The Tragic Death of George Purvis and his Children

George Purvis was a native of England but settled in the Ouachita Parish area before the Civil War. He married Carolyn K. Morrison (from a very old Ouachita Parish family) and they were the parents of several children. When I was inside Grace Episcopal Church earlier this year, I saw a painting of George hanging … Continue reading The Tragic Death of George Purvis and his Children →

Willie’s Birth Certificate?

Last week, a hint popped up on my Ancestry tree I have created for Sidney and Annie Saunders' son Willie. It stated there was a birth record in New Orleans for Wm. L. Saunders, born March 27, 1874, son of S.W. and Annie "Loving". Close. Very close. I sent off a request to the State … Continue reading Willie’s Birth Certificate? →

Welcome to Monroe Packet.

If you moved to Monroe around 1961, you would probably be given a little welcome to the town magazine, compiled by the Letter Service Bureau. It was filled with letters of welcome from churches, businesses and organizations in the town along with a few coupons. It is amazing that one was preserved! It is now … Continue reading Welcome to Monroe Packet. →

The First Telephone in Ouachita Parish

I wrote this for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine back in 2013: In late spring of 1878, Monroe experimented with a new invention called the telephone. The April 26th edition of the Ouachita Telegraph describes the fascination locals had with this new “toy”. The manager of the telegraph office and a few others rented “a couple … Continue reading The First Telephone in Ouachita Parish →

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