The Barksdale Literacy School in WWII

 In the summer of 1944, Allied forces were fighting some of their fiercest or most daring battles, while also reaping some of their most auspicious victories. On June 5, Allied troops entered Rome in the afternoon, and it became the first capital of the Axis Powers to fall. Meanwhile in Normandy, the following day, June 6, was D-Day, the amphibious landing of troops in northern France, opening the Western Front. In July, the Allies pushed inland. In the sweltering summer days of August-September 1944, Allied infantry troops won the bloody battle for the port of Brest in Brittany, and in another amphibious landing in France, the major ports of Marseille and Toulon were reclaimed, easing the Allies’ supply crisis. Meanwhile in the Pacific Theater, Saipan fell in June after a fearsome banzai charge; a decisive clash of carriers in the Philippine Sea crippled Japanese air power, and by August, Guam was recaptured.

In the summer of 1944 at Barksdale Army Air Field, as Barksdale was known prior to the creation of the United States Air Force on September 18, 1947, 35 or more enlisted men were fighting a brave battle of their own, proving they had the basic readiness to be soldiers by attending what the air field newspaper called “elementary school for soldiers who can neither read nor write.” At that time, one of Barksdale’s missions was as to serve as one of the Army Air Corps “replacement training centers”. These centers provided training for newly-enlisted Air Corps soldiers that was not yet specialized for a specific assignment.

Earlier in 1944, President Roosevelt had declared the US Army and Navy were faced with a “grave manpower shortage,” desperately in need of more able-bodied combat replacements. To help meet that shortage, Roosevelt asked the selective service (“the draft”) to revisit service deferments, whether for occupational, dependency, age, or physical or mental fitness requirements. For the same purpose, Chairman Andrew J. May of the U.S. House Military Affairs Committee argued that among other reclassifications, the army “should quit rejecting men because of illiteracy. Men who are illiterate can still be sharpshooters.”

In January of that year, Major Isaac N. Carr, preinduction officer of the Army’s 4th Service Command headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia, announced in a speech to junior college officials, that was covered by the Associated Press, that the United States had 341,000 physically fit men of service age who were functionally illiterate, meaning, at that time, that their reading and writing skills were at a fourth-grade level or below. Carr illustrated this number by saying that was enough physically-able men to make up more than 20 Army divisions.

If the number 341,000 for men whose only barrier to service at that moment was that they read at a fourth-grade (or below) level sounds inordinately high, keep in mind that, although all states had a compulsory education law on the books by 1918, those laws were not consistently enforced across the country until well into the 1930s. That time frame would cover the school years of WWII enlistees. In addition, quality schools and trained teachers were still not available to many African American students in the south during the school years of those enlistees. For example, a high school for African American students in Bossier City did not open until the beginning of the 1940s.

To rectify this deficiency, Army training units were called upon to provide literacy instruction. The Saturday July 1, 1944, issue of the Barksdale’s Bark newspaper announced that “an elementary school for soldiers who can neither read nor write will be started by Base S-3 [the operations and training office] shortly.” The article shared that 35 enlisted men had been assigned by their commanding officers to the school already, and that classes would be held 3 times a day, five days a week. Students were required to attend one of the daily sessions in the school room in the commissary building.

More details about a literacy class were announced in the Bark on Saturday, July 29, 1944. This time it said the classes would be offered in the “Kindergarten building.” This was likely the base’s brand-new preschool for children through the age of 5. The article further stated that “Commanding officers of all units are cooperating with Base S-3 in getting men to attend the classes,” and that “the latest pamphlets from the Armed Institute have been procured for instructional purposes.”

This pamphlet referred to for the literacy classes at Barksdale likely referred to Technical Manual No. 21-500, also known as the “Private Pete” books. These reading primers followed along with solider Private Pete and all that he’d likely encounter in his day-to-day life in the Army. (The Navy had their own booklets, featuring “Sailor Sam.”) These stories adhered to the same basic format and learn-to-read formula as the ubiquitous Dick and Jane readers that young children in school at the time were using. The article also named the teacher of the literacy classes, Mrs. Mary E. Laurent, wife of Lt. Harry Laurent, Jr. assistant S-1 (personnel) officer at Barksdale. Mrs. Laurent, who “offered her services as teacher of the classes,” was introduced to Bark readers as a graduate of Muskingum College in Ohio, and an experienced teacher of English. Both Laurents were from Ohio and had attended Muskingum.

