Natchitoches

City and seat of Natchitoches Parish, in northwestern Louisiana; population (2000) 17,700. Natchitoches is situated on Cane River Lake (formerly part of the Red River), 77 km/48 mi northwest of Alexandria. It is named after the native Natchitoches people (see also Nacogdoches, Texas).

Natchitoches was founded in 1714 as Fort St Jean Baptiste, a French military and trading post. The oldest permanent White settlement within the Louisiana Purchase, it developed in the early 19th century as a cotton centre. However, the city declined after 1832, when the Red River changed its course, moving 8 km/5 mi to the east. Natchitoches is now primarily a processing and market centre for farms in the region. It has a variety of light manufactures, and also thrives on tourism. It is home to Northwestern State University (founded 1884).