Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • The Ouachita Belle

    Tulane has a very impressive steamboat collection. Among the collection is this beauty: https://digitallibrary.tulane.edu/islandora/object/tulane:75015 I think they have the date wrong though. The Ouachita Belle was built in Louisville, KY…

  • 1927 Flood Picture

    https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A353 The photo in the link above, shows the back of the buildings on the 100 block of South Grand during the 1927 flood. You can see the Trousdale and…

  • A 1910 Booklet Showing off What Monroe Had to Offer

    I like this one! It is part of the Louisiana Digital Library and was scanned from our collection. It shows various Monroe buildings, residences and scenery, circa 1910. The first…

  • The P.M. Atkins Bridge

    Did you know that the Lea Joyner bridge was actually originally named for someone else? In 1931, Monroe and West Monroe decided they needed a new bridge across the Ouachita…

  • What was the lowest ever recorded temperature in Monroe?

    Last week’s ice storm got me curious as to what is the lowest recorded temperature in Monroe. Since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1911, the lowest recorded…

  • A History of Mardi Gras in Monroe

    The week previous to last week’s ice storm, I was asked by Vantage Health to be filmed giving a lecture on the history of Mardi Gras in Monroe. It premiered…

  • Will not be posting the next few days.

    As most of you know, Louisiana is being hit with not one, but two historic winter ice storms. We are not accustomed to this! I am away from work (we…

  • Beloved Sterlington Principal Leaves Behind a 43 Year Legacy in Education.

    Some of you from the Sterlington area may have had this gentleman as a principal. Mr. O.K. Bailey, Sr. served for 43 years as principal of Sterlington’s Elementary, Jr. High…

  • Eddy Arnold and the Duke of Paducah Perform at OPHS

    Probably the biggest names to perform on the stage at OPHS were Country Music Hall of Famers Eddy Arnold and Benjamin Francis Ford (AKA the Duke of Paducah) in 1949.…

  • Walley Fowler and His Famous Oak Ridge Quartet Plays the Ouachita Parish High School Auditorium.

    A while back, I told you about all the famous acts that came and performed at Neville auditorium. I decided to see who came to OPHS. I got curious when…