Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport, Louisiana calls itself “The Next Great City of the South,” which is quite the accurate motto for this burgeoning southern city. The city had a population of 200,145 in 2000, with over 375,000 residing in the metropolitan area, making it the third-largest city in Louisiana. Shreveport is located in the northeastern part of the state, close to the Texas and Arkansas borders. The city’s location and orientation give it an unusual culture combining aspects of east Texas cowboy with Louisiana Cajun. Those moving to Shreveport share in this culture.
Economy:
Shreveport was once an oil town and a major center for the oil industry of Louisiana. During the 1980s, however, the industry collapsed, transferring the city’s main economic leaders to the service industry. Today, the biggest employers are in the fields of tourism and casino gaming, with services such as hospitals also employing large numbers of residents. Starting in 2006, state tax incentives have brought many Hollywood productions to Louisiana for filming, with dozens of projects filmed in Shreveport. This new interest in the city has brought many new residents to the area, its no wonder Shreveport moving companies are so busy.
History:
Shreveport was founded in 1836 by the Shreve Town Company. Prior to this time, the nearby Red River was blocked by a 180-mile debris field. The Company had purchased the land for the town from the Caddo Indians, hoping to build a shipping center for the newly-navigable Red River. Shreve Town was incorporated as a village in 1839, named after Captain Henry Miller Shreve (who had led efforts to clear the Red River’s debris field). The town came to prominence during the Civil War, when it served as the headquarters for the Confederate Army’s Trans-Mississippi command. The city was incorporated as Shreveport in 1871, growing due to steamboat shipping and agricultural trade on the river. Despite the city’s river origins, decreased shipping led to the reemergence of the debris field and the closing of the Red River to traffic after 1914. The Red River only became navigable again in the 1990s.
Tourism:
Shreveport is home to many attractions of historical and cultural interest. 64 blocks of the central business area are listed as a historic district on the National Register of Historic Places, while the McNeill Street Pumping Station (a waterworks built in 1887 and still in use) is listed as a National Historic Landmark. Museums in the city are represented by Sci-Port (a science center with exhibits, an IMAX theater and a planetarium) and by the R.S. Barnwell Memorial Art & Garden Center (with an art gallery, jazz concerts and conservatory gardens). Cultural attractions to Shreveport include an opera, a symphony, the Robinson Film Center (showing art films and festivals) and a ballet company. Casinos are a major draw in Shreveport as well, located in riverboats on the Red River. Local transportation is available through SporTran, serving Shreveport and Bossier City. To fly to Shreveport, you can arrive at the Shreveport Regional Airport from Memphis, Houston, Dallas/Ft. Worth, Atlanta and Las Vegas.
Colleges/Universities:
• Northeastern State University College of Nursing
• Ayers Career College
• Louisiana State University at Shreveport
• Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center-Shreveport
• Southern University, Shreveport
• Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary
• Remington College
Interesting Facts:
• Among the famous people born in Shreveport are criminal attorney Johnnie Cochran and country singer Hank Williams, Jr.
• Dozens of Hollywood productions have been filmed in Shreveport since 2006, including “W.,” “Year One,” “Soul Men,” “Factory Girl” and “Disaster Movie.”
• The “Louisiana Hayride” radio show, running from 1948 through 1960, originated out of Shreveport. The show represented some of the earliest exposure for artists like Hank Williams, Sr. and Elvis Presley.
Helpful Links:
• Shreveport Real Estate
• Shreveport Storage
• City of Shreveport
• Shreveport-Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau
• Shreveport Moving Guide