Timeline of Shreveport, Louisiana

The following is a timeline of the history of the city of Shreveport, Louisiana, United States.

History of Louisiana
By year Pre-statehood U.S. Civil War Post-Civil War Topics: African-Americans - Cities - Politics
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• 1836 – Shreve Town Company organized; named for Henry Miller Shreve, one of its members.^[1]
• 1837 – Shreve Town Company begins selling plots of land.^[1]
• 1838 – Shreve Town becomes seat of newly formed Caddo Parish.^[2][3]
• 1839
  • Town of Shreveport incorporated.^[4][1]
  • John Octavius Sewall elected mayor.^[5]
• 1841 – Caddo Gazette newspaper begins publication.^[6]
• 1847 – Burial ground established.^[7]
• 1850
  • Population: 1,728.
  • Brewer's Hall built (approximate date).^[8]
• 1852 – South-Western newspaper begins publication.^[6]
• 1853 – Yellow fever outbreak.^[1]
• 1858 – Vicksburg, Shreveport and Texas Railroad begins operating.^[1]
• 1860 – Population: 2,190.
• 1861 – St. Mary's Convent founded.^[8]
• 1863 – Shreveport designated Louisiana Confederate capital (until 1865).^[8][9]
• 1866 – Charity Hospital established.^[10]
• 1870 – Population: 4,607.
• 1871
  • Shreveport becomes a city.^[4]
  • Daily Shreveport Times newspaper begins publication.^[6]
  • Crisp's Gaiety Theater built.^[8]
• 1873
  • Dallas-Shreveport railway in operation.^[8][1]
  • Yellow fever outbreak.^[1][11]
• 1879 – Shreveport Daily Standard newspaper begins publication.^[6]
• 1880
  • First Presbyterian Church built.^[8]
  • Population: 8,009.
• 1886 – Grand Opera House built.^[8]
• 1887 – Shreveport Waterworks Pumping Station built.
• 1890
  • Shreveport Library Association formed.^[12]
  • Population: 11,979.^[4]
• 1895 – Evening Judge newspaper in publication.^[6]
• 1896 – Holy Trinity Catholic Church rebuilt.^[8]
• 1899 – Genevieve Orphanage established.^[4]
• 1900 – Population: 16,013.^[4]

• 1901 – People's Library established.^[12]
• 1902 – Shreveport Journal newspaper in publication.^[6]
• 1905 – Agudath Achim Synagogue dedicated.^[13]
• 1906 – Oil discovered at Caddo Lake in vicinity of Shreveport.^[14]
• 1907 – Nearby Bossier City incorporated.^[10]
• 1909 – Centenary College of Louisiana relocated to Shreveport from Jackson.
• 1910
  • Schumpert Memorial Hospital^[4] and Chamber of Commerce^[15] established.
  • Population: 28,015.^[4]
• 1912 – United States Post Office and Courthouse built.^[8]
• 1915 – Traffic Street Bridge built.^[10]
• 1920 – Population: 43,874.
• 1922
  • Shreveport Art Club active.^[15][16]
  • Shriners Hospitals for Children opened.
• 1923 – Public library built.^[17]
• 1925 – Strand Theatre built.^[18]
• 1926
  • KWKH radio begins broadcasting.
  • Caddo Parish courthouse built.^[8]
• 1927 – Dodd College established.^[14]
• 1928
  • KRMD and KTBS radio begin broadcasting.^[19]
  • Woman's Auxiliary to the Shreveport Medical Society formed.^[20]
• 1929 – Shreveport Municipal Memorial Auditorium built.
• 1930
  • East Texas Oil Field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.^[8]
  • Population: 76,655.
• 1931 – Shreveport Downtown Airport begins operating.^[2]
• 1933 – U.S. military Barksdale Airfield dedicated.^[21]
• 1934 – Long–Allen Bridge opens.^[2]
• 1935 – Rodessa oil field discovered in vicinity of Shreveport.^[8]
• 1940 – Population: 98,167.^[22]
• 1948
  • U.S. military Barksdale Air Force Base active.
  • KWKH's Louisiana Hayride radio programme begins broadcast.
• 1950
  • Shreveport metropolitan area was started
  • Population: 127,206.^[22]
• 1952 – North Louisiana Historical Association established.
• 1954 - KSLA-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[23]
• 1955 - KTBS-TV (television) begins broadcasting.^[23]
• 1960
  • Shreveport metropolitan area Added Bossier Parish
  • Population: 164,372.^[22]
• 1965 - LSU Health Sciences Center Shreveport opened.
• 1967 – Louisiana State University in Shreveport opens.
• 1970 – Population: 182,064.^[22]
• 1972 – Quail Creek Cinema in business.^[18]
• 1973 - Shreveport metropolitan area Added Webster Parish
• 1977 – Pioneer Heritage Center and Spring Street Historical Museum founded.^[24]
• 1980 – Population: 205,820.^[22]
• 1981 – General Motors plant begins operating in Shreveport.
• 1983 - Shreveport metropolitan area Removed Webster Parish
• 1986
  • Roman Catholic Diocese of Shreveport established.^[25]
  • Commercial National Bank Tower (hi-rise) built.
• 1988 – Jim McCrery becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.^{[26][relevant?]}
• 1990 – Population: 198,525.^[22]
• 1993 - Shreveport metropolitan area Redded Webster Parish
• 1994
  • Stephens African American Museum founded.^[24]
  • Harrah's casino built.
• 1998
  • Keith Hightower becomes mayor.^{[5][relevant?]}
  • City website online (approximate date).^{[27][chronology citation needed]}

• 2003
  • Shreveport – Bossier City metropolitan area Replaced Webster Parish to De Soto Parish
• 2004 – Convention Center built.^[2]
• 2006 – Cedric Glover becomes first African-American in city elected mayor.^{[5][relevant?]}
• 2009 – John Fleming becomes U.S. representative for Louisiana's 4th congressional district.^{[28][relevant?]}
• 2010 – Population: 199,311.^[29]
• 2014 – Ollie Tyler becomes first African-American woman in city elected mayor.^{[5][relevant?]}
• 2023
  • October 25: Mike Johnson is elected Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives, becoming the first U.S. Congressman from Louisiana to hold this position.

• History of Shreveport, Louisiana
• List of mayors of Shreveport, Louisiana
• National Register of Historic Places listings in Caddo Parish, Louisiana
• Other cities in Louisiana:
  • Timeline of Baton Rouge, Louisiana
  • Timeline of New Orleans

• Items related to Shreveport, various dates (via Digital Public Library of America).