Page Contents for Rodessa, Louisiana

Statistics & Facts

Location

History & History-related items

City Attractions

Government

Historical Events

Organizations, Churches, and Sports.

Libraries.

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Statistics & Facts

The Louisiana state capital is Baton Rouge.
The population of Rodessa is approximately 294 (1990), 270 (2010).
The approximate number of families is 125 (1990), 112 (2010).
The amount of land area in Rodessa is 2.164 sq. kilometers.
The amount of surface water is 0 sq kilometers.
The distance from Rodessa to Washington DC is 1071 miles.
The distance to the Louisiana state capital is 244 miles. (as the crow flies)
Rodessa is positioned 32.97 degrees north of the equator and 93.99 degrees west of the prime meridian.

Location

near Shreveport.
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History & History Related Items

Rodessa was one of the last boomtowns in America and hit during the mid-30s. It provided much of the fuel during World War II via pipelines to Baton Rouge, La. It swelled from a few hundred people to thousands almost over night and within 10 years was practically over with. A new expensive school built in 1939 with Federal and private funds was a showcase for Louisiana. It is now vacant and falling down. The high school lasted only a few years. Rodessa, in 2001, was reduced to about 350 people.
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Attractions

Boomtown Celebration in Fall of Year
Rodessa Heritage Museum - Museum of local oil and school history now open in downtown.
Boyhood home of O.J.Simpson
Hometown of author Milt Hartsell, who wrote "Some Bright Morning, I'll Fly Away"-published in 2001--covering historical events in the Northwest Louisiana oil fields in a fictional novel, also reflects on the Ark-La_Tex during the World War II era. Hartsell, up until recently, was Mayor of Rodessa. (for more information see http://hartsell.11net.com)
Boyhood home of Dr. Butch Flores, noted historical author.
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Rodessa City Government

Rodessa Village Hall
10093 Main St
Rodessa, LA 71069-8245
Phone: 318-223-4211

Rodessa Historical Events

1938-39
Seymour Van Os - architect of Rodessa High School
some highlights of his life
Dad, being in the US Army Engineer Reserves, dating back from his enlistment in year 1917 to serve in WW 1. was also called back to active duty in pre-WW 2, to help train the FDR (as I recall) Preparedness Military Draft that predated the Pearl Harbor Bombing about by about 10 months. That would have been in year 1940, prior to Pearl Harbor Bombing. He served overseas in the European Theater of Operations, then was ordered to serve overseas again to be on the American Engineering Staff of Admiral "Lord" Louis Mountbatten in the China-Burma-India Theater of Operations. A I recall, he had to do with some of the Military Engineering of the Ledo Road/and/or the noted Burma Road. I do recall Dad was awarded a Bronze Star Distinguished Award for excellence of his Military Engineering Planning. Dad was an Architectural Graduate of the School of Architecture, Tulane University of New Orleans, Louisiana, year 1913, and was a practicing civilian Architect in Shreveport for several decades.
Submitted by his son, Seymour Van Os, Jr.

Rodessa Libraries

Rodessa Library
10093 Main St
Rodessa, LA 71069-8245
Phone: 318-223-4211