City was incorporated 204 years ago in March

Monroe was officially incorporated on March 14, 1820, though of course the region was inhabited much earlier.

Ouachita Parish was the home to many succeeding Native American groups in the thousands of years before European settlements began, the LSU AgCenter explains.

Peoples of the Marksville culture, Troyville culture, Coles Creek culture and Plaquemine culture built villages and mound sites throughout the area.

In 1783, Don Juan Filhiol was among the Frenchmen who worked for the Spanish colonial government in Louisiana after it had taken control. He was assigned that year to establish the first European outpost in the area of the Ouachita River Valley, called Poste d’Ouachita.

His small party made the slow, arduous journey by keelboat up the Mississippi, Red, Black and Ouachita rivers to reach this area.

Filhiol settled in 1785 at Prairie des Canots — “Prairie of the Canoes” — in current Monroe. He gradually organized settlers and built Fort Miro on his land to provide protection from the natives.

He served as commandant of Poste d’Ouachita until 1800, when he retired, while continuing to live on his plantation there.

The town kept its name until 1819, when it was renamed to honor the arrival of the James Monroe, the first steamboat to ascend the river.

The arrival of the powered paddle wheeler was a landmark event, as it connected the town to much easier travel to and from other markets and stimulated its growth.

Did you enjoy this history feature? It first appeared in Issue 1407 in www.LaPoliticsWeekly.com on March 14, 2024. Subscribe today to get history reporting delivered right to your inbox!