Thus, the parish of Ouachita, which had been created in 1807 and which
was subsequently divided into nine parishes, entered the 20th century as
a rural agricultural region containing small urban entities. Surrounding
Monroe were large plantations with cotton production as the major source
of wealth. But with the discovery of gas by Louis Locke in 1916 in
Morehouse Parish, the area became known as the Monroe Gas Field, one of
the largest gas fields in the world at the time. With this wealth came
progress—paved streets, “skyscrapers” and a salt water natatorium in the
city of Monroe. And the parish prospered as well. Industries using
available natural gas and paper mills using yellow pine from the nearby
hilly region located in the area.
Transportation routes have continued to unite the parish to the region
and to the world. U.S. Highway 80 was constructed in the 1930’s as a
major east-west artery. Delta Air Lines began in Monroe as a small
cotton dusting operation. And Interstate 20, completed in the 1960’s,
now serves as an important coast-to-coast transportation route.
Ouachita Parish has been called the “mother parish” of northeast
Louisiana. It has contributed much to the welfare of the region, and it
continues to offer the leadership of a pacemaker parish as the
twenty-first century approaches.
[Illustration: _Map of Ouachita Parish, 1980’s_.]