Construction of the line began in 1852, and by the start of the Civil War, 7 mi (11 km) of track had been laid west from Eunice.

[2] The railroad was completed after the war, but was abandoned in 1875 after flooding on the Mississippi River damaged the railbed and bridges.

On June 14, 1863, Confederate rebels at Eunice fired artillery onto the Union gunboat USS Marmora.

The soldiers set fire to stores, houses, and the railroad depot, destroying the town.

[4] The Yellow Bend Port—a modern industrial port, harbor and turning basin—is located on the original townsite.