by Carl A. Brasseaux and Alana A. Carmon

In March 1832, the state legislature created Carroll Parish, stretching from Morehouse Parish on the west to the Mississippi River on the east. On March 26, 1877, legislation signed by Louisiana's governor divided Carroll Parish into eastern and western parts divided by Bayou Macon. Lake Providence served as the initial seat of justice in East Carroll Parish, and the town remains the parish's governmental center. Throughout its early history, East Carroll Parish was a cotton plantation area. During the Civil War, General Ulysses S. Grant attempted unsuccessfully to bypass the Confederate defenses at Vicksburg by ordering his men to dig a canal diverting the Mississippi River from its existing channel.

East Carroll Parish is perhaps best known for the Louisiana State Cotton Museum and the beautiful scenery lining the oxbow just outside of Lake Providence. The region is also an important gateway to the famous Poverty Point archaeological site to the west.

Parish Tourism Commission

Louisiana State Cotton Museum

HISTORICAL MARKERS

Grant's Canal

President Roosevelt

PRINCIPAL TOWNS

Lake Providence

Sondheimer

Transylvania

RECREATION

Bayou Macon WMA

FESTIVALS

Louisiana Soul Food and Heritage Festival

Lake Providence Triathlon

Lake Fest Lights
Along the Lake