2018 Map of Rayville

About this map

Rayville serves as the focal point of this Richland Parish landscape, situated at a major crossroads in a region defined by intricate bottomland hydrology. The meandering course of the Boeuf River and the Cutoff Bayou weave through a network of wetlands and swampy basins, identified as brakes, including Binion Brake, Ethridge Brake, and Lindsey Brake. This intersection of water and land has long influenced the placement of settlements like Girard and Dehlco, which are surrounded by numerous cemeteries that provide significant genealogical data points, such as Roberts Cem and the Northeast Louisiana Veterans Cem. The rural infrastructure is further characterized by family-named landmarks like John H Hooks Jr Memorial Airport and a dense network of local roads including Overland Stage Rd, reflecting the historical transition from stagecoach routes to modern parish transport.