Lake Providence History: How Lake Providence received its name.

The name of the small village of Lake Providence was derived from an odd source: Mississippi River pirates.  Bunch and his band of pirates, occupying a critical bend in the river, terrorized travelers and merchants as they passed down the Mississippi.  It had been said that if a ship passed this bend with the lives of its’ crew and its’ merchandise in tact, it was surely an act of “Providence.” 

The village below that bend became known as Providence.  It remained that until the early 1900’s when Lake was added to the title to decrease post office confusion with Providence, Rhode Island.

Early Times:

Lake Providence is the oldest town in Louisiana north of Natchitoches.  Early on, it served as a stopping point for fur trappers and traders and other rough and rowdy types.  The first permanent settlers were mostly from England, Scotland, Germany, and Ireland.  Between 1803 and 1812, these folks migrated in from areas to the north and to the east of Louisiana.  A settler named James Floyd claimed 640 acres along the Mississippi River.  This land was to become the town of Lake Providence and surrounding areas. 

Currently, the town of Lake Providence sits on a beautiful six-mile long oxbow lake that had been formed by the Mississippi River and changed its course many years ago.  The town charter was adopted around 1812; the same year that Louisiana became a state.  The town currently serves as the parish seat of East Carroll Parish.  As you know, a parish is basically the same as a county; the term reflects our French Napoleonic history.  But, it was not always called East Carroll.

The projected population in the year 2005 is 9,281.

For more information about the amazing city of Lake Providence, LA see below:

CITY DATA INFO ON LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA

WIKIPEDIA INFO FOR LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA