Red River Parish was created after the US Civil war by taking areas from the 5 adjacent parishes.
The parish was settled long ago by Native Americans, and later by the Coushatta tribe that was forced out of Alabama by the new Anglo settlers. The Spanish explorers came through the area in the mid 1600's.
As the name implies, the Red River is an integral part of the parish, and has provided transportation by steamboat until the arrival of the railroad. The area has rich soil and has always been an important agricultural area.
