![](https://canerivernha.org/sites/default/files/styles/blog/public/Bust%20of%20St.%20Denis.jpg?itok=f3b9ZueR&c=da4bf779dcf624fb5d8c088669e5dd96)
French explorer Louis Juchereau de St. Denis arrived into a well-established Caddo village in 1701 as part of an expedition to explore the region and begin trade relations with the American Indians. In 1714, during a return trip, St. Denis constructed a barrack and storage house to support the Indian trade in the Natchitoches Indian village along the Red River, signaling the founding of the town of Natchitoches.