Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Tag: African-American History

  • Zion Traveler Church Fellowship, circa 1945

    This photo from our collection is only identified as Zion Traveler Baptist Church. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A35 It shows people seated around tables eating, wearing their Sunday best. From the clothing, it appears…

  • A Priceless Artifact of Monroe Colored High School History

    A couple of weeks ago, while browsing Ebay, I found an autograph book for sale from 1941. Looking at the pictures of the pages, I soon realized it was an…

  • The Laura Porter Lynching

    I was told about this website called Strange Fruit and Spanish Moss. They have documented lynching incidents from around the country. One of the ones that was documented was the…

  • Floor Plan of the Original Carver Library

    The State Library has posted on the Digital Library, an image of the original Carver Branch Library floor plan here: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/state-lhp%3A1166 . This is the Selman Field building, originally brought…

  • Charter Members of the Monroe Chapter, N.A.A.C.P.

    Monday, I found that the Library of Congress had the records of the N.A.A.C.P., including local level chapters. After consulting with my boss about it, she wrote them inquiring how…

  • Legal Executions in Monroe

    All of these were hangings and all were given a trial and found guilty. Whether they were or were not guilty for the crimes they paid is left to history.…

  • Isaac Burnett: Grocer and Businessman

    What you are looking at is an ad in a local newspaper from 1946. That imposing man in the photo, Isaac Burnett, was a very savvy businessman. He opened his…

  • Reported Lynchings in Ouachita Parish

    I have posted before, listing reports of lynchings that have been found in Ouachita Parish newspapers. I can see the stats that show what articles are looked at and at…

  • 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,…

  • Blind Tom: America’s Forgotten Musical Prodigy

    I wrote the following article for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine, May, 2015: Blind Tom:  America’s Forgotten Musical Prodigy      The Ouachita Telegraph, Friday, January 20, 1883, Page 3, Column 1: …