Prior the 1835 Natchitoches was the head of the Red River navigation. From Coushatta Bayou, for almost 180 miles up the river, was the "Great Raft," the collection of trees and debris of the upper waters for years. In 1830-31 the United States Ware Department complained of the expense of transporting supplies to Fort Towson, in the new Indian Territory, and this complaint, added to the treaty promises made the Choctaws and the Chickasaws, led to an appropriation by Congress, in 1831, for the removal of impediments to Red River navigation. Capt. Henry M. Shreve was employed to take charge of this work, at a salary of $5,000 per annum. He was not a United Stated officer, but a bargeman between Louisville and New Orleans up to the time he took charge of the third steamer ever seen on the Mississippi. The Government furnished him with two powerful snagboats, two transports and four barges, manned by 200 regularly enlisted men. The men received $20 per month. In the fall of 1832, work was commenced at a point below Shreveport, 140 miles by river. In the winter of 1835, the raft was removed as far up as Shreveport, but the work of natural accretion had been carried on so industriously by the river, from 1832 to 1835, that it was found there were over thirty miles of raft formed above Shreveport, and the work of removing this or making new channels, where the mass was too solid to remove, was at once entered upon and completed in 1840, leaving the river navigable for 1,100 miles. The "Concord," commanded by Capt. Hildreth, and the "Indian," lay at Shreveport for a month before completion on the work, and on its completion followed the Government boats to the newly formed head of navigation. They were loaded with supplies for Fort Towson, four miles northeast of the Red River, in the Indian nation. Within two years a new raft formed for eight miles between Hurricane and Carolina Bluffs, so that another appropriation of $100,000 had to be made by Congress. In 1842 Gen. T. T. Williamson bought the contract for this work, and chartering the freight boat "Southwestern," had little difficulty in clearing the river. His contract bound him to keep the channels clear for five years, and to effect this at little cost, he boomed the river above Carolina Bluffs. Shortly after Capt. Washington Robb arrived at the boom with his boat, expecting to trans-ship the cargo to an upper river boat, but failing in making arrangements, he cut the boom and proceeded on his way, leaving the river free to continue the work of raft-making. In 1850 another appropriation of $100,000 was made, and Capt. Fuller, U. S. E. C., was placed in charge of the work. Instead of cutting the twelve miles of raft between Carolina Bluffs and Gilmer, he contented himself with cutting canals at the head and foot of Dutch John's Lake and to sundry work on Dooley's Bayou, with the object of throwing the water into Soto Late. This useless work cost the United States $90,000. The plans on which Fuller acted were said to be inspired by James B. Gilmer, who at this time was hostile to Shreveport. Gilmer also had a ditch excavated, 5,100 feet in length, from the point where Tone's Bayou leaves old river into Bayou Pierre. The fall in this short distance, seven or eight feet, attracted the waters of the river, and soon a ship channel was in existence and Tone's Bayou* or Antoine Pourier's Bayou, was formed.
*The head of Tone's Bayou was closed by Surveyor Shreve, about 1843, with driftwood from the raft above. In 1849 James B. Gilmer, a planter, and a ditch made through the obstruction, which gradually widened, until the water found its way to Bayou Pierre Lake, and again falling into Red River through Wincey Bayou, below Coushatta. In 1853 Representative R. White won a appropriation for straightening the river at Scopinis. This work was done in 1859-60, but the first boat did not pass through the cut until 1862, when Capt. Phelps backed the Rinaldo through. During the war Dr. Hotchkiss under instructions from the secretary of war, closed the bayou, which was washed away not to be rebuilt until 1872-73. In 1874 the United States engineers has the raft removed and Tone's Bayou re-closed.
For many years after the Fuller fiasco the United States let this raft severely alone. In 1872 there were several raft formations, aggregating twelve miles of solid raft for thirty-two miles above Carolina Bluffs. Another appropriation was made and confided to Maj. Howells, U. S. E. C. He placed Lieut. E. A. Woodruff in immediate charge, and within a year the obstruction were almost removed, owing to the fact that a nitroglycerine factory was established and the powerful explosive used in blowing up the island. The condition of the raft of 1872 may be explained by stating, that on several of its sections groves of willow trees sprung up, some of which reached twelve inches in diameter. During the epidemic of 1873 Lieut. Woodruff came to Shreveport to aid the people, but was himself carried off. On the total removal of the raft the United States steamer "Florence" was stationed here. In 1882 the new appropriation of $85,000 won by Congressman Blanchard, and $25,000 balance of former appropriations, were available. Appropriations for Cypress Bayou and other improvements have since been made and improvements effected. In 1890 Capt. Lydon removed the 300 year old raft at Young's Point, cutting a channel 600 feet wide for five miles.