Haughton's Early Days

The Village of Haughton
This unique picture of Haughton, Louisiana, was taken in 1910, from atop the church bell tower. A wagon loaded with a bale of cotton proceeds to the railroad depot. the three-story building in the center is the Crume Hotel. At the far left is the store of T.H. Lawrence, which was the last surviving building, until 1997, when it was dismantled. the white house on the right would burn in the 1950s. Behind it is the Edwards' home, which would burn in the 1990s. Fire has been a strong enemy of Bossier Parish's early homes and towns. Emma Patillo Collection: 0000.003.033-2

When William Purvis Haughton moved his family to Bossier Parish, he had no idea that the land he pioneered along with the Lawrence family would one day be named after him and would continue to grow as it has. Haughton's beginning goes back roughly forty years before it was officially designated as such on Sept. 1, 1884, when the VS&P railroad changed the community known as Lawrenceville to Haughton.

The name change was because when the railroad came through Lawrenceville, the train station was named Lawrence Station, but there was already a Lawrence Station in Mississippi. Dr. Paul Andrew Lawrence, the son of pioneer David Lawrence and son-in-law of William Haughton, chose to change Lawrence Station of Lawrenceville to Haughton Station. And the community from that point forward has been known as Haughton.

Being chosen as a location for a railroad station set into motion a significant growth spurt for Haughton. During the summer of 1884, the railroad was built through the community. The Bossier Banner reported on July 10, 1884, "Lawrenceville, situated ten miles south of Bellevue, on the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad, is having quite a boom in business and improvements. There is life and bustle everywhere, and our new railroad town evidently has a bright future before it, in which well directed industry and liberal investments will surely be well rewarded. Success to the new town and its progressive citizens."

A few days later, the first U.S. Post Office opened with Luther E. McDade as postmaster. Of course, the post office name changed from Lawrenceville to Haughton a little over a month after the community's name was changed. The second postmaster was Milus W. Haughton, son of William.

The community continued to grow, and when talks of moving the Parish seat from Bellevue started, the citizens of Haughton wrote a letter to the editor of the Bossier Banner with their bid to be chosen for the new location. The letter was dated May 7, 1885, and was published a week later. It reads as follows:

"As there is a great deal of talk about the Parish site removal, and some little bidding for the Court House, the citizens of Haughton and vicinity desire to be heard. We will give ($3,000) three thousand dollars and one lot of ground for the parish site. Our land ranges in value from $125 to $1000 per lot; and we will give a suitable lot worth at least $500. If parties do not believe that we are in earnest, let us be awarded the parish site and the cash will be forthcoming. In the early days of Rome the crown was put up to the highest bidder, and the money this derived was given to the people. — In this, we propose to assist the people of Bossier in building a new Court House and jail. If any other community offers this amount we may raise our bid, but think that those who get the advantage of the parish site, should pay for that advantage. We are willing to do so."

The letter continues with boastings of the fruitfulness of the land, its commercial advantages, and schools. The amount of cotton they shipped out in 1884 was 3,000 bales, and the fact that they paid more for cotton than any other place. Pointing out that "everything argues in favor of Haughton. We have six business houses, boarding houses, livery stables, saw mills, and everything that constitutes a first-class village, with the ambition of a town — Within the present year Dr. Lawrence, Messrs. McClanahan, Davis, Grounds, Bullock and Odom, have built residences, and Messrs. Bryan, Radcliff, Bodenheimer, McKinney and J.F. Edwards are constructing residences. If any town, or neighborhood in the parish can beat this showing of a town less than a year old, we would like to hear from them, especially if they will offer more for the Court House."

That same year a Baptist church house and Methodist church house were erected. P.B. Holt became the editor and proprietor of the first newspaper, the “Haughton Democrat.” The village held its first election that fall, where the people elected Henry Bodenheimer as their first Mayor and for Trustees, Dr. Paul Lawrence, J.F. Edwards, J.W. Elston, D.H. Cale, D.E. Griffin, and J.G. Grounds. Come Christmas time; the people put up a community Christmas tree in the schoolhouse where they gathered on Christmas Eve. The first telephone was installed in June of 1889.

The village of Haughton continued to grow. With a population of over 1,000 inhabitants, Governor Edwin Edwards, through proclamation, reclassified the Village of Haughton to the Town of Haughton in Sept. 1975. Currently the largest town in Bossier Parish, and once it reaches a population of 5,000, it will be eligible for reclassification as a city.

To learn more about Haughton, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB, @bplhistorycenter on Tiktok, and check out our blog, http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/.

By: Amy Robertson

Barksdale's Little League

Source: The Observer, Aug. 23, 1957

Often referred to as America's national pastime, baseball has been enjoyed in America by player's, and spectator's alike since the game was modernized in the 1840s. In the 1920s, the American Legion formed a baseball program for teenage boys, and schools started baseball programs. But opportunities to play baseball were virtually non-existent for pre-teens until Carl Stotz of Williamsport, PA, founded Little League Baseball.

It all began in 1938 when Stotz was watching a bunch of kids trying to play baseball on a regulation diamond, with inadequate equipment and without the benefit of coaching and organization. He had the idea to organize a league for the youngsters, but first, he had to work out the details. So, Stotz gathered several neighborhood children and experimented with different equipment and field dimensions during that summer. He enlisted help from members of the community, and the first game was played in 1939.

Little League is a scaled-down version of organized baseball to fit youngsters between the ages of eight and twelve. The playing field is two-thirds the size of the regulation diamond, with bases 60-feet apart, and pitchers stand 40 feet and 4 inches from the home plate. The games are limited to six innings compared to nine innings in the Minor and Major Leagues. The bats and balls are the exact sizes as those used in the Major Leagues but lighter. In the interest of safety, steel cleats were banned from the league, causing sporting goods manufacturers to make special rubber sole shoes for kids.

In the beginning, they had the National Little League Tournament, now known as the Little League World Series. Its popularity snowballed, and by 1950 at least 37 states were competing for national honors in the Little League. The Little League World Series had played to capacity crowds for the previous two seasons.

Source: The Observer, Jan. 11, 1957

It's unclear to this writer exactly when Bossier Parish formed its first Little League team(s). But, in 1957, Barksdale received the first Little League franchise in Louisiana from the National Little League headquarters in Williamsport, PA., to play that year. "The franchise was presented to Col. Ralph J. White, base commander, by Master Sgt. James Lovejoy, 1956 president of the base Little Leagues. The colonel was deputizing for Col. Robert H. Borders, newly elected president for 1957 who was unable to receive the franchise in person because of TDY commitments."

Tech. Sgt. Rufus Bohannon was named vice-president of the league that year. The previous year he and Master Sgt. Delmar Cook coached the championship 3rd Triple S Wildcats to their second straight base title. That year nearly 167 boys signed up for Little League baseball, with an even greater number expected for the coming season. Five teams made up the league, and they were eligible for the state, district, regional, and World Series playoffs.

This week is National Little League week, and eighty years ago today, the first Little League game was played. Since then, Little League Baseball has become the world's largest organized youth sports program. It has grown from three teams to nearly 200,000 teams in all 50 U.S. States and more than 80 countries. In 1974 Little League Softball was created. The primary goal was to give the children a game that provides fundamental principles teaching sportsmanship, fair play, and teamwork. Valuable lessons that can be carried out throughout one's lifetime.

