The Legacy of Dr. Thomas N. Keoun

In this edition of a "Curator's Column," the Bossier Parish Libraries History Center presents the collection of Dr. Thomas Nehemiah Keoun (pronounced COW-in). As a devoted physician, respected civic leader, and influential figure in the Plain Dealing community, Dr. Keoun left an unforgettable mark on local history. This collection was generously donated by Connie Boggs Rountree, a descendant of Dr. Keoun.

Dr. Keoun was born in Arkansas on February 7, 1868. His early education was in Welcome and Magnolia, Arkansas. After graduating from the Memphis Medical College in 1890, he established his first medical practice in Red Land in Bossier Parish. In 1891, he married Lulah Edens. By 1906, the Keoun family moved to Plain Dealing, where Dr. Keoun purchased the residence and drugstore of Dr. R.H. Blackman.

Dr. Keoun served the people of Plain Dealing, extending his services beyond the walls of his medical clinic. He often traveled into the countryside, delivering babies and mending injuries late into the night. At first, he did this by horse and buggy and later in a Model T.

However, his interests were not only limited to medicine. As a landowner with extensive farm holdings in Bossier and Caddo Parishes, he cultivated crops like corn, cotton, and cane. As mentioned earlier, Keoun was the owner of a Plain Dealing drugstore, which boasted the area’s finest soda fountain in 1910, as reported by the Bossier Banner-Progress. Dr. Keoun’s collection includes his medical bag, a syringe kit, framed diploma from the Memphis Hospital and Medical Center (dated March 28, 1890), and a small ledger listing patients he visited in 1929.

Additionally, Dr. Keoun’s influence extended to civic and religious circles. He served as Bossier Parish Coroner for eight years and was an active steward of the Plain Dealing Methodist Church for 35 years. His tenure as president of the Plain Dealing School Board of Directors saw him advocating passionately for his community.

This passion for his community was on full display during the 1908 Plain Dealing High School disciplinary scandal. While serving as President of the Plain Dealing School Board of Directors, Dr. Keoun clashed with Bossier Parish Superintendent Joseph E. Johnston in 1908 over a widely publicized disciplinary issue at Plain Dealing High School. After Superintendent Johnston revoked Principal E.D. Burgess’ teaching license amid teacher and student disputes, tensions escalated. Dr. Keoun supported Principal Burgess, leading to a confrontation with Johnston and the resignation of Keoun and other local board members. Their disagreement played out publicly in the Bossier Banner newspaper.

The Keoun collection also includes several photographs of Dr. Keoun and his family, offering a glimpse into his personal life. His son, Alton Keoun, married Rita Sanders on November 24, 1938. The two were married nearly fifty years until Alton’s death on July 19, 1986. Rita’s contributions to Plain Dealing’s library system and civic organizations were also remarkable. Known affectionately as "Miss Rita," she served on the Bossier Parish Library Board for 37 years, missing only one meeting and acting as president for many years. The remodeled Plain Dealing Library was dedicated in her honor in 1987, a testament to her devotion to literacy and learning.

Dr. Keoun’s impact, however, continues to resonate through the stories and artifacts preserved in his collection. From his framed diploma to his medical tools, these items bring to life the story of a man who was not only a skilled physician but also a cornerstone of his community.

If you have any information, stories, or photos of old Plain Dealing or other communities in Bossier Parish, we would love to add them (or scanned copies) to our History Center’s research collection. We are located at 7204 Hutchison Drive (formerly called 850 City Hall Drive) just across Beckett Street from the old Central Library and History Center in Bossier City, LA. The Bossier Central Library and History Center are open M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org

For other local history facts, photos, and videos, be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB, @bplhistorycenter on TikTok, and check out our blog http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/.

Images: 

• Dr. Thomas N. Keoun: Bossier Parish Library History Center Collection

Article by: Randall Palmer

A Black History Month Call for Donation

Writing this week’s local history column, I feel a mix of gratitude and sadness. My wife and I will soon be moving out of state, and this column will be my last. While I am excited about the new opportunities ahead, leaving this role is bittersweet. The work we at the History Center do together—documenting, preserving, and sharing the rich history of Bossier Parish—has been some of the most rewarding of my career.

When speaking with donors of our collection items, I often use the analogy comparing history to a jigsaw puzzle. With every photograph, letter, or artifact donated, a new piece of the puzzle fits into place, giving us a clearer view of the overall history of Bossier Parish. Many of these donations have come to us through the generosity of local citizens who recognize the importance of preserving the parish’s history for future generations. Other donations have come to us as a last resort when there are no descendants to take an interest in them. These items narrowly missed being thrown in the trash. Regardless of how they come to us, these donations are the lifeblood of our work, allowing us to ensure that the stories of our community are not forgotten.

That being said, during my time as curator I have come to recognize an imbalance within our collection. Currently, artifacts and records from people of color make up only a small fraction of our materials. This gap risks framing the history of Bossier Parish solely through the lens of its white population. We want to ensure that the stories of all who have shaped this parish are represented and preserved. By donating photographs, documents, family histories, and other materials, members of underrepresented communities can help us build a richer, more inclusive collection that reflects the true diversity of Bossier Parish. This month’s featured object underscores the complex history of Bossier Parish and the necessity of confronting even the most uncomfortable aspects of our past.

In 2022, the History Center received one of its largest donations, containing over 1,000 documents and objects from the Bossier Parish School Board. Among these was a wooden square cutout removed from a bathroom door at a school. The cutout once held metal letters reading “WHITE”. Along with the wooden block were photographs showing the original location of the door and a copy of the specifications for the school.

          

In the fall of 1953, Plantation Park Elementary opened in Bossier City to white students in grades one to six. Next to the school’s cafeteria was a corridor with two bathrooms for cafeteria staff, one for white staff and one for African American staff. The “whites-only” bathroom had metal letters nailed to the door spelling “WHITE”. When Bossier Parish schools integrated systemwide in 1970, the metal letters were likely removed. However, the faded outlines where the letters were originally nailed remained, a painful reminder to every person of color who walked past that door. The portion of the door with the word was cut out sometime during a remodel in the early 2000s. The square hole that was left would later be sealed with a glass panel.

This door fragment offers a tangible reminder of segregation and inequality in Bossier Parish’s history. Artifacts like this are crucial to understanding and confronting our shared past, but they also highlight gaps in our collection and the need to hear from a multitude of voices when learning about that past. If concerns about parting with family photographs or documents are a barrier, please know that we can scan these items for our collection and return the originals to you.

We are located in the new Bossier Central Complex Library at 7204 Hutchison Drive (formerly called 850 City Hall Drive) just across Beckett Street from the old Central Library and History Center in Bossier City, LA. Our normal operating hours are M-Th 9-8, Fri 9-6, and Sat 9-5. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is history-center@bossierlibrary.org

For other local history facts, photos, and videos, be sure to follow us @BPLHistoryCenter on FB, @bplhistorycenter on TikTok, and check out our blog http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/.

Images: 

• Wooden cutout from a Plantation Park Elementary school bathroom door, showing an outline of the word “WHITE.” Door fragment from the Bossier Parish School Board collection at the Bossier Parish Libraries (BPL) History Center.
• Photo of area where door cutout was removed and replaced with glass panel. Photo from the Bossier Parish School Board collection at the BPL History Center.
• Plantation Park Elementary cafeteria, mid 1950’s, from the Plantation Park Elementary Yearbook collection at the BPL History Center.

Article by: Randall Palmer