City of Bogalusa

Among Louisiana cities, there perhaps is none whose short history is more interesting and unique than that of the city of Bogalusa. The very name Bogalusa is copyrighted. The Magic City, The Green Empire, slogans of the past years, are as appropriate today as they were when the axe felled the first tree to carve from a virgin pine forest the community destined to be one of the leading industrial cities of the South.

Bogalusa is situated on the Pearl River (the dividing line between Louisiana and Mississippi and the eastern border of Washington Parish) in the Florida Parishes section of Louisiana, and is the chief manufacturing and trading center on the Pearl River Valley. Reputed to have been the largest unincorporated community in the nation at the time, Bogalusa was incorporated July 4, 1914 with a commission form of government.

The name Bogalusa is derived from the Indian-named creek Bogue Lusa which flows through the city, the definition of which is smoky or dark waters.

Bogalusa owes its birth to the enterprise of the Goodyear interests of Buffalo, New York which established the lumber industry here in 1906, and erected the Great Southern Lumber Company plant. This plant became the largest pine sawmill in the world. Today Gaylord Container Corporation ranks as one of the outstanding manufacturers of Kraft Liner Board and Kraft Bag Paper in the nation.

The Union Avenue Baptist Church of Bogalusa, Washington Parish is organized by 11 charter members in a log cabin at Pool’s Bluff . It was the first organized church, and it"s building housed the first school in Bogalusa. Several log buildings also used as schools were occupied until 1874, when the first lumber church was built.

Altitude: 103 feet msl
Type of Government: Mayor/Council (7) Home Rule Charter
Fire Department: 35 full time, 20 vol. Fire Rating: 5
Police: 42 officers
Health Care: Bogalusa Community Medical Center, Washington-St. Tammany Regional Medical Center, Resthaven Nursing Home
Recreation: Boating & fishing in Pearl River, hunting in Ben’s Creek WMA; country club, golf course and 2 parks. Annual Festival in the Park.
Motels: Sportsman"s Inn, Choctaw, LaFloridan Inn, Del