Richland Parish, Louisiana

Richland Parish is a parish located in the North Louisiana Delta Country in the U.S. state of Louisiana, known for its fertile, flat farmland, cane brakes, and open spaces. The parish had a population of 20,043 at the 2020 United States census.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> The name Richland was chosen due to the rich production from farming. The parish seat and largest community is Rayville.

History

The parish was officially created on September 29, 1868.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Rayville, Louisiana, the parish seat, was named for John Ray, a politician from Monroe with large land holdings in present-day Rayville.<ref name="Ray">Template:Cite book</ref>

Richland Parish is home to the first public parish library in the State of Louisiana, the Rhymes Memorial Library. The library was built in 1925 by the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. R.R. Rhymes donated the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes.<ref>Template:Cite news</ref>

Geography

Bayou Macon flows through the eastern areas of Richland. Other tributaries in the parish include Crew Lake, and the Lafourche Diversion Canal are located in the western portion of the parish. Boeuf River flows from the northern end to the southern end in the center of the parish.

Adjacent parishes

• Morehouse Parish (north)
• West Carroll Parish (northeast)
• East Carroll Parish (east)
• Madison Parish (east)
• Franklin Parish (south)
• Caldwell Parish (southwest)
• Ouachita Parish (west)

Parks and wildlife management areas

• Poverty Point Reservoir State Park
• Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area

Communities

Towns

• Delhi
• Rayville (parish seat and largest municipality)

Village

• Mangham

Unincorporated areas

Census-designated place

• Start

Unincorporated communities

• Alto
• Archibald
• Bardel
• Bee Bayou
• Buckner
• Charlieville
• Crew Lake
• Dehlco
• Dunn
• Four Forks
• Gilleyville
• Girard
• Holly Ridge
• Jonesburg
• Mitchiner
• New Light
• Rhymes
• Sacksonia
• Warden

Transportation

File:LA 15 bridge over Boeuf River.jpg

Bridge crossing the Boeuf River on Hwy 15 near Alto, LA

	Interstates and State Highways
File:I-20.svg	Interstate 20
File:US 80.svg	U.S. Highway 80
File:US 425.svg	U.S. Highway 425
File:Louisiana 15 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 15
File:Louisiana 17 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 17
File:Louisiana 132 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 132
File:Louisiana 133 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 133
File:Louisiana 135 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 135
File:Louisiana 585 (2008).svg	Louisiana Highway 585

	Air, Rail, Levee
File:Airport icon small.png	Rayville Municipal Airport
File:Airport icon small.png	Delhi Municipal Airport
File:Airport icon small.png	Monroe Regional Airport
File:Kansas city south lines logo.svg	Kansas City Southern Railroad
File:LA 15 bridge over Boeuf River.jpg	Tensas Basin Levee District

Demographics

2020 census

Richland Parish racial composition<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>

Race	Num.	Perc.
White (non-Hispanic)	11,667	58.21%
Black or African American (non-Hispanic)	7,303	36.44%
Native American	53	0.26%
Asian	50	0.25%
Other/Mixed	570	2.84%
Hispanic or Latino	400	2.0%

As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,043 people, 7,459 households, and 4,972 families residing in the parish.

Education

Public schools

• Delhi Elementary
• Delhi Junior High
• Delhi High School
• Holly Ridge Elementary
• Mangham Elementary
• Mangham Junior High
• Mangham High School
• Rayville Elementary
• Rayville Junior High
• Rayville, High School
• Start Elementary

Private schools

• Riverfield Academy, K–12

Charter schools

• Delhi Charter, K–12

Community and technical colleges

• Louisiana Delta Community College, (with campus locations in neighboring Tallulah, Winnsboro, Lake Providence, Bastrop, Monroe, and West Monroe.)

