Cane River

For the film, see Cane River (film). For other uses, see Cane River (disambiguation).

The Cane River (French: Rivière aux Cannes) is a 30-mile-long (48 km) river^[1] in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, originating from a portion of the Red River. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it gained prominence as the locus of a Creole de couleur (multiracial) culture,^[2] centered around the Melrose Plantation and the adjacent St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church. Melrose Plantation is a National Historic Landmark.

Cane River
Cane River
Location
Country	United States
State	Louisiana
Parish	Natchitoches
Physical characteristics
Source
• coordinates	31°33′55″N 92°58′06″W
Mouth	Red River of the South
• location	At the Natchitoches–Rapides Parish boundary
• coordinates	31°44′35″N 93°05′10″W
Length	30 miles (48 km)

In 1836, the Red River shifted into an eastern channel, known as the "Rigolette de Bon Dieu."^[3]

Lyle Saxon wrote a short story titled "Cane River" published in 1926.^[4] The Cane River and Creoles also feature in Saxon's 1937 novel Children of Strangers.^[5]

Cabin along the river ca. 1933

"Cane River" by John Isiah Walton

Display at the Cane River Creole National Historical Park

See also

• Cane River Creole National Historical Park
• Isle Brevelle
• Red River of the South
• Anne des Cadeaux
• Sabine River Spanish
• Bayou Brevelle
• Adai Caddo Indians of Louisiana
• Louisiana Creole people