The parish of Catahoula was created in 1808 from the parish of Rapides. The name "Catahoula" is believed to be derived from the Choctaw Indian word "Okkattahoula," which means "beautiful clear water." With the building of a north and south railway line through the western part of the parish in the early 1900s, new communities sprang up and sawmills to convert the pine timber into lumber were erected on the line. Catahoula parish has plant, aquaculture, wildlife and animal enterprises.
