Journal of the Rev. Timothy Flint part IV

The soil on the surface is generally light, fertile, and of a black colour, except in the oaklands, where it is whitish, and rather stiff and meagre clay. At intervals we see masses of those triturated marine shells mixed with the soil, which constitute such a geological puzzle to the investigation of the dwellers, … Continue reading Journal of the Rev. Timothy Flint part IV →

A New York Lawyer Describes the Duels He Has Seen

This is a very interesting article. Most of the described incidents took place outside the parish/state but there are a couple of Ouachita Parish incidents that he describes. During the time period he describes, men dueled at the slightest perceived insult. No one thought anything of it! I added footnotes in for clarification. The Times-Democrat … Continue reading A New York Lawyer Describes the Duels He Has Seen →

An Account of a trip to Morehouse Parish

I found this very interesting due to the prominent Ouachita parish names and events alluded to in this article. Richland Beacon-News Saturday, May 18, 1895 Page 1, Column 6 The following is the historical account of a trip in Morehouse parish by the editor of the Monroe Bulletin: * * * Wednesday morning … Continue reading An Account of a trip to Morehouse Parish →

A Northern Man’s View of Monroe’s Judicial Process

The following article was written for Louisiana Road Trips magazine in 2013: I found this article many years ago and it struck me as a little funny! A Revolutionary War veteran [John Loslo] was on trial in Monroe for murder and a visiting man from Pennsylvania wrote about the trial in a letter to a … Continue reading A Northern Man’s View of Monroe’s Judicial Process →

Up From Slavery: An Interview with Richard Barrington

Yesterday, I told you about Senator Solomon W. Downs. Today I want to tell you about his slave, Mr. Richard Barrington. The following article was found many years ago in a New Orleans paper. It was printed just a few years before Richard's death. Richard was the father of Wisner Colored School, the forerunner of … Continue reading Up From Slavery: An Interview with Richard Barrington →

Louisiana Senator Solomon Weathersbee Downs

I wrote this article in August, 2007 for Louisiana Road Trips Magazine: Solomon Weatherbee Downs was born in Montgomery County, TN in 1801, the illegitimate son of William Weatherbee. At a young age, Downs’ parents moved to Ouachita Parish and he was sent to Transylvania University in Lexington, KY to finish his education. Downs studied … Continue reading Louisiana Senator Solomon Weathersbee Downs →