Keithville 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 have ...

Caddo Parish, Louisiana Caddo Parish (French language, French: ''Paroisse de Caddo'') is a Parish (administrative division), parish located in the northwest corner of the U.S. state of Louisiana. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the parish ...

, United States. It lies to the south of

Shreveport Shreveport ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is the third most populous city in Louisiana after New Orleans and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Baton Rouge, respectively. The Shreveport–Bossier City metropolitan area, with a population o ...

along

U.S. Route 171 U.S. Highway 171 (US 171) is a part of the United States Numbered Highway System and the only route within that system currently located entirely within the state of Louisiana. It spans in a north–south direction from the junction of U.S. ...

. Although unincorporated, it has a

post office A post office is a public facility and a retailer that provides mail services, such as accepting letters and parcels, providing post office boxes, and selling postage stamps, packaging, and stationery. Post offices may offer additional serv ...

, with the ZIP code of 71047.

History

Keithville came into existence when two railroads, the

Southern Pacific The Southern Pacific (or Espee from the railroad initials- SP) was an American Class I railroad network that existed from 1865 to 1996 and operated largely in the Western United States. The system was operated by various companies under the ...

and the Houston-Shreveport, met on properties of the Keith brothers in the early 1880s.Perry Polk Keith: Caddo Pioneer, former Member of Legislature, Noted for Strong Qualities, ''

Shreveport Times ''The Times'' is a Gannett daily newspaper based in Shreveport, Louisiana. Its distribution area includes 12 parishes in Northwest Louisiana and three counties in East Texas. Its coverage focuses on issues affecting the Shreveport-Bossier market, ...

'', February 7, 1935, p. 1 One of the Keith brothers was

State Representative A state legislature is a legislative branch or body of a political subdivision in a federal system. Two federations literally use the term "state legislature": * The legislative branches of each of the fifty state governments of the United Sta ...

Perry Polk Keith, who served four terms from 1912 to 1928. A Methodist, Keith donated the land for construction of what is now the Keithville United Methodist in Keithville. Construction was begun in 1904 by Tom Hudnall, and the first service was held on October 4 of that year. The dedication took place in December 1905. The church installed a brass bell in its steeple. Originally used on a locomotive, the bell came from a plantation in

Coushatta The Coushatta ( cku, Koasati, Kowassaati or Kowassa:ti) are a Muskogean-speaking Native American people now living primarily in the U.S. states of Louisiana, Oklahoma, and Texas. When first encountered by Europeans, they lived in the territor ...

Red River Parish Red River Parish ( French: ''Paroisse de la Rivière-Rouge'') is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2010 census, the population was 9,091, making it the fourth-least populous parish in Louisiana. Its seat is Coushatta. ...

Economy

Louisiana Department of Public Safety and Corrections The Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) (French: ) is a state law enforcement agency responsible for the incarceration of inmates and management of facilities at state prisons within the state of Louisiana. The agency is headquart ...

operated the

Forcht-Wade Correctional Center Forcht-Wade Correctional Center was a state prison facility in unincorporated Caddo Parish, Louisiana. The prison, operated by the Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections, was located in the Eddie D. Jones Nature Park in Keithville. Th ...

in Keithville,Forcht-Wade Corr. Center
." ''

''. Accessed September 14, 2008. located in the Eddie D. Jones Nature Park.Johnson, Kristi.
Caddo commissioner wants ex-prison back sooner than later
" ''

''. October 1, 2012. Retrieved on October 25, 2012. It closed in July 2012.Forcht-Wade Correctional Center
."
Archive

Louisiana Department of Public Safety & Corrections The Department of Public Safety and Corrections (DPS&C) (French: ) is a state law enforcement agency responsible for the incarceration of inmates and management of facilities at state prisons within the state of Louisiana. The agency is headquart ...

. Retrieved on October 23, 2012.

Education

The

Caddo Parish School Board Caddo Public Schools is a school district based in Shreveport, Louisiana, United States. The district serves all of Caddo Parish. History In 1965, the board was sued by Shreveport pastor A pastor (abbreviated as "Pr" or "Ptr" , or "Ps" ) is th ...

operates public schools. * Keithville Elementary/Middle Schoo

Infrastructure

Major highways

Interstate 49 Interstate 49 (I-49) is a north–south Interstate Highway that exists in multiple segments: the original portion entirely within the state of Louisiana with an additional signed portion extending from I-220 in Shreveport to the Arkansas s ...

* Louisiana Highway 169 * Louisiana Highway 525 * Louisiana Highway 789

Notable people

* Sherri Smith Buffington, former

state senator A state senator is a member of a state's senate in the bicameral legislature of 49 U.S. states, or a member of the unicameral Nebraska Legislature. Description A state senator is a member of an upper house in the bicameral legislatures of 49 U ...

Claude King Claude King (February 5, 1923 – March 7, 2013) was an American country music singer and songwriter, best known for his million selling 1962 hit, "Wolverton Mountain". Biography King was born in Keithville in southern Caddo Parish south ...

, Country music singer and songwriter known for "

Wolverton Mountain "Wolverton Mountain" is a country music song and 1962 crossover hit that established Claude King's career as an American country singer-songwriter. The song was a rewrite of the original version by Merle Kilgore, which was based on a real person n ...

" was born in Keithville in 1923; died in Shreveport in 2013 * Keith Nale, Firefighter and former Survivor player, who played in Survivor: San Juan Del Sur, and Survivor: Second Chances.

References

{{authority control Unincorporated communities in Caddo Parish, Louisiana Unincorporated communities in Louisiana Unincorporated communities in Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area