Town of Olla
Settled prior to the American Civil War. the Town of Olla was known as Castor Sulfur Springs. and a steamboat port on Bayou Castor was its original site. In 1891, the Houston. Central Arkansas. and Northern Railroad came to what was then northwest Catahoula Parish to construct a railroad more than a mile away from Castor Sulfur Springs. At this time. a new town was laid out and named for Olla Mills, a well educated. attractive and accomplished young lady, who was instrumental in community activities. The Town of Olla was officially incorporated on August 1. 1899, with Dr. William V. Taylor III as its first Mayor. Olla is the site of the only documented train robbery in Louisiana. which occurred in August of 1900. It is known for its excellent natural groundwater, which became the site of the Olla Bottling Works during the 1920's. The formation of the Olla State Bank in 1906 helped secure economic viability to the region that supported area sawmill payrolls and survived the Great Depression until its merger in the 1980's. The discovery of the Olla Oil Field in 1938 also helped foster new growth and economic sustainability. Olla continues to be a regional hub for banking and is heavily involved with the forestry and petroleum production industries.