Shreve Town was originally contained within the boundaries of a section of land sold to the company by the indigenous
Caddo Indians
The Caddo people comprise the Caddo Nation of Oklahoma, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Binger, Oklahoma. They speak the Caddo language.
The Caddo Confederacy was a network of Indigenous peoples of the Southeastern Woodlands, who ...
in the year of 1835, during the period of
Indian Removal.
[Plummer, Marguerite R. & Joiner, Gary D. (2000)]
''Historic Shreveport-Bossier: An Illustrated History of Shreveport and Bossier City''
pp. 11–12. Historical Publishing Network. In 1838, Caddo Parish was created from the large
Natchitoches Parish
Natchitoches Parish (french: Paroisse des Natchitoches or ) is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 39,566. The parish seat is Natchitoches. The parish was formed in 1805.
The Natchito ...
(pronounced "NACK-a-dish") and Shreve Town was designated as the parish seat. Shreveport remains the
parish seat
A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...
of Caddo Parish today. On March 20, 1839, the town was incorporated as "Shreveport".
[
]
1900 to present
Shreveport was home to the ''Louisiana Hayride
''Louisiana Hayride'' was a radio and later television country music show broadcast from the Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium in Shreveport, Louisiana, that during its heyday from 1948 to 1960 helped to launch the careers of some of the ...
'', a radio broadcast from the city's Municipal Auditorium. During its heyday from 1948 to 1960, it featured musicians who became noted nationally, such as Hank Williams, Sr.
Hank Williams (born Hiram Williams; September 17, 1923 – January 1, 1953) was an American singer, songwriter, and musician. Regarded as one of the most significant and influential American singers and songwriters of the 20th century, he reco ...
, and Elvis Presley
Elvis Aaron Presley (January 8, 1935 – August 16, 1977), or simply Elvis, was an American singer and actor. Dubbed the "Honorific nicknames in popular music, King of Rock and Roll", he is regarded as Cultural impact of Elvis Presley, one ...
(who got his start at this venue).
The city and region suffered during and after the decline of the oil business. Both blacks and whites lost good-paying work, and many people left. After the third black man had been fatally shot by whites within a few months, on September 23–24, 1988, there was rioting in black neighborhoods after charges were reduced for a defendant in a case of a young white woman fatally shooting a David McKinney, a black man who appeared to be an innocent bystander.
Since the downturn in the oil industry and other economic problems, the city has struggled with a declining population, unemployment, poverty, drugs and violent crime. City data from 2017 showed a dramatic increase in certain violent crimes from the previous year, including a 138 percent increase in homicides, a 21 percent increase in forcible rapes and more than 130 percent increases in both business armed robberies and business burglaries.[The Shreveport Times]
Police Chief Addresses Shreveport's Rising Violent Crime
'', 26 June 2017, retrieved 16 Dec 2017'' In 2018 the local government and police authorities reported a crime drop
The crime drop or crime decline is a pattern observed in many countries whereby rates of many types of crime declined by 50% or more beginning in the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s.
Historical context
The crime drop is not a new phenomenon e ...
in most categories; it was part of an overall reduction in crime since the late 20th century. In late 2018, Shreveport was named the "worst place to live in Louisiana" and in 2019, the worst place to start a career.
On January 16, 2020, Advanced Aero Services planned to open a facility at Shreveport Regional Airport, with an estimated 1,000 jobs by the end of the decade.Adrian Perkins
Adrian Perkins (born October 23, 1985) is an American politician and attorney who served as the Mayor of Shreveport, Louisiana. Perkins is a graduate of both the United States Military Academy at West Point and Harvard Law School, and is an Arm ...
administration was leaked. A Shreveport Police officer was also placed on leave regarding comments of the George Floyd killing in Minnesota.
See also
* Timeline of Shreveport, Louisiana
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 plot ...
References
External links
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Shreveport, History Of