Sears Had Long History in Bossier City
Walking through Pierre Bossier Mall, there is no indication that its east end was home to Sears. Gone is the Sears sign that once hung above the mall entrance to the store, that entrance now blocked by a security gate. Beyond the gate, darkness inhabits the space once filled with everything from clothing and homewares to appliances and tools. Sears’ ending stands in stark contrast to its beginning in Bossier City sixty-nine years ago.
A simple, straight-to-the-point headline appeared in the November 30, 1956 edition of the Bossier Press newspaper, “Sears Opens Bossier Sto... Read Full Blog
Bossier West of the Red
When looking at the bounds of Bossier Parish, one would be forgiven for believing that the western bank of the Red River was entirely Caddo Parish, and the eastern bank was entirely Bossier Parish. One would also be quite wrong. Several portions of the traditional Caddo Parish side of the river are in fact Bossier Parish, leading to several instances of disconnected parish land. The reason for all this is due to the language used on the founding of Bossier Parish, as well as physical geographical changes over the past 182 years.
When the borders of Bossier Parish were fir... Read Full Blog
Pearce O’Neal: Making it Big in the Big Easy
It happens often enough to be a cliché; small town papers love a good “local boy [or gal] makes good” story. The “Bossier Banner Progress” was no exception. The editor especially liked the story of his former schoolmate, William “Pearce” O’Neal. O’Neal was born in Bellevue and became an international business and banking leader in New Orleans. The “Banner Progress” featured him in two stories.
One story was in May of 1924 when the editor was perusing “The Southern Banker,” a periodical out of Atlanta, Georgia, an illustration of a familiar face and this accompanying text caught his at... Read Full Blog
Unusual Newspaper Headline Recalls UFO Sighting in Bossier
As I research various topics to write about for the History Center’s weekly column, I sometimes come across interesting, unexpected information from Bossier’s past that captures my attention. Such is the case with an old newspaper headline and story that I found recently concerning supposedly strange objects spotted over Barksdale Air Force Base. What were those lights seen in the night sky?
In June 1947, a pilot named Kenneth Arnold, who was flying alone from Washington state to an air show in Oregon, helped launch the UFO (unidentified flying object) craze after describing for repor... Read Full Blog
When Barksdale AFB helped to “Build a Better Bubble”
It’s now officially hurricane season. Here in northwest Louisiana, it’s also thunderstorm, tornado, and flash flood season. However, over the years we’ve been spared some catastrophic weather despite dire and urgent predictions. Major snowstorms that were predicted here this past winter had Louisianians as far south as New Orleans in real-life snow globe scenes, while up here we saw nary a snowflake. Other severe storms have bounded us in nearly all directions, while leaving us unscathed.
If you believe the local legends, we owe those unforeseen clear skies to “the Barksdale Bubble,” ... Read Full Blog
Task Force Smith - A Reminder of the Forgotten War
The year was 1950, and the world was recovering from the most destructive conflict to have ever occurred. The reconstruction of the world was ongoing, with two major power blocs dominating the international order: the American led Western Bloc and the Soviet led Eastern Bloc. In late June, the news came to the world: the Soviet aligned Democratic People’s Republic of Korea has crossed the dividing line into the American aligned Republic of Korea. The first war of the post-World War II world had come; the Korean War had begun. Often referred to as the Forgotten War here in the United States ... Read Full Blog
History Center Collection Highlights Wedding Fashions and Trends of the Past
June is such a popular month for marriages. Did you know that the month of June derives its name from Juno, the Roman goddess of marriage? Here is a look in the History Center’s collection to learn about the traditions and fashions of Bossier’s historic weddings.
There are many photographs of wedding parties and brides in our collection. Thomas P. Adger and Clyde Louise Herndon wed at the First Baptist Church in Plain Dealing on June 17, 1914. We have an entire series of candid photos from their wedding day taken by John Allen, including one of the young couple climbing into an automo... Read Full Blog
Barksdale Provided Training to Help Frenchmen Reclaim Homeland
Eighty-five years ago this month, France officially surrendered to the Germans following the Nazi invasion of the country in 1940. But while flags emblazoned with the Nazi swastika flew over Paris, there were those who vowed that Hitler’s forces would not long remain on French soil. And Barksdale Field, as the base was then known, helped keep that promise.
