Richland beacon., 1878-03-09
RICHLAND PARISH.
It's History, Population, So
ciety, Wealth, Climate.
Health, Soil. Products,
Resources, Water,
Timber, Trans
pCrtation
Facilities,
Etc.
BY THE EDITOR.

to the brief history we have already
written of Rich.dnd parish, unless We
were 10 review the who.e OF il and
make additions, which could lie very
easily done, for we acknov lcGge that
1t Il very incomplete; aud perhaps IL,
detects are more apparent Ii us than
To our readers. The fact is, we have
OvertaXed ourSelf in assuming the Ia
bor iD addition to all our other nu-
merous duties; and regret very much
that We have not had the assistance
we expected from these who are more
direct V interested in bringing our
parish into notice than we are. How
ever. We 90 not wish to complain, for
the task was selt.imposcd, and We had
no promise Of assistance.
We could have claimed a great
deal more for our parish than we
haze; could have said more as to ita
superior advantages of both soil and
/ climate, and confined ourseif strictly
TO the truth. if We had had tie tine To
devote to the subject that we desired,
and if we bad had any hope Of ac-
| complishiBg results commensurate
withthe expenditure Of time and
| labor.
The question mav be reasonably
asked; "if your section of country is
all that You claim for it. why is it SO
far behind in the march Of progress
and improvement" aud we will at
tempt to answer the question by brief
~ stating a few Of the reasons at
least.
When we take into consideration the
facts that our soil is very fertile and
that the banks of the Mississippi and
Ouacbiia rivers attracted the attcn-
tion of immigrants aud began TO he
settled very early in the history of
America, it would seem a mystery
that SO much Of this great agricultural
country should so long remain a wild,
if We were not acquainted with some
Of the reasons why It is so.
Hence, it must first lie borne in
mind that Louisiana was first settled
bv few adventures from France
aud Spain, and that il never came into
the possession of the United States
until comparatively recent date
The country was a Jungle of forest
timber. cane and underbIus ush, tra versed
by numerous streams very difficult to
ford during great portion of the
year. IL was low and swampy, and
subject to inundation by the Missis-
sippi river There were no roads
over which to travel or haul the pro- |
duce to market, if il had been settled.
These forests were inhabited by In
diaDs, and in its caD.brakes tie most
ferociOuS beasts found safe retreat.
Mississippi. on the east, was an Ia.
dian territory; Mexico was Oh the
west. and the only outlet was at New
Orleans, ard no barges or boats ven-
lured up BGui river or Bayou Macon.
Tie few planters who venturcd into
the country found ample ROOM near
tfe hank, of the Mississippi and
OuachiIa. aud the few pioneers who
pushed their way into the interior Of
the country did not come with view
to its Improvement, but to follow the |
chase or live the mona lie lives Of
trappers, prefrrring seclusi'n to civii-
CATION and improvement. Hence, the
country was very slow in coming Into |
notice.
Ii finally, however, began TO attract
attention. Men OF wealth b"gan to
locate plantations snd place bands /
upon them after the levees were built. I
In 1856 the project of building a rail- /
road from Nirk>burg TO Shreveport,
via. Monroe, was placed on foot. The 4
work was commeUced. We believe, in I
1851; the road was finished to Mon. /
roe, aud the country began TO improve /
rapidly. We should probably state
steamboats, began to ply the Macon
aud BGuf before this time, which had 1
started the Improvement in advance /
Of the railroad. and this enterprise
gave a uew impetus thereto. the I
war came OH and crippled all enter
prise, prostraled business, destroyed
the levres, devastated plantations,
swept away the great bulk Of the
peoples wealth, demoralized society
and labor and left the country without
either capital or energy. The railroad.
with all of It's rolling stock, was al /
most entirely destroyed and the com
pany ankrupted; anu il was not until /
1870 that it was reconstructed by an