Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • The Dixie Lunch Room and the Square Deal Shoe Shop – 1947

    I am discovering a treasure trove of photos from 1947! https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/lsu-sc-p16313coll52%3A1175 This one was taken in front of the two above named businesses. They were located at 607 and 605…

  • Collens Five Point Pharmacy

    This building was another one that stood in the 600 block of DeSiard Street, right at the corner of 6th: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/lsu-sc-p16313coll52%3A1162 I am guessing that window is where African-American clientele…

  • The Red Onion Cafe

    And tacking on to yesterday’s photo, this one: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/lsu-sc-p16313coll52%3A1168 was located in the 700 block of DeSiard. 705 DeSiard to be exact! The Red Onion was very big in it’s…

  • 1947 Photo of DeSiard Street

    This photo was labeled, “Negro quarter on Main Street, Monroe, Louisiana.” in the Louisiana Digital Library: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/lsu-sc-p16313coll52%3A1163 . It is a photo from the LSU Special Collections. I did a…

  • African-American Schools in Ouachita Parish Before 1970.

    City and Parish schools were not integrated until 1971. Before then, the races were educated separately. Schools such as Wisner, Myles, Terzia, Boley, Monroe Colored High, etc. were all created…

  • Monroe History

    This last WPA document I want to share concerns the history of Monroe. https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-wpa%3A10 This is the last of the Monroe related WPA papers up at the moment, but if…

  • Tuberculosis Sanitarium

    A couple of weeks ago, I shared a link to a photo of G.B. Cooley Sanitarium under construction. The WPA compiled a history of facility and you can read it…

  • Northeast Center of Louisiana State University (ULM)

    This next WPA document is about the brand new (at the time) college in Monroe. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-wpa%3A11

  • History of Selman Field

    This is a great WPA paper from our collection that details the history of Selman Field. It later became the Monroe Regional Airport. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-wpa%3A15

  • Parks of Monroe

    This is a great paper by the WPA. It recounts the history of Forsythe, Bernstein and Stoval (aka Casino) parks. Casino park, of course, is where the legendary Monroe Monarchs…