To learn more about sports in Bossier Parish, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB and check out our blog, http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/. We are excited to announce that we are now on Tiktok; follow us @bplhistorycenter.

By: Amy Robertson

First Asian American Enlists as Cadet at Barksdale

At the beginning of World War II, there were only 55 enlisted pilots in the U.S. Army Air Corps. At the end of 1941, the Army lowered cadet education requirements allowing enlisted men to apply to flight training. Instead of needing a college degree, those with a high school diploma were allowed to enlist for flight training. Between 1941 and 1942, over 2,580 enlisted men became pilots.

Staff Sergeant Samuel "Jake" Mardock

During that time, Samuel "Jake" Mardock, Jr. proudly became the first Chinese to be accepted as a flying cadet at Barksdale. The following announcement appeared in "The Shreveport Journal" on Thursday, Jan. 29, 1942, with the heading, "Chinese Enlists As Flying Cadet: Sam Mardock, Jr., of Tyler Accepted for Army At Barksdale Field."

"Sam Mardock, Jr., 26-year-old Chinese, of Tyler, Texas, Wednesday became the first of his race to be accepted at Barksdale Field as a flying cadet.

"'Now maybe I'll get a crack at those Japanese,' Sam said when informed that he had met cadet requirements and been accepted.

"Julian, 24-year-old brother of Sam, was accepted recently at a Texas air base for army cadet training, 'and when they lowered cadet educational requirements I didn't lose any time getting at Barksdale to try and make it myself,' Sam said.

"Barksdale's first Chinese cadet is the son of Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Mardock of Tyler, both of whom were born in China, where they have many relatives.

"' But we don't hear from them much anymore, because of the war the Japanese are making,' Sam said.

"He took civilian flight training in 1938, and has more than 200 hours of flying to his credit. He attended Tyler Junior college. His brother, Julian, is a graduate of the University of Texas."

Sam and his brother Julian were among the first Chinese-Americans to train and become official American Aviation Corp Pilots for the United States Army. After receiving "winged commando" training, Staff Sergeant Sam Mardock was stationed at Luke Airfield, AZ. During his time in service, he piloted small planes and gliders and was an aerial gunner.

The Mardock family was the first Chinese family to settle in Tyler, TX, in the late 1800s. Samuel Mardock, Sr. immigrated to the United States at 13 or 14-years-old working as a farmhand where he learned to speak, write, and read English. Then, he found work on the railroad, which eventually brought him to Texas. He settled in Tyler as a pioneer, started a restaurant, and eventually was able to bring his wife over from China.

According to asianpacificheritage.gov, there are more than 300,000 living Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander American veterans. The Mardock brothers are no longer living but are remembered for their service to their country during WWII.

What do you want to know about Bossier Parish's history? Or, perhaps you have important information or artifacts about Bossier Parish History that you would like to share. Donations are a large part of our collection and are vital in helping us preserve Bossier Parish's history. Whether researching or interested in adding to our collection, visit, call or email the Bossier Parish Library History Center. We are at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City, 318-746-7717, history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

By: Amy Robertson

WWI and Local American Red Cross Societies

Book, "The Red Cross" by Clara Barton, 1898.
Mae Helverson Collection: 2015.010.001

This Friday marks the 140th anniversary of the American Red Cross, which was founded by Clara Barton and "a circle of her acquaintances." When World War I broke out in the summer of 1914, it experienced phenomenal growth as "the number of local chapters jumped from 107 in 1914 to 3,864 in 1918 and membership grew from 17,000 to over 20 million adult and 11 million Junior Red Cross members." Bossier Parish being the patriotic and charitable community that it is, established three Red Cross Societies during the spring of 1917.

It all began when a movement was started in April that year by the Shreveport Lion's Club during a luncheon at the Hotel Youree to establish a chapter of the National Red Cross in Shreveport. Immediately following this organization, Red Cross Societies began organizing throughout Bossier Parish. These societies served as auxiliaries to the Shreveport chapter. The first two societies were formed in Benton and Plain Dealing that May, then in Bossier City in July.

That June, the American Red Cross announced its first War Fund drive to raise 100 million dollars and reached this goal in one week. But that did not slow down the efforts of the local Red Cross Societies from increasing memberships and asking for donations. Including Drs. D. J. McAnn of Atkins and S. E. Prince of Curtis, who traveled together through the parish collecting subscriptions for the benefit of wounded soldiers and sailors, provided through the American Red Cross Society.

American Red Cross Poster, c 1918.
By Artist Wladyslaw T. Benda
Retrieved from Library of Congress,
<www.loc.gov/item/2002708897/>.

When fall came and the threat of winter just around the corner, an urgent request was made to the Red Cross headquarters by Maj. Grayson Murphy, head of the American Red Cross in France. The request was for the immediate shipment of one million five hundred thousand each of warm knitted woolen sweaters, mufflers, wristlets, and socks. The Shreveport chapter was tasked with supplying five thousand of each article listed. To meet this quota, they needed the cooperation of every woman in the six parishes under its jurisdiction. Naturally, the women of Bossier bought wool and got busy knitting.

The Caddo-Bossier Red Cross chapter published a statement at the end of 1918, giving an account of its total receipts and disbursements from the time of organization, in spring of 1917, through the end of Oct. 1918. The various receipts totaled to $115,186.73 and the disbursements totaled $80,323.47, that’s equivalent to $1,408,996 today. They also reported 13,410 knitted garments, 29,778 hospital garments, 14,544 refugee garments, and 155,783 surgical dressings made by local women and distributed to the soldiers and sailors.

For 104 years, the local chapter of the American Red Cross has been in operation. They "alleviated human suffering in the face of emergencies by mobilizing the power of volunteers and the generosity of donors. Its members offer aid and resources to others to prevent, prepare for and respond to emergencies through immediate assistance, education, outreach and training. Today, in addition to domestic disaster relief, the American Red Cross offers educational programs that promote health and safety, support and comfort for military members and their families, and provide international relief and development programs."

By: Amy Robertson

Cottage Grove Holds First Columbian Club Affair

Heinze, Hermann, A. Zeese & Co, and World'S Columbian Exposition. Souvenir map of the World's Columbian
Exposition at Jackson Park and Midway Plaisance, Chicago, Ill, U.S. A. Chicago: A. Zeese & Co., Engravers, 1892.
Map. Retrieved from the Library of Congress, <www.loc.gov/item/2010587004/>. 

Aug. 10, 1893, was Louisiana Day at the World's Fair: Columbian Exposition in Chicago, IL. This world's fair celebrated the 400th anniversary of Christopher Columbus' arrival in the New World in 1492. Dedication ceremonies for the fair were held on Oct. 21, 1892, but the fairgrounds were not open to the public until May of 1893 and ran for six months closing in Oct.

The planning began nearly ten years before the dedication ceremony. Many prominent civic, professional, and commercial leaders from across the nation participated in the fair's financing, coordination, and management. The total cost of the fair was approximately $46,000,000, which is the equivalent of nearly 1.4 billion dollars today. There were forty-six countries, 34 U.S states, and 4 U.S. territories with buildings at the exposition.

