Since I tend to go “over the river and through the woods” to get to my point at times, let me jump directly to the point at the first and ramble later. I truly believe that all history is of value and needs to be recorded and remembered. So, those memories you have of events in your life, write them down, please. Someone, somewhere, will be glad that you did.
Last week I got a phone call from a cousin of mine. (Our grandfathers were brothers, but his grandfather was 18 years older than mine, so we are of different generations and have never met.) He had come across a copy of one of my books in Barnes and Noble and wanted to share some stories of his growing up years here in Minden. In the space of a 45 minute conversation I learned so many things I didn’t know about local history.
He recalled the story of Bonnie Parker coming into his father’s grocery store on Main Street a few days before she and Clyde Barrow met their fate in Bienville Parish. His father hadn’t been convinced it had really been Bonnie until he traveled to Arcadia and saw the pair as the Conger’s had them laid out for public viewing.
He remembered as a small child in the years just before World War II a United States Army Calvary unit camping in Minden near the railroad tracks. I haven’t yet been able to track down a precise time for that event, but the memoires were so vivid, I am convinced he was remembering correctly.
He described the location of a camp ground used by some Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. An event confirmed when an old Confederate veteran returned to the site and helped dig up some artifacts the troops had buried during the war.
He told me a story others of his generation had repeated about visiting the old site of Overton. He mentioned riding his bike beyond where Middle Landing Street ends, following the old road all the way to the Crichton property that was the site of that old Middle (Overton) Landing. As others had discussed, he described seeing the piers and foundations of the many warehouses on that site – piers and foundation that have long vanished under bar pits and are gone forever. He described seeing at least three old steamboat wrecks visible on Dorcheat, including one in an area where I had been convinced I saw such evidence a few years back during low water.
In short, it was a fascinating conversation that reminded me again of the treasure trove of information so many of us have stored in our brains that reveal much about local history. I hope each of you who read this will make an effort to record things you remember about your years growing up, wherever that may have been. In these days when self-publishing is so available (more about that in a later post), you may well have enough information to publish your memories in a book. But please, put them in a form where they can be found and won’t leave us when you go on to your reward. Momma left so much written down, but hardly a day passes when I don’t wish I had her here to answer a question I am asked about the past. If you value the past, which you probably do if you’ve bothered to read this far. Write it down!!!
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I always enjoyed listening to the stories my aunts, uncles, grands and parents would tell about the old times. One story I will tell is my dads aunt who is still kicking, became a dietician and schooled in New Orleans and La Tech. She joined the miliary during WW2 took the train to New York State for training. Then took the train across to San Diego. Then to a ship to New Zealand for her assignment in the Pacific. She said the trip across the pacific was not fun. It had to zig zag to keep from getting a torpedo. It only took one week to return since the war was over and didn't have to zig zag. They could only sponge bath and it was hot on the trip. She also related how my uncle and cousin and 2 of their cousins just happen to run into each other on a street corner in the philipines.
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