The Cane River (French: Rivière aux Cannes) is a 30 mi river in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, originating from a portion of the Red River. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it gained prominence as the locus of a Creole de couleur (multiracial) culture, centered around the Melrose Plantation and the adjacent St. Augustine Parish (Isle Brevelle) Church. Melrose Plantation is a National Historic Landmark. In 1836, the Red River shifted into an eastern channel, known as the "Rigolette de Bon Dieu." Lyle Saxon wrote a short story titled "Cane River" published in 1926. The Cane River and Creoles also feature in Saxon's 1937 novel Children of Strangers.