Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Category: Uncategorized

  • Monroe, LA businesses in 1899

    [From a book in the Special Collections Department, Ouachita Parish Public Library] Southern Directory Company’s Business Directory of New Orleans, Baton Rouge, Monroe, Shreveport,Bay St. Louis, Biloxi, Edwards, Enterprise, Fayette,…

  • Lynchings Reported in Ouachita Parish Papers: The Twentieth Century

    And this is the twentieth century list of names. Name Newspaper Date Page Column Notes Airy, Joe News-Star 2/26/1925 1 8 Lynched in Bossier City, LA Allums, Earnest News-Star 5/4/1912…

  • Lynchings Reported in Ouachita Parish Newspapers: The 1800’s

    Many years ago, after I had indexed most of the known Ouachita Parish newspapers for deaths up until the 1930s, I was curious as to how many were due to…

  • A Little-Known Cemetery Index

    In the 1950s, the Daughters of the American Revolution undertook the task of indexing many state cemeteries.  They didn’t get all of them, but what they did index is a…

  • The Diary of Martha Frances Surghnor Part III

    September 10, 1889:  “Yesterday Mrs. McFee’ last son George was so badly scalded that he died last night and has just been buried.  He was the victim of a railroad…

  • The Diary of Martha Frances Surghnor Part II

    March 6th, 1887:  “Since last writing, John McFee, the twin brother of Frank who was killed August 23, has died.  It was just six months after Franks death,.  He died…

  • The Diary of Martha Frances Surghnor 1886 – 1899 Part I

    Long ago, someone typed a transcript of the diary of Martha F. Surghnor.  She lived in Monroe and was buried in the Old City Cemetery.  She details the comings and…

  • Miscellaneous Ouachita Parish Related Collections

    I was interested in knowing what Ouachita Parish items are in other collections around the country and was surprised at what I found! Isaiah Garrett’s business ledger is at the…

  • Endom Bridge

    This is a great shot of the Monroe Traffic Bridge (now known as Endom Bridge) which opened April 27, 1899.  Notice the toll booth on the right!

  • Grace Episcopal Church

    This very beautiful church stood on the corner of St. John and Oak streets, right across the street from the Courthouse.  The cornerstone was laid with great pomp and ceremony…