Bossier Parish Soldiers Gave All in Korean War

 On the evening of Sunday, July 26, 1953, President Dwight Eisenhower was nervous. The armistice ending the Korean War was due to be signed the following day, and according to White House Assistant Staff Secretary Arthur Minnich, Eisenhower feared “that there was the possibility that something would go wrong before the signing was complete.” Those fears proved unfounded, as the armistice was signed the following morning at 10 a.m., 73 years ago, ending the conflict which saw families across the nation burying loved ones killed in action, including three from Bossier Parish.

James E. Kelleher Jr. had been a resident of Benton since birth. Articles in The Bossier Banner and The Planters Press newspapers state that he was a graduate of Benton High School and entered the U.S. Army in 1948, training in California before being sent to Japan as part of the 5th Calvary Regiment, 1st Calvary Division. Rising through the ranks, he became a sergeant and, according to the American Battle Monuments Commission, was a recipient of the Purple Heart, Korean Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal, among others. After being wounded on August 2, 1950, he wrote a letter to his mother saying she shouldn’t worry about him. “I am not in too bad a condition,” he stated. “I did get shot though, and it didn’t feel very good.” A copy of the letter is in the History Center archives. Kelleher returned to duty in late August, but was wounded again during fighting on November 28, 1950. After recuperating, he rejoined his division in mid-January 1951. Approximately a month later, he was killed in action. He was 20 years old.

Lionel King of Plain Dealing also served in the Army, the 9th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division. Born in 1922, this African American soldier earned several medals while achieving the rank of master sergeant. Among the service decorations listed for him by the ABMC are the Purple Heart, Republic of Korea War Service Medal and the Republic of Korea Presidential Unit Citation. Although additional information about King’s time of service was difficult to find, online records of the National Archives show that he was killed in action February 14, 1951, during fighting in South Korea. According to The Planters Press, his family was notified approximately a month later. He was 28 years old. Charles J. Steelman hailed from Plain Dealing as well, and like King and Kelleher, served in the Army.

He was a private first class with the 17th Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, and his awards included the Purple Heart, National Defense Service Medal and Republic of Korea War Service Medal, according to the ABMC. Information about Steelman was also difficult to find, but National Archive records show he was killed in action in the South on February 19, 1951, aged 19.

Today, the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. commemorates these three men and the more than 36,000 other Americans who lost their lives fighting to defend South Korea. The names Kelleher, King and Steelman are inscribed there. At least two of the names can also be found here at home. Sgt. Kelleher was buried at Lay Cemetery in Benton, while Pfc. Steelman was laid to rest at Stevens Cemetery in Caddo Parish. The final resting place of MSgt. King was unable to be verified. Their sacrifice is stated simply but eloquently by the phrase attributed to Korean War veteran Howard Osterkamp, “All gave some; some gave all.”

If you have any letters, photos or other information relating to residents of Bossier Parish who’ve served in the military, the History Center may be interested in adding the material to its research collection. Call us to learn more. We are currently closed for renovations, but can still be reached by phone at (318) 746-7717, and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

Sergeant James E. Kelleher Jr. / photo courtesy of A Footstep In Time & Donna Hinton Warke

Grave marker for Private First Class C J Steelman/ photo courtesy of Family Miner

Purple Heart Medal/ photo courtesy of Clipart-library.com

Article: by Kevin Flowers

Benton Pilot Among the Missing from Korean War

Seventy-six years ago, President Harry Truman was taking a break from the stress of life in the White House by relaxing at his home in Independence, Missouri. The peace and quiet he enjoyed would not last. Word came on June 24th (June 25th in Korea) that North Korean troops were invading South Korea. Truman rushed back to Washington and committed U.S. forces as part of a United Nations effort to defend the South. The Korean War had begun. Approximately 36,500 U.S. service members would lose their lives in the brutal conflict. One member from Benton is still among the missing.

Captain David H. Grisham was a pilot and meteorologist. The 1938 Benton High School graduate first served his country in World War II, flying some 30 combat missions. According to the American Air Museum in Britain, it was during one such flight, with Grisham as co-pilot, that his plane – a B-24 Liberator – was repeatedly attacked by enemy aircraft while returning from a mission over Frankfurt, Germany. The plane lost all four of its superchargers, thus slowing its speed. Protective cloud cover was scarce. Taking evasive action, the Liberator descended to 75 feet. Enemy fighters fell back. Although damaged, the B-24 was able to reach a Royal Air Force station near Kent in England and make a wheels-up landing. This would not be Grisham’s last encounter with danger.

In Korea, weather played a key role in the planning and execution of combat operations, but forecasting the weather could be difficult. Grisham was up to the challenge. As part of the U.S. Air Force’s 20th Weather Squadron, he served as staff weather officer for the 18th Fighter Bomber Group and often flew reconnaissance missions, gathering data vital to troop movements. It was on his 46th recon flight that something went wrong. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency details what happened. Grisham, as number two pilot in a flight of two, departed Ashiya Air Base in Japan in the early morning hours of September 3, 1950, flying a single-seat F-51 Mustang. Grisham and the lead pilot agreed to rendezvous over Pusan, Korea if they became separated. Shortly after takeoff, they had to climb through heavy overcast. The lead pilot exited the clouds, but did not see Grisham’s plane. He tried reaching Grisham by radio with no success. Grisham never arrived at the rendezvous point. Efforts by the Emergency Rescue Squadron failed to find any trace of him. Grisham was missing in action, one-month shy of his 30th birthday.

His family learned of his fate from a telegram sent by the war department. Though the weather had been bad, the operations officer at the time of the flight states in a letter published in The Bossier Banner newspaper in November 1950, “We were ordered to proceed because the ground forces were in dire need of close support.”

Grisham was presumed dead on December 31, 1953, five months after the war ended with the signing of an armistice. His remains were never recovered. His name is inscribed, along with the names of all those who lost their lives fighting to defend South Korea, on the Wall of Remembrance at the Korean War Veterans Memorial in Washington, D.C. He is also listed on the Courts of the Missing at the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific in Hawaii and is memorialized with a plaque at Hill Crest Cemetery in Haughton.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection. Call us to learn more. We are currently closed for renovations, but can still be reached by phone at (318) 746-7717, and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Captain David H. Grisham, Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency
• Grisham's B-24 Liberator, B-24 Best Web
• Memorial plaque at Hill Crest Cemetery in Haughton, photo by Sandra Clarkston

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Population Growth Spurs Bossier’s Status as City

Just as 2026 marks America’s 250th birthday, so too does the year mark a milestone for Bossier City. Exactly seventy-five years ago, Bossier officially became a city.

Plans were announced to mark the auspicious occasion. Newspapers heralded the event with headlines proclaiming “A City is Born.” The Planters Press newspaper of Bossier Parish announced a competition on August 30, 1951 “for civic-minded Bossier citizens and their neighbors to compete for honors … in a contest from which will emerge a new slogan for this newborn city.” A contest to design an official flag for Bosser was also proposed. Festivities were planned at Bossier High School’s Memorial stadium where crowds could cheer this landmark episode in Bossier’s history.

