An attempt was made immediately after the war to form a new parish out of Natchitoches, DeSoto, Bienville and Caddo, but for many reasons the scheme was not brought to perfection until 1871, when a Legislature was found willing and capable of giving the authority to organize. In May, 1871, the first police jury organized within the old store building of Lisso & Bro., at Coushatta Chute, M. H. Twitchell was elected president, and he, with P. E. Roach, George A. King, F. S. Edgerton (killed in 1874), E. W. DeWeese (killed in 1874) and Prior Porter (colored) formed the board. D. H. Hayes, deputy district clerk, was clear; Homer J. Twitchell (killed in 1874), recorder; J. T. Yates, sheriff; Julius Lisso, treasurer; and F. S. Stokes, tax collector. The jurors entered on the duties of office without ceremony or delay, and the tax collector's work began a few days later.
On January 9, 1872, E. W. DeWeese, representative, called up his bill authorizing Red River to issue $20,000 bonds to build a court-house and jail. D. Cady Stanton, of Bossier, in opposing this measure, stated that $13,000 had already been misappropriated for this purpose, and he emphasized this assertion by stating that the jail built under this $13,000 was not paid for. W. H. Scanland opposed the bill here as the taxes were already heavy, 14 1/2 mills State, 2 percent to Natchitoches for court-house and jail purposes, and 14 1/2 mills parish taxes, or nearly 6 percent. W. L. Hain, whose lowest bid for the building of the court-house was rejected, published his complaints. In January, 1872, the treasurer's (Julius Lisso) report for 1871 was presented. This showed $11.321.55 paid to him by F. J. Stokes, collector and $11,318.27 expended. The whole amount was simply paid back to F. J. Stokes at intervals, and as the jury was in secret session, few citizens ever knew the details. M. H. Twitchell was senator from this district, and E. W. DeWeese, of DeSoto; L. J. Souer, of Avoyelles; Charles S. Able, of Bossier; Mortimer Carr, of DeSoto, and D. C. Stanton, of Bossier, non-resident representatives in 1871-72. Within the Legislature the efforts of the parish jury to strip the old inhabitants and many of the new inhabitants of their property were ably sustained. The new rules regarded them as prey, and so continued to regard them and trifle with then until 1874, when human nature asserted herself by as just a rebellion as history records.