Don Juan Filhiol Historic District (Monroe, Louisiana)

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One of Monroe's three historic districts. It is named after a Frenchman born Jean-Baptiste Filhiol (1740) who was among the first European administrator to take possession of the area. Under the Spanish flag in 1783, Filhiol was sent to establish an outpost in the Ouachita River Valley. It was named Poste d'Ouachita. In 1785 he founded Prairie des Canots (within the present-day city of Monroe) and built Fort Miro, firstly to defend settlers against the Indians and later to secure the Spanish claim on the territory against American encroachment. Filhiol served as commandant of Poste d'Ouachita until 1800.
A monument to Fort Miro is located near the shore of the Ouachita just south of the RiverWalk across from the old Ouachita Parish High School (now the Ouachita Grand Plaza).