Being singled out by one’s commanding officer to attend classes in a preschool building, with text books modeled after children’s readers, Dick and Jane, could sound like excruciating punishment. Many WWII veterans’ own stories of being able to “go back in time” and learn to read and write, suggest appreciation for the opportunity, however. As for the Laurents, they were married 69 years and lived around the world while Mr. Laurent was an industrial psychologist, and retired in Hendersonville, North Carolina. They continued to value access to education, by establishing a scholarship for students in Henderson County, and endowing a department chair in Psychology at their Alma Mater, Muskingum College, now University.

The Bossier Parish Libraries History Center in the Bossier Central Library complex remains closed while our new exhibits are installed. However, we are continuing to share history in a variety of ways. You can explore many of our collections on our website, www.bossierlibrary.org. Look for the History and Genealogy page under Resources. Feel free to contact History Center staff by phone or email for assistance. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

Our next meeting of World War II’s Day, a monthly coffee and discussion program on a variety of WWII-related topics, will be Tuesday, August 11th at 10:30 AM in the Bossier Central Library Complex’s large meeting room. Because August 6, 2026, is the 81st anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, Dr. Cran Lucas, Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at LSU Shreveport, will present "Hiroshima and the Aftermath". We hope you can make it, and stay tuned for the re-opening date of the History Center and its new exhibits!

Images: 

• Sample page (32) from U.S. War Department Technical Manual 21-500 “Army Reader” May 14, 1943, a.k.a. “Private Pete.” https://scholarworks.moreheadstate.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1048&context=stu_1210th_fort_ontario
• Mary Evelyn Cather Laurent, from Muskingum Update, Spring 2009

Article by: Pam Carlisle

Old Stories, New Storytelling

 The original Bossier Parish Libraries Historical Center opened to the public in 1999 as part of an expansion of the original Central Branch on Beckett Street. Though it had rotating exhibits in table cases and glass cabinets, it also had permanent exhibits, which had been designed and constructed at the same time as the building that would host them. These exhibits were housed in in-wall displays on either side of the foyer, and were the first things that one saw when one entered the History Center. There was a diorama of a Caddo village, created by amateur archaeologist Louis Baker; a steamboat exhibit; a log cabin exhibit; and more. Each exhibit represented an aspect of Bossier Parish’s past, and each exhibit was created in cooperation with historians and Bossier Parish locals.

For several years, the original History Center served the public as a research facility, archive, museum, and meeting space. However, by the mid-2010s, talk had turned to renovating the Central Branch, which would include moving the History Center into a different area of the library. Eventually, it was decided that instead of renovation, an entirely new location would be built to house both Central and the History Center. This gave the History Center a unique opportunity: since our new home was being built from the ground up, we could give our old exhibits a serious glow-up, and even put in brand new ones.

Unique and exciting this opportunity might be, but it also brought up many questions. What stories should these exhibits tell? What was the best way to tell them? How would all of this be accomplished with the resources presented? The History Center staff discussed all of this and more for years, with each other, with library and parish administration, and with Prevot Design, Dorand Design Studios, and Downtown Fabworks, who were chosen to bring the new History Center and its exhibits to life. All the while, the History Center also juggled the new building’s construction, the new building’s opening in April of 2024, and the History Center’s move to the new building during the summer of 2024. Finally, in April of 2026, all of that planning came to fruition, as Downtown Fabworks began installing the new permanent exhibits.

