The 1950 Census is Here!!!

Due to what is called "The 72 year rule", census records may only be released to the general public 72 years after the date they were done. Today, the 1950 census turns 72 and you can look at it here: https://1950census.archives.gov/ . It looks like the Archives has already made it name searchable, so this … Continue reading The 1950 Census is Here!!! →

A Ouachita Settlement Before Fort Miro?

I was reading a thesis about the effect of human settlement in Ouachita Parish on the landscape (read the whole thing here: https://shareok.org/bitstream/handle/11244/31625/Thesis-1974D-A425s.pdf;jsessionid=4D09B04F0C16F02D4D42C72D2C4605FE?sequence=1 ) when I found something I hadn't heard before. This thesis claimed that in 1719, France decided to set up a colony on the Ouachita river. The site selected was the bend … Continue reading A Ouachita Settlement Before Fort Miro? →

Fighting Men of Louisiana Index

After WWII, a vanity print book was published, highlighting some of the soldiers who had served in that war from Louisiana. It was called "The Fighting Men of Louisiana". It included a biography of the soldier along with a photo. Several different editions were published, each highlighting a section of the state. The Ouachita Parish … Continue reading Fighting Men of Louisiana Index →

The Excavation of the Fort Miro Site and a Forgotten Grave

I don't know why this stuck out for me. Maybe it is because I have such a deep interest in cemeteries. I have loved them since I was a kid. All the stories for all the people buried in them just fascinate me. Anyway, I was reading the book on the 1975 excavation of where … Continue reading The Excavation of the Fort Miro Site and a Forgotten Grave →

Letters of a War Hero

You have heard about Barkdull Faulk Elementary and Barkdull Faulk American Legion Post, but do you know about the man behind the name? Leonidas Barkdull Faulk was a WWI Medic embedded with the British military during WWI. Leonidas was on the front lines taking care of the wounded and sick soldiers. He survived a gas … Continue reading Letters of a War Hero →

The Opening of Pecanland Mall

I am going to date myself here! I remember the opening of Pecanland Mall. The official opening of the mall was Wednesday, July 24, 1985. It wasn't until that Saturday that my parents took us there, but my one memory of that day was the smell of garlic! You see, several area chefs were doing … Continue reading The Opening of Pecanland Mall →

XYZ Club Mardi Gras Program

When I saw this program come up for sale on eBay on Shrove Monday, my eyes popped out of my head! It even had a "buy it now" price, which surprised me. I thought surely, something like this would be up for bid. You'd better believe I bought it as soon as my fingers could … Continue reading XYZ Club Mardi Gras Program →

The Origin of the Buddie the Dog Story?

In a previous post last year, I told you about the grave of a dog buried at Kiroli Park next to the amphitheater. I told you about an almost drowning that happened in 1931 that may have been mixed into the legend of Buddie the dog. Here is the article that appeared on the front … Continue reading The Origin of the Buddie the Dog Story? →

Peters Funeral Home Records – L Names

It was pointed out to me that In the Peters Funeral home index I posted a while back, I forgot to include the L names. I cannot make WordPress do what I needed to, so here is a link to them on my Google Drive: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1asd5FfoDagexQ3YmA_i1CVnwXiYYCz7y9IDEadkk79Y/edit?usp=sharing

The Beginnings of the Brown Paper Mill

Today, this facility in West Monroe is known as Graphic Packaging. Back in 1924, a newsletter out of Delaware called "The Super Calender" did a profile about the brand new West Monroe Mill that had just started operating. I found a copy of this newsletter on Ebay and bought it for the collection. You can … Continue reading The Beginnings of the Brown Paper Mill →