To have a state building or headquarters meant having a proper representation of their resources at the world's fair. Early estimates suggest that the appropriation needed was at least $75,000. But, the Louisiana legislature only appropriated $36,000, and $12,000 of that was earmarked for the two commissioners, which ruffled quite a few feathers. Since $24,000 was not enough money to provide proper representation, Columbian Clubs began to form throughout the state.

In an article appearing in the "Weekly Shreveport Times" on Mar. 5, 1893, the writer stated that "Louisiana was too poor – floods and legislative inaction throwing the burden of making a display upon the women of the state." An article in "The Bossier Banner" on Aug. 11, 1892, supports this statement; it reads as follows:

"It is to our credit as a parish that the ladies, always active and enthusiastic in any good cause, are evincing interest in organizing for the purpose of raising funds for our State exhibit at the World's Fair. That we have at present two Columbian Clubs, one at Cottage Grove, and one at Benton, both organized with good membership, surely speaks well for the ladies of said places and vicinity, reflecting great credit on their public spirit."

Martha "Mattie" Gilmer Swann c. 1905
Ann Fitzpatrick Graham Collection: 2003.007.016D

The writer goes on to list the names of the officers for both clubs, all women. And then admonished, "Surely all will help this cause, and before snother [sic] month rolls by we hope to have not two Columbian Clubs in Bossier parish, but a dozen, if need be, that every community of ladies may do what they can to help make a 'record' for our parish in the State work."

Earlier that year, Dr. W. M. Abney, President of the Police Jury, with the unanimous approval of the jurors, appointed Martha “Mattie” Swann as the parochial delegate from Bossier Parish to the World's Fair. She was instrumental in the organizing of these local clubs. Shortly after the article ran announcing the two Bossier Parish clubs, she visited Plain Dealing, where a third Columbian Club was organized in this parish. Again, the officers of the club were made up entirely of women from that community.

These clubs held elaborate affairs to raise money for the Louisiana State Exhibit building at the World's Columbian Exposition. The Columbian Club at Cottage Grove held the first of these affairs at Swannhaven plantation, home of Mattie Swann. Guest enjoyed supper and entertainments complete with recitations, tableaux, soliloquies, instrumental duets, horseshoe quartets, and other musical numbers. The night was concluded with an address from Mrs. Julia Rule, Pansy of the Times, "to arouse enthusiasm in our State Columbian work."

Swannhaven Plantation, Cottage Gove, Louisiana, c. late 1800s
Ann Fitzpatrick Graham Collection: 2003.007.007

Next, the Benton Columbian Club prepared a feast that was given at the Union Hotel supper-room. The write-up in the “Shreveport Times,” provides the following description. “The contributions to this supper were most generous, and some responded who were not members of the club; long tables groaned ‘neath the weight of delicious salads, cakes, beautiful jellies and appetizing pickles – all ‘home products’ – as were the barbecued meats, daintily trussed turkeys and chickens galore!”

Both events were filled with dancing and merriment, and the ladies' efforts were rewarded by the “...large and appreciative crowds, whose patriotism and pride in our fair State’s representation at the coming magnificent exposition...”

Louisiana Day, Aug. 10, 1893, World's Columbian Exposition, Chicago, IL
Source: Digital Research Library of Illinois History

The Louisiana state building was an exhibit of authentic southern architectural style and was divided into eight rooms. One devoted to the Acadian exhibits, from the quaint old French colony in the lovely Bayou Teche country. Another room was devoted to the relics of the French and Spanish days of Louisiana. Richly carved antique furniture of a former Governor, which was usually kept at the museum of the Capitol building at Baton Rouge, filled one of the rooms.

There were eleven beautifully carved panels designed and executed by women of the State. And many other interesting articles, including a veranda of Louisiana woods, where each visitor was given a seedling of a cypress tree, resulting in the spread of cypress trees to areas where they were not native, of which many can be found in West Virginia.

When it comes to agriculture, there was also a double-decked Chinese pagoda, artistically finished off in rough rice, where samples of rice were given to the ladies that visited. In a massive pillared veranda made of sugar cane were displays of syrups, molasses, and sugars, including the old sugar-loaf cakes. There was an exhibit of ramie hemp and other fiber plants, corn, and tobacco.

Of course, it wouldn't be a true representation of Louisiana without its food and music. So naturally, a Creole kitchen served all the southern delicacies for which the state is noted, and a Creole concert company entertained the many visitors.

The World’s Columbian Exposition was the most significant world's fair in U.S. history and one of the most important in the history of world expositions. The Ferris wheel made its debut at the fair, as did the brownie, among other things. The architecture shaped the country's style for the next 25 years and the exhibits were more impressive than anything seen before. It introduced the concept of the midway, a lively entertainment zone, a feature that soon became a staple of virtually all future expositions.

By: Amy Robertson

Plain Dealing Bank Goes Belly-up

Plain Dealing Bank. Corner of Palmetto Ave. and Lynch St.
Plain Dealing Library Collection 1997.031.102

On May 3, 1904, the Plain Dealing Bank was chartered with a capital stock of $25,000 divided into 500 shares of $50. The first Board of Directors were H.H. Montgomery, President; P.G. Pye, First Vice President, and Cashier; W.B. Boggs, Second Vice President; S.H. Cochran, Dr. T.N. Keoun, N.W. Sentell, W.J. Johnston, and J.P. Keeth. Four months after the charter was filed, the bank opened its doors for business.

Although P.G. Pye was listed in the charter as the cashier, W.M. Stephenson was the first cashier when it came time to open for business. After his resignation in early 1905, Jonah Perry was elected to succeed him. Perry had been serving as the Cotton Belt Railroad agent before becoming the cashier. He temporarily employed the assistant cashier W.J. Pugh from the Bank of DeRidder to assist him in getting started with the job.

Being a cashier of a small-town bank back in those days often meant you were a one-person show. For the next sixteen years, Perry not only served its members at the cashier window processing deposits and withdrawals, but he also processed loans, maintained the bank's books, charged overdraft fees, and collected monies due, among other things. During that time, he earned the people's trust, and he even served as the Mayor of Plain Dealing from 1914-1916.

But in April of 1921, he fled to Arkansas. "Upon making his departure Sunday night, Perry left a note intimating that he was short in his accounts and announcing that the bank would have to suspend operations, but he gave no information as to where he was going." "It is stated that Perry had told his wife when he left home Sunday, that he was going to Little Rock, and instructed her to inform Sheriff Adair that he would return voluntarily when notified that his presence was desired. Sheriff Adair wired Perry at Little Rock Wednesday, requesting him to return, and a few hours later the sheriff received a message from the fugitive that he was on his way, and asked Sheriff Adair to meet him in Shreveport."

The following statement by his attorney, Thomas W. Robertson, appeared in The Shreveport Journal, "Mr. Perry denies that he got any of the money – not even a nickel. The losses were occasioned [sic] by injudiciously allowing overdrafts and the accumulation of uncollectable notes, coupled with a loose system of keeping track of profits and losses. This condition of affairs was brought about largely by the fact that he had no assistance, and the work, for several years has been entirely too arduous for him, rendering it impossible for him to perform correctly all of the various duties devolving upon him."

