News, Reflections of the Past, August 13, 1997, LaSalle Parish, La. REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Copied by: Pat Ezell PatEzell@worldnet.att.net Submitted by: Kathy LeMay Kelly, P.O. Box 219, Trout, La. 71371 From the Jena Times - Olla Tullos Signal, Wed., Aug.13, 1997, Section B, Page 15B Thank You to the Times -Signal for allowing the following to be added to the Archives. From the Filesą REFLECTIONS OF THE PAST 60 Years Ago This Week - Thursday, August 12, 1937: Postmaster P.C. Girlinghouse of Jena this week announces the formation of a star route which will enable some 30 families who live on the road from the old Routon post office to the Aimwell Highway to receive rural free deliver of their mail. People living in this section are urged to get boxes to receive the mail. E.E. Jones of Jena, assistant manager of the Gulf Public Service Company plant here, last week received from Governor Richard W. Leche his commission appointing him as a member of the Jena Town Council to succeed the late J. P. Wade, who had served in the capacity since 1934. To Shelby Shannon, who lives two miles east of Jena, goes the honor of bringing in the first bale of cotton to the Jena market in 1937. The bale was ginned at the E.R. Whatley gin here Monday, August 9. According to an announcement made this week, E.R. Whatley of Fellowship has purchased the cotton gin in East Jena which has been owned and operated by J.N. Coleman of Jena for the past 15 years. Mr. Whatley bought the gin from Mr. Coleman recently and has made extensive repairs and improvements and opened the gin this week. The gin is now in perfect condition and is a modern two-stand gin read to take care of the cotton ginning of LaSalle Parish. Development of recent weeks have brought considerable increased activity in the Tullos-Urania oil field and many residents of that section are optimistic concerning the results which are expected. It has also been reported that the Placid Oil Company, formerly Hunt Oil Company of which H.L. Hunt is president, will begin work in the near future on several wells in the Tullos-Urania field in which they are already extensive operators. Effective this week, The Jena Times comes to you under new management, R.H. McClain, having assumed the post of editor under tentative arrangement. The new editor is a practical newspaperman having spent his 26 years in various capacities connected with newspaper work ranging from "printer's devil" to publisher. Posey's Economy Drug Store, which has been operating here next door to Welch Motor Company for the past several years has been moved across the street from the former location and is now open for business in their new location. The building formerly was occupied by the LaSalle Cash Store. Plans for a second annual baseball tournament for youth are being made this week to be held at the Jena City Park Diamond in a few weeks. Georgetown won last year's tourney but will be ineligible to compete this year because they are no longer amateur baseball in this section. The tourney is sponsored by the Jena Aces, Jena local boy's baseball team, who played in the finals last season. 50 Years Ago This Week, Thursday, August 14, 1947: Fellowship Baptist Church this week reported that 1947 has been "one of the best years" in the church's history. The church organized a brotherhood, a training union, and increased its Sunday School rolls to 160. The brotherhood has an enrollment of 35 and the training union 118. On-the-farm Trainee John Huffman of Walters, who displayed LaSalle Parish's first cotton blossom last month, this week turned in the first open cotton boll produced by a GI trainee. Huffman's full bodied boll was shown at The Times office by Clarence C. Paul, the trainee's instructor. Paul said Huffman, one of the 10 trainees in the Walters area, has 10 acres of cotton and estimated he would make "one to one and a quarter bales an acre. Issue of World War II Medal and American Defense Medal by ORC Installations in Louisiana is announced by Col. Douglas J. Page, senior instructor, State of Louisiana with headquarters in New Orleans. The Victory Medal and Defense Service Medal with or without Foreign Service Clasp and Bronze Service Starts are available for general issue to Jena Arm Vets with Honorable Federal Military Service at the Organized Reserves Corps Unite instructor's Office at Alexandria, Room 25, Post Office Building. A drill stemtest at 7,925 feed in Section 10, Township 7, Range 3 E., about 8 miles south of Jena this week showed gas and salt water sand with "traces of oil," a spokesman for the Hunt Oil Co. said. While the appearance of salt water was not encouraging, the official stated the test calls for "more exploratory work" in the area. Leading Louisiana soil conservation experts and farmers from throughout North Central Louisiana will be guest of the Jena Chamber of Commerce Friday, August 22, at an open air meeting at Hunt's swimming pool near Nebo. The meeting and a tour of farms in this area are being sponsored jointly by the chamber and the Lower East Red River Valley Authority. Jena voters will go to the polls September 17 to cast ballots on the question of whether the town will issue bonds in the amount of $30,000 for the construction of a town hall. Contract for repairing the LaSalle Parish Courthouse and jail has been awarded by the police jury to the Tudor Construction Co. of Alexandria, which submitted a law bid of $56,244 for the work. *Advertisement: Notice: Change of Ownership. We wish to announce to he public in general, and to all our friends, that we have purchased Bryant's Grocery and Market. We are carrying a full stock of clean, fresh groceries and high grade tender meats, at prices that will save you money. We will be open daily and late to serve you. Your business will be appreciated. Buddy White and R.W. Jones. Grocery and Market. Located in East Jena. 25 Years Ago This Week, Thursday, August 10, 1972. The Louisiana delegation in Congress advised on Tuesday that the Farmers Homes Administration had approved a $248,000 loan and $75,000 grant to the Town of Urania to help finance construction of a complete sewer system. The sewer system when completed will have a capacity to serve approximately 3,000 rural families and businesses. Carriece Russell was hired as girls basketball coach for Jena High School at the LaSalle Parish School Board meeting last Thursday. The employment ended several weeks of discussion and postponement of action on the position. Ebson Cruse and Charles Cruse of Olla have been employed by the Louisiana Forestry Commission to help with control of southern pine beetle. They will be working in Caldwell, Catahoula, Grant, LaSalle and Winn parishes. Tremont Lumber Company of Winnfield officially opened its new Tullos District Office last week with a big fish fry, attended by a number of outstanding area officials and forestry people. Ray Johnson, LaSalle Parish Police Jury secretary, announces the Jury has received permission to sell food stamps in Urania two days a month, the second and fourth Mondays, beginning Monday, Aug. 14. The food stamp program in LaSalle Parish has been operated since May of this year, replacing the commodity program. The Jena Town Council met in special session last Tuesday night and accepted the completion of the sewer extension project near Jena Wire and Cable Co. from Mid-South Tank and Utilities Company. Also during the meeting, it was announced that each residence of Jena would be furnished two garbage disposal bags per week for garbage pickup on a new trial basis adopted by the town. Any additional bags needed can be purchased at the town hall at a cost. The total number of qualified voters in LaSalle Parish for the August 19 first primary election will be above 9,000 according to J.S. (Chalk) Allen, registrar of voters. The total number of local residents to register prior to closing of registrations books was 9,038. Hunt Petroleum Corporation retired eight men in this area, this year, all with long records of service. Their total years of service with the Hunt organization totals 200 years. Honored during a recent retirement supper at Cliff's Restaurant were Blanchard Wright, Ishmael Ingram, Dewey Ford, Luther Cockerham, Houston McCormick, D.A. Butler, Haden Burlew and C.M. Riley.