Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • The Cost of Electricity in 1893.

    This little article comes from the Opelousas Courier of April 22, 1893. It lists the cost to light a home in Monroe: The Monroe Electric Light Company shows up quite…

  • DeSiard Street Circa 1926

    This shows the 300 block of DeSiard Street, looking west towards the river. The first building on the left was T. John, which was a clothing store. It was located…

  • School Integration…in 1908?

    This article made me smile! Daily Enterprise-Leader (New Iberia) December 19, 1908, Page 6 Whites in Negro School. Monroe, Dec. 19. – Two Italian children are attending a private negro…

  • A Grainy Photo of Philanthropist Mary Goss

    My boss called me upstairs last week. She is still processing the Brinsmade collection. She had stumbled across a newspaper clipping stating a photo of Mary Goss had been found…

  • Inventory of the Parish Archives of Louisiana

    This is a great little history book, done in 1942, that gives a short history of the parish along with some statistics and a list of every Parish and City…

  • Elk’s Club Interior

    Here is another very rare postcard of Monroe, showing the interior of the Elks Club House. It was located at 200 South Grand Street at the corner of Grammont. The…

  • Front Street

    Did you know Riverside Drive was once called Front Street? Here is a rare postcard I found showing Front Street. I don’t know exactly where it was taken. From the…

  • Neville High School – Circa 1950’s

    https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A491 Anyone recognize these men and women? None were identified. The clothing looks like the early fifties. We do know it was taken on the steps of Neville High School.

  • Sherrouse Elementary 1952 – 1953

    https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A489 This shows the second grade classroom of Mrs. Dorothy Bynum at Sherrouse Elementary.

  • Georgia Tucker Classroom – 1949-50

    https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A488 This shows Mrs. Mabel Lippmin in front of her Fifth Grade students at Georgia Tucker Elementary. By the way, if you are interested in Georgia Tucker, we have their…