"According to his attorney, Perry, at the time of the crash, was worth, in notes, bonds, stocks, land and property of various kinds, in the neighborhood of $20,000, and that he surrendered it all in an effort to protect, as far as he was able, those who had lost through the bank's failure." A final audit of the books revealed that the bank had been insolvent for four or five years and the shortage was $121,000. Even with Perry surrendering his property and monies and the bank's liquidation, the members only received a small portion of their money back after waiting nearly a year.

Perry was convicted and sentenced by Judge Roberts of Minden to serve 9-10 years in the state prison. His attorney filed a motion for a new trial but was denied. He then appealed the case to the Supreme Court, which sustained the district court's verdict. Perry maintained his innocence in the embezzlement charge and that he never personally made use of the money. He was granted an early release from jail and was discharged on May 9, 1926. He died on Christmas eve that same year.

Shortly after the Plain Dealing Bank closed, the State Bank of Plain Dealing was organized, with a capital stock of $15,000 and Dr. Shea Edward Prince as president. It purchased the building and fixtures of the defunct institution and opened for business on Sep. 1, 1921.

An independent agency of the federal government, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC), was created in 1933 in response to the thousands of bank failures that occurred in the 1920s and early 1930s. The National Credit Union Administration, which regulates and insures credit unions, was formed in 1935.

By: Amy Robertson

Breaking Barriers

Each year, since 1987, March is designated as Women's History Month by Presidential proclamation to honor women's contributions to history, culture, and society. This year's theme is a continuation of 2020s, recognizing the battle for women's suffrage. For almost 100 years, women fought for the right to vote. But the right to vote is not the only thing women have had to fight for. While women continue to fight for the Equal Rights Amendment, they also continue to break barriers in many areas such as sports, politics, the military, and the workplace.

The women of Bossier Parish are no exception as we have a very long list of women who have and continue to break barriers set before them. There are so many that it is not possible to list them all here now. The following are a few of the Bossier Parish women that have broken barriers making their contributions to history, culture, and society.

Rebecca LaBorde holds the distinction of being the first female firefighter for Bossier City, joining the department in 1984. She was the fifth woman to attempt to join the department but the first to pass all of the tests, including the agility test. She passed the test because she trained hard, running and weight training to meet the requirements. The agility test had applicants set up a ladder, climb up and down it, then dismantle it, carry two different types of hoses, and finish by carrying 100 pounds up two flights of stairs, all within a time limit.

Marshall Esther P. Watkins

Esther Parker Watkins became the first Bossier City Marshall when Judge Louis Lyons appointed her in 1965. Her appointment came after her husband O.L. "Slim" Watkins' sudden death. She served as his deputy during his sixteen years as City Marshall, making her the perfect fit. He was the first Marshall elected when the Bossier City/Ward two court was established in 1950. When election time came in 1966, she was elected by the people running against T. R. Kay and Arthur C. Townsend.

Bossier Parish women have also made their mark in the armed forces. Haughton native Glenda Rhodes-Hood enlisted in the Navy in 1973. There she became a lithographer, and in 1984 she became the Navy's first female chief lithographer. A lithographer is one who prints from a flat stone or metal plate, parts of which are treated to repel ink. They were the Navy's version of a Print Designer, running print shops and producing printed material used by the Navy, such as magazines, newspapers, forms, and training materials. This job no longer exists in the Navy.

Brig. Gen. Fred W. Borum presents
the Air Medal to Lt. Elsie Ott

In 1943 army nurse 2nd Lt. Elsie S. Ott, formerly of Barksdale Field, was the first woman to be awarded the Air Medal, awarded to members of the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard for meritorious achievement while participating in an aerial flight. Ott nursed five seriously ill officers and men on the first intercontinental air evacuation flight. A 10,000-mile, six-day flight from India to Walter Reed Hospital. During that flight, she had only one corpsman to assist her. She prepared food for the entire crew, sleeping only a few moments between caring for the men and preparing the meals. Ott had never flown in an airplane before and received air evacuation training after her achievement.

In 1979, Airman Patricia K. Langham earned the distinct honor of being the first boom operator with the 913th Air Refueling Squadron at Barksdale Air Force Base. Not only was she the first boom operator at Barksdale, but she was among the first within the Strategic Air Command and the Air Force. It was not long before she was promoted to Senior Airman, and in 1981, she made the honor roll as a distinguished graduate of the non-commissioned officer course.

Here at the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, we have many ongoing projects, including a list of first Bossier Parish females to ___. To learn more about these firsts, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Can't come in, call 318-746-7717 or email history-center@bossierlibrary.org with your inquiry.

By: Amy Robertson

Plain Dealing High School's Forest

Future Farmers of America with Oren S. McFatter, vocational instructor.
Plain Dealing High School Collection: 2004.013.020

In 1946, Plain Dealing High School Principal Felix G. Phillips called a meeting to discuss the organization of a forestry program for the school. Phillips explained to his audience that "he had been thinking of and was interested in forestry and the improvement of agriculture in general for many years; and for the past five years had been planning a forestry program for the Plain Dealing High School and had now reached that point where he could put those plans into effect.

"He explained that his idea was to develop a forest project on the land belonging to the school and use it to enable boys and girls to become familiar with forest development and management. In doing this it will also influence farmers in this section as well as other schools to become interested. The school is fortunate in having for its site about 25 acres.

"Mr. Phillips further stated that Bossier Parish is especially suited for the production of forest and forest products and he wanted to do all he could to get the citizenry interested. He believes this can be done by working through the children."

The meeting included members of the State Forestry Commission, Soil Conservation Service, Bossier Parish School Board, fire prevention, Louisiana State Forestry Commission, farmers, and the Southern Craft Paper Mill, an International Paper division. Those in attendance favored the idea and formed committees to see the project through to completion. By the end of 1946, Phillips' vision for a school forestry program became a reality after a 10-acre plot was dedicated to the program.

The District Forester, D.Y. Smith, brought 2,500 saplings for the occasion. That year's freshman class planted the first 500. Students in the Future Farmers of America club lead by Oren S. McFatter, Plain Dealing High School's vocational agricultural teacher; 4-H clubbers lead by Enoch T. Nix and other interested high school students planted the remaining 2,000 saplings. Over the next two years, an additional 4,000 saplings were planted in the school's forest.

Principal Phillips with sign O.S. McFatter presented
to him dedicating the forest plot in his honor, 1948.

In 1948, O.S. McFatter presented a plaque with a dedicatory inscription naming the forest plot in honor of Principal Felix G. Phillips.

Nine years after the program started, John Webb, a representative from the Louisiana Forestry Commission, visited the Phillips Forestry Project to inspect Louisiana high schools' first forestry project. Tommy Kohara, the official photographer of the Louisiana Forestry Commission, took pictures. Six months later, in celebration of the forest's 10th anniversary, a three full-page article appeared in "Forests and People," the Louisiana Forestry Commissions magazine.

According to Webb's article, "Since the dedication, small landowners in the environs of the town have planted many plots to pine. Oren McFatter, vocational agricultural teacher at Plain Dealing High School, is teaching forestry to agricultural classes each year, using the demonstration plot to teach planting and management. He and Glenn H. Crawford, present principal of the high school, plan on expanding the forestry project when and if more land can be obtained."

