The upper photo was one I had never seen until we were given the scrapbook. It shows the courthouse, mostly hidden behind trees. A slightly blurred woman in her bonnet passes by on her errands. To the left is the John G. Sanders Machine Shop with South Grand Street running in front of it. Directly ahead is Oak Street. It once emptied onto Grand Street, but now dead ends at the Sheriff’s office. You can also make out the original Monroe Hotel in the distance down Grand. The little Clerk of Court building sits in the trees on the Oak Street side of the Courthouse. It was later stuccoed and is known as the Chapter House. It is one of the oldest buildings in Ouachita Parish.
The bottom photo shows St. Matthews Catholic Church, at the corner of Grammont and Jackson streets. Just peeking out beside it is a white building, which was St. Hyacinth’s School. Down the way is Temple Sinai, the Jewish synagogue, with the ten commandment tablets peeking behind the telegraph pole. Beside it was the “parsonage” where the rabbi lived. What caught my attention, was the round window open in St. Matthews! I didn’t know the window opened at all! Must have been a hot day!
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 