Shreveport, LA

About Shreveport

• • Lead Belly, legendary blues musician, was born in nearby Mooringsport, Louisiana.
• • The Red River Revel, a large arts festival, originated here in 1976.
• • Shreveport's location on the Red River made it a vital 19th-century trade hub.
• • The Municipal Auditorium hosted Elvis Presley's first paid concert in 1954.
• • The Great Raft logjam on the Red River was cleared, enabling Shreveport's growth.
• • Named for Capt. Henry Miller Shreve, it was established in 1836.
• • With around 185,000 residents, it's Louisiana's third-largest city.
• • At 276 feet above sea level, it's relatively flat, unlike northern Louisiana.
• • Healthcare and casinos are prominent sectors in Shreveport's economy.
• • A mix of Southern charm and gritty determination creates a feeling of resilience.
• • The region's geology is defined by its location in the Gulf Coastal Plain.
• • The Red River flows directly through Shreveport.
• • The Louisiana black bear, a subspecies of the American black bear, inhabits areas near Shreveport.
• • Caddo Lake, near Shreveport, features bald cypress trees draped in Spanish moss.
• • The Caddo Native Americans inhabited the Shreveport area for centuries before European contact.
• • Shreveport was burned by Confederate forces in 1863 to prevent it falling into Union hands.
• • The Shreveport Municipal Auditorium, built in 1939, hosted Elvis Presley early in his career.
• • The Municipal Auditorium is rumored to be haunted by a former stagehand.
• • Interstate 20 is a major east-west route that passes directly through Shreveport.

Artists From Shreveport

Songs About Shreveport

Nearby Places