A Street Fight In Monroe

My eyes widened a bit when I read this! It seems two Civil War vets had a beef (um...literally) which lead to one trying to kill the other in downtown Monroe! The two combatants are very well known in Monroe. They are William Henry Awl (49 at the time) and Wiley Polk Renwick (57). Renwick … Continue reading A Street Fight In Monroe →

Monroe Skyline during the 1932 Flood

Back in July, three Griffin photos came up for auction. I bought them. I will share all three in the next three posts. This first one shows the Ouachita River side of Monroe taken from West Monroe. You can see the courthouse, the Frances, The City Hall and the Monroe Hotel (Penn) along the skyline. … Continue reading Monroe Skyline during the 1932 Flood →

The Hottest Day on Record in Monroe.

With no end in sight yet, our heat wave continues. The oppressive temperatures over 100 got me to thinking about the official hottest day on record. Online records state Monroe's hottest day on record since 1893 was July 26, 1918 with a high recorded as 109°. Looking at the newspapers for that day and days … Continue reading The Hottest Day on Record in Monroe. →

A Historical Sketch of the Italian Community of Monroe

Very interesting read if you would like to know a little more about the Italian community in Monroe! https://www.louisianafolklife.org/LT/Articles_Essays/deltaitalians.html

Men of First Baptist Church, Monroe

This photo came from the collection of Nan Saulsberry. It shows the men of First Baptist Church of Monroe circa 1915. Only two are identified. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A747

Natchez Catholic Sisters Come to Help in Monroe

Another book I have found on the Internet Archives site is a book called, "Angels of the Battlefield: A history of the Labors of the Catholic Sisterhoods in the Late Civil War" by George Barton done in 1897. On pages 120 - 123, there is a brief mention of the Monroe Confederate Hospital during the … Continue reading Natchez Catholic Sisters Come to Help in Monroe →

A National Revival Movement Comes to Monroe

Imagine if Billy Graham ever came to Monroe for a revival. Back in 1895, the Methodists had that level of a national revivalist. His name was Sam P. Jones, and he was planning on coming to Monroe. I had never heard about this preacher before, until I looked at a Sanborn map from 1898. (You … Continue reading A National Revival Movement Comes to Monroe →

The Clover Leaf Dairy

Anyone remember the old Clover Leaf Dairy which stood in the 1800 block of Louisville Avenue? In the 1960's or so, the Monroe Boy's Club took a tour of the facility and had their picture taken in front of the building. You can see that picture here: https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-bsc%3A10 .

Dedication Program for the Monroe Civic Center

On September 2, 1967, the Monroe Civic Center formally opened to the public. I found the following program for sale on Ebay and bought it. The small strips were flaps on the end of the back page/cover. I will be donating it to the library for preservation. Front Cover Inside First Page Inside second page … Continue reading Dedication Program for the Monroe Civic Center →

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 →