The Salt Water Natatorium right after it was built.

This next photo is the Salt Water Natatorium from an angle I have never seen before. You can clearly see the Pavilion off to the right. I think in the background you can see the Ouachita River, which gives you an idea how close it was to the river!

The Daily Electric Letter

What you are looking at is page three of a four page newspaper called the Daily Electric Letter, published at Monroe November 13, 1877. This is the local news section. It is the only issue of it that I have ever seen. This newspaper only lasted about two and a half months (Nov. 2 - … Continue reading The Daily Electric Letter →

Monroe Roads and Ditches Maintained in 1825.

I found the above article in an 1825 Washita Gazette. It basically ordered Monroe citizens owning town lots to maintain the roads and ditches around their lots. Kinda wish they did this today!

List of Letters in 1825

Back in the early days of many cities, no one really had individual mailboxes for postal delivery. Your mail was sent to the local post office and it was up to you to check and see if you had a letter. This was kind of hard if you lived way out in the parish and … Continue reading List of Letters in 1825 →

1927 Flood Picture

https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A353 The photo in the link above, shows the back of the buildings on the 100 block of South Grand during the 1927 flood. You can see the Trousdale and Wright building (130 South Grand), the Ouachita National Bank building and A. Keller & Son Bicycles. You can tell the water is high and can … Continue reading 1927 Flood Picture →

A 1910 Booklet Showing off What Monroe Had to Offer

I like this one! It is part of the Louisiana Digital Library and was scanned from our collection. It shows various Monroe buildings, residences and scenery, circa 1910. The first page states all that the area had to offer. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-orv%3A36

What was the lowest ever recorded temperature in Monroe?

Last week's ice storm got me curious as to what is the lowest recorded temperature in Monroe. Since the National Weather Service started keeping records in 1911, the lowest recorded temperature in Monroe occurred on the morning of February 2, 1951. It got down to -2 degrees. According to an article in the News-Star on … Continue reading What was the lowest ever recorded temperature in Monroe? →

A Fascinating Scrapbook For Our Collection

Last week, a scrapbook full of pristine candid photos was given to the library. It was about to be thrown into the garbage when it was rescued. What it contained were the personal photos of Inez Marie Schneider Dickinson, taken between 1927 and 1932. Inside were scenes of the 1927 and 1932 floods in Monroe, … Continue reading A Fascinating Scrapbook For Our Collection →

History of Mardi Gras in Monroe program tomorrow!

Just a heads-up! Tomorrow morning at 10:30 on the Ouachita Parish Facebook page, I will be going live to talk about the history of Mardi Gras in Monroe! I'll touch on the Mardi Gras Ball in 1869, the XYZ club parades of the 30's and 40's all the way up to the Krewes of Janus … Continue reading History of Mardi Gras in Monroe program tomorrow! →

“Dr. Box” The Apple Man: Mr. Thomas “Tom” Davidson Reid

Among Monroe's beloved colorful characters was a fruit salesman named Tom Reid. When Mr. Reid could no longer walk the streets of Monroe peddling his wares, he ran errands for Mr. Noe at KNOE and Albert Thibeaux to earn his keep. They ended up serving as pallbearers at his funeral in July, 1948. The Apple … Continue reading “Dr. Box” The Apple Man: Mr. Thomas “Tom” Davidson Reid →