Once the center of commerce in a lawless swath of present-day western Louisiana, Leesville is now a welcoming and hospitable community with a colorful past that sits on the cusp of some of the South’s best outdoor pursuits. Here, about two hours south by car of Shreveport and its regional airport, visitors can step back in time to the pre-Civil War era when Spain and the United States created a buffer zone between their two countries to avoid disputes after the 1803 Louisiana Purchase. By crafting this neutral zone, the two governments created a renegade area where outlaws, military deserters, and runaway slaves settled and carved their lives out of the rolling hills and tall-pine country of this still-sparsely populated corner of the Pelican State.
Dubbed “No Man’s Land” at the time and perceived by many to be Louisiana’s own version of the Wild West, the neutral zone between Spain and the growing and westward-looking United States was sort of a 19th century DMZ where lawlessness was the order of the day, and where no government had much control. The occupants of No Man’s Land included bandits and raiders who disrupted trade between nearby Natchitoches, Louisiana’s oldest city with just as much European charm and culture as New Orleans, and points west in Spanish-controlled Texas. Both the U.S. and Spain took turns raiding outlaw camps and trying to keep trade flowing.
Finally, in 1821, nine years after Louisiana earned statehood, Spain and the U.S. settled on the present-day boundaries between Louisiana and what is now Texas. Today, there are still remnants of that 15-year “Wild West” period in Louisiana’s history, and there’s so much for visitors to do while traveling to this quiet enclave of the American South.
A military town on the fringes of the great outdoors
In addition to its No Man’s Land history, Leesville is a military town. Home to the U.S. Army base Fort Johnson (formerly Fort Polk), Leesville’s more recent history is almost as interesting as its past. Established in 1941, Fort Johnson housed German prisoners captured during World War II. Then, in 1962, as the U.S. was ramping up its participation in the Vietnam War, the post was used as a major infantry training center, a role it reprised in 1993 when the Joint Readiness Training Center opened there. Visitors can take a self-guided tour of Fort Johnson and get a glimpse into the post’s colorful past at the Fort Polk Military Museum. Fort Johnson is the largest military base in Louisiana.
Surrounding Leesville is a wealth of outdoor recreation opportunities. From mountain biking and hiking in the Kisatchie and Sabine national forests (the latter is across the state line in eastern Texas), to chasing trophy bass on the storied Toledo Bend Reservoir, those with a penchant for the woods and waters of the South won’t be disappointed. Toledo Bend Reservoir is on the Sabine River and denotes today’s undisputed border between Texas and Louisiana. Named the top bass lake in America between 2015 and 2017, Toledo Bend is a lot like Lake Guntersville in Alabama in that it boasts some of the best bass fishing in the Southeast. The large mouthbass population is robust, but anglers can also choose to go after crappie, catfish, and sunfish, too. But perhaps the most sought-after trophy on Toledo Bend is its striped bass –- these fish are regularly spotted by Texas Parks and Wildlife and their appeal is due to their incredible growth potential.
Leesville’s history is diverse and interesting
