Grace H. Larkin: A Woman's Rise

On this day in 1920, the 19th Amendment to the Constitution was certified, granting women the right to vote. The culmination of a massive, peaceful civil rights movement by women formal beginnings dating back to 1848 at the world’s first women’s rights convention in Seneca Falls, New York. The observance of Women’s Equality Day commemorates the passage of the 19th Amendment and calls attention to women’s continuing efforts toward full equality.

The roles and rights of women in American society have changed over the centuries. The following article titled ‘Woman’s Rise,’ appeared in The Bossier Banner on Apr. 2, 1931, and it elaborates on some of the changes being seen right here in Bossier Parish with having just elected their first woman to the office of Clerk of Court.

“Probably a great many women in Bossier Parish are elated over woman’s rise to the position in national affairs she has attained in a very few years. For a long period of time women did not wield any influence in this nation, that is as voters or office-holders. Now, however, women are serving the nation in many places of responsibility, and are exercising their right to vote with telling effect.

Grace H. Larkin C. 1931.
Source: The Bossier Banner

“Here in Bossier Parish we have one of our first major office-holders, from the ranks of the women voters. She is Miss Grace H. Larkin, Clerk of Court. The voters showed no hesitancy in elevating her to this position of trust, although it was not many years ago that scores of people, in this very section, were bitterly opposed to the idea of giving women the right to vote.

“For those Bossier Parish people who now take women’s rights for granted, we might say that for nearly one hundred years after the Declaration of Independence no women were employed by the Government. This is shown in a recent statement by the president of the Civil Service Commission.

“The first law permitting the employment of women as clerks in Federal Government offices was passed during 1870. Today more than 28,000 women are employed in such offices, in Washington alone, and nearly 60,000 more are employed outside of the capital city.

“Women are being appointed to such government positions as bacteriologist, biologist, botanist, chemist, economist, educationist, patent examiner, pharmacologist, physicist, statistician, zoologist and technologists of various kinds. As is well known, many women hold postmasterships.

“The employment of women in private business has shown a steady increase also, the number of women wage-earners at present being nearly ten million.

“Whether this increasing activity of women in industry, business and the professions is an indication of an improved civilization depends upon one’s viewpoint. However that may be, women have shown their ability to engage successfully in nearly every vocation under the sun, and that they will continue to do so cannot be doubted.”

Larkin’s long career with the Bossier Parish Clerks office began in 1903 when Beverly A. Kelly, Clerk of Court, employed her as his assistant. Then in 1914, James M. Henderson became the Clerk of Court, and he kept her on. She was appointed Chief Deputy with the approval of Judge John N. Sandlin in 1920.

On Jan. 17, 1931, Judge J. F. McInnis appointed Larkin as ad interim Clerk of Court pending a special election to name the successor to the late James M. Henderson, who served as the clerk for the past 16 years before his death. In a special election held on Feb. 24th, Larkin defeated State Senator V.V. Whittington with 1326 votes to his 870.

Then, in the general election of 1932, she was re-elected without opposition after her opponent Mr. J. M. Emmons, withdrew his candidacy. After being defeated in the 1936 general election and thirty-three years serving the Bossier Parish Clerk office, Larkin retired.

Larkin joined the ranks of “first” in women’s equality, through her hard work and devotion in her career and to the community she served. Not only was she the first woman Clerk of Court in Bossier Parish, but she was also the first in Louisiana. And as one of the first women in Bossier Parish that registered to vote in 1920 when the 19th Amendment was certified, Larkin never took her right to vote for granted. 

To learn more about the women of Bossier Parish, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Or, contact us by email at history-center@bossierlibrary.org or by phone (318) 746-7717.

By: Amy Robertson

Bossier Commercial Airport and Flying School

In 1940, Bossier Parish opened its first commercial airport and flying school. The Bossier Commercial Airport spanned eighty acres, located about three miles north of Bossier City, just west of the highway to Benton, and approximately one mile across Red River from the Shreveport Municipal Airport.

The dedication was on a warm Sunday afternoon in the summer of 1940. For the dedication services, it put on a big airshow, including a parachute jump with Minor “Mile High” Vinck, who carried a movie camera on his jump and filmed as he descended. Many public officials and prominent figures in the aviation world were in attendance, including Mayor Hoffman L. Fuller of Bossier City and Dwane Wallace, President of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation, and aeronautical engineer and designer.

