Formed March 17, 1843 (41st parish)
Tensas Parish (4,147), Saint Joseph (831), Newellton (882)
A domed masonry Classical Revival building sits at Hancock and 2nd Street in the small riverside town. It was built in 1906 and renovated in 1984. Patrick Henry Weathers is the architect. Saint Joseph has been the only seat in the parish. Tensas Parish was created on March 17, 1843 from parts of Ouachita and Concordia parishes as the 41st parish. The Tensas Native Americans were the original settlers and provided the name of the parish. The parish seat was named for a nearby lake which was named for Saint Joseph, husband of Mary, mother of Jesus from the Bible.
Tensas Parish government consists of a President, a sheriff, a clerk, a treasurer, and a coroner (executive). It has 7 Police Jury Members (legislative.) One District Court Judge serves Tensas, East Carroll, and Madison parishes and Three Justice Court Judges serve Tensas Parish (judicial.) The parish is in eastern Louisiana on the border with Mississippi. The Mississippi River forms the eastern border. Bayou Tensas is most of the western border. Alexandria, Louisiana is southwest and Monroe, Louisiana is northwest of the parish. The parish center is 10.5 miles Northwest of Saint Joseph. The parish is surrounded clockwise by Madison Parish and Mississippi and Concordia, Catahoula, and Franklin parishes.
The area of the parish is 641 square miles. It is 40 out of 64 in the state. It ranks 64 out of 64 in population in the state. It has a density of 6.5 persons per square mile making it 63 out of 64 in the state. Tensas Parish has 54.4% of its population in its incorporated areas. United States Highway 65 crosses the parish north to south from Madison Parish into Concordia Parish. A leaning I with a northeast corner top notch is the best description of the parish. Saint Joseph is in the southern half and on the eastern Mississippi River border. Newellton is in the northeast quarter of the parish. Saint Joseph is the parish seat and Newellton is the largest city. Saint Joseph is 20.0% of the parish population while Newellton is 21.3% of the parish population. The largest city is pronounced NEWL-TON. The parish is pronounced TEN-SAW.
Newellton
St Joseph
Waterproof
