Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • The First Kindergarten in Monroe

    The Times (Shreveport, LA) June 2, 1894, Page 4 THE KINDERGARTEN. A Highly Satisfactory Exhibition at Monroe.[To the Times.] MONROE, La., May 31. – Some eight months since the first…

  • Steamboat Landing on the Ouachita – Circa 1905

    This is a postcard I bought on Ebay. It shows the steamboat Frank B. Hayne at a landing somewhere in Monroe (Pine street maybe?). The postcard was written on the…

  • Officer Down: The Murder of William J. Haynie

    I wrote this article back in March, 2011 for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine.                 We are now coming up on the first anniversary of Officer J.R. Searcy’s death.  This brings…

  • Judge William Wood Farmer, Jr.: Lawyer, Legislator, Civil War Captain and Respected Judge of Ouachita Parish

    I wrote this article back in April, 2011 for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine.                 William Mills Farmer was born March 29, 1840 in Union Parish, the only son of William…

  • Blind Tom: America’s Forgotten Musical Prodigy

    I wrote the following article for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, May, 2015: Blind Tom:  America’s Forgotten Musical Prodigy      The Ouachita Telegraph, Friday, January 20, 1883, Page 3, Column 1: …

  • Ouachita Parish High School Entry

    This is a postcard I won on Ebay. It shows one of the entrances to the old Ouachita Parish High School on South Grand (the second OPHS building). Today it…

  • Louis Lock

    The Louis Lock room in the Main Branch Library, is named for the above gentleman. He was drilling near the turn of the century when he hit the famous Monroe…

  • Fire Somewhere In Monroe

    To go along with yesterday’s post, this is another one from the library’s Monroe Jaycees Collection. Now what in the world a fire has to do with the City Planning…

  • Not a Good Idea…

    This was part of the Monroe Jaycees collection we received. It is an advertising flyer about a radio program on KNOE in the 1950’s where you could call in and…

  • St. Joseph Nursing Home Postcard

    This is still in use today as a Catholic Nursing Home/Assisted Living facility. If you go down 165 North, you will see it. In the 1950’s and 60’s they seemed…