Olla Map
Olla is a municipality in northwest La Salle Parish, Louisiana, United States. Olla has a federally recognized downtown Historic District. The population was 1,617 at the 2010 census. Olla is the site of the annual Central Louisiana Bluegrass Festival each April and to the Olla Founder's Day Homecoming Celebration that coincides with the local high school Homecoming each Fall.
Settled prior to the American Civil War, the Town of Olla was known as Castor Sulfur Springs, and a steamboat port on nearby Bayou Castor was its original site. The area had a post office, general store, hotel, spa resort, and a dry goods and cotton storage facility.
Naturally occurring sulfur muds and spring water made Castor Sulfur Springs a nationally known health spa providing treatment for a variety of ailments. The curative powers of “Balance Sulfur” mud was publicized over a large part of the nation, and chronic sufferers of gout, arthritis, rheumatism, and other muscular troubles were frequent visitors. In 1890, Riley Joe Wilson established the Olla Military Institute, a private military school. The first faculty members consisted of Mr. Wilson, Olla Mills, John Paul Jones, Missy Robertson, Rev. Elijah Bryant, and Bell Murphy. The school flourished for several years until a fire destroyed it in 1899, and it was never rebuilt. At this time, a public school, Olla High School, was constructed to serve the towns of Olla and Standard. In 1950, Olla, Urania, and Tullos High Schools consolidated as LaSalle High School. The Olla-Standard Elementary School now sits at the former site of the Olla Military Institute and Olla High School.
Nearby cities include Clarks, Grayson, Georgetown, Columbia, Jena.