Hosting the dedication were the owner and operator, Ted R. Young and his wife Annie, both licensed pilots. Ted received his pilot’s license in 1933, and he made the second airmail pick-up during the 1938 Air Mail Week observance in Shreveport. The first observance of National Air Mail Week was May 15-21, 1938. Postmaster General James A. Farley and President Franklin Roosevelt created and proclaimed the week-long event to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the US airmail service’s inauguration.

Annie received her pilot’s license in 1935 and is credited with being the first Shreveport woman ever to make a solo flight. She assisted her husband in operating the airport and in conducting the flight school. Annie was a member of the Ninety-Nines, an international organization of women pilots, founded on Nov. 2, 1929, in which Amelia Earhart was a charter member and elected the first President.

The flying school was fully accredited by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, offered ground courses, andprivate and commercial pilot flying courses, taught by government-approved teachers. The private pilot course was the same as those offered at colleges, but without the educational prerequisite courses. Many young men attended this course as army pilot prospects.

In 1941, the Bossier Commercial Airport started the year by staging an airshow on Jan. 11th and 12th. The airshow featured nationally known stunt pilots, parachuters, and included military aircraft. Also, a 1910 Curtis-Wright pusher plane, one of the first planes built by the Wright brothers, was flown by Clem Honkamp. Ted and his students planned an exhibition of flying as it was taught in class.

During the first day of the airshow, Ted decided to give an unscheduled exhibition of “how not to fly an airplane.” His demonstration ended in tragedy. According to the Shreveport Times, “Young apparently deliberately threw his plane, an Aeronca, into a spin from about 2,500 feet, spun the plane three times and crashed almost vertically into a field 50 yards from the north boundary of the airport.

“The cockpit of the plane was crumpled, the wings and back of the plane broken. Young was rushed to North Louisiana sanitarium in a Wellman ambulance and died at 7:50 p.m. He suffered a fractured skull, internal injuries, and both legs were broken. One leg was amputated in an effort to save his life.”

Just two months later, the airport and flying school were reopened as the Joy Airport, by Joy N. Houck, a well-known theater operator in the south.

By: Amy Robertson

Bossier Biographies: Carrie Martin

Watch our newest Bossier Biographies video on Youtube.

Carrie Martin was a school teacher and supervisor in Bossier Parish schools from 1913-1925, but these job titles only hint at the effect she had on black education in Bossier Parish. After teaching for a number of years in the Plain Dealing area, she was appointed the “Jeanes Supervisor” of black schools in the parish. She held this supervisory position for 14 years. She was the third Jeanes supervisor appointed in the state of Louisiana and the first in Bossier Parish. She was also a leader in community health, home life, and beautification.

Click to view the video: Carrie Martin

Victory Garden Advice Holds True Today

Joe Knowles Skaggs with Terry Joe Skaggs working in the garden. Nannie Joyce Knowles Skaggs Collection: 2003.028.044.

During the second world war, victory gardens became a necessary way of life, and today, more people have begun gardening this year due to food supply anxiety related to the pandemic. For those of you who have recently taken up gardening and are wondering about what to plant for fall crops, please enjoy the following article of advice from Lettie Van Landingham, found in the Bossier Banner Thursday, Aug. 9, 1945.

“Last call for gardeners for 1945! Make wise use of your planning time during the next two months and you will have lots of fresh vegetables all fall and well into the winter.

 Purple top White Globe.

“Clear the weeds, grass and old plants from that part of your plot not in use as a fall garden and sow a winter cover crop. This crop, turned under during the early spring, will add nitrogen to the soil and help to keep the soil in good condition.

“What to plant during September and October:

“Mustard: Florida Broadleaf or Tendergreen. Sow on row. Make frequent plantings.

“Broccoli: Italian Green Sprouting. It’s too late to sow the seed, but if you can buy plants and set them out during early September, a dozen or so plants will provide all the broccoli a family can use.

“Cabbage: Charleston Wakefield. Sow in seed bed. The small plants should be ready to transplant six weeks later.

“Radishes: Scarlet Globe and White Icicle.

“Carrots: Louisiana Danvers.

“English Peas: Creole. Plant September 1st (South Louisiana Only).

“Turnips:

“Beets: Crosby’s Egyptian and Detroit Dark Red.

“Onions: Creole and Bermuda. Sow seed for later transplanting.

“Swiss Chard: Lucullus.

“Irish Potatoes: Triumph and Katahdin (certified). South Louisiana only. Between September 1st-10th. Plant whole small potatoes.”

With each type of vegetable, Van Landingham mentions the varieties that work best in Louisiana. Over the years, new and better varieties are created, to know what varieties work best today, contact a local 

nursery or the LSU Agricultural Center.