It's right there in the name, so hasn’t Bossier always been known as a city, you may ask? The answer is no. Simply having city in the name didn’t make it so. Population numbers came into play. In April 1907, Louisiana Governor Newton Blanchard issued a proclamation incorporating Bossier City as the Village of Bossier City because the area had at least 250 inhabitants. Bossier had developed from property once owned by Mary Bennett Cane along the Red River where the Louisiana Boardwalk and Margaritaville Casino now stand. It was known as Cane’s Landing, a spot where steamboats would dock. According to the book “Images of America Bossier City” by Kevin Bryant Jones, the term Bossier City was being used to describe this area as early as 1884. The parish had been called Bossier since its formation in 1843.

By the Roaring Twenties, the Village of Bossier City had grown and its population topped one thousand. Time for an upgrade. In March 1923, Governor John Parker declared Bossier to be the Town of Bossier City. And thus it remained for the next 28 years.

According to an article in The Planters Press from October 11, 1951, a community needed to have at least 5,000 inhabitants to be a city. U.S. Census Bureau records show Bossier had three times that number by ’51. I’m not certain why Bossier wasn’t proclaimed a city sooner, but all was ready by September of that year and excitement was building. A local polio outbreak caused a postponement of events until the following month, but plans for a celebration remained firm.

The Planters Press enthusiastically promoted those plans. “Ceremonies exceedingly appropriate to the outstanding occasion, representing an indescribably important historical demonstration, will usher in the formal classification of the community as the City of Bossier City,” stated the article of October 11. Five days later, the party got started.

A crowd estimated to number about 7,500 people turned out at Bossier High’s stadium on a Tuesday night and heard a proclamation read aloud from Governor Earl Long officially designating Bossier as a city. A parade, with floats depicting industries that aided in Bossier’s growth, passed the reviewing stands. Bands from Bossier, Byrd and Fair Park high schools, as well as Barksdale Air Force Base, performed for the crowd. The first-place entry in the city slogan contest - “Next Door Neighbor to World’s Largest Airbase”- was announced, authored by Bossier resident Irene Vinson, and the winning design for a city flag was unveiled, created by Velma Hagert of Bossier. The evening concluded with a fireworks show.

Achieving the status of city was a giant leap forward for Bossier. “This is something we have been striving towards for years,” Mayor Hoffman Fuller was quoted as saying in The Shreveport Times, October 17, 1951. The little settlement that sat in the shadow of its neighbor across the river had grown up.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call us to learn more. We are currently closed for renovations, but can still be reached by phone at (318) 746-7717, and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Velma Hagert (left) holds her winning design for the official flag of Bossier City, as Dee Hall looks on/The Planters Press, Sept. 13, 1951. Photo by Jack Barham
• The Shreveport Times, October 16, 1951

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Thousands Gathered to Witness Beach Landing in Bossier

The east bank of the Red River in Bossier City, a draw now for leisurely entertainment and shopping, attracted crowds for a very different reason 81 years ago today. On Sunday afternoon, June 10, 1945, the shoreline near the Texas Street Bridge came alive with the clatter of machine-gun fire and the roar of fighter planes, as a battle unfolded. But Bossier City hadn’t become the latest hotzone of World War II. The fighting was simulated, meant to give spectators a glimpse of America’s military in action and highlight the importance of financially supporting those who were facing enemies abroad. Although victory in Europe had been declared a month earlier, the war in the Pacific continued.

War bond drives, or loan drives as they were also called, were a critical aspect of U.S. policy during the Second World War. They helped raise funds that the government used to buy equipment and supplies for the war effort, and they helped foster a sense of patriotism among citizenry by providing a means to contribute to that effort. There were eight such drives between November 1942 and December 1945. The mock invasion held in Bossier City was part of number seven.

In the days leading up to the event, local newspaper stories heightened interest by telling of the military machinery and maneuvers that would be on display and the guests who would attend, including Louisiana Governor Jimmie Davis and movie star of that era, Robert Young. Personnel would also be present to sell bonds. In an article on June 9, Barksdale’s Bark, the newspaper of Barksdale Field – as the base was then called – set the scene: “One hundred Barksdale GIs, armed with rifles and machine guns, will be disgorged from nine Higgins boats tomorrow, and behind a smoke screen, will plunge into an inferno of explosions, … belching flame throwers, roaring dive bombers and wheezing bazooka shells to secure a beachhead,” the paper stated. According to the article, Barksdale not only supplied the troops, but also much of the equipment, including jeeps, walkie-talkies and blank ammunition. The Higgins boats, named for Andrew Higgins, founder of the New Orleans company that built them, were brought by truck from Texas.

The “Red River Bond Invasion Show,” as the event was referred to in some local newspapers, got underway before a crowd estimated to number between 25,000 and 30,000 attendees, gathered along both sides of the river and on the Texas Street Bridge. Prior to the start of the invasion, Young addressed those assembled and “placed decided emphasis on the need to buy war bonds,” according to an article the following day in The Shreveport Journal. Navy Lieutenant Joe McMeel, survivor of a bombing attack on the aircraft carrier USS Franklin just four months prior, spoke as well.

After the guest speakers, the invasion commenced. The Shreveport Journal article of June 11 described what took place: “As the men advanced to establish their beachhead, smoke bombs … were set off, providing continuous protection to the men landing on the shore and to those moving upward on the beach. Even as the men advanced, the … P51s (fighter aircraft) continued to come over, providing a cover for them and blasting an opening … to aid the men in their move forward.” This must have been quite a sight to see on Red River! Soldiers stormed ashore and scrambled up the east bank with the objective of planting a flag at a predetermined point in “enemy” territory. Once this was achieved, victory was declared.

Persons who purchased bonds at the event and in the days just before the event were allowed rides on the Higgins boats. Young, who years later would achieve fame on tv in shows like “Father Knows Best” and “Marcus Welby M.D.,” signed autographs for those who bought bonds of $1000 or more. The June 11 article in The Shreveport Journal states that approximately $21,000 in bonds were sold during the afternoon’s show. That amount combined with money from bond sales across the country during the seven weeks of the Seventh War Loan Drive helped achieve a final total of more than $26 billion. Yes, billion.

For one Sunday afternoon in June 1945, Bossier’s east bank became a stage, offering a more forgiving glimpse into the brutal beach landings at places such as Normandy and Iwo Jima. For a moment, the crowd had a visual reminder that freedom isn’t free.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call us to learn more. We are currently closed for renovations, but can still be reached by phone at (318) 746-7717, and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• 7th War Loan poster/Wikimedia Commons
• Beach landing on Red River's east bank/Barksdale's Bark, June 16, 1945

Articlel by: Kevin Flowers

Slogans Feature in Bossier City’s History

Through the years, as Bossier City has grown in population, efforts have periodically surfaced to instill the community with a sense of identity and uniqueness through the use of slogans. While utilizing slogans is nothing new for cities – think “The City That Never Sleeps” for New York and “What Happens Here, Stays Here” for Las Vegas – Bossier has perhaps had more than its share of attempts at finding an ideal catch phrase.

