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 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. Rayville, Louisiana, the parish seat, was named for John Ray, a politician from Monroe with large land holdings in present-day Rayville.
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.
Geography
Bayou Macon flows through the western 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)
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
[http://www.wlf.louisiana.gov/wma/2761 Floy Ward McElroy Wildlife Management Area]
Transportation
Demographics
2020 census
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
Holli 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)
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
Government
Notable people
Ralph Abraham, from Alto, elected Member of Congress in The 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
Benny Gay Christian, state representative for Richland Parish, 1964 to 1974.
Terry Doughty, is a federally appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
George B. Franklin, Jr., was a prominent planter, philanthropist, and conservationist.
Elvin Hayes, NBA Hall of Fame basketball player, born in Rayville
Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
Fred W. Jones, Jr., city, district, and state court judge, born in Rayville; resided in Ruston, Louisiana
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 the town of Mangham, Louisiana
Charles McConnell, politician in Springhill, Louisiana; a native of Richland Parish
Keith Munyan, Jr., commercial photographer in North Hollywood, California
Tim McGraw, Country musician, born in Delhi, and raised in Start
Darryl Riser, editor of the Delhi Dispatch and Richland Beacon-News and, formerly, the Richland Journal
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
Gallery
Politics