In another article, Van Landingham advises what chores to do during the fall and winter for a better garden. She admonishes that “First, a garden must have a good fence, tight enough to keep out chickens, live stock, and rabbits. So, if the fence is in poor condition, get busy. The fence doesn’t have to be expensive woven wire. Good fences can be made of hand-spilt pickets placed close together.”

Next, she instructs the readers that they “should get the soil in good condition. That part of the garden not planted in winter vegetables, or in cover crop, should be cleared of all old plants, grass and weeds and then plowed. Barnyard manure, if available in quantity, can be cast over the ground to be worked into the soil later. Loads of leaf mold from the woods, scattered over the garden help to add necessary humus and keep the garden soil in good condition.”

Finally, she recommends to “get out the seed catalogues, pencil and paper. Plan a garden for next year which will provide an adequate supply of fresh vegetables and a surplus for canning, so that you and your family may do your part toward America’s first line of defense by being well fed, healthy and happy. For your garden to be adequate you must plan to have available at all times (either fresh, stored or canned) something from each of these five groups:

“Group I: green leafy and yellow vegetables, such as mustard, spinach, lettuce, cabbage, collards, kale, Swiss chard, carrots, yellow squash, yellow sweet corn.

“Group II: Other vegetables, such as turnips, eggplant, beets, English peas, green butter beans.

“Group III: tomatoes (enough to serve them five times a week) either fresh, canned or in tomato juice.

“Group IV: Dried beans or peas, and Group V: Irish and sweet potatoes.”

Lettie Van Landingham was the first Bossier Parish home demonstration agent, serving the community for decades. Her sage advice was always available in The Bossier Banner. To learn more about her work, visit the Bossier Parish Library History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City.

By: Amy Robertson

Happy Birthday, Holiday Lanes

Holiday Lanes neon sign by Henrietta Wildsmith, photographer. Source: The Times Dec. 31, 2014.

Did you know that bowling has been around for hundreds of years? The first mention of bowling in Bossier Parish newspapers was Thur., Jul. 10, 1930, when an article appeared in The Plain Dealing Progress. According to the article, W.R. Goodwin of Forest, Miss. was lauded for popularizing the bowling game in Plain Dealing. The bowling alley was located in the McKellar Brothers hardware store, which was formally the J. P. Keeth general store.

Then on Fri., Oct. 24, 1930, the following announcement appeared in The Planters Press, “Mr. R.T. Grounds took up his new duties as manager of the Bossier City Bowling Alley Monday morning. Mr. Grounds is the brother of L.O. Grounds, who opened the Bossier City Bowling Alley and is now in Winnsboro, Texas, where he is completing plans for opening a Bowling Alley in that town. Mr. Grounds comes from Minden, La. where he has been managing a Bowling Alley. He will be assisted by Miss Arline Foster of Stamps, Arkansas.” 

Also, in 1930, advertisements can be seen in The Planters Press for Pony Bowling, which was a version of bowling that was played on lanes that were 30 feet long versus 60 feet for a ten-pin alley. The pins were smaller, as were the balls, which were wooden, fitting in one’s palm. This pony bowling alley was located next door to the Planters Press in Bossier City. 

In the fall of 1935, another entrepreneur came to Bossier City to open a bowling alley, T.J. Henry came from Franklin Parish. He set-up his bowling alley at 309 Barksdale Boulevard, which was formerly the Broussard Store. In the Planters Press, Henry was quoted in saying, “Bowling is among the most healthful recreations.” Not only was bowling a popular sport among men and women, but it was touted as a way to shed a few extra pounds and to stay fit and trim.  

In the mid-1940s, George H. McDonald, of Benton, Ark, owned and operated a ‘min-a-golf’ that included an outdoor double ten pin bowling alley in downtown Bossier City, at 1001 Barksdale Boulevard. 

If you have noticed, all of the bowling alleys were brought here by businessmen that relocated here to open these bowling alleys. The reason for this is because the bowling alley industry was on the cusp of the golden age of bowling (1940-1960). By 1945, bowling had become a billion-dollar industry, and every entrepreneur was working on getting a piece of the pie.

In 1959 a group of local investors announced their intentions of opening a modern bowling alley in Bossier City. Architects Frey Huddleston and Associates of Shreveport designed the contemporary building of concrete, brick, and glass construction. This 32,000 square foot bowling alley was the largest clear-span bowling center in Louisiana when it was completed sixty years ago. This design eliminated any visual supports, which tend to distract bowlers and blocks the view of spectators.

