Girard is an

unincorporated community An unincorporated area is a region that is not governed by a local municipal corporation. Widespread unincorporated communities and areas are a distinguishing feature of the United States and Canada. Most other countries of the world either hav ...

Richland Parish, Louisiana Richland Parish is a parish located in the North Louisiana Delta Country in the U.S. state of Louisiana, known for its fertile, flat farmland, cane brakes, and open spaces. The name Richland was chosen due to the rich production from farming. ...

, United States.

Geography

Girard is located on the west bank of

Boeuf River The Boeuf River () is a tributary of the Ouachita River in the U.S. states of Arkansas and Louisiana. The river is about long.U.S. Geological Survey. National Hydrography Dataset high-resolution flowline dataThe National Map, accessed June 3, 201 ...

. US Hwy 80 and the

Kansas City Southern railroad The Kansas City Southern Railway Company is an American Class I railroad. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Loui ...

also pass through Girard. At the time it was first settled, it fell into the historical boundaries of

Ouachita Parish Ouachita Parish ( French: ''Paroisse d'Ouachita'') is located in the northern part of the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 160,368. The parish seat is Monroe. The parish was formed in 1807. Ouachita Parish ...

, and later

Morehouse Parish Morehouse Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 27,979. The parish seat is Bastrop. The parish was formed in 1844. Morehouse Parish comprises the Bastrop, LA Micropolitan ...

, both predating the creation of present-day Richland Parish, which was established in 1868.

History

Girard is often referenced as the oldest known (non Native-American) settlement in Richland Parish.

Named for Stephen Girard

Girard was named for the wealthy shipping merchant and financier,

Stephen Girard Stephen Girard (May 20, 1750 – December 26, 1831; born Étienne Girard) was a naturalized American citizen, philanthropist, and banker of French origin. He singularly saved the U.S. government from financial collapse during the War of 1812 b ...

, of

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

. Well before construction of the railroad, Girard's location along Boeuf River provided a valuable means for transporting both labor as well as agricultural goods and supplies to markets downriver such as

New Orleans New Orleans ( , ,New Orleans

The Baron de Bastrop and Abraham Morehouse

Girard purchased the land for Girard from Col.

Abraham Morehouse Abraham, ; ar, , , name=, group= (originally Abram) is the common Hebrew patriarch of the Abrahamic religions, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. In Judaism, he is the founding father of the special relationship between the Jews ...

. The land and title had been under some dispute as a result of its original claimant, the

Baron de Bastrop Baron is a rank of nobility or title of honour, often hereditary, in various European countries, either current or historical. The female equivalent is baroness. Typically, the title denotes an aristocrat who ranks higher than a lord or knigh ...

. In 1821, Girard financed the settlement of a plantation here, under oversight from his friend

Henry Bry Henry may refer to: People *Henry (given name) *Henry (surname) * Henry Lau, Canadian singer and musician who performs under the mononym Henry Royalty * Portuguese royalty ** King-Cardinal Henry, King of Portugal ** Henry, Count of Portugal, ...

, of

Monroe Monroe or Monroes may refer to: People and fictional characters * Monroe (surname) * Monroe (given name) * James Monroe, 5th President of the United States Places United States * Monroe, Arkansas, an unincorporated community and census-designate ...

. In its earliest days, Girard primarily consisted solely of "Girard's Plantation." Stephen Girard's hope that Boeuf River could serve as a navigable shipping channel to New Orleans did prove to be true. Boeuf River, however, was difficult to navigate in low-water seasons and the success of its utilization did present considerable challenges.

Willed to New Orleans and Philadelphia

Stephen Girard had no heirs, and thus wrote a unique clause in his will, providing for management and oversight of the plantation to his friend, Henry Bry, for a total of twenty years, with instruction to then deed the plantation and all valued property (including slaves) to the cities of Philadelphia and New Orleans. A lawsuit would ultimately be required to resolve the ownership of Girard. The plantation was eventually dissolved and the lands were auctioned off.

Railroad

In 1860, a railroad was under construction but had not been completed as the

American Civil War The American Civil War (April 12, 1861 – May 26, 1865; also known by other names) was a civil war in the United States. It was fought between the Union ("the North") and the Confederacy ("the South"), the latter formed by state ...

began. Early in the war, rail use was still possible for transporting soldiers from Girard to stations to the east, but was later tactically destroyed by Union troops to prevent usage by the Confederacy as the

Siege of Vicksburg The siege of Vicksburg (May 18 – July 4, 1863) was the final major military action in the Vicksburg campaign of the American Civil War. In a series of maneuvers, Union Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and his Army of the Tennessee crossed the Mi ...

began.

Post Civil War

Following the Civil War, the rail line was completed from Monroe to Vicksburg, and Girard station became an equally valuable transport location for goods being moved from river to rail. Steamboats continued to utilize Boeuf River with Girard as a docking location up until the latter part of the 19th-century. At one time, Girard consisted of a hotel, race track, several doctors offices, a post office, school, and train depot.

Growth of Rayville; Fire Destruction

When Richland Parish was founded in 1868, Girard became a logical consideration as the parish seat.

John Ray John Ray FRS (29 November 1627 – 17 January 1705) was a Christian English naturalist widely regarded as one of the earliest of the English parson-naturalists. Until 1670, he wrote his name as John Wray. From then on, he used 'Ray', after ...

, a

Whig Whig or Whigs may refer to: Parties and factions In the British Isles * Whigs (British political party), one of two political parties in England, Great Britain, Ireland, and later the United Kingdom, from the 17th to 19th centuries ** Whiggism ...

party supporter who had opposed secession while becoming a landholder with considerable property to the east of Girard, pushed for an alternative location. Ray was an elected state legislator from Monroe, but was the driving force behind the cause of a new parish. After Ray passed legislation creating the new parish, the new town of Rayville, named for its founder John Ray, was officially declared as the parish seat. In 1895, a fire destroyed several of the commercial buildings and stores in Girard.

20th Century

As the railroad continually became a more prominent mode of transporting crops and commuting settlers, Girard's location on Boeuf River further decreased in value. As settlements developed to its east and west, Girard continued to lose significance as a commercial hub throughout the 20th century.

21st Century

Girard in the 21st century serves almost solely as a bedroom community. There are no longer any businesses, churches, or schools, and Boeuf River is no longer maintained as a navigable waterway. The train station and post office also no longer exist. Girard Cemeter

(also referred to as Roberts Cemetery), dating back to the 1840s, is essentially all that visibly remains from the original location of Girard's plantation.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Richland Parish, Louisiana Unincorporated communities in Louisiana