Then and Now

Shreveport and Bossier City

Shreveport was founded in 1839 by Captain Henry Miller Shreve. Captain Shreve cleared the logjam, known as "The Great Raft", which blocked the Red River for 180 miles.

Bossier City had it's beginnings in the 1840's as a trading post. Today, the dockside riverboat casino industry dominates the Red River with five large paddle wheel boats which include:

Sam's Town Hotel & Casino

El Dorado Resort Casino

Horshoe Casino and Hotel

Diamond Jacks Casino Resort

Boomtown Casino Hotel

All of the casino vessels must be sea worthy and each have a unique flair, and this tour gives you a very detailed look at each one.

A Not So Civil War

Red River's Part in History

The Red River and Cross Bayou were very significant during the Civil War. Texas shipped troops out of Jefferson, Texas, down Cross Bayou and the Red River. Fort Humbug, formerly Fort Turnbull, was built by the Confederates to defend Shreveport, the capital of Louisiana in 1864. The fort's name came from the charred logs simulating cannons used to deter the Union forces from attacking. The Confederate Naval Ship Yard on Cross Bayou was used to build several of the first submarines used in battle.