Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Author: Lora Diane Peppers

  • Passenger Pigeons in North Louisiana

    This drawing: https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/subr-hwj%3A376 puts a lump in my throat. This illustrates men hunting on the D.A. Breard plantation, one mile north of Monroe in 1875. What they are shooting at…

  • Trenton Street – Circa 1940

    This is a great view of Trenton Street from the collection of the State Library: https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/state-lhp%3A3972 . To give you an idea of where this was taken, the cross street…

  • Rev. “Groaning” Smith at a Monroe Church

    I saw this photo: https://louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/state-lwp%3A3078 several years ago and wondered about the pastor. I still don’t know which church this was taken in. It dates to the 1930’s and was…

  • 1932 Flood photos

    The ULM Special Collections Department has many of the Griffin Studio negatives of the 1932 flood. They are all online at the Louisiana Digital Library site and on the ULM…

  • 1797 Map of the Maison Rouge Tract

    Tulane University has some treasures. My boss brought this one to my attention. April 7, 2026 edit for new website address: https://library.search.tulane.edu/discovery/fulldisplay?docid=alma9945516403406326&context=L&vid=01TUL_INST:Tulane&lang=en&search_scope=TUDC&adaptor=Local%20Search%20Engine&tab=TUDC&query=any,contains,Maison%20Rouge It is a copy of a map done…

  • A Little Description of the Town of Calhoun in 1889.

    Last week, my boss asked me if I had ever found any history or information on the town of Calhoun. I had to admit that I hadn’t. After much scrambling…

  • Front Cover of Morris Henry Carroll’s Funeral Program

    This came in the other day and I was struck by how well this captures this great educator’s persona. Mr. Carroll, of course, was the principal of Monroe Colored High…

  • Louisiana Training School – 1916

    Yes, LTI is that old!

  • Old Monroe City Hall – 1916

  • Monroe Post Office – 1916

    I was told that when this building was torn down, they found an old sewing machine. It was used during yellow fever epidemics to punch holes in mail so they…