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

Bossier City Pioneer Becomes First Mayor

Ewald Max Hoyer

In 1893, Bossier City was an unincorporated community with only a handful of families living here. That's the year that Ewald Max Hoyer of Marine, IL moved to Bossier City with his wife Minnie, formerly Bassenberg, of St. Louis. They settled on a farm, and he began buying cattle.

Barely qualified as a hamlet, those living in the community lived without electricity, gas, and a water system. Hoyer and the other residents would have to drive their buggies over to Shreveport to purchase a barrel of drinking water for 50 cents from a place called Curry Springs. By 1902, he tired of this, so he drilled the first deep-water well in Bossier Parish.

Hoyer and other pioneers of this city worked to build up their small community. Hoyer was a prominent businessman owning and operating a thriving dairy business with his brother Charles in Bossier City since 1893. By 1903 they built the largest dairy barn in North Louisiana, owned 100 cows, and by 1907, they were selling nearly 7,500 gallons of milk per month.

Advertisements from the Bossier City Land and Town Company repeatedly appeared in local newspapers in 1904. These ads were selling the growth potential of Bossier City and referring to it as East Shreveport to connect itself to the much larger and well-known city. In addition, they held auctions for over 700 lots in which they offered free transportation to and from the sale from the Shreveport end of the bridge. They also provided free barbecue and music.

Some of the attractions they advertised were the plans for a toll-free traffic bridge to cross the Red River and the promise that Bossier City would soon become incorporated. And, they already applied to the parish legislature for an election to remove the parish seat from Benton to Bossier City. They even selected the site for the courthouse in the center of the property that was being auctioned.

And to sweeten the pot, they also offered the chance for any adult attending the auction to win one of three lots. And a round trip railroad ticket to the World's Fair, St. Louis Exposition would be given to the person whose purchases aggregate the largest amount. With the coming of the VS&P railroad, the growth potential was there, and the community members wasted no time in the work required to build their community.

1907 was an exciting year because all of their work paid off as Bossier City was incorporated and proclaimed a village by Governor Newton Crain Blanchard. In his proclamation, he appointed Hoyer as the first Mayor of Bossier City, based on the recommendations of leading businessmen in Bossier City and Shreveport.

That same year Bossier City's first city hall was built with Hoyer's money for $1,200 on a lot donated by William McCormick. He also advanced money to cover expenses of the new government, which the village later reimbursed. Hoyer was instrumental in securing federal funds to build the toll-free traffic bridge across the Red River. The first elections in Bossier City took place in 1909, where Hoyer was re-elected to serve a second term as mayor. The first school and the first Baptist church were built during his second term.

Hoyer never received a salary for his service as mayor. When his wife became ill, he left office, and they moved to Shreveport. And even after moving to Shreveport, Hoyer continued his interests in Bossier City, building several subdivisions. During the Great Depression, he recalled things were tough, but he held on to his belief in Bossier City's growth.

Hoyer was there when Governor John M. Parker made Bossier City a town in 1923. And, twenty-eight years later, he was there when Bossier City was proclaimed a city in 1951 by Governor Earl K. Long. Hoyer was 88 years old and was honored at Bossier Cities celebration of becoming a city. He reminisced about the sparse community he moved to in 1893 and how he watched it grow from a handful of families to over 15,000 residents.

By 1950, Bossier City was designated as the "Fastest Growing City in Louisiana." When Hoyer died in 1957, the estimated population was 25,000. Bossier City's current estimated population is over 68,000, and we are the 6th largest city in Louisiana. Hoyer and other hard-working pioneers that were not afraid of investing their time, energy, and money would be proud to see this great city today.

To learn more about Hoyer or Bossier City history, visit the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center, the leading source for Bossier Parish History. We are at 2206 Beckett Street, Bossier City. Can't come in, call 318-746-7717 or email history-center@bossierlibrary.org with your request. Be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB and @bplhistorycenter on Tiktok.

By: Amy Robertson