# Timeline of Shreveport, Louisiana

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, United States.

## 19th century

* 1836 – Shreve Town Company organized; named for Henry Miller Shreve, one of its members.
* 1837 – Shreve Town Company begins selling plots of land.
* 1838 – Shreve Town becomes seat of newly formed Caddo Parish.
* 1839
** Town of Shreveport incorporated.
** John Octavius Sewall elected mayor.
* 1841 – Caddo Gazette newspaper begins publication.
* 1847 – Burial ground established.
* 1850
** Population: 1,728.
** Brewer's Hall built (approximate date).
* 1852 – South-Western newspaper begins publication.
* 1853 – Yellow fever outbreak.
* 1858 – Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad begins operating.
* 1860 – Population: 2,190.
* 1861 – St. Mary's Convent founded.
* 1863 – Shreveport designated Louisiana Confederate capital (until 1865).
* 1866 – Charity Hospital established.
* 1870 – Population: 4,607.
* 1871
** Shreveport becomes a city.
** Daily Shreveport Times newspaper begins publication.
** Crisp's Gaiety Theater built.
* 1873
** Dallas-Shreveport railway in operation.
** Yellow fever outbreak.
* 1879 – Shreveport Daily Standard newspaper begins publication.
* 1880
** First Presbyterian Church built.
** Population: 8,009.
* 1886 – Grand Opera House built.
* 1887 – Shreveport Waterworks Pumping Station built.
* 1890
** Shreveport Library Association formed.
** Population: 11,979.
* 1895 – Evening Judge newspaper in publication.
* 1896 – Holy Trinity Catholic Church rebuilt.
* 1899 – Genevieve Orphanage established.
* 1900 – Population: 16,013.

## 20th century

* 1901 – People's Library established.
* 1902 – Shreveport Journal newspaper in publication.
* 1905 – Agudath Achim Synagogue dedicated.
* 1906 – Oil discovered at Caddo Lake in vicinity of Shreveport.
* 1907 – Nearby Bossier City incorporated.
* 1909 – Centenary College of Louisiana relocated to Shreveport from Jackson.
* 1910
** Schumpert Memorial Hospital and Chamber of Commerce established.
** Population: 28,015.
* 1912 – United States Post Office and Courthouse built.
* 1915 – Traffic Street Bridge built.
* 1920 – Population: 43,874.
* 1922
** Shreveport Art Club active.
** Shriners Hospitals for Children opened.
* 1923 – Public library built.
* 1925 – Strand Theatre built.
* 1926
** KWKH radio begins broadcasting.
** Caddo Parish courthouse built.
* 1927 – Dodd College established.
* 1928
** KRMD and KTBS radio begin broadcasting.
** Woman's Auxiliary to the Shreveport Medical Society formed.
* 1929 – Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium built.
* 1930
** East Texas Oil Field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.
** Population: 76,655.
* 1931 – Shreveport Downtown Airport begins operating.
* 1933 – U.S. military Barksdale Airfield dedicated.
* 1934 – Long–Allen Bridge opens.
* 1935 – Rodessa oil field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.
* 1940 – Population: 98,167.
* 1948
** U.S. military Barksdale Air Force Base active.
** KWKH's Louisiana Hayride radio programme begins broadcast.
* 1950
** Shreveport metropolitan area was started
** Population: 127,206.
* 1952 – North Louisiana Historical Association established.
* 1954 - KSLA-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1955 - KTBS-TV (television) begins broadcasting.
* 1960
** Shreveport metropolitan area Added Bossier Parish
** Population: 164,372.
* 1965 - LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport opened.
* 1967 – Louisiana State University in Shreveport opens.
* 1970 – Population: 182,064.
* 1972 – Quail Creek Cinema in business.
* 1973 - Shreveport metropolitan area Added Webster Parish
* 1977 – Pioneer Heritage Center and Spring Street Historical Museum founded.
* 1980 – Population: 205,820.
* 1981 – General Motors plant begins operating in Shreveport.
* 1983 - Shreveport metropolitan area Removed Webster Parish
* 1986
** Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport established.
** Commercial National Bank Tower (hi-rise) built.
* 1988 – Jim McCrery becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.
* 1990 – Population: 198,525.
* 1993 - Shreveport metropolitan area Redded Webster Parish
* 1994
** Stephens African American Museum founded.
** Harrah's casino built.
* 1998
** Keith Hightower becomes mayor.
** City website online (approximate date).

## 21st century

* 2003
** Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area Replaced Webster Parish to De Soto Parish
* 2004 – Convention Center built.
* 2006 – Cedric Glover becomes first African-American in city elected mayor.
* 2009 – John Fleming becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.
* 2010 – Population: 199,311.
* 2014 – Ollie Tyler becomes first African-American woman in city elected mayor.
* 2023
** October 25: Mike Johnson is elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first U.S. Congressman from Louisiana to hold this position.