(L to R) C.O. Holland, James A. Gayle, B.L. Snyder, T.L. Rhodes
Dedication of Haughton High School Forest, 1961. Source: Bossier Press

Three years later, the school dedicated an additional 40-acres just north of the Arkansas-Louisiana line. In 1961, the second Bossier Parish High School forest was dedicated at Haughton High School. A 40-acre tract located just north of Fillmore, where vocational agriculture students studied under Frank Staten. Profits from selling forest products produced by both schools were used to buy equipment for vocational agriculture.

By: Amy Robertson

Operation Skywatch

After the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor, the U.S. Army Air Forces organized the Ground Observer Corps (GOC), a civil defense program to protect the U.S. territory against air attacks. There were dangerous unavoidable limitations in the radar system during that time as it was largely ineffective for the area below 5,000 feet, known as the “dangerous mile.” During the Second World War, the GOC filter centers and observation posts were only in northern and coastal states.

Volunteer observers received intensive training on identifying enemy planes and properly reporting their observations to their assigned filter center, where plotters would mark the aircraft on a filter board – a large-scale map of the area. Overlooking the filter boards were tellers with direct communication with an Air Force Ground Control Interceptor base to report the observation. If an unauthorized aircraft was spotted, the Ground Control Interceptor base would put pursuit planes into the air to meet any enemy attacks.

The GOC was dissolved at the end of WWII but was reorganized during the Cold War in early 1950, about six months after the Soviet Union detonated its first nuclear bomb in 1949. First, they revived old GOC filter centers and observation posts in the northern and coastal sta
tes. By 1952, the GOC response was so strong that Operation Skywatch was initiated to integrate the program into the Air Defense system 24 hours a day.

The Air Force warned that Russia might launch an attack via the Gulf of Mexico and called the south “the soft underbelly of the United States.” Plans to expand Operation Skywatch to all 48 states began, and by the fall of 1954, plans to open GOC filter centers in New Orleans and Shreveport was underway. The Air Defense Command leased the building at 531 East Kings Highway to house the Shreveport Air Filter Center. The center’s open house and dedication took place on Dec. 7, 1955, the same day that Mayor Gardner, Shreveport, and Mayor Burgess E. McCranie, Bossier City, proclaimed as Ground Observer Corps day.

The Shreveport Filter Center was considered the second largest of the 73 filter centers throughout the United States. It maintained an area of responsibility of 160,000 square miles in Louisiana, Arkansas, and Texas. There were 585 observation posts with approximately 7,000 civilian volunteers that reported to the Shreveport Filter Center. During its operation, the Shreveport Filter Center was highly praised and ranked as one of the most efficient in the Air Defense Command.

Volunteer opportunities were open to anyone sixteen or older, though historical records reveal that children as young as seven participated. Approximately 75 percent of the volunteers in the GOC were housewives. Many Bossier Parish residents in each community volunteered. In Benton, Mrs. Ford E. Stinson served as post supervisor, Mrs. D.E. Cummings was the chief observer, and Mrs. A.N. Knotts assisted in recruiting volunteers. Mrs. Vara Farrington was the chief observer for the Carterville area. In Plain Dealing, Leon Sanders was the post supervisor assisted by Mrs. Aus Barr and Mrs. Ardis Manry.

At the end of 1958, the announcement came that the Ground Observer Corps would disband on Jan. 31, 1959. Col. John T. Fitzwater, commander of the 33rd Air Division, told GOC members at a local awards banquet, “Deactivation of the Ground Observer Corps is not the end, but marks the beginning of a new national defense network. With emphasis on speed, machines can now process data faster and more efficiently that [sic] it can be done manually.”

The GOC disbanded because of a new network of air defense radar stations known as the Distant Early Warning Line or Dew line controlled by the new Semi Automatic Ground Environment (SAGE) computer system. The new radar system could detect an enemy air strike force before it ever reached the nation’s continental limits. Every volunteer who earned their GOC wings was presented with a wallet ID card and a certificate from the USAF recognizing them as an honorary life member of the Air Defense Team for voluntary and faithful service in the Ground Observer Corps.

Certificate issued to Mrs. Alford Farrington.
Bossier Parish Library Collection: 2019.021.026

By: Amy Robertson

The Community Canning House: A Relief Enterprise

The history of preserving food through canning dates back to the French Revolution in the late 18th century. The armies suffered from limited food availability, limiting military campaigns to the summer and autumn months. In 1795, the need for a steady supply of quality food for the French army and navy led the French government to offer a reward of 12,000 francs to anyone who could develop a reliable method of food preservation.

Nicholas Appert, a Frenchman from Champagne's region who worked as a chef for French nobility, set his sights on the prize. He committed himself to study food preservation, and his experimentations led to the successful preservation of food in hermetically sealed containers sterilized by heat. His experiments began with "champagne bottles, sealed airtight with an oddly effective mixture of cheese and lime."

He then progressed to wide-necked glass containers that he had made especially for food preservation. "In 1803 his preserved foods (which came to include vegetables, fruit, meat, dairy and fish) were sent out for sea trials with the French navy." By 1809, Appert was declared the official winner; the French government gave him the award but stipulated that he publish his method. His book, The Art of Preserving, for Several Years, all Animal and Vegetable Substances, was published the following year.

That same year the use of tin for canning was introduced by an English businessman, Peter Durand, who patented the use of tin-coated iron cans instead of bottles. Another fifty-years passed before Louis Pasteur was able to explain why Appert's method was effective. That the heat killed microorganisms in the food, and the sealing kept other microorganisms from getting in. The idea to can sodas didn't happen until 1940, which is interesting considering the first soda machine was patented in 1819.

The availability of canned food has played a critical role in man's survival during non-harvest seasons, times of war, and economic recessions. During the great depression of the early 1930s, canning houses sprang up in communities across Bossier Parish, providing residents with access to canning equipment for home-growers to preserve their backyard harvest. During the Second World War, food rationing revived community canneries as people grew victory gardens to meet their nutritional needs.

Lettie VanLandingham performing one of her
many canning demonstration in Bossier Parish
Gay England Collection: 2013.041.038

Community canning houses were both educational as well as a relief enterprise. Home Demonstration Agents, like Lettie VanLandingham, spent countless hours giving canning demonstrations throughout Bossier Parish. Under her supervision, some 23 canning centers were built and operated throughout the parish as the Bossier Parish Demonstration Agent from 1929-1960.

Many of the canning houses were located within the agricultural department of schools or in a canning house built on school grounds. This allowed girls in 4-H to learn the art of canning. These 4-H'ers formed canning clubs and helped address food shortages in the community.

Canning prevents food waste, saves money, is earth-friendly, and provides healthful nutrition. In 1987, the Canned Food Information Council designated February as National Canned Food Month to break down misconceptions that canned food is less nutritious than fresh food.

By: Amy Robertson

Beauticians and the Civil Rights Movement

(L to R) Mamie Stewart Love Wallace, Annie Townsend Brewster, and Bernice Smith.

In the 1920s, Mamie Stewart, Annie Townsend, and Bernice Smith were born in Benton, La, where they grew up learning that not all citizens in America were given equal rights. Little did they know that a century later, they would still be remembered and talked about for their never-ending pursuit for equal rights and reconciliation between races.