The History Center has always been about showcasing as many pieces of Bossier Parish’s past as possible, and these new exhibits take it to the next level. Anyone who steps through our doors can see the Caddo diorama inside of a Caddo hut, and read about Old Shed Road while walking through (a small portion of) it, and view the interior of a dog trot log cabin that seems to have been built right through our wall. Just like in the old building, each exhibit represents an aspect of Bossier Parish’s past. Some, such as the dog trot, we share with other places in this country, but Old Shed Road, a nine-mile-long toll road that was totally covered by a shed to enable farmers to transport their cotton by wagon during rainy periods, is thought to be the only thing like it in this country’s recorded history. Though all of these exhibits were fabricated by Downtown Fabworks, the designs are pulled from photographs and historical documents, a lot of which is housed in the History Center. In addition, the items inside the exhibits are from the History Center’s collection, and so are, for the most part, authentic artifacts from Bossier Parish’s past, donated by Bossier Parish residents or their loved ones. From the spinning wheel in the log cabin to the cotton gin. Even the murals on the walls derive from photographs in the History Center’s collection, and are of people from Bossier Parish history, donated to us by the people of Bossier Parish. These exhibits are therefore a blend of old and new, a culmination of centuries of creation and care.

“History is who we are and why we are the way we are,” and that is why it is of the utmost importance to share it. It can be challenging to do so in a way that is educational, interesting, and respectful of the people of the past, but that is our goal with our new exhibits. The History Center is scheduled to reopen later this year; when it does, people will be able to see the old with new eyes, the culmination of dozens of people’s efforts over centuries. Their creation was a long process, but I believe it will prove to be well worth it.

Bossier Parish Libraries History Center in the Bossier Central Library complex remains closed while our new exhibits are installed. However, we are continuing to share history in a variety of ways. You can explore many of our collections on our website, www.bossierlibrary.org. Look for the History and Genealogy page under Resources. Feel free to contact History Center staff by phone or email for assistance. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org.

Our next meeting of World War II’s Day, a monthly coffee and discussion program on a variety of WWII-related topics, will be Tuesday, August 11th at 10:30 AM in the Bossier Central library complex’s large meeting room. Because August 6, 2026, is the 81th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, Japan, Dr. Cran Lucas, Emeritus Professor of Biological Sciences at LSU Shreveport, will present "Hiroshima and the Aftermath". During the spring and summer of 1966, Dr. Lucas was part of an overseas study group from Lewis and Clark College. He and his cohorts spent five months in Japan including a visit to Hiroshima. Dr. Lucas will discuss the atomic bombing of Hiroshima, its immediate aftermath, and the long-term effects on its extant population and later generations. We hope you can make it, and stay tuned for the re-opening date of the History Center and its new exhibits!

Images: Sneak preview of two of the History Center’s new exhibits: “Old Shed Road,” and “The Red River, Winding through Bossier’s History.” BPL History Center photos by Kevin Flowers.

Article by: Jaylie Rester

Rainy Days Behind Us

 Whilst trawling through the older editions of the Bossier papers, there were two separate articles that caught my eye. At my time of writing, there was another in a series of recent heavy rains striking the region, inundating Bossier Parish and the surrounding area with more rain than anyone seems to want. Indeed, the clouds have reopened and rain once again makes its presence known as I continue. The first of these articles written for the Bossier Banner on June 16, 1898, details a great storm striking the region, bringing with it thunder, lightning, and more:

“Heavy rains fell at this place last Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The rain on Saturday was accompanied by a slight hail, and the downpour of Sunday morning was unusually heavy for this season of the year. The rain of Monday forenoon lasted about two hours, and was accompanied by frequent heavy peals of thunder and bursts of lightning. A bolt struck a post-oak shade tree within twenty feet of the residence of the editor of The Banner. [In 1898 the editor was W. H. Scanland.] The tree was struck at the height of about ten feet from the ground, ripping off the bark in a zig-zag direction from the south to the southwest, being an area of one-fourth of the surface of the tree, which is about two feet in diameter. The tree was split at the point of striking, the rift running in the same direction to the roots of the tree. It is about half an inch wide and extends perhaps half way through the tree. About ten feet from the ground is a hole an inch in diameter and an inch in depth, and near the base of the tree is a similar one, and the ground on the west side of the tree at the roots was torn into crevices. The shock was terrifying and the blaze was almost blinding in effect. There were two distinct reports and the tree was evidently struck by two bolts. This upsets the theory, or rather common belief that lightning never strikes twice in the same place.”

