Richland Parish, Louisiana

Richland Parish is a parish located in the North Louisiana Delta Country in the U.S. state of Louisiana, known for its fertile, flat farmland, cane brakes, and open spaces. The parish had a population of 20,043 at the 2020 United States census. The name Richland was chosen due to the rich production from farming. The parish seat and largest community is Rayville.

History
The parish was officially created on September 29, 1868. Rayville, Louisiana, the parish seat, was named for John Ray, a politician from Monroe with large land holdings in present-day Rayville.

Richland Parish is home to the first public parish library in the State of Louisiana, the Rhymes Memorial Library. The library was built in 1925 by the Lambda Kappa Club of Rayville. R.R. Rhymes donated the original building in memory of his wife, Nonnie Roark Rhymes.

Geography
Bayou Macon flows through the western areas of Richland. Other tributaries in the parish include Crew Lake, and the Lafourche Diversion Canal are located in the western portion of the parish. Boeuf River flows from the northern end to the southern end in the center of the parish.

Adjacent parishes

 * Morehouse Parish (north)
 * West Carroll Parish (northeast)
 * Madison Parish (east)
 * Franklin Parish (south)
 * Caldwell Parish (southwest)
 * Ouachita Parish (west)

Parks and wildlife management areas

 * Poverty Point Reservoir State Park
 * Russell Sage Wildlife Management Area

Towns

 * Delhi
 * Rayville (parish seat and largest municipality)

Village

 * Mangham

Census-designated place

 * Start

Unincorporated communities

 * Alto
 * Archibald
 * Bardel
 * Bee Bayou
 * Buckner
 * Charlieville
 * Crew Lake
 * Dehlco
 * Dunn
 * Four Forks
 * Gilleyville
 * Girard
 * Holly Ridge
 * Jonesburg
 * Mitchiner
 * New Light
 * Rhymes
 * Sacksonia
 * Warden

2020 census
As of the 2020 United States census, there were 20,043 people, 7,459 households, and 4,972 families residing in the parish.

Public schools

 * Delhi Elementary
 * Delhi Junior High
 * Delhi High School
 * Holly Ridge Elementary
 * Mangham Elementary
 * Mangham Junior High
 * Mangham High School
 * Rayville Elementary
 * Rayville Junior High
 * Rayville, High School
 * Start Elementary

Private schools

 * Riverfield Academy, K–12

Charter schools

 * Delhi Charter, K–12

Community and technical colleges

 * Louisiana Delta Community College, (with campus locations in neighboring Tallulah, Winnsboro, Lake Providence, Bastrop, Monroe, and West Monroe.)

Regional universities

 * University of Louisiana at Monroe
 * Louisiana Tech University, (Ruston)
 * Grambling State University, (Grambling)

Notable people

 * Julia Letlow, from Start, elected Member of Congress in the United States House of Representatives.
 * Luke Letlow, from Start, elected to the United States House of Representatives, but died of a heart attack caused by COVID-19 before he could be seated.
 * Ralph Abraham, from Alto, elected Member of Congress in United States House of Representatives.
 * Harry W. Addison was a Southern author and humorist who resided in Rayville from 1945 to 1957.
 * Jamar Adcock, a politician and banker in Monroe, born in Richland Parish
 * Terry Doughty, is a federally appointed judge for the Western District of Louisiana.
 * Elvin Hayes, Hall of Fame basketball player, born in Rayville
 * Arlene Howell, Miss Louisiana USA 1958, Miss USA 1958
 * Ralph E. King, Winnsboro physician who represented Richland Parish in the Louisiana State Senate from 1944 to 1952 and again from 1956 to 1960
 * William L. Kirk, of Rayville was a United States Air Force four-star general who served as Commander in Chief, U.S. Air Forces in Europe/Commander, Allied Air Forces Central Europe.
 * Ernie Ladd, a football player/professional wrestler, born in Rayville
 * Moses J. Liddell was appointed by President Grover Cleveland as a judge for the Supreme Court of the Montana Territory.
 * Wiley Person Mangham, an American publisher and editor. He is the namesake for t
 * Tim McGraw, Country musician, born in Delhi, and raised in Start
 * Robert Max Ross, was a Republican politician and activist who qualified to run for governor, U.S. Senate, and the U.S. House, for the purpose of advancing the two-party system in Louisiana, at a time it did not exist.
 * Francis C. Thompson served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1975 until 2008; since in the Louisiana State Senate