August: through the years
Aug. 3, 1922: Dr. A.M. Eichelberger opened the first automobile showroom in Bossier City.
*please, enjoy the variety of automobile photo from the early 1900's
Aug 7: It's back to school in Bossier Parish! Students, parents, and school faculty are gearing up for another exciting school year. Please, be mindful of all the buses that are loading and unloading the most precious cargo from our parish.
Aug. 11, 1926: In memory of Lt. Eugene H. Barksdale (1896-1926)
Lt. Barksdale was born in Goshen Springs, Mississippi. He attended classes at Mississippi State College for three years. At the start of World War I, he entered the officers’ training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots in Little Rock, Arkansas. He also volunteered for the aviation section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Private First Class. After completing aviation ground school in Texas, Barksdale boarded to England in 1917. From there, he received his flight training with the Royal Flying Corps and was assigned to the 41st Squadron in 1918. The next year he became a founding member of the U.S. Army’s 25th Aero Squadron.
While Barksdale was assigned to Mitchell Field in New York, he met and married Ms. Lura Lee Dunn in 1921. In 1924, Barksdale had his first accomplishment while at McCook Field; he had a record of flying from Dayton, Ohio to New York in just under 4 hours (3 hours and 53 minutes). This was the first successful test flight using only instruments, he was later congratulated by his commanding officer Maj. W.N. Hensley. Over the next couple of years, Barksdale embarked on several flights and survived many aircraft accidents.
August 11, 1926, Lt. Eugene Barksdale flew his last flight. While testing a Douglas O-2 airplane over McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, he could not recover from a flat spin. His parachute was caught in the wing's brace wires, causing him to fall to his death.
In the late 1920’s, a new military flying field was needed. After narrowing the location to a select few areas, the cotton fields in Bossier City, LA met all the requirements. In keeping with the war Department’s policy for naming the base in honor of Army Air Corps veterans that died in the line of duty, it was decided to name the field after First Lt. Eugene H. Barksdale. In a letter sent from the Assistant Secretary of War, Davison writes that Barksdale was, “an officer with an outstanding record who met his death in the line of duty while conducting experiments to determine the cause of the spinning characteristics of the O-2 airplane. As he was a native of Mississippi, he was in reality a neighbor of yours.” Barksdale Field was officially dedicated on Feb 2, 1933, and at that time this base was considered “the finest in U.S. history”.
*biography sources and pictures are courtesy of: Eight Air Force Museum/Barksdale Air Force Base, Book: Barksdale: The Man, The Base, Wikipedia, and www.findagrave.com
Aug. 27, 1954: Bossier City Lions Club host the first annual High School Jamboree, held at the Bossier Memorial Stadium.
*please, enjoy the variety of automobile photo from the early 1900's
Bossier Banner
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| Richard Bradford, Sallie Tidwell Bradford Mary A. and Mary L. Bradford. Unknown location 2002.035.215B McKim Collection |
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| 1900's: Johnny A. Stroud on his front lawn off HWY 157, Plain Dealing, La 1997.062.158 Turnley Collection |
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| 1910-1920's: J.P. Keeth Store corner of Lynch and Palmetto Ave. from left to right: Ben Keeth, J.P. Keeth, Johnnie Nuckolls T. Benton Bilxer 1997.062.102 Turnley Collection |
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| 1914: Tom Adger and Clyde Herndon wedding at Plain Dealing Baptist Church 1997.062.156 Turnley Collection |
Aug 7: It's back to school in Bossier Parish! Students, parents, and school faculty are gearing up for another exciting school year. Please, be mindful of all the buses that are loading and unloading the most precious cargo from our parish.
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| 1940's: Mildred Purcell's 3rd grade class at Bossier Elementary School 2001.052.096 Saucier Collection |
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| 1940's: Elm Grove School George T. Robinson Jr: third row, third from the left with blond hair. Margaret Pilkinton: seated far right with glasses. Lola P. Armistead: seated in the middle with ribbon in hair. Phipps Collection |
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| 1936-1937 Bossier High School Faculty 2001.052.097 Saucier Collection |
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| C. 1920's: Early Bossier school buses marked Haughton High School 1997.003.003 |
Aug. 11, 1926: In memory of Lt. Eugene H. Barksdale (1896-1926)
Lt. Barksdale was born in Goshen Springs, Mississippi. He attended classes at Mississippi State College for three years. At the start of World War I, he entered the officers’ training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots in Little Rock, Arkansas. He also volunteered for the aviation section of the U.S. Army Signal Corps as a Private First Class. After completing aviation ground school in Texas, Barksdale boarded to England in 1917. From there, he received his flight training with the Royal Flying Corps and was assigned to the 41st Squadron in 1918. The next year he became a founding member of the U.S. Army’s 25th Aero Squadron.
While Barksdale was assigned to Mitchell Field in New York, he met and married Ms. Lura Lee Dunn in 1921. In 1924, Barksdale had his first accomplishment while at McCook Field; he had a record of flying from Dayton, Ohio to New York in just under 4 hours (3 hours and 53 minutes). This was the first successful test flight using only instruments, he was later congratulated by his commanding officer Maj. W.N. Hensley. Over the next couple of years, Barksdale embarked on several flights and survived many aircraft accidents.
August 11, 1926, Lt. Eugene Barksdale flew his last flight. While testing a Douglas O-2 airplane over McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio, he could not recover from a flat spin. His parachute was caught in the wing's brace wires, causing him to fall to his death.
In the late 1920’s, a new military flying field was needed. After narrowing the location to a select few areas, the cotton fields in Bossier City, LA met all the requirements. In keeping with the war Department’s policy for naming the base in honor of Army Air Corps veterans that died in the line of duty, it was decided to name the field after First Lt. Eugene H. Barksdale. In a letter sent from the Assistant Secretary of War, Davison writes that Barksdale was, “an officer with an outstanding record who met his death in the line of duty while conducting experiments to determine the cause of the spinning characteristics of the O-2 airplane. As he was a native of Mississippi, he was in reality a neighbor of yours.” Barksdale Field was officially dedicated on Feb 2, 1933, and at that time this base was considered “the finest in U.S. history”.
*biography sources and pictures are courtesy of: Eight Air Force Museum/Barksdale Air Force Base, Book: Barksdale: The Man, The Base, Wikipedia, and www.findagrave.com
Aug. 27, 1954: Bossier City Lions Club host the first annual High School Jamboree, held at the Bossier Memorial Stadium.
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Aug. 27, 1954: The Times 1954: Bossier High School Football team 1954 Bossier High School Yearbook |
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