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 →

Monroe Academy Graduating Class of 1914

While going through our photo archives, I found this little gem I didn't know we had. It shows a graduating class of the Monroe Academy (1000 Texas Avenue), which I have talked about before. Using the list I have of students, which I have also posted about before, I suspect this was taken in 1914. … Continue reading Monroe Academy Graduating Class of 1914 →

The History of The Bright-Lamkin-Easterling Home

The land that the above home would be built on, was once part of Henry Bry's Mulberry Grove plantation. The Bry family sold the land to William A. Bright, a railroad baron, to build his home on. The Louisiana Review (New Orleans) April 18, 1890, page 1 Major W.A. Bright, of the H., C. A. … Continue reading The History of The Bright-Lamkin-Easterling Home →

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 Cantillon Settlers

Tuesday's post had me thinking about the Cantillon settlement, established over three hundred years ago. Who were these people? If you remember my post a while ago on it, I said this appeared to be the first real effort by the French at settling the area now known as Ouachita Parish. They set up residence … Continue reading The Cantillon Settlers →

Colorful Characters of Fort Miro Program

I just wanted to let everyone know that on this Thursday the 17th at 5:30 pm at the Main Branch of Ouachita Parish Public Library, I and three of my colleagues will present a program about four residents of colonial Ouachita parish. You will hear from Fort Miro's commandant and Monroe's founder Jean Filhiol, his … Continue reading Colorful Characters of Fort Miro Program →

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.