The first recorded land-owner in the Rosepine area was Jefferson Cooper, who was granted 161 acres in 1889. The second, Thomas M. Evans, known as Matt to the old-timers, was granted 160 acres in 1896. In 1897, the Kansas City Southern railroad came through and Evans deeded a portion of his land to Wyatt Herrington, who sub-divided it into twenty blocks which became the town of Rosepine, named for the wild roses which grew among the pines.
The new town soon prospered, along with the lumber barons whose sawmills followed the railroad and made short work of clear-cutting their vast timber holdings. It was incorporated in 1902, and by 1906 the population had passed one thousand. For a time, Rosepine was bigger than nearby DeRidder, with seven saloons (some say more) along the street facing the railroad, a brick bank building, two hotels, three restaurants, a barber shop, a blacksmith, three to five general stores, a school, and more.
The town of Rosepine, like many others in the piney south, declined as the timber disappeared from the area. Remaining residents once again became subsistence farmers. A sweet potato co-op was formed and a large kiln was built near the railroad to dry the potatoes for shipping under the name “Rose Pine Yams”. Fresh vegetables were also shipped from this railroad spur. Another big cash crop was cucumbers which could be sold to the DeRidder Pickling Plant for cash.
Prosperity returned to Rosepine when the Great Louisiana Maneuvers brought thousands of troops to the area for training. When Fort Polk was established nearby, jobs became plentiful again and the population has steadily increased over the years.
Today, Rosepine is a small town with a school, post office and several businesses along Hwy. 171. It is home to the Rosepine Eagles. The Myths & Legends Byway runs through the town along Hwy. 171.
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