In 1923, with its number of residents topping 1,000, Bossier was officially proclaimed a town, and within a few short years, the idea of creating a slogan for the burgeoning community took hold. The Bossier Lions Club sponsored a slogan contest in early 1928 with cash prizes for the best offerings. The stated contest rules, published in The Bossier Banner of February 9 that year, mentioned that club members would vote to select the top two entries. First place would receive $10, with second receiving $5.

Within two months, after reportedly receiving several thousand entries, members chose a winner. The top vote-getter, according to The Planter’s Press of April 13, 1928, was “Bossier, City of the Hour,” submitted by Bossier student, Johnny Liberto. Runner-up was “Be Bossier’s Booster.”

Fast forward 23 years when the city’s status received another upgrade due to population increase. In October 1951, having more than 5,000 residents, the Town of Bossier City was declared by Louisiana Governor Earl Long to be the City of Bossier City. As part of the celebration surrounding the auspicious occasion, another slogan contest was held, this one sponsored by The Planters Press and the Bossier Chamber of Commerce. The winning submission, by writer and Bossier resident Irene Vinson, was “Next Door Neighbor to World’s Largest Air Base,” a nod to Barksdale Air Force Base and the city’s gratitude for its presence. Mrs. Vinson’s entry earned her a cash award of $15.

In an editorial of October 13, The Shreveport Journal praised the new slogan: “Sharing a boundary line with Barksdale Air Force Base is one of Bossier City’s most outstanding privileges. The Journal congratulates Bossier upon having a slogan which is so appropriately expressive of one of the community’s principal resources.” But despite its being well-received, this slogan apparently became a victim of the city’s continued growth, as another slogan became popular later that decade.

By 1957, the phrase “Fastest Growing City in Louisiana,” was being applied to Bossier. An article in May that year, appearing in Barksdale’s newspaper, The Observer, used the phrase in praising Bossier’s progress, and Bossier City Mayor Jake Cameron used it two years later in an editorial he wrote for The Shreveport Journal. “Bossier City has been called by people all over the state, the fastest growing city in Louisiana,” Cameron stated. He estimated the number of residents in 1959 to be approximately 30,000.

But that slogan also wasn’t in use for long. A front-page headline in the March 27, 1960 issue of The Bossier Tribune declares, “City Abandons Old Slogan,” with the accompanying article saying “Fastest Growing City” was being dropped in favor of “The City of Champions.” Although the article mentions that Bossier was still experiencing tremendous growth, it states that Mayor Cameron felt the “Champions” moniker was more appropriate due to various titles and championships won by schools such as Rusheon Junior High and Bossier High School, as well as Bossier High graduate Eurlyne Howell winning the Miss USA crown. From newspaper accounts, it seems this slogan, like the others, was heralded initially, but used infrequently thereafter. I was unable to find mention of it beyond 1963.

In the late 1970s, yet another attempt was made to provide a notable slogan for the city. Bossier Bank and Trust created a promotional campaign in 1979 titled “Bossier’s Breaking Through…And Coming on Strong,” and even had a song recorded for it. With the backing of Mayor Marvin Anding, the City Council, Bossier Chamber of Commerce, and Bossier Economic Foundation, the campaign was launched with much enthusiasm. Jim McKigney, the bank’s chairman of the board and chief executive officer at the time, was quoted in an article in The Bossier Tribune of November 9 that year as saying the goal was to “draw attention to Bossier’s dynamic growth.” The slogan was used often during the couple of years after its creation.

With Bossier City celebrating its 75th anniversary in 1982, community leaders thought it appropriate to have a slogan for that festive occasion. “Much Alive After 75” was chosen and printed on everything from buttons to bumper stickers. That slogan was used primarily during the anniversary year.

There was an effort in the early 1990s to have a slogan that would promote both Bossier and Shreveport. “Shreveport-Bossier City: Where Working Together Means Growing Together,” submitted by Grambling State University doctoral student SaRita Martin, was selected from among approximately 2,000 entries in a contest sponsored in part by The Times and KTAL-TV. I was unable to find mention of it in newspapers after 1992. Although our slogans may come and go, Bossier City remains a great place to call home.

If you have any information relating to the history of Bossier City and Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the material to its research collection. We are currently closed for installation of new exhibits, but can still be reached at (318) 746-7717 and by email at history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Headline from The Planters Press, April 13, 1928
• Headline from The Bossier Tribune, March 27, 1960
• Button from Bossier's 75th anniversary, 1982/History Center collection

Disappearance of Flight Carrying Barksdale General Still A Mystery

Throughout history there have been many intriguing and mysterious disappearances that remain unsolved such as Amelia Earhart, the crew of the Mary Celeste, the Lost Colony of Roanoke, and big band leader Glenn Miller. One such disappearance has ties to Barksdale Air Force Base, and, although not as well-known as these more famous cases, it nonetheless is still mystifying 75 years after it happened.

In early 1951, the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command (SAC) established the 7th Air Division and assigned it to England to help counter the growing threat from the Soviet Union. SAC bombers stationed there could serve as a deterrent to Soviet hostilities. Barksdale’s Vice Commander Brigadier General Paul Cullen was chosen to lead the division and oversee its operations.

Born in 1901 in Peru, Cullen later moved to California and joined the military at a time when aviation was still developing. According to his official Air Force biography, he entered service as a flying cadet in June, 1928. Only a year earlier, Charles Lindbergh had become the first person to fly solo, nonstop across the Atlantic Ocean. Advancing through the ranks, Cullen commanded the Air Force Photo Unit during Operation Crossroads, the atom bomb tests conducted just after World War II, and served as commander of the 311th Reconnaissance Wing at SAC headquarters in Maryland in the late 1940s. Newspaper accounts state that he was considered the foremost expert at the time on strategic reconnaissance, which involved using high-altitude photography to collect intelligence on enemy targets. It was while serving as vice-commander that Cullen boarded the flight which would carry him and 52 others into the unknown.

The Douglas C-124 Globemaster II, a heavy-lift cargo aircraft, departed Walker Air Force Base in Roswell, New Mexico on Wednesday, March 21, 1951 and landed at Barksdale late that afternoon where Brig. Gen. Cullen and his staff joined other passengers already aboard, which included four high-ranking SAC officers, as well as specialists in various air defense operations. Built to haul troops and equipment such as tanks, guns and trucks, Globemasters had a reputation for giving bumpy rides. According to a story in the aviation periodical Flying Magazine, the Globemaster was an aircraft which “tended to shake a lot, even in calm skies, earning it the nickname ‘Old Shaky.’”

