As Mound Builders, they were ancestors of North American Indians who inhabited the territory when the Europeans arrived.

Stilwell went to Zwolle, the Netherlands, and met with a rich coffee merchant Jan De Goeijen.

About 1896, Stilwell and De Goeijen were plotting a route to extend the KCS railway to the Gulf of Mexico.

While visiting the area destined to become Zwolle, De Goeijen was impressed with St. Joseph Catholic Church.

De Goeijen sold a $3,000,000 stock issue for Stilwell's railroad and he was permitted to name the place after his hometown and birthplace of Zwolle, a riverside city of currently over 130,000 population in the Netherlands.

[5] On July 14, 1896, Teofilo “T.” Laroux, a community leader and descendant of the early families, donated 20 acres to the KCS for a railroad depot and town to be built.

Zwolle's strategic location made it possible for the small town to flourish as a transportation center for lumber, oil and cotton production.

The festival was founded in 1975 at the suggestion of Sabine Parish Tourist Commission member and Zwolle native Rogers P. Loupe.

The fiesta celebrates the Native American and Spanish heritage and cultural influence rooted in the town's origins.

[12] The festival is traditionally held on the 2nd weekend of October, kicking off on Thursday night and concluding on Sunday.

Attractions include live music, cultural exhibitions, a parade, a ball, a small-scale carnival, a car show and a mud bog competition.

[11] Founded in 1995, the Loggers and Forestry Festival pays tribute to workers in the community's horticulture industry – the cornerstone of the local economy.

[13] Each year, A festival queen is decided by a pageant, and the oldest-living logger residing in the town is named the king.