Veterans Administration Hospital Historic District (Boundary Increase) Bailey's Dam Site Bayouside Bennett Plantation House Bentley Hotel Blanchard House Bland House Bohemian Community Hall Bolton High School Bolton, James Wade, House Bontemps, Arna Wendell, House Boyce Methodist Church Britt Place Byram, J.E., House Carnahan House Central Louisiana State Hospital Dairy Barn Chickama China Grove Commercial Building Cook House Cottingham House Crowell Sawmill Historic District Dellmon, Myrtle Groves Huie, House Downtown Alexandria Commercial Historic District Eden Emmanuel Baptist Church First Methodist Church First United Methodist Church Fort Buhlow Fort Randolph Gemiluth Chassodim Synagogue Geneva Guaranty Bank, Park Avenue Branch Hemenway Furniture Co. Building Hirsch, Mayer, House Hope Inglewood Plantation Historic District Island Home Jones, Wade H., Sr., House Kent Plantation House Lamourie Lock Lecompte High School Long, Huey P., Memorial Hospital Longview Loyd Hall Plantation Masonic Building Masonic Home for Children McGill, Dr. Robert E. McNutt Rural Historic District McNutt School Meeker Sugar Refinery Melady House Mt. Olivet Episcopal Church and Cemetery Myrtlewood Old LSU Site Pegram Plantation House Rapides Bank and Trust Company Building Rapides Cemetery Rapides Opera House Rapides Parish Library Rosalie Plantation Sugar Mill Rose Cottage Rugg Elementary School Schnack, C.A., Jewelry Co. Store St. Francis Xavier Cathedral St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Complex (Boundary Increase) St. John Baptist Church St. Philip's Episcopal Church Tioga Commissary Trinity Episcopal Church Tyrone Plantation US Post Office and Courthouse-Alexandria Veterans Administration Medical Center Walker, Morgan, House Walnut Grove Welcek Farmstead

