The idea was to get people shopping and with each purchase of at least $1 or payments made on accounts earned the buyer one "Cow Ticket," a numbered ticket, entering them into the drawing for a live Jersey Cow or one of 25 other prizes provided by the local merchants and sponsors. The more tickets you collected increased your chances of winning. The local merchants had a sale or bargain day once a week until Cow Day for about six weeks.
But it wasn't just local merchants that were being promoted, "the keeping of cows, good grade hogs and chickens on the farm," was also being encouraged. A full-page promotion of the upcoming Cow Day gave a listing of all the participating merchants and a program for the day's events. The advertisement declared: "Cow Day promises to be the greatest event in the history of Bossier City." They expected the excitement to attract up to 5,000 visitors.
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| The Caplis Building, built 1927. |
The program began at 11 a.m. with a parish flower show at the Caplis building, located at the corner of Cain (now Barksdale Boulevard) and Minden Streets. Then at 2:10 p.m., a caravan of about forty cars and floats in a parade led by Marshal George C. Huckabay took off. It started with the "official's auto," which included then-Mayor Tom Hickman. Following next was the entire troop of the Boy Scouts from Shreveport, including a bugler. Then, in a fire truck was the Bossier City Volunteer Fire Department, including Fire Chief Nathan Huff.
Taking center stage was the grand prize and the star of the parade, the Jersey cow. Following the cow was the Bossier Parish Demonstration Agent, Miss Lettie Van Landingham with H.F. Spencer, and the Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club of Bossier Parish. And finally, a procession of cars and floats with banners of every home-owned merchant participating in the 'Cow Day' program.
Beginning in front of City Hall, the parade route was as follows:
"Out Cain Street to New Benton Road. Out New Benton Road to intersection of Minden Highway. Turn left and follow New Minden Highway to Hamilton Road. Turn right on Hamilton Road to Old Benton Road. Turn left follow Old Benton Road to Wyche Avenue. Right on Wyche Ave. To East Second Street. Left on East Second Street to Traffic Street and Thence on Traffic to Cain. Turn left at the intersection of Traffic and Cain Streets, thence out Cain Street to City Hall again."
During the parade, the Brook Mays & Co. Band furnished the music with Prof. Jeff Wilcox, director. At 3 p.m., the prizes were drawn from a large yellow barrel with 35,000 or more Cow Tickets. The first ticket drawn was for the grand prize, the Jersey cow, won by W.B. Grosjean of 601 Delhi Street, Bossier City.
Due to the intense heat that day, they only drew about 1,500 visitors, less than expected, but considered the program a success. The program attracted locals not typically seen in town shopping and visitors from out of town, including many who had never been to town before, all hoping to win a cow.
Plain Dealing wasted no time in hosting its first Cow Day program on Aug. 19th. It was much the same as Bossier's, having a parade, music, prize drawings, and bargains, but their program started with an address from Governor Huey P. Long. That day D.S. Boldon won the cow. Plain Dealing was so pleased with the success of their first Cow Day that they held a second Cow Day on Oct. 9th, with the grand prize going to Mrs. L. Nugent.
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. 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
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