These three girls grew up to become successful business owners, civic leaders, and civil rights activists. Stewart, better known today as Mamie Love Wallace, founded the Modern Beauty Shop on Milam Street in the business district of the old Allendale neighborhood in Shreveport. Townsend, better known as Ann Brewster, was the co-owner. Later, Smith went to cosmetology school and went to work at Modern Beauty Shop.

These women were more than just beauticians. They were entrepreneurs, leaders, activists, and freedom fighters. Being self-employed, the women could be more active in fighting for civil rights than if they had been in the employ of another. They did not have to fear losing their jobs if they were found to be involved in any activities to advance equal rights.

In an interview, Wallace explained that her mother was a civil rights worker whose involvement in the movement got her interested. Her mother was a teacher, and many of her siblings also became teachers, but Wallace saw how the fear of losing your job hindered the work that needed to be done, which is why she became a beautician.

As an officer of the Louisiana state beauticians Wallace attended the National Beauticians' Convention in New Orleans in 1958. It was at this convention where Wallace met Martin Luther King Jr. for the first time. King spoke to the beauticians about the advantages they had as self-employed people and how they could support the civil rights movement.

A few months later, King made his first visit to Shreveport, where he spoke at the Southern Christian Leadership Conference at Galilee Baptist Church. The fear of violent repercussions made most churches afraid to open their doors to King, but Wallace's brother, the Rev. Jessie Taylor Stewart, was the pastor of Galilee Baptist Church, and he was not afraid.

The newspapers would not print the announcement of his scheduled visit, so flyers were made and distributed at barbershops and beauty salons like the Modern Beauty Shop. The majority of people in attendance besides the usual congregants were barbers, beauticians, and ministers. Again, those not self-employed were afraid to lose their jobs, and they often avoided taking any chances.

The Modern Beauty Shop, like so many, became a place for strategy meetings and education about the movement. It also served to provide a safe place for community members to communicate about issues and events. These women talked to their clients about the importance of being an informed participant in the voting process. If they were not registered to vote, they would be educated on the literacy test and provided with voter registration forms.

All three beauticians were known for their participation in countless voter registration drives, marches, sit-ins, and other non-violent protests. Smith was among the plaintiffs in the civil rights lawsuit that helped to desegregate Caddo Parish Schools, and her daughter, Brenda, was the first black student to integrate at Byrd High School. Wallace was a plaintiff in a lawsuit to integrate restaurants and was one of the first black people to eat at Woolworth's diner after integration.

Brewster was especially outspoken about the need for justice and was known for being arrested for protests that she was not in attendance. When students demonstrated at Booker T. Washington High School, police officers showed up at the salon to arrest her, and when she explained that she was not there, the police said, "her name was mentioned." Brewster opened her home for NAACP meetings and local gatherings of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. King shared his vision with a group of like-minded people in her Allendale home. She also provided food and shelter for freedom riders that came through town.

These women cared about people, and they were passionate about fixing the injustices they faced. They fought and risked their lives to make a better world for themselves and future generations. They were instrumental in changing the course of black Americans' civil rights in the local community.

To learn more about black history in Bossier Parish, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Whether you want to know about local history or research your family history, we are here to help. Can't come in, call 318-746-7717 or email history-center@bossierlibrary.org with your request.

By: Amy Robertson

Bossier Girls and Women in Sports

Today marks the 35th Annual National Girls and Women in Sports Day, which was first declared by President Ronald Reagan on Feb. 4, 1987, to recognize the history of women's athletics. It also recognizes the progress made by the Title IX Educational Amendment passed in 1972, which prohibits sex-based discrimination in any school or other education program that receives federal funding.

This annual day of observance acknowledges female athletes' accomplishments and honors the progress and continuing struggle for equality for women in sports. Every year the celebration inspires girls and women across the nation to play and be active and realize their full power.

Bossier Parish has seen its fair share of outstanding female athletes. Most recently is Sarah Robertson, who made history by becoming the first female football player at Haughton High School in 2018. She was the Junior Varsity football kicker for the Buccaneers and kicked her first game field goal on Sep. 17th scoring the extra point for the Buccaneers after their touchdown against Byrd High.

Crystal Smith

Another Haughton High School alumnus known for her skills on the basketball court is Crystal Smith. For four straight years, she was chosen for the Shreveport-Bossier All-City teams. In 2002 she was selected as the Scholar Athlete of the Year. She played 119 games during her high school basketball career, scoring an average of 26.2 points per game.

She played for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college, increasing her per-game average by 12 points between her sophomore and junior seasons, ranked as the second-best improvement among the nation's collegiate players. As a junior, she scored in double figures in 30 of 33 games and was named to the Women's National Invitation Tournament all-tournament team. As a senior, she was named the Hawkeyes' most valuable player and a consensus All-Big 10 selection after leading in her team with an average of 17.2 points per game. Scoring double figures in 27 of 29 games in her last season, she ended her career No. 14 on the school's career scoring list.

Scoring was not Smith’s only strength; she was recognized for her defensive play as well. She was a consensus selection to the league's all-defense team and was the only Iowa player to earn the team's defensive award for three straight seasons. While attending the University of Iowa, she held or shared six school records, including most points in a single game earning 46 points against Louisiana Tech. In 2006, after college, she was drafted to play for the Women's National Basketball Association team, the Phoenix Mercury. That year her team became the highest-scoring WNBA team ever.

Jackie Conner

Jackie Conner of Bossier City became a national Gold Medal winner at the age of 65 in the 1999 Northwest Louisiana Senior Olympic Games, playing shuffleboard and again in 2001. Since joining the Senior Olympics movement, she has been named Northwest Louisiana's Athlete of the Year and served on the local games' steering committee and the board of directors for the Louisiana Senior Olympic Games. For her contributions to the Senior Olympics movement, she was awarded the Hazel Gay Memorial Torch Award in 2002. She is also quite the marksman and served as chairperson of the shooting competition for the district games.

Over the years, Conner has earned numerous medals in the Northwest Louisiana Senior Olympic Games. In 2019, she took home a silver medal in table games; a bronze medal in the women's pistol marksmanship; a gold medal in the women's 85+ age category in washer pitching; a gold medal in the women's 85+ age category in shuffleboard, and a gold medal in the shuffleboard doubles with partner Shelly Quarles in the 55-59 age group. She's not only a competitor, but she is also an instructor conducting workshops and classes to teach the skills used in shuffleboard and other games to newcomers in the competitions for those age 50 and over.

When it comes to the Olympic games, we must not forget about Dolores "Dee" Beckmann. A member of the first U.S. women's track and field team to participate in the Olympics—chosen as the all-around sportswoman in 1936 by New York sports columnist for being the first female coach of the United States track and field team in Berlin. After her girls won both the 100-meter, breaking the world record, and the 400-meter relays, she was hailed by sports columnist as one of the best coaches, male or female.

