False River was an unincorporated community located in southern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana

Pointe Coupee Parish, pronounced "Pwent Koo-Pay" and , is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is New Roads. As of 2000, the population was 22,763....

. It was situated near present day New Roads, Louisiana

New Roads, Louisiana

New Roads is a city in and the parish seat of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States. The center of population of Louisiana is located in New Roads . The population was 4,996 at the 2000 census. The city's ZIP code is 70760...

 and the current lake of False River

False River (Louisiana)

False River is an oxbow lake located in southeastern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana centered at This lake was once the main channel of the Mississippi River in this area...

.

History

In February 1858 a post office was established in the small community known as False River. However, it was short-lived. Less than three years later, the post office was closed. During the American Civil War

American Civil War

The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...

, the area was used as an encampment for Union troops. In 1887, the post office was re-opened as "St. Mary's, Louisiana." Public debate over the town's name caused the name to be changed to New Roads in 1888. The town was incorporated in 1894 as New Roads. The spelling of the town's name was sometimes written as "New Rhodes" in early maps and publications.