Harriet Gordan Foster – Pioneer Nurse

The name is unfamiliar to most of Ouachita Parish residents. You may have heard of her husband, Dr. Madison Wright Foster, son of Professor Madison James Foster. Dr. Foster was famous in the area in his own right. Let me tell you about Harriet Gordan Foster, RN, the first black R.N. in Public Health Service … Continue reading Harriet Gordan Foster – Pioneer Nurse →

Legends of Bryant’s Addition Documentary

Please forgive the short post today. I'm still recovering from Saturday's parades and my legs and hips are still in pain! OW! Riding a float hurts! A local filmmaker has produced an excellent documentary of three NBA/NFL players who grew up in Bryant's Addition on the Southside of Monroe: Larry Wright, Rubin Jones and Charlie … Continue reading Legends of Bryant’s Addition Documentary →

Pioneer West Monroe Figure Ben Allen

Monroe Morning World, November 18, 1934, Page 6. Ben Allen was born enslaved in Alabama. According to his death certificate, he was the son of Fed Allen and Willie A. Rushing and died in Monroe at the age of 95. According to the book, "Contributors of Ouachita Parish: A History of Blacks To Commemorate the … Continue reading Pioneer West Monroe Figure Ben Allen →

Ouachita Parish Rosenwald Schools

Just after the Civil War, the Freedmen's Bureau, along with local African American churches, established the first schools in the south for the formerly enslaved. After Reconstruction ended, education for African Americans in the south was woefully underfunded. Julius Rosenwald, a Jewish-American part owner of Sears Roebuck saw the need for more schools in the … Continue reading Ouachita Parish Rosenwald Schools →

The Davis Market and the Central Cafe

What you are looking at is an ad for two businesses, owned by a very forward thinking young man named T.J. Davis. Mr. Davis was only 23 years old when he opened the only African-American owned grocery in Monroe around 1937. Next door there was a cafe, also owned by him. A little paragraph says … Continue reading The Davis Market and the Central Cafe →

I Finally Have Proof!

I have always heard that Louis Armstrong played at the Savoy in the Miller Roy building. I never found concrete proof of that. I found ads for him playing at Carroll's Gym at the Monroe Colored High School, but not the Savoy. Well....found it! March 6, 1937 ad in the Monroe Broadcast.

Elderly Former Enslaved Man Passes Away

Any mention of an enslaved person gets my attention, since so few of their stories remain. On the front page of the Southern Broadcast, Saturday, January 9, 1937, was the obituary of a 93 year old man named Thomas Jefferson. He had been the former personal body servant of Daniel Armand Breard, Sr. I will … Continue reading Elderly Former Enslaved Man Passes Away →

Monroe Colored High School Annex – 1936

Here is another clipping from 1936. I have never seen this before!

Fats Waller at the Savoy – 1936

I have been able to get my hands on a rare collection of Monroe African American newspapers from the mid 1930s. My jaw is continually on the ground from what I am finding! I'll be sharing some of the treasures in the next few posts. One of the first things I have found is an … Continue reading Fats Waller at the Savoy – 1936 →

The Rhythm Nightclub Fire of Natchez, MS

You may be wondering why I would talk about a fire that happened in Natchez, MS on a Ouachita Parish history blog. There is a Monroe connection. On the night of April 23, 1940 Walter Barnes and his Royal Creolians were performing at the night club for an estimated audience of 700 listeners. The Rhythm … Continue reading The Rhythm Nightclub Fire of Natchez, MS →