The oldest human dwelling site in North America is located near
Monroe. Years before the Louisiana Purchase, Monroe was an established
trade center. In 1780, a primitive French settlement marked the
beginnings of Monroe.
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In 1783
Jean Baptiste Filhiol was appointed by the Spanish crown to oversee
the region. By 1790, Filhiol established a fort on or near the present
day site of Monroe. A prohibition ordinance was soon enacted, and Fort
Miro was constructed.
Much later, the Civil War
made its presence felt and Monroe became the site of 2 skirmishes in
1863. The parish courthouse was destroyed by a Union gunboat on the
Ouachita River during the siege of Vicksburg.
Agricultural prosperity and growth
continued through the Reconstruction.
Industrial development
found its foothold in 1915 with the discovery of natural gas as the
area soon became known as the "Natural Gas Capital of the World."
The "Twin Cities" of
Monroe and West Monroe continue as the urban center for a parish which
is itself the focus of commerce in northeast Louisiana.
With a population of more than 145,000, along with a diversified
economic base and air, rail, water and highway connections to the
major metropolitan areas of the central United States, Ouachita Parish
continues as one of the increasingly important locations in the
development of Louisiana and of the South. |
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