Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • An Account of the Sinking of the Buckeye, March, 1844 – Part 1

    In the files of the Ouachita Parish Public Library, I found an account of the tragedy of the Buckeye and DeSoto steamboat collision. It was written by Narcissa Grayson Garrett…

  • Rev. Travis Lea Joyner – 1944

    I found the above article while browsing on newspapers.com. I have never seen such a young photo of Rev. Joyner!

  • Monroe City High School – 1913

    This is a class portrait of the Monroe City High School, dated 1913. You can see Mr. E.L. Neville front and center in his suit and bow tie. the others…

  • Pine Street, Monroe, Circa 1907

    This is a rare postcard photo from the Library Collection (Photo number 334) showing the fine homes that once ran along Pine Street. I love the little boy on the…

  • Ouachita River Low Water – 1919

    And to go along with yesterday’s photo, the above photo was also taken in 1919 during the low water. On the back is written, “Ouachita River when very low. 1919…

  • Summer, 1919 – The Year The Ouachita River Ran Dry

    The above photo is part of the Library’s collection of area photos. It shows two people standing in a canoe on the bank of a river. Enclosed with the photo…

  • Old City Cemetery Tour

    Just wanted to let everyone know, I’ll be conducting a tour of the Old City Cemetery on DeSiard Street next month, Saturday, October 26 at 10 am. Meet at the…

  • Endom Bridge – Circa 1900

    This is a beautiful old postcard, showing what Endom Bridge looked like not long after it was built. I love all the ornate iron work at the top! The little…

  • Old Swartz School

    The library has a great photo collection of early one room schools in Ouachita Parish. This is thanks to a man named Henry Camp, who donated them. There are some…

  • Monroe City High School – Class of 1915

    This is a memory book for a girl who graduated in 1915. It can be found in the Special Collections Department of ULM’s Library. https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/ulm-p15140coll27%3A536 The photos and documents found…