Red River Parish was formed March 2, 1871 by Governor Henry Clay Warmouth from Natchitoches, Caddo, Bossier, Bienville, and DeSoto Parishes. At the time it was a plantation region, and later became the scene of Reconstruction Era violence. The current courthouse, located in the Parish seat Coushatta, was finished in 1926.
As of the 2000 census, the population of the Parish numbered at 9,622. The land area of the parish is 389.29 square miles, and the population density is 24.7 people per square mile.
The library currently has on display a collection of Native American artifacts from the area, and is working to create a local history room.