Ouachita Parish History Tidbits

Tag: Monroe History

  • History in a booklet

    In the 1980’s Monroe was celebrating it’s bicentennial. Dr. E. Russ Williams, Jr. was asked to put together some pamphlets on the early history of the area. The above is…

  • A History of the Jewish Community in Monroe

    I found this great little article about the history of the Jewish faith in Monroe! https://www.isjl.org/louisiana-monroe-encyclopedia.html To view a great photographic slideshow on the history of the Jewish Community, check…

  • Fort Miro

    I have just discovered a great little website called 64 Parishes. I encourage you to explore it and see what is there! It seems Kelby Ouchley wrote a great article…

  • The First Football Team in Monroe?

    The Times (Shreveport, LA) 13 Dec 1895 The Athletic Club of Monroe has organized a football team, and negotiations have been opened with Shreveport for a game during Christmas week.…

  • The First Movie in Monroe?

    Earlier this week, I got curious about what was the first “Moving Pictures” show in Monroe. I didn’t really get an answer, but I did find one that may be…

  • A Texas Revolutionary buried in Northeastern Louisiana

    Baton Rouge Tri-Weekly Gazette and Comet, July 3, 1859, Page 2 The death of Mr. Eli Harris a prominent citizen of Carroll parish, is announced in the Lake Providence Herald.…

  • Two Great Monroe Books

    If you are interested in the African-American experience in the Monroe area, I highly recommend the above two books by Dr. James O. McHenry. They are available at the Ouachita…

  • A Description of the Ouachita Post in 1806

    In 1803 the United States purchased from France a huge tract of land that included present day Louisiana. A few years later, the rest of the country was still curious…

  • Steamboat Sinks at Monroe – 1841

    Newspaper editors in the early days could get a bit snarky! This one is amusing! Times-Picayune, December 23, 1841, Page 2 STEAMBOAT LOST. – The steamboat Little Rock sunk recently…

  • The Cost of Electricity in 1893.

    This little article comes from the Opelousas Courier of April 22, 1893. It lists the cost to light a home in Monroe: The Monroe Electric Light Company shows up quite…