A Proposed New Building For the Monroe Academy

Wouldn't this have been a gorgeous building? This was published in the Monroe News Star back in 1913. Professor Foster and the trustees of the Monroe Academy were looking to expand the school space and the following conceptual drawing was made. It never happened to my knowledge. Ten years later, Monroe Colored High School would … Continue reading A Proposed New Building For the Monroe Academy →

Students and Faculty of the North Louisiana Industrial Institute

The bulletin for Leland University I found these lists of students in, can be seen on the Internet Archives here : https://archive.org/details/bulletin189798191011lela/page/n121/mode/2up?q=%22Monroe%2C+LA%22 . I also found them digitized on the Hathi Trust page and on the Worldcat database. I transcribed from each brochure the list of students, which added up to around 2,300 names! What … Continue reading Students and Faculty of the North Louisiana Industrial Institute →

Monroe’s Ties to a Lost Black University

I am just recently hearing about a private school for African-Americans that was here in the 1890's and the early 1900's. To call out my own biases, I thought that Wisner Colored High School was the only school for African Americans during this time period. I knew of at least one small private school, but … Continue reading Monroe’s Ties to a Lost Black University →

Lincoln School

This picture is amazing! https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-bsc%3A44 It shows the faculty and staff of Lincoln School, which was an African American school during segregation. In 1962 or so, the Elm Street Elementary School was renamed Lincoln Elementary and the old Lincoln School became Carroll Jr. High. I am not sure if this Lincoln Elementary or Carroll Jr. … Continue reading Lincoln School →

George Riser – South Monroe Jr. High School’s first principal

George Riser was a beloved educator in the local school system for many years. His family has donated some of his things to our collection. This photo was found among them: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A738 . South Monroe Jr. High became Thomas Jefferson Jr. High and is now known as Jefferson Elementary.

Ouachita Parish Schools and the People They Are Named For.

Do you read the Ouachita Parish Public Library's newsletter called Cattails? If you do, you know that in the back of every issue is an article about local history, written by Cyndy Robertson. The latest newsletter article is about some of the Ouachita Parish schools and the people they are named for. You can read … Continue reading Ouachita Parish Schools and the People They Are Named For. →

The Grave of Unalaska

Last week I had the opportunity to visit the old Georgia Tucker Elementary building and I made sure to hunt for the grave of the sled dog Unalaska. I was VERY happy to find it at a prominent place in the flowerbeds! The current property owners have done a fantastic job of preserving these pieces … Continue reading The Grave of Unalaska →

The First School Bus in Monroe

How about this old newspaper clipping? It shows an early Monroe school bus, circa 1915, parked in front of Kern's Blacksmith Shop, which had built it. Kern's Blacksmith was located on Jackson Street right where Grammont comes in.

Unalaska: the Sled Dog Buried in Monroe

This article was written by me for the July, 2007 issue of Louisiana Road Trips magazine. It was later republished in the September, 2016 edition of Southern Calls: A Funeral Director's Perspective. Tucked away in the flowerbeds of the old Georgia Tucker schoolhouse, is a large tombstone, which marks the final resting place of Admiral Richard Byrd's … Continue reading Unalaska: the Sled Dog Buried in Monroe →

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 autograph book owned by a Senior of Monroe Colored High School, class of 1941! When the bidding ended, I was the highest bid. It arrived … Continue reading A Priceless Artifact of Monroe Colored High School History →