Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • I Finally Have Proof!

    I have always heard that Louis Armstrong played at the Savoy in the Miller Roy building. I never found concrete proof of that. I found ads for him playing at…

  • Elderly Former Enslaved Man Passes Away

    Any mention of an enslaved person gets my attention, since so few of their stories remain. On the front page of the Southern Broadcast, Saturday, January 9, 1937, was the…

  • Monroe Colored High School Annex – 1936

    Here is another clipping from 1936. I have never seen this before!

  • Fats Waller at the Savoy – 1936

    I have been able to get my hands on a rare collection of Monroe African American newspapers from the mid 1930s. My jaw is continually on the ground from what…

  • Olin Hall

    In late 1966, a large, 11 story dormitory for men was built at Northeast Louisiana State College. The contracted builder was Jesse Heard and Sons. The $2.8 million dorm was…

  • Tex Roper Interview Shortly Before His Passing

    I see that people are still pulling up my article about Grover Daniel “Tex” Roper, Jr., so I thought since people were still interested in him, I would share another…

  • The Monroe Monarchs

    Did you know Monroe hosted the 1932 Negro League World Series championship game? The great Satchel Paige and several other Hall of Famers played in those games right here in…

  • The Murder of Adolph Epsteine

    Wednesday Morning, March 26, 1924, just before 7 am, R.P. Wuichet, an employee of Adolph Epsteine, reported to work at Epsteine’s store in Swartz. Going to the back of the…

  • The Sawmill Town of Powell

    I had never heard of this little community until I came across this article last week in the News Star of May 2, 1983. It was a first place essay…

  • Monroe’s Connection to the Flag Raising at Iwo Jima

    The famous picture is legendary. A group of Marines after a hard fought battle for the tiny island of Iwo Jima during World War II, strain to raise an American…