1000 Block Main Street 1100 Block Main Street 1101 Main Street 200 Block of Main Street 300 Block Main Street 600 Block Main Street East 600 Block Main Street West 700 Block Main Street 800 Block Main Street 835 Main Street 900 Block of Main Street A Brief History of the Seminary and the Original Campus Across The Tracks Address by President Lincoln Alexander Fulton Park Alexandria Alexandria Daily Town Talk / Old Courthouse Square Alexandria Hall Alexandria Library Alexandria National Cemetery Alexandria National Cemetery Alexandria's Oldest Hospital Arna Wendell Bontemps Home Bailey's Dam Camp Beauregard - 761st Tank Battalion Camp Claiborne Camp Claiborne Camp Claiborne, LA Camp Packard - Company 1446 Campus Life Cavanaugh Hall of Science Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce 100th Anniversary Central Louisiana Connection Central Louisiana State Hospital Cemetery City Of Alexandria Post Des Rapides City of Pineville Clyde Double Drum-Cable Outhaul Log Skidder Clyde Log Skidder Commercial Building Cook Home Crowell and Spencer Engine #400 Deserting soldiers and the end of the war Desertion and the end of the War Donahue Ferry Road Dry Kilns, Old & New Early Leadership Edwin Epps House Emmanuel Baptist Church England AFB Heritage Park England Air Force Base History Epps House Epps House Fairchild Republic A-10 Thunderbolt II Fallen Federal Firefighters/ Oklahoma City Bombing Victims Memorial Grove First Baptist Church First United Methodist Church Fort Buhlow and Fort Randolph Glenmora Cemetery Governor Jimmie Davis Headquarters 1st Calvary Division, Army of West La., May 8, 1864 How Fort Buhlow was built How was Fort Randolph Built? Huie Dellmon House In Honor and Memory of Louisiana College Students Intersection of Main and Reagan streets Intersection of Shamrock and Main Streets Kees Park Kent Plantation House Kolin Czech Colony Lecompte High School Lee Street Riot of 1942 Libuse Czech Colony Little Walter Locomotive #400 Locomotive Graveyard Long Leaf Depot Long Leaf Planer Mill Long Leaf Sawmill Long Leaf Sawmill Long Leaf Sawmill Louisiana Baptist Convention Louisiana College Louisiana Maneuvers LTV Aerospace Vought A-7D Corsair II Lumber Carts Lumber Transfer Main Street Melady House Moon Tree Mount Olivet Cemetery and Chapel Mount Olivet Chapel North American F-86 Sabre Oakland Hall Oakland Plantation Old Planer Mill Machinery Old Rapides Bank Building Pierson Lake Pinckney Benton Stewart Pinchback Pineville #1 Pineville #2 Pineville #3 Pineville #4 Pineville River Front Trail Post-Civil War Alexandria Rapides Cemetery Rapides Parish Governors Red Hill Red River Red River and Gulf RR Locomotive #106 Reflection of a Youth / We Must Not Forget Republic F-105 Thunderchief Republic F-84F Thunderstreak Smith's Landing St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Complex St. James Episcopal Church State Seminary of Learning and Military Academy Straddle Truck Superintendent William T. Sherman The Commissary The Dam Works The Foot of Red Hill The Guaranty Eagles The Hotel Bentley The James Wade Bolton House The Jewish Cemetery The Jewish Temple The McGiffert Log Loader The Name Lecompte The Red River Campaign The Rotary Club of Alexandria, Louisiana The Seminary Building The "Roundhouse", The Machine Shop and the "Car Knockers Shed" This Stone Was A Part Of The 1st LA. Seminary Thomas Courtland Manning Tioga Sawmill Commissary Town of Lecompte Trinity Episcopal Church Welcome to Fort Buhlow Who was Fort Buhlow named after? Who was stationed at Fort Buhlow? Who was Stationed at Fort Randolph Why Was Fort Buhlow Built? Why was Fort Randolph Built? "Jitney" "Loggers Dream"
Rapides Parish, located in central Louisiana, has a rich history that dates back thousands of years. Before European settlement, the area was home to various Native American tribes, including the Caddo and Tunica-Biloxi, who relied on the abundant natural resources of the region for their survival.

The first European settlers arrived in the early 18th century, with French fur trappers and traders establishing relationships with the native populations. The region eventually came under Spanish control as part of the Province of Louisiana, before being acquired by the United States as part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803.

During the antebellum period, Rapides Parish experienced significant growth as agriculture, particularly cotton, became the dominant industry. The parish's position along the Red River made it an important transportation hub, and several plantations were established, relying on enslaved labor to cultivate cash crops.

Rapides Parish saw its fair share of conflicts during the American Civil War. As a gateway to the South, it was strategically valuable, and both Union and Confederate forces sought to control the area. The Battle of Mansfield, fought in 1864, was a major engagement that took place in the parish, marking a significant moment in the region's history.

In the years following the war, Rapides Parish began to diversify its economy. The timber industry gained prominence, with pine forests being harvested for lumber, and later, the discovery of oil and gas reserves led to an economic boom. Today, Rapides Parish continues to thrive, with a mixture of agriculture, industry, and tourism contributing to its vibrant economy and cultural heritage.
Brief timeline of the history of Rapides Parish, Louisiana:

  • 1803: Rapides Parish is established as part of the Territory of Orleans
  • 1807: The first courthouse is constructed in Alexandria, the parish seat
  • 1861-1865: Rapides Parish becomes involved in the American Civil War
  • Late 1800s: Lumber industry becomes a major economic driver in the area
  • 1906: Alexandria receives a railroad connection, boosting trade and commerce
  • 1920s: Oil is discovered in the parish, leading to an economic boom
  • 1930s: The Great Depression impacts the local economy
  • 1940-1945: Rapides Parish sends troops to fight in World War II
  • 20th Century: The parish experiences ongoing growth and development

This timeline provides a glimpse into the major events and milestones that have shaped the history of Rapides Parish, Louisiana.

Audiobooks about the history of Louisiana.