Source: The Shreveport Journal, 28 March 1975

In 1940, she was the U.S. chairman of the 1940 Olympic women's track and field committee and was involved in the Olympics in some form or fashion for the rest of her life. Her contributions to girls and women in sports and her accomplishments are too numerous to include in this writing. Though Beckmann was not a native of Bossier City, she was from St. Louis, Missouri, but she did move here in 1973 to be close to family and lived here until 1978. During that time, she was inducted into the National Track and Field Hall of Fame in 1976. In 1978 she was inducted into the Missouri Hall of Fame and the Missouri Track and Cross-Country Coaches Association Hall of Fame.

By: Amy Robertson

Good Roads

The need for good roads has always existed in populous communities. “Improve the roads” seems to be a constant and familiar cry from taxpayers. One hundred years ago, this article showed Bossier Parish's actions to improve roads at that time. It further describes what road maintenance looked like before the advent of paved roads. Articles like this reveal what life was like in the past and how we've progressed.

Bossier-Banner Progress Jan. 27, 1921

“The residents of Bossier Parish are apparently tired of floundering around in the mud and are getting ready to construct good, hard-surface roads from one end of the parish to the other. That much is to be seen as a result of the meeting of the new good roads committee held here Monday, and from the sentiment that led up to the holding of the meeting. Of the twelve members of the committee only one was absent, and it is reassuring to note that all present worked in harmony and expressed themselves as favoring the voting of a mammoth bond issue for the entire parish, the abolishing of all present road districts, the establishment of a parish wide road district, and the taking up of all indebtedness of the present road districts with proceeds out of the new fund.

Roadscraper/grader seen on North Cotton Belt Street, Plain Dealing, La. c 1910s
Bryce Turnley Collection: 1997.062.014

“At the time the road districts were created it was seen that some portions of the parish were not ready for hard-surface roads and the tax to follow. One by one the three districts were brought into existence and the greater portion of the contemplated mileage has long since been undertaken and completed. These roads, of course, are not as yet paid for, but for several years payment has regularly been made on them. Residents of those sections of the parish not in either of the districts will have that advantage in coming into the new proposed district for the entire parish, to say nothing about the past privilege of traveling over the improved roads at will without outlay at all.

Rumely Tractor used for Road Building c 1912-1914. Beulah Findley Collection: 1997.054.120

“The Banner has long advocated good roads and it is a pleasure for the writer to chronicle at this time the ripened sentiment of the people of the parish as a whole that has led up to this movement for better roads throughout the entire parish in as near as possible. Good roads give to a community that essential stamp of progress and prosperity and indicate to all comers an enlightened people. Good roads stand for about everything our churches and schools do not, and they lead up to them.

Road Crew Camp c 1900-1910s.
Scanland Collection: 0000.004.076

“The desire for better roads is not a new sensation here in Bossier Parish. They have been wanted and sought after for a long, long time, but we have not labored in the right direction nor have we wisely spent our road funds. We are told that it has been about thirty-three years since the old system of summoning hands (everybody) to turn out with wagons, plows, axes and other tools to work the roads has been abolished, and since that time from $30,000 to $35,000 has annually been spent on the roads of the parish. If you will stop to figure it out you will find the total a vast sum – something in excess of a million dollars and we have but little to show for it. These are the figures that have set the representative taxpayers of the parish to thinking: and they are coupled with the fact that automobiles demand good roads, going to revolutionize our system of road construction and bring rods of a better type into every populous community of the parish.

“Just now public sentiment seems ripe for such an undertaking as is suggested. The people of the parish are ready for better roads, and they are going to come; and if there are those who are going to oppose the movement because they fear a slight increase in taxes they had better get busy now, if they think they can do anything toward checking the tide of forward thought in this direction – but we think they cannot.”

What do you want to know about Bossier Parish’s 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

Barksdale Fire Heroics Recounted

Fire at Barksdale Field, 16 Jan 1945. Source: Barksdale's Bark

Barksdale Field, now Barksdale Air Force Base, battled its "worst fire disaster in Barksdale's history" during the winter of 1945. Barksdale personnel detected the fire at 3:03 a.m. on a Tuesday, and it raged on for four hours. Before firefighters could extinguish the fire, it leveled hangars one and two along with two twin-engine airplanes. Firefighters remained on the scene as they continued to apply water to the smoldering embers until 10 a.m.

Barksdale firefighters, soldier volunteers, and two Shreveport crews fought the blaze. Col. Garrison, Lt. Col. Grover Wilcox, and Capt. George Booth organized teams of enlisted men and moved planes and equipment from hangar one. "Col. Wilcox and Capt. Booth entered one ship and manned the controls while volunteer soldiers towed it out on the runway. By the time the men reached the plane, it was partially damaged. Capt. Booth's hands were burned in handling the controls of the plane and Col. Wilcox's clothing was scortched [sic]."

The selfless and quick actions of Pvt. Franklin J. Hines made their efforts possible. He single-handedly manned the fire hose's nozzle while perched on a ladder leaning against the burning building when others were driven away by the intense heat. He kept a steady stream of water along the rescue party's path, making it possible for the men to pull the plane from the fire. Also, making it possible for another group of men to remove several gasoline-filled railroad cars sitting nearby.

Hines remained perched precariously on the ladder until he was driven back by the intense heat and smoke. Then he moved to another sector where he and a crew of men continued fighting the fire. Col. Wilcox and Capt. Booth taxied two planes from the parking area facing the fire while enlisted men towed four other aircraft out of the danger zone. Hines’s section officer Lt. Lucien G. Edwards submitted a commendation letter to the 380th headquarters for his heroic actions.

Hangar 1 after the fire. Source: Barksdale's Bark.

The Base Commander, Col. William B. Wright, Jr., gave a commendation to Maj. Earle K. Knauer, Assistant Chief of the Supply Division, III TAC, "for superior supervision. He had the gasoline tanks removed and expended great effort with a raging fire about him in an effort to extinguish the fire." Capt. Emile Greenleaf, QM supply office, assisted Knauer and also received a commendation.

Master Sgt. James J. Flanagan, Sgt. Maj., 331st Base Unit received a commendation "for issuing orders alerting the Base Headquarters staff, and then proceeded to the fire where he assembled approximately 100 enlisted men to move a heavy gasoline truck from the fire area. He also kept spectators away from the buildings until assisted by MP's."

Tech. Sgt. Seth T. Fritz of III TAC received a commendation for "disregarding his own safety, and in the face of imminent danger of exploding gas tanks, he entered a fiercely burning hangar with a fire hose in order to extinguish flames, holding property loss to a minimum. Col. Wright made special mention of the saving made to the government by his gallant action."

The exploding gasoline tanks shot flames into hangar one's roof shortly after the soldiers had rescued the airplane. "Under the intense heat the 3-inch ceilings sagged 14-feet in great bulges before thy [sic] crashed to the floor, dragging large portions of the concrete and steel walls with them." Another plane was pulled to safety just as the roof and hangar doors collapsed. Fighting a fire is always dangerous, but fighting this fire was made more hazardous by machine gun shells exploding in the fire.

The fire ravaged hangars Barksdale Field Jan. 1945. Source: Barksdale's Bark

The investigation board concluded that an explosion of two gas heaters caused the early morning fire. The heaters were located in the tech supply room of hangars one and two and were in operation when the rooms were closed the night before the early morning fire. Though the heaters were inspected and approved as meeting the Underwriters Laboratories' specifications eight days before the fire, the heaters were, without a doubt, the cause.