It was in these somewhat uncomfortable conditions that the flight left Barksdale Wednesday evening and made a refueling stop at an Air Force base in Maine before heading out Thursday, March 22 over the vast North Atlantic Ocean. England was its destination, where General Cullen would take charge of the 7th. Checking in with weather ships along the route that were tasked with gathering meteorological data of the upper atmosphere and ocean’s surface, the flight’s radio operator reported the plane’s position Thursday evening as being approximately 800 miles southwest of the coast of Ireland.

By Friday morning, March 23, it became evident that the flight had encountered trouble. According to an article in The Shreveport Journal from that afternoon, no further communications had been received from the plane, so a search of the aircraft’s last known position was initiated by both U.S. and British forces. Nothing was found. There was a brief glimmer of hope Saturday morning, when a B-29 pilot sighted possible life rafts and other items approximately 450 miles west of the Irish coast, but a search of that area also found nothing. The leader of the search effort is quoted in The Shreveport Journal of

March 24 as saying attempts to find the plane would continue “as long as we have any hope of finding survivors.” Those attempts, which The Shreveport Times of Tuesday, March 27 says covered 25,000 square miles of ocean and constituted one of the largest rescue operations in history, spanned a week and were halted on March 30 before being restarted four days later. Ultimately, only small pieces of charred debris and a small briefcase were discovered. No trace of the crew or passengers was ever found.

The incident was consigned to the pages of history until it was revived in two articles in The Shreveport Times, the first in 2011 and a follow-up in 2015. Both articles were written by former Times staff member John Andrew Prime, and in them he mentions obtaining an accident report about the flight from the Air Force which offers interesting details such as a weather ship picking up a radio report of a fire on board the aircraft and the plane being intact when it struck the water. The report also states that the Globemaster carried equipment such as life rafts, life vests and emergency radios.

Despite the passage of time, answers to the mystery of what happened to Cullen and the others haven’t been forthcoming. Was the flight sabotaged? Could rough seas have swamped the plane after it came down, sending it to the bottom of the Atlantic? Did the Russians, as some have speculated, snatch the men? The website for the Bureau of Aircraft Accidents Archives states that “… it was revealed that Soviet submarines and surface vessels were active in the area.” The website also notes, “Due to their expertise in nuclear and other defense matters, Cullen and the other men on the airplane would have been an intelligence windfall to the Soviets.”

Perhaps one day, we’ll know their fate. Perhaps a long-secret document will come to light that will provide some sense of closure for the men’s families. For now, the incident remains, like so many stories of the past, unexplained.

If you have any information relating to the history of Bossier City and Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the material to its research collection. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open Monday - Friday 9-6, and Saturday by appointment. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images:

• Brigadier General Paul Cullen/courtesy United States Air Force 
• C-124 Globemaster II/courtesy United States Air Force
• The Shreveport Journal headline/March 23, 1951

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Bossier Parish Responds to East Texas School Disaster

Among the many headstones at Forest Park Cemetery in Shreveport, there stands one with the name of a young girl who perished 89 years ago in the worst school disaster in our nation’s history. Mary Priscilla Carney was only 12 that fateful afternoon in 1937 when an explosion reduced her school in New London, Texas to rubble. Bossier Parish responded, as did many communities, and began taking steps to ensure such a tragedy wouldn’t happen here.

Revenue flowing from the East Texas oil fields brought much-needed prosperity to New London in the 1930s. Located approximately 122 miles southeast of Dallas in Rusk County, the town grew as families moved there drawn by its wealth. Little expense was spared in building a school to accommodate the influx of children. An article from March 2007 in Texas Monthly magazine states that oil revenue “contributed to top-notch facilities … that included an elementary building, a gymnasium, and even a lighted football field. But the crown jewel belonged to children in fifth through eleventh grade (“senior year” at that time): the $300,000 two-story junior and senior high school, … fully equipped with a chemistry lab, an auditorium with a balcony, and an industrial-arts workshop.”

For Mary, who was in seventh grade, and approximately 500 of her fellow students, who occupied this nice, new crown jewel the afternoon of Thursday, March 18, 1937, the bell signaling the end of the school day was likely top of mind. It was supposed to sound at 3:30. What the students and their teachers didn’t know was that it would never sound. Its ringing would never be heard again.

Natural gas had been used to heat the campus since its construction. In January 1937, the school board voted to cancel its gas contract and save money by tapping into a nearby line of lower quality gas, sometimes referred to as a residue line, that was available for free. An article of May 1, 1995, on the Texas State Historical Association website states that tapping such a line “was a frequent money-saving practice for homes, schools and churches in the oil field.” In this instance, the practice proved deadly.

Within weeks of the change, ominous warning signs made themselves known. Headaches and burning eyes began afflicting students, according to the online news site Texas Standard in an article from August 13, 2024. But apparently no one suspected the culprit was a gas leak. At the time, natural gas had no odor additive, making leak detection difficult. As Mary and her classmates waited to go home that Thursday afternoon, the unthinkable happened.

At 3:17 p.m., a teacher flipped a switch to turn on an electric sander in the industrial-arts workshop located in the basement, unaware of the volatile gas fumes that had invaded the building. A spark flew from the switch, igniting the gas. The high school building exploded. The article on the TSHA website describes the blast: “Immediately the building seemed to lift in the air and then smashed to the ground. Walls collapsed. The roof fell in and buried its victims in a mass of brick, steel, and concrete debris.” A nightmare had come to New London.

Assistance arrived swiftly, as townspeople, oil field workers and many others who heard and felt the explosion rushed to the scene. Bossier Parish also offered help. An article in the March 25, 1937 edition of The Bossier Banner newspaper details how Bossier City businessman Arthur Ray Teague and E. W. Rice, chairman of the Bossier Red Cross chapter, delivered medical supplies. It also mentions Bossier City doctors John Victor Hendrick and William Mastin Scott arriving to render aid. The Planters Press newspaper of the same date describes Bossier firefighters providing first aid and “anything else which would be of help.” Barksdale Field - as Barksdale Air Force Base was then known - sent planes with medical supplies and doctors and nurses. According to an item in the March 20, 1937 issue of the Miami Tribune of Miami, Florida, these Barksdale planes flew over the disaster site and dipped their wings as a show of condolence.

The death toll estimate was approximately 300 killed, including about 16 teachers. Five of the young victims, including Mary, were brought to funeral homes in Shreveport. An investigation into the cause of the accident “concluded that gas had escaped from a faulty connection and accumulated beneath the building,” states the 1995 article on the TSHA website. This conclusion prompted Bossier officials to begin checking gas lines here.

