Ouachita River View Circa 1910

Here is another eBay purchase I found and had to have! Beautiful view. I wish I knew where it was taken. Notice there are no levees yet!

G.B. Cooley’s Yacht the Weto

In the early 20th century, G.B. Cooley decided he needed a yacht. He was the son and brother of steamboat captains, so he knew what to look for. Cooley ended up buying what was called an "oyster lugger" which had been used to haul oysters and shells to market. It had been in use for … Continue reading G.B. Cooley’s Yacht the Weto →

Endom Bridge?

This is another postcard that claims to be the old traffic bridge (Now Endom) in Monroe. Some things seem "off" to me. For one, I really don't see the railroad bridge behind it. zooming in, I see some things that could be it, but not definite enough for me. The second thing is, what the … Continue reading Endom Bridge? →

The Clipper Docked at Pine Street

Earlier this month I bought this postcard from Ebay. It shows the Clipper sternwheel packet, wood hull boat docked at (what I think is) the Pine Street landing in Monroe. It was built in Slidell in 1916 and ran the Ouachita and Black river route in the early 20's. It burned in New Orleans in … Continue reading The Clipper Docked at Pine Street →

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 →

Ouachita River Postcard

A neat little postcard came up for sale earlier this month! You can see Monroe in the background. Most prominent is the old Penn Hotel with the Pink Penthouse at the top! What I love, is the name of the tugboat is the "City of Monroe"!

River Landings and Ferry Locations Along the Ouachita River

Have you ever been curious as to where some of the steamboat landings were along the Ouachita river? Back in 1976, the Ouachita Council of Governments and the Monroe-Ouachita Regional Planning Commission did a two year Resource Survey study of Historic Preservation in Ouachita Parish. They were given a funding grant from the Housing and … Continue reading River Landings and Ferry Locations Along the Ouachita River →

A Ouachita Settlement Before Fort Miro?

I was reading a thesis called, "Study of landscape changes in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana" by Danny Allen. It was all about the effects of human settlement in Ouachita Parish on the landscape (read the whole thing here: https://openresearch.okstate.edu/entities/publication/830ea04f-026d-428a-a54a-fd0fc0626485 ) when I found something I hadn't heard before. This thesis claimed that in 1719, France decided … Continue reading A Ouachita Settlement Before Fort Miro? →

Steamboats at a Monroe Landing

Here is my newest postcard I have added to my collection! It was mailed in 1907. It shows two steamboats docked probably about where the Children's Museum is now. It was where the Monroe Grocery and the Keller Grocery had their warehouses and the Monroe Ice Factory sat. Docked at the landing were the Handy … Continue reading Steamboats at a Monroe Landing →

The Twin City Queen

This postcard from our collection has beloved memories for our long-time residents. You could ride up and down the Ouachita River and pretend you were transported in time to the era of steamboats and hoop skirts. Many people felt a part of their past died when the "Queen" sank at her dock many years ago. … Continue reading The Twin City Queen →