In an effort to establish trade with the Spanish in Mexico,
Louis Juchereau de St. Denis commissioned the building of a small fort on the
west bank of the Red River near a village of the Natchitoches Indians in
1714. He selected that site because further navigation of the Red River
was prohibited by a massive log jam. Natchitoches soon became a
bustling river port and crossroads, giving rise in the 1800's to vast cotton
kingdoms along the river . These affluent planters not only had magnificent
plantations but also kept elegant houses in town so that they could attend
social events.
However, in the 1830's, the Red River changed its course and
bypassed Natchitoches, leaving it without an outlet to the sea.
Eventually, dams were built to separate the old river, now called Cane River
Lake, from the Red River, further isolating the community. This isolation,
while destructive to the cotton industry, actually benefited current
Natchitoches residents, for there has been little out-of-character change in the
city's National Landmark District.
Today, this district overlooks a portion of beautiful,
meandering Cane River Lake, reminiscent of the time that Natchitoches was the
largest fort on the Red River. Full of French, Spanish and American
influence, Natchitoches, with its picturesque setting, will delight all who
visit it.
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