“At about the same moment a post-oak tree about fifty feet south of the dwelling house of Mr. H. M. Bailey, about two blocks distant, was also struck by a thunder bolt. The tree is two and a half feet in diameter, and was struck at a distance of ten feet from the ground, splitting it off from the shattered trunk, and stripping off the bark to the length of nearly 25 feet. Fragments of limbs and pieces of bark were thrown upon the house and for some distance about the premises.”

“This place was visited by another heavy rain and thunder storm Tuesday evening, continuing throughout the night and yesterday.”

Storms like these, and storms like those in the past week, led to the creation of the Bodcau Dam project and a series of levees in 1935 (which as an aside, these projects were part of the wider New Deal and the Works Progress Administration). This article, written in April 4, 1935, details the some of the various way that these works will assist the parish:

“The Banner and many citizens and officials throughout Bossier Parish were glad to learn late last week that the Army engineers had finally approved a group of Red River Valley improvements, including the Bodcau Dam and Canal Project, advocated by this publication for some years.”

“In addition to the Bodcau Project, levee work in North Bossier was also among the projects approved. It is understood that the total amount involved in the Red River program will exceed 40 million dollars.”

“The Bodcau dam would protect several thousand acres of land from overflow in this parish and would open up a very fertile section of alluvial land, south of Deans Point, the dam site, southward along Red Chute, for farming purposes. It will also protect low-lying sections of Barksdale Field from overflow.”

“The recommendations of the engineers must now go to Congress for final approval. It is understood that President Roosevelt has already placed his [okay] on the projects.”

“Work may get underway on one or more of these projects before the end of the current year some Bossier folk believe.”

“J. E. Murray, president of the Bossier Levee Board is taking an active part in trying to get these projects approved and work started with as little delay as possible. Various public and civic bodies in the parish have urged the adoption of this program, fostered by the Red River Valley Improvement Association.”

                  

It is improvements like these at Bayou Bodcau that help to ensure that when heavy rains come, like those in the past week or seen in the late 1800s, that Bossier Parish is not inundated with flood waters. Regardless, Heavy rain is not unfamiliar to our Parish and our region.

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. The History Center is currently closed until July 2026, though staff remains available. 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: 

• Plain Dealing 1914 Flood - (BPL HC - 1997.062.045)
• Barksdale Field 1933 Flood - (BPL HC - 2011.053.001-14)
• Barksdale Field 1933 Flood - (BPL HC - 2011.053.001-15)
• Plain Dealing 1957 Flood - (BPL HC - 1997.062.054)

Article by: Jonah Daigle

Edwald Max Hoyer: The Guardian of Bossier City

BOSSIER CITY, La. — Long before the engines of Barksdale Air Force Base echoed across the sky, and the loud lights of the casinos outlined the eastern banks of the Red River; Bossier City was a quiet, dusty agricultural hamlet. At the turn of the 20th century, the community lacked necessities, including electricity, natural gas, and a water system. It was a public services frontier that required vision, resources, and determination to transform it into an effective municipality. The man who supplied all three was Ewald Max Hoyer, a dairy farmer and businessman from Marine, Illinois.

Hoyer moved to the community in 1893 alongside his wife, Minnie Bassenberg Hoyer, a native of St. Louis. At the time, the area was known as Cane City, and the landscape was dominated by farmland and the Red River, which separated the community from the commercial hub of Shreveport. Upon arriving, the Hoyers settled on a farm and began purchasing cattle. Ewald then set up a dairy business that would be the largest dairy barn in North Louisiana by 1903. Four years later, the barn sold more than 7,500 gallons of milk per month, a figure that required immense capability to manage without the conveniences of modern milking technology.

