Colfax (pronounced'Coll-fax') is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was founded in 1869, named for President Ulysses S. Grant vice-president, Schuyler Colfax (pronounced'Cole-fax'). Colfax is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria, Louisiana metropolitan area. The population was 1,659 at the 2000 United States Census.

History
Both the town and parish were founded in 1869, with the parish named for President Ulysses S. Grant. The town is of historical importance because of the Colfax Riot of April 13, 1873, more recently termed the Colfax Massacre by contemporary historians Eric...

Colfax (pronounced'Coll-fax') is a town in and the parish seat of Grant Parish, Louisiana, United States. The town was founded in 1869, named for President Ulysses S. Grant vice-president, Schuyler Colfax (pronounced'Cole-fax'). Colfax is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Alexandria, Louisiana metropolitan area. The population was 1,659 at the 2000 United States Census.

History
Both the town and parish were founded in 1869, with the parish named for President Ulysses S. Grant. The town is of historical importance because of the Colfax Riot of April 13, 1873, more recently termed the Colfax Massacre by contemporary historians Eric Foner and Nicholas Lemann. The events at the parish courthouse resulted in the largest number of African American fatalities in a single occurrence between whites and blacks during Reconstruction. A contemporary report by the US military documented 3 whites and 105 black victims by name, as well as noting 15-20 unidentified bodies found in the Red River. Because of the disproportion in the numbers of deaths between the two sides, and documented accounts of at least 50 black prisoners being executed while under control of white militia, 20th century historians have called it a massacre. The event is also of importance because it marked a time when blacks organized to defend themselves and their political rights.

This Reconstruction era of the United States-era incident arose out of the disputed gubernatorial election of 1872, in which both sides certified their slates of local officers. It was part of a background of violent competition and political unrest.

A 1950 historical marker erected by the state commerce department identified it as the Colfax Riot and said that the massacre'marked the end of carpetbaggers misrule in the South. ' Because of similar insurgent paramilitary violence in other areas of the state, especially during campaigns and elections, federal troops remained in Louisiana until 1877.

In 2007 the Red River Heritage Association was founded to collect and interpret the history of Reconstruction, especially in the Red River area and Louisiana. They are raising funds to restore a bank in Colfax near the former courthouse site to use as a museum, archives and interpretive center.