 

Architects drawing of Holiday Lanes 1959. Source: The Times, Oct. 4, 1959.

Holiday Lanes boasted many features, including Brunswick automatic pinsetters complete with subway ball returns. Every detail was tended to, such as the acoustic treatments to reduce noise and the elevated spectator seating for better viewing. Keglers could shop for all their bowling needs at the pro shop, including being expertly fitted for a bowling ball. There was a glass-enclosed restaurant that seats 100 people and offered a view of all the lanes. They even provided a supervised nursery during the day for bowling mothers. 

Mr. Ausbon Stokes winner of Holiday Bowl trophy for being
the first person to bowl a perfect score at Holiday Lanes.
Stella Stokes Collection: 1997.042.014.

Holiday Lanes is celebrating its 60th anniversary this month. While it started as a 32-lane alley, it was expanded to 44-lanes in 1974, making it the largest bowling establishment in the area. They have also worked to make bowling accessible to everyone by offering bumper rails for children, wheelchair ramps, and ball ramps for people with disabilities. Holiday Lanes has always focused on building  community while providing fun for the whole family.

What do you want to know about Bossier Parish history? Visit, call or email the Bossier Parish Library History Center for help with your research. We are at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City, 318-746-7717, history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

By: Amy Robertson

This Month in Bossier Parish History

August: Through the years

Aug. 1902:  Benton was incorporated

Bellevue, Louisiana
14 Aug 1902

W. Benton Boggs became the first mayor of Plain Dealing on April 5, 1890.   He was also a founder and the 1st president of Plain Dealing's first Bank, and he later became a state senator.

1997.062.332 Turnley Collection

Old Jailhouse at side of old Benton Courthouse.

0000.001.031

1968: Map of Benton.

2005.006.001: Jennings article

Aug 4, 1951:  In Memory of Rev. John J. Harris (1887 - 1951)

Aug. 15, 1966: Bossier city's first link to I-20 was near completion. 

The Shreveport Journal
15 Aug 1966

June 19, 1962  I-20 Bridge Construction

0000.001.069

Aug. 26, 1920: 100 years ago today 

              · Mr. W.E. Swindle secured a contract for the Heifner school building

              · About everyone has gone fishing

              · Mr. Tom Stinson was reported on the sick list

This picture of students and instructors of the Heifner School at Chalybeate Springs was taken in approximately 1900. It was submitted by Jean Barr whose mother, Ruth Heifner Brown; grandfather, Charles Andrew Heifner; and grandmother, Alice McLemore Heifnes; are all pictured: Front row, left to right, Robert Malone, Sammy Malone, Dayton Rodgers, "Dec" Charles Wright, A.S. "Dick" Wright, Mamie Malone Covington, Treebie Barnette, Lula Malone Morgan, Pearl Johnston Hudson (holding Fannie Mae Heifner), Ruth Heifner Brown, Lilla Daws Davis, Ottalee Heifrier DeMoss (holding Clotile Rodgers,) Bessie Barnett DeMoss; second row, left to right, Joe Rodgers, Willie Johnston, Harvey Malone, Henderson Brock, Jenny Brock, Letha Brock Collins, Viola Allen Caraway, Alena Rodgers Montgomery, Vera Rhodes; Auri Mae Rhodes, Maggie Nabors Turnley, Leora Nabors, Jim Johnston; third row, left to right, Charley Heifner, Ruby, Rodgers, Emma Daws DeMoss, Eleanor Allen Gleason, Zuma Malone Chamlee Gilford Wright, Gid Robertson, Abner Heifner, Dan Rodgers, unidentified, Johnnie Walker; Dallas Allen, Alice McLemore Heifner, Mrs. Cora Coile; fourth row, left to right; Jeff Malone, Wash Malone, Mattie Malone, Nancy Brock, Pearl Barnett, Professor Jess Cheshire, Pauline ' Allen Wingate, Frankie Lester Malone, Bertie Barnett and Mary Rodgers Sprouce.

2003.026.134  Corley Collection 

C.1950’s: Vara (Farrington) and Marie (Roberson) fishing at Crawford Camp.

1999.141.051 Hart Collection 

C.1910’s. Thomas W.W. Stinson was the third generation Stinson to live in Bossier, but the first born here. His father, Robert, established the Rough and Ready Plantation that is still owned by the Stinson Family. T.W.W. Stinson was primarily a farmer and rancher, but was also a founding member of the first public school in Benton in 1890 and served on the Levee Board in 1900.

0000.004.010 Scanland Collection