On April 9, 1937, The Plain Dealing Progress newspaper noted that the Bossier Parish School Board “ordered a thorough inspection of plumbing or gas fixtures in all school buildings of the parish burning natural gas.” The Bossier Banner reported in its April 1 edition that classes at Benton High School were cancelled for a day in late March while workmen tried to find gas leaks. But the newspaper asserts that this was not done because of concern about a possible explosion, but solely because of high gas bills.

Texas quickly passed legislation requiring something be added to natural gas to give it an odor, making leak detection much easier. Other cities and towns followed suit. Because of New London, the rotten egg smell signaling a gas leak became the industry standard. And lives have been saved because of it. Mary and her classmates and their teachers did not die in vain.

If you have any information or items relating to the history of Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open Monday-Friday 9-6, and Saturday by appointment. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images:

• Mary Priscilla Carney/courtesy Christie Marie Shepherd Findagrave.com
• Workers dig through the rubble to find victims/San Antonio Express News, March 20, 1937

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Space Shuttle Columbia Gives Residents Glimpse of the Future

On a frigid Tuesday morning, April 6, 1982, there appeared in the sky over Bossier City a unique object, clad in gleaming white tiles and riding atop a modified 747 jumbo jet. Although not unexpected, its arrival was still a source of wonder and offered a glimpse into the future of space travel.

Columbia, the first vehicle in NASA’s new space shuttle program, was coming to Barksdale Air Force Base. Having recently completed its third orbital mission, it was being carried home to Cape Canaveral in Florida from White Sands, New Mexico, and its “air taxi” needed to refuel. Local newspaper accounts say Barksdale was the logical choice for this task thanks to its long runway and its location approximately halfway between New Mexico and Florida.

Preparations for the shuttle’s arrival began days in advance as a special jet fuel was brought by train for the 747, and Barksdale officials made arrangements for public viewing along the runway. Some schools allowed parents to sign their children out to witness the historic event. An editorial in The Shreveport Times on April 6 perhaps best summed up the importance of the occasion: “Would you like to have seen the Wright brothers’ first aircraft, knowing that it was the forerunner of the awe-inspiring flying machines that have now become routine in the 20th century. The space-age equivalent of such an experience will be available here today.”

This sentiment was not lost on the crowd, estimated to number between 60,000 and 100,000 people, that gathered at Barksdale. Braving cold and windy conditions, they watched with anticipation as the 747 came into view and touched down at about 10:30 a.m. with Columbia riding piggyback. “The spectators were lined up on the runway for hundreds of yards behind the rope barrier,” states a Times article from the following day. “Though the space shuttle was 1,000 feet away, almost everybody had a clear view …” And hopefully that view included an understanding that Columbia represented the nation’s hopes for attaining new goals in space exploration. For the first time, we had a craft that could be reused in our efforts to learn more about the grandeur of the heavens.

While the jumbo jet took on 20,000 gallons of fuel, it also got a change of pilot and copilot for the final leg of the trip to Florida. For two hours, Columbia’s presence graced the runway, as cameras captured on film what an article in the Bossier Press on April 8 described as “another great step in the history that will be written for our grandchildren to look back on.” At 12:30 p.m., the jet took off, carrying the shuttle home where new missions awaited.

On another chilly morning in Bossier City, February 1, 2003, there was very different news of Columbia. Twenty-three years ago this month, the country learned that the shuttle and its crew of seven were gone. Columbia broke apart and disintegrated over Central Louisiana and East Texas returning to Earth from its 28th mission. While investigators sought a cause for the tragedy, Barksdale served as a collection site for the scattered remains of Columbia. The Shreveport Times reported on February 5 that debris was being stored in a hangar on the flight line.

As I watched media coverage, I thought about the shuttle’s visit to Bossier. I thought about how that splendid technical achievement now lay in pieces just yards from where it had been proudly shown to the crowd. And I thought about Shuttle Challenger, remembering where I was in 1986 when I heard the news of its explosion. While researching this article, I learned that Challenger’s commander Dick Scobee was at Barksdale that day in April with Columbia. He was copilot of the 747 during the trip from Bossier City to Florida.

The inquiry ultimately determined that damage to Columbia’s left wing, sustained during launch, led to the disaster. Within a year, President Bush called for the shuttle program to be retired. The last mission was flown in 2011. NASA’s new space program Artemis is underway, with the goal of returning astronauts to the moon, perhaps as soon as 2027. This progress gives us reason to look back and recall with gratitude that moment when we were allowed to witness history.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open Monday through Friday 9-6, and Saturday by appointment. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Headline from The Shreveport Journal, April 7, 1982
• Shuttle Columbia atop the 747 jumbo jet at Barksdale AFB/photo by Jack Barham/The Shreveport Journal

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Shed Road Holds Unique Place in Bossier History

Although Shed Road is a well-known thoroughfare in Bossier City, its history and name origin may not be so familiar. Established more than 150 years ago, the original roadway was “unique in the annals of road construction,” states the Bossier Press newspaper of November 15, 1957. But what made it so distinctive, and why is it still worth noting today?

In the early 1870s, much of today’s North Bossier was, at times, swamp-like. The area extending east from Red River for approximately nine miles was low-lying and often impassable, particularly during inclement weather. An article in the June 28, 1934 issue of the Bossier Banner-Progress describes it as “merely a swampy flat, and when it was wet, the soil was just about like paste. Mules would sink in it to their bellies, and wagons would go down to the axles. When rains came in the fall, all transportation stopped until late the following spring or early summer.” For merchants and farmers wanting to get goods to market in Shreveport or downriver to New Orleans, not being able to travel through this quagmire was a major problem.

A man named John Watkins, an attorney and judge living in Minden, thought he had a solution. Although not trained as an engineer, this native Kentuckian sought and received a charter from Congress to construct a roadway with a shed roof, a novel idea for keeping the ground dry and preventing boggy conditions. And apparently an idea that had occurred to no one else. In his book, “Bossier Parish History – The First 150 Years 1843 - 1993,” Bossier Parish Historian Cliff Cardin wrote of the project, “This road was perhaps the first covered roadway, that did not use roadbed planking, constructed in the United States.” The November 15, 1957 Bossier Press called it “probably America’s first super highway.”

Construction of the road was privately funded, and although some sources claim work began in late 1872, others say it started in the spring of 1874. Workers dug parallel drainage ditches about 20 feet apart along the right-of-way and piled the dirt between the ditches on the road-bed, raising the bed enough to keep out surface water. Posts made from cypress were used to support roofing joists that held a center beam across which planks were bent to form the shed. The structure was wide enough to allow wagons and stagecoaches to pass each other, and despite having open sides, it prevented rain from turning the road to mud. As sections of the roadway were finished, travelers made use of them. The whole of Shed Road was completed in 1880.

