Claiborne Parish History

Claiborne Parish was created from Natchitoches Parish by Act No. 42 of the Louisiana General Assembly (approved March 13, 1828) and named in honor of the first American governor of Louisiana, William Charles Cole Claiborne.

Known as the “Banner Parish” of north Louisiana, the original Claiborne Parish extended approximately 64 miles east of the Red River along the northern border of Louisiana and extended south a distance of approximately 60 miles. From the original parish, the following parishes were formed entirely or in part: Bossier, Jackson, Bienville, Red River, Webster, Lincoln and Claiborne.

Homer, the present-day Claiborne Parish seat, was named for the Greek poet and was laid out around the Courthouse Square in 1850 by Frank Vaughn. The Claiborne Parish seat has been located in Russellville (1828–1836), Overton (1836–1846, in present-day Webster Parish), Athens (1846–1849, now known as “Old Athens”) and Homer (1849–present). The courthouse at Old Athens and all parish records were destroyed by a fire on November 6, 1849.

Homer’s present-day brick courthouse, built in the Greek Revival style of architecture, is one of only four pre-Civil War courthouses in Louisiana still in use today. The building, completed in 1860, was accepted by the Claiborne Parish Police Jury on July 20, 1861 at a cost of $12,304.36 and is included on the National Register of Historic Places. Also listed in the National Register of Historic Places is the area immediately surrounding the Courthouse Square and the Louisiana and Northwest Railroad Depot on US Hwy. 70.

Haynesville enjoys a rich history dating back to its settlement in 1818. The com- munity took the name Haynesville in 1843 from farmer Samuel Haynes of Georgia, who established Old Haynesville about 2 miles south of the town’s present site. In 1898, the entire town relocated north to meet the railroad.

In the early 1920s, Haynesville was the scene of one of the state’s most significant oil booms. When the first oil was discovered, Haynesville’s population grew to approximately 20,000. Today’s economy is supported by oil, hunting, fishing and timber, which includes major logging and pulpwood production in the area.