Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • The Clipper Docked at Pine Street

    Earlier this month I bought this postcard from Ebay. It shows the Clipper sternwheel packet, wood hull boat docked at (what I think is) the Pine Street landing in Monroe.…

  • Shirley the Elephant Arrives at the Monroe Zoo

    A lot of people remember Monroe’s beloved zoo resident, Shirley the elephant. Here is a newspaper photograph of her shortly after her arrival at the zoo in 1977. Monroe Morning…

  • The First St. Matthew’s Catholic Church Building

    This is an early photo of the original St. Matthew’s Catholic Church. It was built in 1851 and was located on the square which is now Anna Grey Noe Park,…

  • Southern Equipment & Tractor Company

    The above postcard I found and bought off of Ebay. The business stood roughly where Monroe Rubber and Gasket Company sits now. Looking at the cars, i would guess this…

  • Powell Lumber Company – 1912

    The below photo was found in a book on the Internet Archives page. I had never heard of this company, but I suspect it wasn’t here long. I first see…

  • The Solar Eclipse in 1878

    Seems like the 1878 eclipse was a better view than what we had here Monday of this year’s eclipse! Ouachita Telegraph, August 2, 1878, Page 3 THE SOLAR ECLIPSE. Punctually…

  • A Glimpse of Life in Northern Ouachita Parish in the Early 1800’s.

    I have told you about our dear friend Charles, who left behind a biography of his early life in the area that would become Sterlington. He was the nephew of…

  • Why West Monroe is not Trenton.

    Interesting twist on the reason behind the name! Ouachita Citizen, March 21, 1941, Page 1 West Monroe’s Post Office Difficulties Began Back in 1883 When Cottonport as Town Name Was…

  • Trenton Postmaster Absconds With the Loot!

    The South-Western (Shreveport, LA) Wednesday, October 22, 1856, Page 2, Column 3 LOOK OUT FOR HIM! – A letter to the Claiborne Advocate, dated Trenton, La., Oct. 8th, says: “Our…

  • Odalie Richardson McDonald: OPPL’s first African American Librarian

    I have always LOVED this picture: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-arc%3A18 . It shows the moment Ms. Odalie Richardson (later McDonald) receives the keys to the Carver Branch Library from B.D. Robinson. The African…