Shreveport, Louisiana: Practically Perfect and Hot on Basketball
Shreveport enjoys a unique demographic location as the meeting place between Louisiana, Arkansas and Texas. The importance of the location was the basis for the actual establishment of Shreveport as a city. However, the rich history of Shreveport has contributed to much of our culture as a nation through music, cuisine, industry and sports. Shreveport has been home to many well known sports figures and currently has a women’s top roller derby team: The Twin City Knockers. The other focus from this city is on their basketball and the game attendance and basketball scoreboards are proof of their devotion.
Originally called Shreve Town, after the commander of the United States Army Corps of Engineers, the focal point was to create a town to accommodate the tri-state needs. The locale offered a meeting of the Texas Trail and the Red River, which also opened up opportunities for river transportation.
The early history of what later became Shreveport included a bustling and successful trade in cotton, slaves and agricultural crops. With the advent of the Civil War, Louisiana became a Confederate State. The women of Shreveport banded together to lend help to their soldiers by sewing uniforms and undergarments as well as holding events to help with the war effort. A record lowering of the water table actually caused a major problem for river navigation and Shreveport, along with all of the southern states eventually succumbed to the losing side.
Shreveport is part of that unique area of Louisiana with an incredibly rich history in music and art. This is part of the country where jazz and the blues are part of every day life and their contributions affected music throughout the United States and eventually the world. This love of music was shared as riverboat trips and gambling was added in the Shreveport area. The attraction is electric and it was common to hear all forms of music playing as the boats calmly cruised down the river. Visitors often stopped in to view the roller derby scoreboards to see who was winning a local game, which holds such popularity with the townspeople. The sport of basketball is also one of the most attended, with sold out crowds and hot baseball scoreboards.
Throughout its history, Shreveport has experienced ups and downs in its economy. It was once a center for many industrial corporations which caused a sudden expansion. As the economy took a dip, so did the economic well-being of Shreveport. The area added shopping malls, racetracks and a complete revitalization of the history parts of Shreveport to attract tourists.
Shreveport also became a center for the film industry, with many of Hollywood’s top movies filmed in the area. Crews were welcomed with down home appeal combined with the incredible southern charm of the area. Visitors were often taken with the focus of Shreveport on their educational universities and colleges and the support of their many local sports teams. It is not a surprise that some of the nation’s top players in football, baseball, basketball and golf, all come from Shreveport. The area’s love of sports can be seen at the games as well as on their electronic scoreboards.
The steadfast history of the people of Shreveport, along with the incredible multicultural environment has allowed them to add the arts and culture as an important part of their lives. There are events, festivals, performing arts, museums and theatres everywhere you turn in Shreveport.
There is something about Shreveport that surprises you when you arrive, makes you feel welcome and gives you a feeling of sadness when you have to leave. It is part of the Americana that is known around the world and we hope will continue to influence our lives.
Sources:
//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shreveport,_Louisiana
https://www.pinterest.ru/jofer6/shreveport/
