Cottonport was founded in the early 19th century and incorporated in 1888 along the banks of Bayou Rouge (French for "Red Bayou"). The bayou is actually is an ancient channel of the Mississippi River from thousands of years ago before the river was tamed with levees. Over the centuries, the overflow of the Mississippi valley brought rich nutrients to the soils around Cottonport, attracting early settlers to farm. In the 19th century, small steamboats made their way to Cottonport by Bayou Rouge with goods destined for the port of New Orleans. The bayou was deep enough to support the large boats in the spring and summer seasons when water levels were highest. The boats would deliver cargo into the area and would load crops on board to take to larger ports along the route. The main crop available for exporting at that time was cotton. In fact, because so much cotton was being shipped from the port, early settlers named the village Cottonport. The first part of this book is a pictorial timeline, organized by year. The second part contains family photos from families such as Armand, Aymond, Bordelon, Callegari, Coco, Descant, Ducote, Goudeau, Hays, Jeansonne, and Rabalais.Lemoine,