Beginning in May 1944, young Frenchmen started arriving at Barksdale to train as pilots, gunners, navigators, and bombardiers. They carried with them the hopes of a nation desperate to oust the invaders. In the coming weeks and mont... Read Full Blog
Where’s the Beef! - Louisiana Beef Week
Agriculture is a key piece in the puzzle that is the Louisiana economy, and within that lies Louisiana beef. Cattle raising, and the subindustries built around enabling it, has been a mainstay in the Louisiana culture and economy since the early days of Louisiana colonization. From there, the industry has only grown, and Bossier Parish is no exception. In 2023 alone, beef production was valued at 15.2 million dollars according to the LSU AgCenter’s annual report of Louisiana agriculture. Therefore, it should come as no surprise that to honor this continued contribution, a celebration was de... Read Full Blog
Guy I. Gandy - Far Away yet Close at Heart
In honor of Memorial Day, here is the story of a local “doughboy” (American soldier in the Great War, later known as WWI) who is memorialized right in Bossier City, as a namesake of the Gandy-Brown VFW Post #4588, and in his final resting place in the country of France. Private Guy Ira Gandy is buried in the Meuse-Argonne American Cemetery in some of the most beautifully tended landscapes Europe has to offer.
The Meuse-Argonne is one of the American military cemeteries maintained by the American Battle Monuments Commission (ABMC), a government agency founded in 1923 that now manag...
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History Center Uncovers Story Behind Flea Market Find for Vietnam Veteran
Sharing stories from history is part of why I so enjoy being a staff member of the History Center. Researching and writing about people and events from the past is interesting to me. One recent opportunity to research military history reminded me that sometimes the most extraordinary stories can come from the most unlikely places.
In 1970, a student-led organization called Voices in Vital America introduced POW/MIA bracelets to ensure that service members who were prisoners of war or missing in action in Vietnam not be forgotten. Each bracelet, made of nickel or copper, contained the ... Read Full Blog
“Photobombing” in Europe: The John D. Collins Jr. Collection
Did you know…tomorrow (May 8, 2025) is the 80th anniversary of World War II’s Victory in Europe (VE) Day?! Memorial Day approaches on May 26th. This is the perfect month to highlight an exceptional collection in the History Center’s archives, the photographs from the World War II-era scrapbooks of Colonel John Duty Collins Jr. The photographs preserved in this collection are special because they contain images of subjects that range from delightfully quotidian to emotionally charged.
John Duty Collins Jr. flew combat missions in Europe during World War II as a B-17 pilot and Operation... Read Full Blog
Plain Dealing’s Dogwood Drive Once a Highlight of Spring
In the spring of 1951, a celebration began in the North Bossier Parish community of Plain Dealing. As temperatures warmed and outdoor activities beckoned, dogwood trees lining roadways and hillsides in the area awoke from their winter slumber and dressed the landscape in color. And for the first time, Plain Dealing formally recognized and embraced this splendor with an organized event. The Dogwood Drive was born. Through the valiant efforts of citizens, this new annual event achieved early success, but changes eventually led to its slow demise.
A year prior, the idea of acknowledging ... Read Full Blog
Jimmie Davis - The Man and the Bridge
The Red River is one the most defining parts of Bossier Parish, and the bridges that connect Bossier with Caddo are vital pieces of infrastructure for the region. There are five bridges in the region built to serve vehicle traffic, with two more for rail. One of these bridges is particularly infamous here locally, with several delays made to the renovation projects, only beginning in early-2023. This bridge, of course, is the Jimmie Davis Bridge.
Jimmie Davis, the man, was born in 1899 in rural Jackson Parish to a large family. His parents were local sharecroppers and far... Read Full Blog
Routine Task for Bossier Deputy Takes Tragic Turn
The March, 1954 issue of Louisiana Peace Officer, the journal of the Louisiana Peace Officers Association, contains an article paying tribute to two local lawmen killed in the line of duty only a month earlier. The author of the article writes, “… Louisiana law enforcement has suffered its worst blow in the memory of its oldest officers.” That “worst blow” left the Bossier Parish Sheriff’s Department and the Shreveport Police Department each asking, “why?” It also underscored how, for those of the thin blue line, even a routine assignment can turn deadly.
On the afternoon of February ... Read Full Blog