Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Category: Uncategorized

  • An African-American Man is a Guest Speaker to a White Women’s Business Club…in 1939.

    I want you to read the article for a moment, then sit back and reflect on the fact this article and photo was published in a northern paper in May,…

  • A Moment’s Pause to Reflect on a Loss.

    I decided to interrupt my usual daily post to note the passing of a friend of Ouachita Parish History, Congressman Elect Luke Letlow, who died yesterday of COVID. Luke was…

  • L.R. Powers Cash Grocery

    A former colleague of mine, Bob Powers, sent me several photos he has in his collection. One is a photo of an ancestor’s place of business, the L.R. Powers Grocery…

  • Scene on “Lake De Siard”

    This one was titled “Scene on Lake De Siard”. I really think it is the bayou. Very pretty! I bought it on Ebay.

  • Historic Walking Tour of Monroe

    Want a neat little guide to some interesting historical sites in Monroe? DoMo has you covered! https://www.downtownmonroe.org/domo/historic-walking-tour/ Note: I am going to take a few days off for Christmas. Have…

  • Fort Miro Coloring Book

    To go along with yesterday’s post, is this little gem. The Bicentennial Committee wanted to include the children, so Dr. Williams created a coloring book for them. It gives the…

  • History in a booklet

    In the 1980’s Monroe was celebrating it’s bicentennial. Dr. E. Russ Williams, Jr. was asked to put together some pamphlets on the early history of the area. The above is…

  • The First Kindergarten in Monroe

    The Times (Shreveport, LA) June 2, 1894, Page 4 THE KINDERGARTEN. A Highly Satisfactory Exhibition at Monroe.[To the Times.] MONROE, La., May 31. – Some eight months since the first…

  • Steamboat Landing on the Ouachita – Circa 1905

    This is a postcard I bought on Ebay. It shows the steamboat Frank B. Hayne at a landing somewhere in Monroe (Pine street maybe?). The postcard was written on the…

  • Officer Down: The Murder of William J. Haynie

    I wrote this article back in March, 2011 for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine.                 We are now coming up on the first anniversary of Officer J.R. Searcy’s death.  This brings…