| Communities | Economy | History / Markers | Local Government |
| Location / Geography | Media | Parks and Recreation | Schools and Libraries |
| Parish Map | Top of page | ||
|
Unincorporated areas of interest in the parish include Ashland, Aubrey, Avondale, Balmoral, Barcelona, Consuella, Cooter Point, Crimea, Deerborn, Delta Bridge, Denhart, Gretna Green, Goldman, Hedgeland, Helena, Highland, Holly Ridge, Lake Bruin, Locust Ridge, Maryland, Mayflower, New Light, Notnac, Osceola, Point Pleasant, Saranac, Somerset, Tensas Bluff, Troy, Westwood and Wilsonia. |
|
L.S.U. Northeast Experimental Station |
Tensas River |
St. Joseph |
History | |
| 1541 |
The Tensas, tribe of Indians that once hunted and fished the forests and streams of this parish is the origin of the name of the parish and of the river which forms its western boundary. Some anthropologists believe that the Tensas migrated to northeast Louisiana from Mexico and are said to have been descended from the Aztecs. Indeed, the Tensas were more civilized most other Louisiana Indian tribes. The houses were substantially built, with walls of mud and straw, and were roofed with cane from the canebrakes in the Tensas swamp. The Indians slept on beds made of wood and cultivated maize, yams, pumpkins, melons, squash, beans, and tobacco. These Indians were in the area that is now Tensas Parish when Hernando Desoto explored the Mississippi River in 1541. In fact, it has been established that Desoto's remains were interred along the banks of Lake St. Joseph. The Tensas were still in the area more than a century later when LaSalle visited the region in 1682. Eight of their villages were concentrated in the vicinity of Lake St. Joseph. LaSalle reported that he had found objects of Spanish origin, such as halberds and breastplates, hanging on the walls of the Tensas chiefËs house. In spite of their advanced civilization the Tensas practiced human sacrifice, and by the end of the seventeenth century the Tensas population was down to seven hundred and soon the remnants of the tribe were driven away by the Chickasaw and the Yazoo. The first landowners in the area that is now Tensas were given land by the Spanish government. Like the French, the Spanish used the "riverbank system" for the granting of land. Land holdings were long, narrow strips, fronting on a waterway. Each grant began at the bank of a stream and extended between straight lines for an ordinary depth of forty arpents, an arpent being roughly equivalent to 192 feet. The usual land grant in the Tensas area was for 800 arpents, which is equal to 677 American acres. An examination of a map of Tensas Parish will show dozens of these narrow strips along the Mississippi, its tributaries, and the oxbow lakes of northeastern Tensas. |
| 1805 |
When the Territory of Orleans is divided into counties the present-day Tensas Parish is part of Concordia Countyand Ouachita County |
| 1843 |
Tensas Parish is created with St. Joseph as the parish seat. Rare example, for deep south, of a town planned and constructed around New England style village green. Historic district is listed on National Register of Historic Places. Settlements began to take hold during the late 18th century. The towns of Newellton, St. Joseph and Waterproof grew up as centers of the large plantation system. Many pioneers who came down the river or ferried across from Mississippi decided they liked the fertile land in the area, rather than the promise of Texas. The area became a parish when it was carved from the northern half of Concordia Parish on April 6, 1843. The parish became prime agricultural land, but because of the capricious nature of the river, many planters lived on the higher ground across the river . Those who did live on the Louisiana side buried their dead in Mississippi. To this day there are no community cemeteries in St. Joseph and Waterproof. Periodically the river overflowed its banks, broke through the levees, and devastated the countryside. The planters also learned how to benefit from the annual disaster. Each flood deposited on the land a new layer of fertile topsoil. Levee breaks usually happened in the spring and as a rule the flood waters ran off and the ground dried up before planting time, allowing the farmer to get his seeds down in the softened earth in time to make a crop. Also, cypress logs could be snagged from the river and floated into Lake St. Joseph to the sawmills along its shores. The cut lumber went into the construction of plantation homes, slave cabins and farm buildings. Because many of the landowners lived across the river in Mississippi, Tensas is not noted for palatial plantation mansions. Those who did live on their Tensas land constructed sturdy homes in the raised cottage style, houses designed to withstand the fury of the rivers at flood- time. Even so, some of Tensas's antebellum homes fit the picture of the fabled mansions of the South: they were two or three stories high, were filled with fine furniture and fine art, and were surrounded by well-tended gardens of flowers, shrubbery, and trees. Many of the parish's plantation homes were burned by Union soldiers during the Civil War. The few that survive are treasured relics of the past, giving testimony of the days when Tensas was indeed king of LouisianaËs cotton kingdom. In the 20th century the economy of Tensas parish, though still principally agricultural, has diversified. Oil was discovered in the 1940s, lumber has been discovered to be a valuable and renewable natural resource, and livestock has thrived as the amount of pasture land has increased. |
|
The Tensas Parish School System includes six elementary, middle, junior high and senior high schools. There are several private schools in adjoining parishes to provide an alternative for students not attending public schools. Tensas Academy is a private school (K-12) in the parish for those students not wanting to attend public schools. All public and private schools are accredited by the Southern Association of Colleges and Secondary schools and the Louisiana Independent School Association. Currently the percentages of graduating seniors attending college are 36.36% for the public schools. Annual cost in public funds to provide schooling is $3,498 per student, one of the highest in the state. There is a pupil-to teacher ratio of 13.62:1, the best such ratio in Louisiana. Parish enrollment is approximately 1,350 students. |
|
|
Vocational training is available at Northeast Louisiana Vocational School in Winnsboro, Tallulah Technical Institute or Concordia Technical Institute in Ferriday, all state-funded facilities, and in the vocational program of the parish schools. Vocational training includes welding, auto mechanics, small engine repair, business, LPN nursing, machine shop, drafting and instrumentation.
