Editing Bossier City, Louisiana (section)

===Classification as a city===
Anna B., granddaughter of James and Mary Cane, felt the area would prosper and began promoting the idea of a riverfront city. Anna B. and J. J. Stockwell sold lots in 1883. The area grew quickly, as did transportation through it. At the time, the unincorporated settlement was often called Cane City.

Around 1907, Cane City was incorporated by Louisiana [[governor of Louisiana|Governor]] [[Newton C. Blanchard]]; the village was renamed as Bossier City. Blanchard appointed Ewald Max Hoyer, a Shreveport businessman, as the first Bossier City mayor. By that time, Bossier City had grown from an area around a square mile to a city containing more than {{convert|35|sqmi|km2|abbr=on}}. Continued growth led to Bossier City's being reclassified from village to [[town]] by Governor [[John M. Parker]]. Later, Governor [[Earl Kemp Long]] issued a proclamation classifying Bossier City as a city.<ref name=":2" /><!--Ref covers whole paragraph-->

The "golden spike" commemorated the completion of the east–west [[Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad]]. It was driven at Bossier City on July 12, 1884, by Julia "Pansy" Rule. It was the first such spike to be driven by a woman. The north–south [[Shreveport and Arkansas Railroad]] was completed on April 6, 1888. The [[Louisiana–Arkansas Railroad]] was completed on November 2, 1909.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Smith|first=Chuck|date=2018-10-08|title=Do You Know the History of Bossier Railroads?|url=http://bebossier.com/2018/10/history-of-bossier-railroads/|access-date=2021-08-19|website=Be Bossier|language=en-US}}</ref> The [[U.S. Route 80|Dixie Overland Highway]] from the East to the West Coast was built in 1918. These railroads and highways combined to make Bossier City a hub for future activity.

The discovery of crude oil, to the south, in 1908, thrust Bossier City into the nationwide oil boom. Bossier's central location to the rural oil fields made it a major player in the oil patch. Several international oil companies were located in the area. The advantages brought by [[Petroleum|black gold]] fueled many civic, social and economic improvements.

A fire on June 23, 1925, consumed one-half of downtown Bossier City.<ref name=":1" /> Local citizens were unable to battle the blaze. The loss spurred civic improvements, including a modern water system capable of fighting such fires, a new city hall, a modern fire alarm system, modern sidewalks, and the first city park.

In the 1930s, construction began on Barksdale Airfield (now [[Barksdale Air Force Base]]). In 1929 the land on which the base is built was unincorporated property south of Bossier City. The city of Shreveport annexed the land and donated it to the federal government. Through the years, Bossier City expanded, eventually encompassing the area surrounding the base. The first unit assigned to Barksdale was the [[20th Pursuit Group]]. Before [[World War II]], Barksdale was a training school for the Army Air Corps.

During World War II, Barksdale trained pilots, navigators, and bombardiers. Later, the base became one of the key bases of the [[Strategic Air Command]] in the new Air Force. Today Barksdale is the headquarters for the [[8th Air Force]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.8af.af.mil/|title=8th Air Force}}</ref>

In the 1890s, Cane City had a population of about 600. Bossier City in 2012 had an estimated population of over 64,000. First a cotton-exporting river landing, next a railroad town, then an airbase and oil-boom town, Bossier City has become known for its tourism and casino gambling.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bossiercity.org/centennial/history.html|title=Bossier City History|access-date=July 12, 2008|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080905232636/http://www.bossiercity.org/centennial/history.html|archive-date=September 5, 2008|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}</ref>

Three [[casino]]s in the city have financed a number of municipal projects, many completed during the administration of the late Mayor [[George Dement]]. Recent improvements include the [[CenturyLink Center (Bossier City)|CenturyLink Center]], [[Louisiana Boardwalk]], Benton Road Overpass, and the Arthur Ray Teague Parkway, located along the eastern side of the Red River. Dement also procured [[Amtrak]] service between Bossier City and [[Dallas]], [[Texas]].<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.bossierpress.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=9403:mr-bossier-turns-91&catid=1:local-news&Itemid=134| title=Amanda Crane, "'Mr. Bossier' turns 91"| publisher=bossierpress.com| access-date=February 6, 2013}}</ref>

In 2005 Dement was succeeded as mayor by Lo Walker, his former administrative assistant and mayoral opponent from 1989, the first [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]] politician to hold the city's top executive position.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ktbs.com/news/Lo-Walker-to-seek-third-term-as-Bossier-City-mayor/-/144844/10277104/-/q0klll/-/index.html |archive-url=https://archive.today/20130411071213/http://www.ktbs.com/news/Lo-Walker-to-seek-third-term-as-Bossier-City-mayor/-/144844/10277104/-/q0klll/-/index.html |url-status=dead |archive-date=April 11, 2013 |title=Lo Walker to seek third term as Bossier City mayor, April 12, 2012 |publisher=[[KTBS-TV]] |access-date=February 3, 2013 }}</ref>