Similar heaters in other hangars were removed and replaced with a different type of heating equipment. The concrete slabs where the hangars once stood became a large wash rack—equipped with a large water tank, a solvent solution tank, and pressure hoses. Barksdale used this wash rack to clean B-29s before each 50 and 100-hour inspection and the B-17s 100-hour inspection.

The destroyed airplanes had a value of $758,000, and the hangars had a value of $63,000. The cost would have been far greater without everyone's fast and heroic actions in moving equipment while fighting the fire that night.

By: Amy Robertson

Flying Dog at Barksdale

In the 1940s, there was a newspaper called Barksdale's Bark, which provided Barksdale Field news. On Jan. 23, 1943, the article, "Flying Mascot Has Parachute in Case he has to Bail Out," announced, "Salvo, the only flying dog at Barksdale, has a parachute."

Source: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/home/books/article-3285194/Chocks-away-chaps-s-parachuting-pooches-fond-tribute-dogs-Britain-went-war.html

Salvo was a 4-month-old fox terrier at the time of the article and already had 28 hours in the air. He holds the title of being the first dog in the world to make a solo parachute jump. His first jump was from 1500 feet in the air. He became the number one applicant for the "parapups" battalion at Andrews Field, England, where he was stationed.

According to the article, "Lt. Hugh Fletcher named the pup after its first plane ride. Pilot J.W. Wright had done a few maneuvers and was taxiing in when the crew noticed the little fox terrier was moving unsteadily toward the door. After the B-26 stopped, the billious [sic] pup scrambled out and heaved a mixture of chewing gum, waste paper and candy. It was then Lt. Fletcher decided he should be called 'Salvo.'" (The definition of salvo is a simultaneous discharge of artillery.)

Tech. Sgt. Glen Schultz designed Salvo's parachute out of spare materials. The parachute had a 50-inch canopy with a static line for positive opening if he should have to bail out. When Salvo was to jump, Lt. Fletcher fixed one end of the parachute cord to the plane, and when he jumps and begins to descend, his weight pulled the cord and opened the release mechanism.

Source: Imperial War Museum; Roger Freeman Collection Id: FRE 1184. http://www.americanairmuseum.com/media/907.

Salvo went into action in the European theater when he was just one year old with the honorary rank of 2nd Lt. He was the seventh member of and the mascot for the bombardment crew that flew the B-26 Marauder nicknamed "Jezabelle." He proudly served alongside his owner, 2nd Lt. Hugh R. Fletcher, bombardier navigator; Sgt. A. J. Peloquin, tail gunner; Flight-officer T. E. Anton, co-pilot; and Lt. Joseph W. Wright, pilot; Pvt. H. E. Spencer, radio gunner; Staff Sgt. Jack H. Shock, engineer gunner.

Source: https://www.smithjournal.com.au/blogs/history/3699-britain-s-elite-wwii-dog-paratroopers

Salvo went on five missions and two battle operations over western Europe. By May 1944, he had logged more than 300 hours in the air and had been up as high as 18,000 feet. In addition to his custom-made parachute that snapped onto his harness, he also had a combination gas and oxygen mask that protected him during emergencies and supplied oxygen when flying at high altitudes.

If you are wondering if Salvo had his own "dog tags," the answer is yes. His official serial number was 000000.

In July of 1944, Lt. Fletcher was interviewed while in London, and during the interview, he told of Salvo's bravery and was sad to report that he was, at that time, "missing in action." Before going MIA, Salvo met Duchess, the mascot for another Air Corps crew, and fathered a litter of future heroes.

It appears that Salvo was perhaps reunited with his crew and continued to serve until the war ended. According to Nigel Cawthorne, author of Canine Commandoes, "By May 1945, Salvo had clocked up more than five hundred hours in the air..."

As you can imagine, being the first parachuting dog made Salvo famous around the world. His story, along with pictures of him parachuting, appeared in newspapers throughout the nation. In one Akron, OH newspaper, the article stated that "The fliers say Salvo is chockfull of the stuff that heroes are made of." And a citation that accompanied an award Salvo received asserts, "His sheer doggedness while under fire and his loyalty to Lt. Fletcher and the United States Air Force reflect great credit on himself."

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/wp-content/uploads/Parachute-Animals-4.jpg

To learn more about the history of Barksdale Air Force Base, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center at 2206 Beckett St., Bossier City. Contact us by phone, 318-746-7717, or email, history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

By: Amy Robertson

Plain Dealing School Struck by Lightning

Plain Dealing High School, c1920s. Virginia Crawford Collection: 1998.055.005.

On Jan 6, 1949, the following article appeared in the Plain Dealing Progress. “During an unusual display of Jupiter Pluvius’ wrath on last Monday afternoon at about three o’clock, a direct hit was made by one of his electric bolts on the northwest corner of the primary building, which is a strongly built brick structure erected about 1920.

“Fortunately the children were all inside the building and the jolt, though very severe, did rather minor injury to the building, and most happily resulted in no serious hurt to any of the children or school personnel. The fourth grade room of Mrs. G. H. Crawford, which is directly contiguous to the location of the hit, was the most severely jolted and several of the children were considerably dazed or stunned. Shirley Morgan, daughter of Mr. And Mrs. James Morgan, of the Pleasant Hill community, and Bobby Joe Walker, son of Mr. And Mrs. Henry Walker, of Miller’s Bluff, seem to have received the severest shocks, the former having evidence of a slight burn on the arm. It was exceedingly fortunate for Mrs. Crawford that she was not seated at her desk, which is in the corner of the room directly beneath where the lightning struck.

“Oddly enough, the most tangible evidence of the mighty force of the electrical phenomenon was the fact that both Rev. And Mrs. M. D. Felder, in their parsonage home, some 300 feet from the center of the stroke, received what was apparently direct hits from one of the radiating flaming forks that are usually in evidence on such detonations. Mr. Felder was reading a paper which fell from his hand as his arm dropped limp to his side at the stroke and Mrs. Felder, at the kitchen sink, receiced [sic] a definitely palpable injury to her left side which was still bothering her as late as Wednesday.

“The physical damage to the building was confined to the toppling of several score of bricks from the top corner of the structure and the cracking of quite a few window panes, the exact number of which cannot be ascertained, due to the fact that in 1928, during Plain Dealing’s worst hail storm, over fifty panes then received minor cracks. As may be recalled, very many hail stones practically as large as hen eggs littered the ground and pounded on the windows that afternoon, the same building bearing the brunt of the hail stone barrage.

“It must be said in praise and credit to all the pupils and teachers that though the explosing [sic] and shock was terrific, nothing resembling a panicky situation resulted, even Mrs. Crawford’s pupils allowing her to leave the room to return with a report of the damage, with no ado whatever.

“Other storm damage about Plain Dealing was slight. Some wind, hail and rain, with electrical disturbances most noticeable. Lights were out until 2 a.m. Tuesday.”

That same storm produced a tornado that touched down near Benton, overturning an unoccupied house and damaging several others on Dr. J. H. Wynne's farm. Another larger house nearby was moved several inches on the foundation. The tornado damaged many homes, but there were no injuries, and no lives were lost

By: Amy Robertson