Avoyelles Pages Past: A Look Back at 90 Years of History! 📜

90 Years Ago

From our April 11, 1936 editions Moore Valois of Moreauville was awarded membership at LSU in the Honor Society Phi Kappa Phi.

The school board provided summer schooling to parish teachers.

The U.S. Federation of Labor estimated that almost 12,500,000 Americans were out of work.

The American Legion and Auxiliary worked hard on their coming attraction, “The Legion Follies.”

80 Years Ago

From our April 13, 1946 editions P.J. Prevot was elected president of the Avoyelles Parish Teachers Union.

Evergreen High School was the only school that rated Superior at the District II Music Festival in Lafayette.

J.L. Daigle, parish administrative officer, stated that farmers should conserve soil.

Marksville butchers designated L.C. Lemoine as president of their newly formed association.

The Texas and Pacific Railroad Company announced the promotion of T.E. Huffman and C. S. MacDonald as Merchandise Traffic Manager and Merchandise Traffic Agent, respectively.

Friends were glad to welcome home “Blubber” Nettles, son of Mr. and Mrs. Bill Nettles of Bunkie, after a long stint in the U.S. Navy.

70 Years Ago

From our April 14, 1956 editions The Bunkie Legionnaires, a group of Hilbilly Musicians composed of Pete Jeansonne, Paul Aymond and Floyd Ducote, who had won quite a reputation, entertained at the Veterans Hospital in Pineville.

The Moreauville High School track team won first place honors in the Class C Division at the Northwestern relays.

The Marksville town council unanimously agreed to put on a summer recreation program.

The Avoyelles Police Jury was granted permission to hold a special tax election.

The Marksville Tiger Drive-In held a grand re-opening.

The Presentation Catholic School 4-H Club took first place in the Junior Division at the Avoyelles Achievement Day.

60 Years Ago

From our April 14, 1966 editions Miss Caroline Cappel of Marksville accepted a position as instructor in Child Development at a Connecticut college.

The Bunkie High School speech team won the Central Louisiana Rally at Louisiana College. Team members were: - Madeline Chemino - Sue Couvillion - Andy O’Brien - Steve Mayer - Linda Rascoe - Monty Townsend - Sam Eakin - Johnny St. Romain - Becky Newton - Diane Brocato - Sandra Franks - Elaine Clark - Virginia Clark - Mike Johnson

Avoyelleans Mrs. Ralph Schwartzenburg, Mrs. Richard Brasher and Mrs. Edmund Kalifey attended the Division Regional Cancer Crusade meeting in Alexandria.

A.T. Luneau of Effie won the Chicken Egg Knocking contest at the courthouse.

Parish taxpayers approved renewing taxes for maintenance and drainage by a margin of ten to one.

Former Marksville resident, Elton R. Bordelon, assumed duties as Avoyelles Progress Action Committee director.

50 Years Ago

From our April 15, 1976 editions The Marksville town council approved a 20% water rate increase.

Madison Firmin, a former Panther stand out, was named head football coach at Bunkie High by the school board.

Sally Coco was the first place winner in the Marksville Country Club Easter Egg Hunt.

Beth Dupuy and George French III won singles titles in the Marksville Country Club Spring Tennis Tournament.

Ken Smith of Marksville was recognized as an outstanding senior of the USL Band.

Rosalyn Carter, wife of Jimmy Carter, candidate for president of the US, was to be in Bunkie at the Masonic Temple.

40 Years Ago

From our April 17, 1986 editions The Cottonport prison site was selected.

Simmesport Mayor Leo Ehrhardt decided to hire a surveyor to obtain a piece of property suggested for the city’s new sewer treatment plant.

Suzanne and Bruce Soileau of Ville Platte bought Parrino’s Drug Store from Stephanie Parrino, who owned the store with her later husband, Peter.

Mrs. Davis Chatelain won the Tri-Color Award and Mrs. Thomas Laborde won the Creativity Award at the Moreauville Garden Club Flower Show.

30 Years Ago

From our April 11, 1996 editions Unseasonably cold weather did not stop 150 parishioners from St. Joseph Catholic Church as they processed through the town on Good Friday in honor of Our Lady of Sorrows.

The National Voice of Democracy Program, conducted by the VFW, announced this year’s winners: - Ashley Saucier - Quinton Freeman - Jessica DeLoach from Marksville High School - Shasta Plauche - Lonnie Harrell - Jared Plauche from Bunkie High School

The Sacred Heart newspaper staff traveled to England Air Force Base to see President Bill Clinton as he made a whirlwind tour of Louisiana.

Bunkie city workers were battling a range of water line breaks. So far there had been five since late February.

20 Years Ago

From our April 13, 2006 editions Rob Mann, an archeologist with LSU visited the Avoyelles courthouse to help date the well that was unearthed during a renovation.

Bunkie High students witnessed a mock DWI accident set up in Panther Stadium to re-create a drunk driving accident. Officials warned students of the dangers of drinking and driving.

The Marksville Fire Department very quickly put out a fire on Bon Temps Street where no one was home. The fire started from an unattended pan on the stove.

Bill Hunt, a Bunkie native, published a book about growing up in Bunkie as a 12-year old. Names were changed but much of the book was based on actual events.

10 Years Ago

From our April 14, 2016 editions The Cottonport Prison was renamed the Raymond Laborde Correctional Center after the Marksville legislature who fought and pushed for the facility to be built in Avoyelles Parish.

Keith Savoy of Hessmer, who was convicted of cutting down hundreds of trees in Spring Bayou to block access to prized hunting spots, was sentenced to five years probation and $15,000 restitution.

Avoyelles Parish was declared a federal disaster area due to all the flooding.