BASTROP

city, Morehouse parish, northeastern Louisiana, U.S., 24 miles (38 km) northeast of Monroe. Settlement of the area began after a Dutch nobleman, Baron de Bastrop, was given a large land grant by the Spanish in 1796. The baron subsequently sold much of his land to Abram Morehouse, a settler from Kentucky. Bastrop was founded in 1846 as the parish seat. It experienced an industrial boom after 1916, when natural gas was discovered in the area. The city has a diversified economy based on manufacturing and services. Manufactures include paper, wood products, carbon black, and chemicals. Bastrop is also an agricultural centre (cattle, cotton, corn , rice, and soybeans) and the site of the North Louisiana Cotton Festival and Fair, held annually in October. Nearby are Chemin-A-Haut State Park and Bussey Brake Reservoir. Inc. town, 1852; city, 1952. Pop. (1990) 13,916; (1998 est.) 13,516.