                                 

When finished, this notable innovation was said to have stretched northeast from approximately where the Texas Street Bridge is located, along Shed’s present course between Benton Road and Airline Drive and continued straight east, ending on the north side of today’s Highway 80, just beyond the location of Louisiana Downs horse racing track. The Shreveport Daily Standard newspaper, in its July 20, 1880 edition, hailed the achievement, saying that it would “bring to our market a vast amount of cotton and trade from North Louisiana and Southern Arkansas, which has heretofore stopped at Minden or found its way to Camden (AR), and Monroe and other points on the Ouachita River. Judge Watkins should be presented with some substantial token of their appreciation … by our merchants.”

But it wasn’t simply pats-on-the-back and accolades from business people that Judge Watkins was seeking. He intended to turn a profit on this venture by charging tolls for use of the road. In the History Center collection is a book titled “Louisiana History Bossier Parish” by Samuel J. Touchstone that lists the amounts of some of the tolls. It states the driver or drivers of a team of four oxen and wagon was charged $1.50, while a team of four mules would cost $1. Simply walking on the road would set you back a nickel. According to the 1934 Bossier Banner-Progress article, these tolls were estimated to have generated a profit of $20,000 each year of Shed’s time as a private highway.

Eventually, another transportation highway – one of steel – opened and led to the roofed road’s demise. In 1884, the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad was completed through Bossier Parish, running the same direction as Shed Road, and as Mr. Cardin writes in his book, it “created many points … from which to ship goods and greatly decreased the need for the all-weather road.” By that time, portions of the shed structure had also apparently fallen into disrepair. In the August 10, 1882 issue of the Bossier Banner-Progress is the following item: “We hear a great deal of complaint from the citizens of Bossier, who have occasion to use it, about the shed road. If reports are correct, it is in a deplorable condition, and it is unjust to collect tolls for the privilege of using it. We hope Judge Watkins will look into the matter at once.” By 1887, Watkins had transferred ownership of the road to the parish. High costs of making repairs to the structure, coupled with its declining use for commerce, forced the parish to have the shed demolished by the end of that decade. Sadly, no photos of old Shed Road are known to exist.

In the History Center’s collection is a log book for 1880 in which Judge Watkins wrote details of work on the road. Coming later this year, the History Center will have a walk-in replica of old Shed Road. To see it and to learn more about the history of Bossier Parish, visit us during our open hours Monday - Friday 9-6, and Saturday by appointment. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ 

Images: 

• Map courtesy The Times, August 29, 1995
• Illustration courtesy The Shreveport Journal, June 27, 1935

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Bossier Gains New Business Advocate After World War II

In the late 1940s, as the Town of Bossier City grew in population – it would officially become a city in 1951 due to this growth – Bossier civic leaders felt there was a need for an organization to help promote the town. If it was to continue prospering, Bossier needed a new advocate. Enter the Bossier Chamber of Commerce.

Calls for the formation of the chamber began in earnest in April 1947. Local realtor and civic leader Arthur Ray Teague spoke before representatives from clubs such as the Lions, Optimists, Kiwanis, Home Demonstration and others, making the case. An article in The Shreveport Journal of April 30, 1947, states, “Teague pointed out that … a town the size of Bossier not only needed a chamber of commerce, but had reached the stage of wanting it also.” According to the article, his proposal was met with “a great deal of enthusiasm.”

Meetings were held to further the cause and a membership drive was started. Advice came from the Shreveport and Vivian Chambers of Commerce. The Planters Press newspaper published an editorial on June 12 stating that the paper was “one hundred percent plus for the local chamber of commerce proposal,” and praised efforts to make it happen. “The spirit with which essential preliminary work is being done is indicative of the community’s praiseworthy ambition to grow larger, to prosper more and to build soundly for the future general progress of Bossier City and surrounding territory,” the editorial says.

The goal of the membership drive was to raise $12,000 to fund chamber operations. According to The Shreveport Times of June 18, 1947, the first week of the membership drive saw approximately 50 individuals and businesses join, raising just over $2,000. Although The Planters Press states the number of members increased to 180 by about mid-August, the amount raised totaled only $8,000, but that was enough to move forward with electing a board of directors, choosing officers and finding a chamber manager.

Former Shreveport resident Larry Maihles was selected to lead the chamber as its first manager. His previous experience included stints with the Shreveport and Haynesville Chambers of Commerce, followed by service in the Pacific during World War II, and then as assistant manager of the chamber in San Diego, California. He resigned the position on the west coast for the move to Bossier. Headquarters for his new job was on the second floor of the Bossier Bank and Trust company building. And there was little time for relaxing.

Within just a few weeks of Maihles’ hiring, the chamber established a program called “Build a Better Bossier” that led to many new initiatives benefitting the area. Chamber members submitted suggestions to help with the program, generating 23 projects that dealt with everything from legislation and taxation to fire prevention. The Planters Press has a complete listing of the projects in its December 11, 1947 issue. A chamber-sponsored radio show was also created, airing once each week on station KRMD. Sam Peters Jr., chairman of the chamber’s publicity and advertising committee, was quoted in a November 6 Planters Press article as saying that the show was meant “to keep the people informed on chamber of commerce projects and activities and developments in Bossier City and Bossier Parish.”

From these auspicious beginnings, the Bossier Chamber of Commerce grew and has for 78 years continued to help build a better Bossier. The importance of that record of service isn’t lost on current chamber President and CEO Lisa Johnson, who has been with the organization since 2004. “As we look back through our history, it is critically important to understand where we came from and how key initiatives began,” she said. “I am honored to learn from the legacy of those who came before us and to carry their vision forward. The Bossier Chamber has long been a catalyst in shaping Bossier Parish and its municipalities, and today, we continue that work with purpose and pride.”

If you have any photos, documents or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open Monday through Friday 9-6. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ 

Images: 

• Arthur Ray Teague/History Center collection
• Chamber advertisement/The Planters Press, Jan 27, 1949

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Racquet Club Changed North Bossier Recreational Landscape

In the late 1970s, with Bossier City growing, a group of city residents felt something was missing. They believed there weren’t adequate recreational facilities for the burgeoning populace in north Bossier. They envisioned a place where sports like tennis, racquetball and swimming could be enjoyed, and good food could be had in an on-site restaurant. This vision was realized in March, 1980 with the opening of the Bossier Racquet and Swim Club.

Located on Airline Drive, just north of Interstate 220, the $1.3 million club featured ten tennis courts – six hard surface courts and four clay surface courts, four racquetball courts, a swimming pool, an exercise room, pro shop and restaurant. Other amenities included a half-mile jogging track, locker rooms and saunas. The cost to access all of this at that time was a $500 membership fee and monthly dues of $35.

Efforts to establish the facility had officially started more than a year prior when the group of residents filed paperwork with Louisiana’s Secretary of State, setting up Bossier Racquet and Swim Club Incorporated, according to an item in the November 16, 1978 edition of The Shreveport Times. Afterwards, zoning changes were sought, allowing the proposed site of the club to become a neighborhood business district. These efforts culminated in a groundbreaking ceremony on April 18, 1979. 

