Echoes From The Attic and Poems, Parkers, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Don Johnson, Feb. 2001
Typed by Belford Carver
Written by by Edna F. Campbell
Copyrighted by Edna F. Campbell
With special thanks to her family for permission to use her works.

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NOSTALGIC THOUGHTS INTERWOVEN WITH LANDMARK HOME AND SCHOOL

"I have always lived in Ponchatoula and I would not like to live anywhere else," 
said Mrs. L. E. Layrisson, the former Inez Parker.  Her sister, Mrs. Jack S. 
Vaughan, formerly Myra Parker, shares the same sentiments.

Although Mrs. Vaughan now thinks Ponchatoula is the choice spot for living, she 
did not always cling to this idea.  She said, "When I was young, I always thought 
it would be nice to live somewhere else, that is why I always liked to travel."

Two of the places holding fond memories remain intact in Ponchatoula, one is the 
home of Mrs. Ruth Fannaly, 301 North Seventh Street, where the Parker sisters 
recall childhood and young womanhood days spent there.  The other is the site of 
the Collinswood School where the original building plus improvements remains on 
the Springfield Roadside.

"We just hope the schoolhouse building will never have to be demolished", said 
Mrs. Layrisson.  The building is on the property of the Lionel Larrieus on 
Springfield Road.

The Robert Rays came from Monroe to New Orleans in 1884 and moved to Ponchatoula 
when Lillian Ray, mother of Mrs. Layrisson and Mrs. Vaughan,  was in the fourth 
grade.  The move was made due to her ill health.

Mr. and Mrs. Ray, grandparents of Mrs. Layrisson and Mrs. Vaughan, first purchased 
a farm from J. R. Ables, now known as the Kluka form near Wadesboro.  The Ray 
children attended the Collinswood school and later the two boys, H. B. and Guy Ray, 
attended a boys school at Gessen run by the Benedictine Fathers.  Gessen is now 
Rosaryville.

Lillian Ray was married to Elmer D. Parker, August 31, 1898.  They resided on the 
George Hollister place for one year.  This site was widely known as the W. E. 
Mount home, and is now Cedar Ridge, home of Mrs. L. Sneed Jackson.  The 
reminiscences of the old place involves an old sugar mill located on the grounds.

The next move for the Parkers was in Ponchatoula proper, where they purchased a 
parcel of land and dwelling from Dr. G. H. Tichenor in 1899.  This is now the 300 
block of North Seventh Street.  They sold the corner lot to Guy Ray and he bult a 
home for his mother, the home the Parker sisters treasurer in memories.  In the 
meanwhile, the Parker home burned and the family resided with Mrs. Ray where the 
Paker sisters grew up.

The house, now the home of Mrs. Ruth Fannaly, has undergone many changes; it was 
built with a wide hallway centering the main part, and the ceilings were at least 
15 feet high.

Inez Layrisson's husband, L. E. Layrisson, came to Ponchatoula from Bogalusa where 
he was in the Bottling Company.  Jack Vaughan, Myra Vaughan's husband,  came to 
Ponchatoula from Shannon, Miss., to serve as first coach of Ponchatoula School and 
later as principal.  There are two Layrisson sons, Eddie and Don Layrisson and one 
Vaughan son, Jack Parker Vaughan.

(From ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC, VI, 1971, by Edna Campbell)

(Pic of home)

(See Part III, "Same Structure Standing Served as Early School" concerning the 
moving of the school building to downtown Ponchatoula.  Ed Layrisson is the 
current sheriff of Tangipahoa Parish.  BEC 2/8/01)