Yet the farm's success was hampered by the region's lack of infrastructure. For years, residents of the unincorporated community were forced to drive their horse-drawn buggies across the river to Shreveport simply to secure clean water. Growing fatigued, Hoyer took matters into his own hands. In 1902, using his own resources, Hoyer drilled the first deep-water well in Bossier Parish. This provided a reliable water source for the community. The presence of a reliable water supply spurred interest from real estate developers, who later sold more than 700 residential and commercial lots. The promise of these sales was that the community would secure a traffic bridge across the Red River and be officially incorporated as a recognized village.

That promise became a reality on April 18, 1907. Recognizing the growth and need for formal governance, Gov. Newton C. Blanchard officially issued a proclamation incorporating the village and naming it Bossier City. When it came time to select a leader for the new village, Gov. Blanchard did not have to look far. Acting on the recommendations of businessmen and prominent figures, Blanchard appointed Hoyer as the first mayor. His peers cited his administrative prowess, success in scaling the region's largest dairy operation, and his investment in the community's infrastructure.

Hoyer’s tenure as mayor was defined as a brand of public service. He never accepted a cent as mayor. In fact, he functioned as the city’s primary financier. When Bossier City needed a seat of government, Hoyer used $1,200 of his own money to fund the construction of the first city hall. Furthermore, because the village government lacked a treasury, Hoyer advanced the funds needed to cover the municipality's expenses. As mayor, Hoyer delivered the promises made by early developers. He was instrumental in lobbying and securing the federal funds required to construct a traffic bridge across the Red River, linking the economies of Bossier City and Shreveport and ending the era of costly river crossings.

In 1909, the city held its first municipal elections. The citizens voted to re-elect Hoyer for a second term. During this term, the pillars of a community were erected: Bossier City saw the construction of its first schoolhouse and first church. Despite his success, in 1910, Hoyer’s political career was cut short when his wife, Minnie, fell severely ill. Prioritizing his family over politics, Hoyer stepped down as mayor. To be closer to medical care, the couple moved into what is now known as Shreveport’s Bliss-Hoyer House in the Fairfield Historic District. Despite that, Hoyer did not severe ties to the community he helped build.

He kept multiple investments in the community, ranging from real estate development to funding construction for several residential subdivisions. Even through the days of the Great Depression, Hoyer stayed a voice of Bossier City’s inevitable expansion, believing that the area was destined for greatness. He lived to see his faith confirmed multiple times. In 1923, Hoyer watched with pride as population growth prompted Gov. John M. Parker to reclassify Bossier City from village to town. Then, on Aug. 9, 1951, the ultimate milestone was reached. Following the post-World War II boom and the massive influx brought by Barksdale Air Force Base, Gov. Earl K. Long issued a proclamation making Bossier City an official city.

The municipality threw a massive celebration, headlined in local newspapers as "A City Was Born." The festivities featured a parade beginning at Fort Smith Park. Elaborate floats showcased the industries that had driven the city’s growth: cotton, oil, agriculture, and the military. Seated as a guest of honor at the 1951 celebration was Ewald Max Hoyer, who was 88 years old. Hoyer addressed the crowd and reminisced about the sparse hamlet he had moved to in 1893. He marveled at how a community of a few isolated families had exploded into a municipality of more than 15,000 residents, earning the designation as the "Fastest Growing City in Louisiana."

Ewald Max Hoyer passed away in 1957. By the time of his death, the population of the city he had breathed life into had swelled to 25,000. Today, Bossier City boasts a population approaching 70,000 and serves as an economic force for the state of Louisiana. Through his own labor and unwavering dedication, Ewald Max Hoyer ensured that the foundation of Bossier City was poured so strongly that it would last for generations to come.

If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. The History Center remains closed while our new exhibits are installed, but you may contact History Center staff by phone or email. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org. Don’t forget you can explore many of our collections on our website, www.bossierlibrary.org. Look for the History and Genealogy page under Resources and then choose Collections Database. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/

Images: 

• Mayor Max Ewald Hoyer portrait from the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, courtesy of Mrs. Stella Stokes.
• Bliss-Hoyer House, Shreveport, LA. Photo by Billy Hathorn, 2008, at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0

Article by: Creshaun Harris

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