Natchitoches, founded in 1714 as a French colonial settlement on the banks of the Cane River, is an inland Louisiana town whose brick-lined streets, historic architecture, and atmosphere reflect a long history that includes settlement, French and Spanish rule, the expansion of U.S. boundaries, the rise of an agricultural economy, slavery, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the Great Depression, twentieth-century economic development, and mechanization and modernization. Although the city changed significantly in the last century and attracted new industries that helped it grow and prosper, the preservation of its past became a community priority for more than 60 years. Early local preservationists helped save many historic sites in the region, and those efforts eventually contributed to the designation of a National Historic Landmark District within the city and the establishment of the Cane River National Heritage Area, linking historic resources in both urban and rural settings. The district was designated in 1974 and listed in the National Register of Historic Places, contains more than 200 historic structures including many eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century buildings built with the French colonial technique of bousillage, and stands alongside enduring local traditions and cultural landscapes that preserve and honor Louisiana's complex history.