To assure that new and expanding businesses have a continuing pool of workers with the level of education and expertise necessary for their operations, the area’s colleges and universities, vocational/technical schools and high schools graduate trained and entry-level persons year round. Schools at all levels are augmenting their general education missions with programs explicitly connected with employment possibilities for their students. This is seen in secondary schools in career education curricula and programs such as adopt-a-school through which business contributes resources, curriculum guidance and, in some cases, instruction, counseling and the promise of jobs for graduates. Community colleges are increasing their industry-specific training and colleges and universities are developing partnerships with industry that involve human as well as technological development. |
|
Education |
Within a two hour drive of St. Joseph are three of Louisiana's finest colleges. They offer doctoral degrees in the arts, sciences, engineering, and medical fields. These universities are nationally and internationally recognized as sponsoring extensive research activities. Northeast Louisiana University 75 miles Grambling University 105 miles Louisiana Tech 110 miles |
|
Although it is one of Louisiana's youngest institutions of higher learning (established in 1931), Northeast Louisiana University has grown rapidly into one of the South's premier universities. It typifies LouisianaËs dedication to excellence in higher education. Some Facts: € Is the largest university in North Louisiana and the fourth largest public university in Louisiana, enrolling more than 10,000 students each year from every parish in Louisiana, more than 40 other states and 50 other countries. € Has a $340 million annual impact on the area's economy. € Its Master of Business Administration, Bachelor of Science in Medical Technology and Bachelor of Science in Radiologic Technology have been ranked among the top two percent of more than 1,800 degree programs re- viewed by the state's Board of Regents. € NLU has the state's only School of Communication. Its programs have been ranked by the Board of Regents as being the best in North Louisiana, and among the top three in the state. NLU has the only photo-journalism program in the state. NLU is the only university in the state to offer degrees in Radio/Television/Film Management, Production, Performance, Film-making, and Broadcast News plus an Associate degree in Radio/Television/Film. € NLU has the first School of Construction in the nation to be accredited, the Computer Science program was the first in North Louisiana and one of the first 48 programs in the nation to earn accreditation, the Agricultural Aviation program is the first of its kind in the nation, the first undergraduate and graduate programs in Criminal Justice in the state, its Master's degree program in Substance Abuse Counseling is the only such program in Louisiana, the first Gerontology program and graduate-level Certificate in Gerontology in the state (one of only three). € Research and Service located at NLU: The Northeast Louisiana Regional Archaeologist of the Louisiana Division of Archaeology, The Office of State Director of Louisiana Small Business Development Center, The Regional Tumor Registry, The Cancer Research Center, The Museum of Zoology is ranked in the top five in the nation. The fishes collection is one of the largest and most complete collections in the nation. The Herbarium is the largest in the state and one of the fastest growing in the nation. € Research and services are provided through such programs as the Small Business Development Center the Center for Business and Economic Research, the Behavioral Economic Research Laboratory, the Human Performance Laboratory, the Marriage and Family Counseling Center, the Center for Professional Development, the Center for Research in Education, the Climatic Research Center, the Coal Lab, Continuing Education, the Soil-Plant Analysis Lab, the University Theatre, the Drug Information Center, the Institute of Gerontology, the NLU Concerts Association, the Dental Hygiene Clinic, the Senior Community Service Project, the Retired Senior Volunteer Program, the Speech and Hearing Clinic, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Technical Services Center. |
|
|
Located in Ruston only an hour and a half from St. Joseph, Louisiana Tech was founded in 1894 and is the oldest university in North Louisiana. Associate, undergraduate and graduate degrees are offered in Business Administration, Arts and Sciences, Education, Engineering, Human Ecology, and Life Sciences. An international program offers classes in Italy and Mexico. The 10,000 plus students represent every parish in Louisiana, every state in America and 49 countries and give Tech the highest graduation rate in the state. The campus and the university are a source of pride, excitement and culture for all residents of Lincoln Parish. Tech's value to the community goes way beyond its educational services. Area hospitals draw upon the international reputation of its Bio-Med Center. Research in other engineering disciplines works hand-in-hand with area businesses. The university offers a variety of facilities for use by convention groups. The university's Concert Association brings outstanding entertainment to the parish every year. |
|
| Founded by Charles P. Adams in 1901, Grambling State University is a multi-purpose, state-supported, coeducational institution The degree granting academic units include the Colleges of Liberal Arts, Science & Technology, Education, and Business; the Schools of Nursing and Social Work; and the Division of Graduate Studies. Preliminary training is available for medicine, law and dentistry. Non-credit continuing education programs serve the citizens of Grambling and North Louisiana. New Emphasis in Grambling State's Graduate School curriculum has been placed on the Ed.D. in Developmental Education, a unique offering in Louisiana. With an enrollment of Approximately 6000+, the University is small enough to provide its students with individual attention and concern, and large enough to offer them choices from a wide spectrum of curricular experiences. The guiding principles of the University embrace the motto that "Everybody is Somebody" | |
Director - Byron Temple 135 Plank Rd. P. O. Box 228 Saint Joseph, LA 71366-0228 Email - tltn@pelican.state.lib.la.us Tensas Parish enjoys an excellent parish-supported public library system. The library is located in St. Joseph, with a head librarian and a staff of four. Volumes in the library total in excess of 25,000, with approximately 85 new additions per month. The facilities offer reading and reference materials, such as periodicals, films and audio materials for all ages. A bookmobile serves outlaying communities in the parish on a regular basis. Northeast Louisiana University, Grambling University and Louisiana Tech are located within an hour and a half of St. Joseph. The large collections at the university libraries are available to parish residents through the Trail Blazer Library. American Library Directory 1999-2000, R. R. Bowker |
