The first European settlement, by French traders and colonists, developed on the banks of the Tangipahoa River, adjacent to a Choctaw village.

Amite City was chosen as the practical stopping point, as it was halfway between Lake Pontchartrain to the south and the Mississippi state line that formed the northern border of the parish.

In addition to becoming a major commercial center for a large region, Amite Station became a popular resort in the late 1850s.

Many prosperous New Orleans residents established country retreats in the region to enjoy the natural beauty and escape unhealthy conditions in the low-lying city along the Mississippi.

This trend intensified as seasonal epidemics of yellow fever continued to plague New Orleans in the mid-19th century.

On March 7, 1861,[4] Amite City was incorporated as a town two months after the secession of Louisiana from the Union.

After the war, Amite City served as the base for Union troops occupying the region during Reconstruction.

From the early 1870s through the first decade of the 20th century, Amite City played a central role in the violence that gained the parish the name "Bloody Tangipahoa."

The turbulent political and economic conditions of the Reconstruction period and its aftermath sparked a number of vicious family feuds.

By the early 20th century, improved law enforcement brought some peace and better harmony to the area for some families, but blacks were excluded from political life.

The company was the largest producer of cotton gins in the south, employing more than 250 people by the early 20th century.