Although work on the clay courts was incomplete, the club opened to much fanfare on Saturday, March 1, 1980. Members and their guests had the opportunity to view the facility’s offerings at a preview party the day prior to the opening. In a March 1 Times article, one of the club officers gave his reasoning behind the club’s construction. “We have not had any real tennis and racquetball facilities in Bossier,” he is quoted as saying. “It was time for us in Bossier to strike out.”

Through the next 23 years, the club hosted events including tennis tournaments – some featuring professional-level players, swim meets, racquetball tournaments, receptions, corporate events, etc. The Airline High School tennis team practiced and played its home matches there. I was fortunate to witness many of these goings-on as an employee in the pro shop during most of my years in college, doing everything from restringing tennis rackets to helping with tennis court maintenance. It was a great job to have as a student, allowing me to take classes early and work afternoons and evenings. I met some wonderful people, and during my off hours, played a bit of tennis. But the racquet club’s heyday eventually came to an end. Its good fortunes did not last.

By early 2003, the club was not doing well. In January that year, its doors were closed, permanently as it turned out. According to an article in The Shreveport Times of June 7, 2003, the club “had several hundred members” at the time, but its operators during that period, who the article states were leasing the facility, “were months behind in rent, finally prompting the property owners to evict them and put the site up for sale.” The city considered buying the club, but ultimately partnered with the police jury and school board to develop a new recreational area that became the North Bossier Park and Bossier Tennis Center. In January 2004, the club was demolished. Now standing in its former location are the restaurants Another Broken Egg Café and Andy’s Frozen Custard. But memories remain of a time when a new sports offering came to north Bossier and provided both kids and adults an opportunity to improve athletic skills, establish friendships, and enjoy some friendly competition.

If you have any information relating to the history of Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding that to its research collection. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Advertisement/The Shreveport Journal, Dec. 12, 1979
• Club demolition/The Times, Jan. 12, 2004/photo by Jessica Leigh

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Haughton High Mascot Has Changed Through the Years

Buccaneers, Vikings, Panthers, Bearkats, Tigers, and Lions, these fearsome high school mascots can all be found in Bossier Parish. And each has remained the same through the years, except for one. For Haughton High School’s mascot, the image of a swashbuckling pirate hasn’t always been the case.

Haughton High was established in 1886 in a small, two-room building with a handful of students, and today has an enrollment of approximately 1,400. Much has changed on the campus through the years, including its mascot. While conducting some research recently on another subject, I came across local newspaper accounts from 1939 through 1946 of Haughton High sports events - mainly football, basketball and baseball - that referred to the teams as the Travelers. Items such as one from The Planters Press of November 13, 1941 were common: “The Haughton Travelers football squad stayed at home last Friday and defeated the scrappy Dubach eleven, 28 - 0, before a large crowd of fans. This makes six wins and one loss for the Travelers this season,” the item states. Surprised to see Haughton called the Travelers, I began looking into the origin of the name and attempted to find a reason for its selection to represent the school. Unfortunately, these same newspaper accounts weren’t any help.

Searching through newspapers such as The Planters Press, The Bossier Banner-Progress, The Shreveport Times and The Shreveport Journal, I had no luck uncovering any information about the school mascot name. Other than game scores and details of how Haughton won or lost, articles mentioned nothing about how or why the name Travelers was chosen. Time to find another source.

Former Haughton High Principal Gene Couvillion knows the school well and shared with me a piece of information that I hadn’t expected. Another mascot name existed before Travelers. Through much of the 1930s, Haughton High was known as the Lumberjacks. A search of sports stories from that era in local newspapers confirmed this bit of campus history. A story in The Shreveport Times from December 23, 1937, states, “Bossier High School Bearkats defeated the Haughton Lumberjacks in a hard-fought basketball game Tuesday night on the Centenary College court.” An article in The Times from 1932 highlights a football game between Bossier High and the Haughton Lumberjacks.

So, Haughton High School had not one but two other names prior to Buccaneers. Perhaps Lumberjacks was chosen because of the timber industry’s significant presence in the parish. Travelers could have indicated the school’s teams played more away games than at home. Thus far, I’ve been unsuccessful in finding documented evidence to substantiate these theories. But I’m unaware of any other current parish high school that has had more than one mascot name.

Airline High adopted the Vikings moniker with the school’s opening in 1964. The Panther mascot was used by Parkway when the school was a junior high and continued after the transition to a high school in 1968. Bossier High began calling its sports teams the Bearcats in 1926, although the spelling was changed to Bearkats about 11 years later. Benton High has been known as the Tigers since at least the late 1920s. An item in The Shreveport Times from October 21, 1927 mentions a basketball game between Elm Grove High School and the Benton High Tigers. Incidentally, Elm Grove High, now a middle school with the name Eagles, called itself the Panthers. The Lion has been the mascot for Plain Dealing High School since at least the early 1930s. The Bossier Banner-Progress from October 8, 1931, has an article about an upcoming Lions football game. “The Plain Dealing High School Lions will engage the eleven bearing the colors of Sarepta High School here this afternoon …” the article states. Prior to desegregation, the African American high schools in the parish had mascot names such as Bears, Wildhogs, Yellow Jackets, Dragons and Panthers.

It seems Haughton High began calling itself the Buccaneers sometime in the late 1940s. An issue of The Shreveport Journal from October 15, 1948, contains a brief mention of a Haughton football game against Mooringsport and uses the name Buccaneers. By the fall of 1950, the name was being used extensively in sports stories about the school. But regardless of its mascot name, Haughton High is an integral part of our parish’s education system and can be rightly proud of the role it plays in preparing students for life ahead.

If you have any information relating to the history of Haughton High School’s mascots, the History Center may be interested in adding that to its research collection. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Haughton High Buccaneers mascot/image courtesy Haughton High School
• Sports headline/Bossier Banner-Progress, Nov. 15, 1956

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Bossier High Band Impressive at Sugar Bowl

The 1960 Sugar Bowl featured a New Year’s Day matchup of Southeastern Conference rivals LSU and Ole Miss. The second-ranked Rebels were eager to avenge a 7 – 3 loss to the third ranked Tigers that occurred on Halloween night following an 89-yard punt return for a touchdown by LSU star halfback Billy Cannon. For the Bossier High School marching band, the bowl provided not only a chance to see top college teams in action, but also offered the opportunity to step onto a national stage.

Three months earlier, Bossier High had welcomed a special visitor to see the band perform. According to the Bossier Tribune of October 11, 1959, a man named Irwin Poche, chairman of the New Orleans Mid-Winter Sports Association’s Pageant Committee, came to Bossier’s Memorial Stadium to see the band during halftime of a Bossier High vs Byrd football game. The reason for his visit was to consider inviting the band to play at the Sugar Bowl. The Tribune stated that the Bossier Chamber of Commerce and the Bossier Parish School Board had informed the sports association of the band’s availability for the bowl and invited the association to preview the band. Poche was said to be “very impressed with the splendid group.”

