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Site 2: Screwmen's Armory — The Screwmen Go to War: The Present Disturbed State of the Country
Young men filed in and out of the building at 14 Canal Street. Some stood around outside and discussed the latest news of the war or compared enlistment details.
Site 5: Louisiana Hose House — Responding to the 1865 Strike: A House for Hoses and for Meetings Too
A labor strike during Christmas of 1865 threw all port trades into turmoil and impacted the cotton industry tremendously. Shipmasters and stevedores met at the Louisiana Hose House to discuss the…
Site 8: Screwmen's Hall — The Association's Institutional Home: Where It All Happened
It was the heart of where members debated the issues surrounding their trade. It was a place to get information, cast votes, and make plans.
Site 3: The Bend in the River: A Post Civil War Labor Strike Unifying Black and White Workers on the Docks: Race and Unity on the Crescent
The port is, and was, the lifeblood of New Orleans. However, much has changed over the years. Sailors no longer dock steamboats, brigantines, and keelboats along the quay. Instead, container ships,…
Site 10: Fort Proctor — The Screwmen's Guard: The Screwmen and the Civil War
Fort Proctor looms on the horizon, like a castle rising from the choppy waters of Lake Borgne.
Site 9: St. Roch Cemetery — The Society Tomb: Screwmen's Benevolent Association at Work
Today, the Society Tomb of the Screwmen’s Benevolent Association in St. Roch Cemetery No. 1 stands as the only known public monument in New Orleans to the screwmen who once played such an important…
KRVS: Radio Voice of Southwestern: When College Radio Came to Lafayette
In 1940, the Fine Arts building of the Southwestern Louisiana Institute (S.L.I.), Burke Hall, had an “ill-equipped radio facility” maintained by various speech departments (1). During this time, KVOL…
KVOL: Voice of Lafayette: Lafayette's Airwaves During World War II
In 1935, the Evangeline Broadcasting Company was issued a license from the FCC for the creation of a radio station in Lafayette under the call sign KVOL (Voice of Lafayette). In late 1935, the station…
KROF: Rice, Oil, Fur: A Signal That Grows
KROF in Abbeville differed from nearby Acadiana radio stations for its unique programming geared towards agriculture and farming: the main occupation of many of its listeners. Indeed, the importance…
KSIG: The Signal of Crowley: The Brothers Behind the Signal
When we think of radio stations, we think of the sound rather than focusing on the people behind the sound. The radio station call sign, KSIG, will sound more familiar than the names B. Hillman…
KANE: Of Sugarcane (and Sports): How to Sack a Station Manager
On October 9, 1960, Franklin’s Hanson Memorial Tigers played against New Iberia’s Catholic Panthers in a high school football game. The Franklin area was convinced that the Tigers would win despite…
KEUN: Eunice, the Prairie Cajun Capital: A Place for Cajun Music
The founding of radio station KEUN in Eunice occurred as Cajun and zydeco music were gaining prominence in the mid to late twentieth century. However, both genres struggled to get airtime anywhere…
The "James 'Terry' Watson Memorial Highway":
More than than a memorial for a life lost, but a reminder of a life lived.: One man's passion for adventure and helping other led to a life of service both at home and around the globe: The story of James 'Terry' Watson
From the opium fields of Afghanistan to the narrow city streets of Bogota, Colombia, DEA agent James 'Terry' Watson traveled to some of the most dangerous locales around the globe disrupting major…
Semper Fidelis: The "Corporal Matthew Thomas Richard Memorial Highway": From Iota to Afghanistan, the life and legacy of Corporal Matthew Thomas Richard.
Hailing from the small Louisiana town of Iota, Corporal Matthew Thomas Richard joined the United States Marine Corps with the goal of serving his country. Deployed to Helmund Province, Afghanistan,…
The Corporal Clovis Wayne “J.R.” Searcy Jr. Memorial Highway
: The Life and Leagacy of Corporal Clovis Wayne “J.R.” Searcy Jr.
After two days of fighting for his life, Corporal Clovis Wayne "J.R." Searcy of the Ouachita Parish Sheriff's Office tragically lost his life to wounds sustained in the line of duty. A dedicated…
Cecil B. Tramel Memorial Highway- The Legacy of a Liberator: The Legacy of the Liberators
In June of 1944, Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, France in what was the opening act of the liberation of greater Europe. As the invasion led deeper into France, Louisiana-native Cecil…
Greig's West Main Grocery: Greig's little store was a gatekeeper of the growing city of New Iberia for nearly 50 years.
The buzzer sounded on the kitchen door, notifying Raymond August Greig that someone had entered his store. The kitchen door opened into the small, connected building on West Main Street in New Iberia.…
A Survey of Success: The Fenstermaker Story
C. H. Fenstermaker & Associates, L.L.C., started in the back bedroom of Charles Howard Fenstermaker's family home at 317 Allen Street, New Iberia.
A Lost Paradise: Rousseau's Catahoula Inn: The Tragic Story of a Forgotten Getaway
Deep in the bayous of Louisiana once stood Rousseau’s Catahoula Inn. Shaded by majestic oak trees and with the sound of cicadas humming in the background, it was a picturesque respite for young and…
Against The Grain: The Endurance Of The Conrad Rice Mill: The 112-year-old Conrad Rice Mill is the oldest operating rice mill in America.
The Conrad Rice Mill is a story of success and resilience, steered by competent and astute businessmen from Philip Conrad to Mike Davis.
The Holy Lieutenant: The Story of Fr. Joseph Verbis Lafleur
"My place is with the men."
The Real Christian: The Story of Auguste Robert "Nonco" Pelafigue
Performing miracles does not make one a saint, but it is to love as Christ Jesus loves that makes one a saint.
All Aboard the Orphan Train!: The History of Opelousas' Orphan Train Movement
Next stop--Opelousas!
The History of Assumption School in Carencro: Saintly Racial Justice in Carencro
Academy of the Sacred Heart in Grand Coteau was not the only school in Acadiana with a connection to a saint.
The History of Holy Ghost Catholic Church: All one in Christ Jesus
As the Lord can bring good out of evil, He can bring the largest black parish church in the country out of segregation.
The Story of Father Charles M. Menard: The Apostle of Bayou Lafourche
A chain is as strong as its weakest link, and the legacy of Fr. Menard showed that his failure to reform the Catholic faith in Acadiana ended up preserving the Acadians' Catholic faith by his own…
Reverend A.L. O'Brien Memorial Highway: Remembering a Locally Beloved Evangelist.
Starks, Louisiana dedicated a portion of Louisiana Highway 109 to a Reverend that served their community for decades.
Nickie Gene Voinche Memorial Bridge: "An extraordinary but ordinary man"
Bridge on Highway 190 in Livonia, Louisiana named after Superintendent who oversaw its construction.
Joseph D. Waggonner, Jr. Highway: Honoring the work of a Louisiana Congressman
Joseph D. Waggonner Jr. was a Louisiana Congressman who served nine terms from 1961 to 1979. Throughout his life, he was involved with the Local, State, and National Government and earned countless…
Clarence “GateMouth” Brown Memorial Highway: The Story from Birth to Blues
A man meant for music who sent genres colliding into one another leading to a combination no one could've seen coming.