Regional universities

• University of Louisiana at Monroe
• Louisiana Tech University, (Ruston)
• Grambling State University, (Grambling)

Government

Parish Administration	Administrators
Sheriff	Gary Gilley, No Party
Coroner	Dr. Matt Prine, Republican
Assessor	Lee Brown, III, Democrat
School Board Superintendent	Sheldon Jones
Homeland Security	Dawn Williams

Parish Police Jury	Police Jurors
District 1, Delhi	Steve Craig, Republican
District 2, Delhi	Patrick Stubblefield, Democrat
District 3, Rayville	Sharon Gee, Democrat
District 4, Rayville	Steve Lofton, Republican
District 5, Rayville	Paul Slayter, Republican
District 6, Rayville	Althan Smith, Democrat
District 7, Alto	Cecil Reddick, Republican
District 8, Start	Elliot Colvin, Republican
District 9, Mangham	Roy Wiggins, Jr., Republican

5th Judicial District	Parish Judicial Leaders
Division "A"	Clay Hamilton, Republican
Division "B"	Will Rhymes Barham, Republican
Division "C"	Steve Dean, Republican
Clerk of Court	Stacie Williamson, Republican

Parish School Board	Board Members
District 1, Delhi	Billy Calvert, No Party
District 2, Delhi	Eugene Young, Jr., Democrat
District 3, Rayville	Moses "DeJohn" Wilkins, Democrat
District 4, Rayville	James Hough, Republican
District 5, Rayville	Alece Copeland, No Party
District 6, Rayville	Marie Lewis, Democrat
District 7, Archibald	Joe Chapman, No Party
District 8, Start	Kevin Eppinette, No Party
District 9, Mangham	Chris Pruitt, Republican

Notable people

• Julia Letlow, from Start, elected Member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives.
• Luke Letlow, from Start, elected to the United States House of Representatives, but died of a heart attack caused by COVID-19 before he could be seated.
• Ralph Abraham, from Alto, elected Member of Congress in United States House of Representatives.
• Harry W. Addison was a Southern author and humorist who resided in Rayville from 1945 to 1957.
• Jamar Adcock, a politician and banker in Monroe, born in Richland Parish
• Terry Doughty, is a federally appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
• Elvin Hayes, Hall of Fame basketball player, born in Rayville
• Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
• Ralph E. King, Winnsboro physician who represented Richland Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 to 1952 and again from 1956 to 1960
• William L. Kirk, of Rayville was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
• Ernie Ladd, a football player/professional wrestler, born in Rayville
• Moses J. Liddell was appointed by President Grover Cleveland as a judge for the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.
• Wiley Person Mangham, an American publisher and editor. He is the namesake for t
• Tim McGraw, Country musician, born in Delhi, and raised in Start
• Robert Max Ross, was a Republican politician and activist who qualified to run for governor, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, for the purpose of advancing the two-party system in Louisiana, at a time it did not exist.
• Francis C. Thompson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1975 until 2008; since in the Louisiana State Senate

• Tim McGraw, a famous country musician.
  Tim McGraw, a famous country musician.
• Ralph Abraham, U.S. House of Representatives.
  Ralph Abraham, U.S. House of Representatives.
• Elvin Hayes, NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
  Elvin Hayes, NBA's 50th Anniversary All-Time Team.
• Wiley Person Mangham, American Publisher and Editor.
  Wiley Person Mangham, American Publisher and Editor.

Gallery

• Former Rayville High School, operated by the Richland Parish School Board and originally designed by the Shreveport architect Edward F. Neild, was renovated into an apartment complex
  Former Rayville High School, operated by the Richland Parish School Board and originally designed by the Shreveport architect Edward F. Neild, was renovated into an apartment complex
• Holly Ridge High School in Holly Ridge in rural Richland Parish
  Holly Ridge High School in Holly Ridge in rural Richland Parish
• Veteran's Memorial in Mangham
  Veteran's Memorial in Mangham
• Rhymes Memorial Library in Rayville was the first parish wide public library in Louisiana.
  Rhymes Memorial Library in Rayville was the first parish wide public library in Louisiana.
• Poverty Point Reservoir in Delhi.
  Poverty Point Reservoir in Delhi.
• Start Baptist Church
  Start Baptist Church
• Richland Parish Courthouse, in Rayville
  Richland Parish Courthouse, in Rayville
• Alto Presbyterian Church, built in 1873
  Alto Presbyterian Church, built in 1873
• Richland Parish Detention Center near Alto, Louisiana
  Richland Parish Detention Center near Alto, Louisiana
• First Baptist Church in Delhi
  First Baptist Church in Delhi
• Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery
  Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cemetery

See also

• National Register of Historic Places listings in Richland Parish, Louisiana

External links

• Richland Parish Chamber of Commerce
• Richland Parish Assessor's Office