The Bossier band had distinguished itself by being selected to represent Louisiana numerous times at the Lions Club International band competition, winning first place in 1956, 57 and 59 in cities such as Miami, New York and Atlantic City against dozens of other high school bands from throughout the country. More first-place wins would come in the 1960s. With that track record, it’s no surprise that the Sugar Bowl showed interest.

Within days of Mr. Poche’s visit, the band received the hoped-for invitation. The Bossier High marching band was bound for New Orleans. Bossier Schools Superintendent T. L. Rodes was thrilled. “This marks the realization of a dream that has extended for years in Bossier,” he was quoted as saying in an article in The Shreveport Journal on October 13, 1959. News of the invite created so much excitement that the Bossier Chamber made arrangements to help get fans to the game. According to the Bossier Tribune’s October 18 edition, the chamber sponsored a train to carry approximately 300 band boosters, parents and fans to the bowl game, and orders for tickets to ride the train inundated chamber offices.

As game day approached, band members spent untold hours preparing for their performance. The Bossier Press of November 20, 1959 stated, “Fourteen big minutes. Those are the precious minutes in which thousands of eyes – and perhaps millions – will be turned upon the world champion Bossier High band.” The band was scheduled to perform for eight-minutes during a pre-game exhibition and six minutes at halftime. The game would be televised nationally.

When their moment to shine came on New Year’s Day 1960, the Bossier High band members didn’t disappoint. In short, they knocked it out of the park, er, stadium. Both The Shreveport Journal and The Shreveport Times of January 2 stated that the band received a standing ovation. An article in The Times from January 5 detailed the band’s performance, saying members executed maneuvers called “Company Fund,” “Diamond” and “X,” among others, while playing music like the “Grand Entry March,” “March Gloria” and “Colossus of Columbia March.” The newspaper stated that the band exited the field “by dividing into four main sections, two breaking toward the sidelines and the other two filling in as the other two approached them.”

Accolades weren’t long in coming. According to The Shreveport Times article from January 5, Bossier band Director Kenneth Green’s office was “flooded” with letters from states such as Texas, Illinois, Missouri, North and South Carolina, and Mississippi offering praise for the band’s showing and the “high degree of discipline” of its members. One letter writer asked Green for notes and diagrams of the band’s performance. A reporter for the New Orleans Times Picayune was said to have written that his vote for outstanding players during the Sugar Bowl would go to the Bossier band. Managing Editor for The Shreveport Journal Robert Packwood wrote on January 4, “It was one of the finest band performances we have ever seen and, as far as we are concerned, outdid any college band that appeared New Year’s Day in any of the televised bowl halftime shows.” Well done, Bearkats.

Film of the band at the Sugar Bowl is available for viewing by searching on YouTube for Bossier City High School band 1960. If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Bossier High Marching Band 1959-60/photo by Shorter/History Center collection
• Headline from The Shreveport Times, January 2, 1960

Article by: Kevin Flowers

Name Change a Contentious Issue in Bossier City History

“What’s in a name? This question from Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” might well have been asked concerning a name change for Bossier City. Beginning in the early 20th century, efforts surfaced to re-label Bossier City as East Shreveport. But how serious were those efforts, and could Bossier still retain its own identity if referred to as something else? Would Bossier, by any other name, still be Bossier?

When Bossier City, namesake of soldier and congressman General Pierre Bossier, was still officially a village, local maps from the early 1900s show a subdivision of the village was called East Shreveport. In the History Center collection is a copy of a Bossier map from 1914, displaying the words East Shreveport. Real estate advertisements appeared in local newspapers, touting the benefits of living in the subdivision. An ad in the February 9, 1914 edition of The Shreveport Journal states, “East Shreveport is bound to grow. East Shreveport is at the end of the new traffic bridge. High cost of living is reduced in East Shreveport. East Shreveport puts you closer to Shreveport.” These and more were listed as reasons for moving east of Red River. The ad was placed by the Bossier City Realty Company.

In 1923, with Bossier’s population topping one thousand, the village was upgraded by Louisiana’s governor to a town, and the idea of changing the entire town’s name to East Shreveport began to take hold. A headline in The Shreveport Journal of February 19, 1923, declares, “Bossier City To Be ‘East Shreveport.’” The accompanying article states, “Bossier City will drop out of the list of Louisiana municipalities, and East Shreveport will appear on the map in its stead, if a motion carried by a large majority at a mass meeting Friday night is finally adopted.” According to the article, 82 Bossier citizens met to discuss the town’s future, and a vote of 68 to 14 was made favoring the name change. Three days later, The Journal printed a column supporting the change. “Congratulations to the East Shreveporters!,” the column began. It states that “quite a number” of Bossier residents do business in Shreveport, making them “almost a part of Shreveport;” therefore, “It seems natural that they should wish to be known as East Shreveporters.”

In researching this topic, I found no mention in local newspapers that year of a final adoption of the motion passed at the meeting. Obviously, Bossier City kept its name, but the debate continued. Fast forward 27 years to December 1950 when the Shreveport Chamber of Commerce proposed that Bossier become East Shreveport, saying both communities would benefit. An article in The Planters Press the following month says those benefits, according to the chamber, would include Shreveport gaining Bossier’s population numbers and Bossier gaining Shreveport’s industrial recognition. Under the proposal, Bossier would still have operated under its own municipal government.

In March 1951, the Bossier Chamber of Commerce agreed to the name change after sending ballots to its membership and receiving a favorable vote. The chamber then asked Bossier’s town council to call an election so residents could vote on the proposal, but the council declined, citing public opposition to Bossier changing its name. Afterwards, chamber leadership decided to abandon the contentious idea. Chamber President James Larkin was quoted in The Planters Press on June 21, 1951 as saying, “The fact that there is strong feeling against the issue, and since there is no real all-out leadership for the project, it has been dropped.” But apparently the idea was not forgotten.

Changing Bossier’s name to East Shreveport surfaced again in the mid-1960s when a local developer suggested it while speaking to the Shreveport-Bossier Board of Realtors. The reasoning echoed earlier claims about the benefits of such a change. The Bossier Tribune, in an article of July 28, 1965, states an argument was made that Shreveport and Bossier “constitute a single industrial complex and should be linked together by name” and “East Shreveport would give Bossier a national identity that it now lacks.” But according to the article, a random survey conducted by The Tribune found the majority of Bossier residents opposed the change. One resident was quoted as saying, “I much prefer the lack of national identity to the loss of identity.” And so the matter was put to rest and has remained a part of Bossier City history. As Shakespeare might have written, thus we bid adieu to thee, name change.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. We are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• photocopy of 1914 Bossier map showing East Shreveport subdivision/History Center collection
• Bossier Tribune headline from July 28, 1965/Newspapers.com

Article by: Kevin Flowers