Shreveport was founded in 1835 by eight businessmen following the clearing of a 160 mile log-jam on the Red River by Captain Henry Miller Shreve in 1883. His efforts opened up the Red River thoroughfare to shipping and made the land accessible to settlement and cultivation. Shreveport, located west of the Red River, is 285 miles northwest of New Orleans and 180 miles east of Dallas and falls into the "Sportsman's Paradise" of Louisiana's five travel regions. Shreveport is located within driving distance of exceptional recreational areas such as the Ouachita Mountains of Southern Arkansas, the forests and bayous of Northern Louisiana, and Toledo Bend Reservoir on the Sabine River bordering Texas and Louisiana. Along with Bossier City, our sister-city located east of the Red River, Shreveport-Bossier is the commercial and cultural focal point of the Ark-La-Tex, a three-state region encompassing southwest Arkansas, northwest Louisiana and east Texas.

Present-day economic growth in the Shreveport-Bossier area has seen the influx of new businesses following the introduction of riverboat gaming to the region. Shreveport/Bossier has a large number and variety of restaurants (American, Cajun, Chinese, French, Greek, Italian, Japanese, Mexican, Thai) and nightclubs hosting live entertainment. The metropolitan area, comprising of about 350,000 residents, offers a low cost of living, mild climate, affordable housing, over 400 houses of worship and excellent health care.

Cultural attractions include the Shreveport Metropolitan Ballet, Shreveport Opera and Shreveport Symphony. Other attractions include: the R.W. Norton Art Gallery exhibiting American and European art; the Barnwell Art and Garden Center; the Gardens of the American Rose Center; and the Sci-Port Discovery Center with "hands-on" interactive exhibits. The Strand Theatre offers year-round theatre including touring groups from Broadway. In addition, organizations holding regular theatrical performances include the Marjorie Lyons Playhouse (Centenary College), Gas Light Players (summer theatre), Peter Pan Players (children's theatre) and the Performing Arts Center (First Methodist Church). Outdoor activities play a prominent role in the lifestyle of Shreveport residents and include water-skiing, sailing and fishing on the various local lakes, bicycle-riding on local bike trails and numerous sports. Shreveport has a number of golf courses and hosts the Nike Shreveport Open tournament. Sports fans can enjoy the excitement of hockey (a new addition to the city in '97), basketball (Shreveport Storm), baseball (the Captains, a AA team) and horse-racing at Louisiana Downs.

Shreveport residents celebrate regional food, music and culture throughout the year at numerous festivals, many of which are held in the Riverfront area. Festivals include Mardi Gras (parades and parties during February), Holiday in Dixie (a 10-day festival in April), Mudbug Madness in June (crawfish and cajun food are the highlights), "Let the Good Times Roll" festival celebrating African-American culture, music, arts and food, Red River Rally Hot Air Balloon festival, Red River Revel in September (includes arts, crafts and music); State Fair of Louisiana and the Independence Bowl in December. For additional local information check out the following web sites.