2015 Regular Session ENROLLED
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 178
BY SENATOR LONG
A RESOLUTION
To commend the city of Natchitoches on being named the 2015 Best Southern Small Town
by USA Today.
WHEREAS, USA Today is a national newspaper distributed across all fifty states and
is read by almost two million people annually; and
WHEREAS, this year, the editors convened a group of travel and lifestyle experts
to select twenty cities throughout the South with a population of under twenty thousand and
which best represents the atmosphere and culture of this historic region; and
WHEREAS, the list of nominees included Natchitoches, Louisiana; Abingdon,
Virginia; Bardstown, Kentucky; Dahlonega, Georgia; Natchez, Mississippi; Eureka Springs,
Arkansas; Beaufort, South Carolina; Berkeley Springs, West Virginia; Floyd, Virginia; and
Fredericksburg, Texas; and
WHEREAS, Natchitoches was nominated largely because a trip there is like
"stepping back in time, where the famed Southern hospitality remains a tradition and where
life moves along at a more leisurely pace"; and
WHEREAS, the list of nominees were presented to readers of the newspaper who
had the opportunity to vote on which town they thought best represented the ideal of the
southern small town, and after eleven days and thousands of votes, Natchitoches, Louisiana,
was officially named the 2015 Best Southern Small Town; and
WHEREAS, a proud gem of the state and one of the nation's oldest cities,
Natchitoches was founded in 1714 as part of French Louisiana and was named after the
Natchitoches Indian Tribe; and
WHEREAS, the city boasts a population of eighteen thousand two hundred and
seventy-five people, and during its long and storied history the town has served as an
important trading and economic hub for north Louisiana, is home to a major university, and
is a popular tourist destination for those wanting to experience the culture and heritage that
the city is so celebrated for; and
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WHEREAS, the city of Natchitoches and its proud citizens should be commended
on being recognized for their efforts in preserving the Southern experience.
THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
does hereby commend and congratulate the city of Natchitoches, Louisiana, for being named
the 2015 Best Southern Small Town by USA Today.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
mayor of the city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE
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