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Contents
A message from the mayor~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 4 Bogalusa turns 100~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 6 Jubilee activities~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 13 Opening ceremonies~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 15 July 4 celebration~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 18 History of Bogalusa athletics~~~~~~~~~~~~ 23 Bogalusa’s first churches~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 30 Elette Cooper, local centenarian~~~~~~~~~ 34 Magic City Carnival Association~~~~~~~~~~ 36 Centennial Jubilee schedule~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 40 Tour of Homes~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 41 Pioneer and Heritage Day~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 44 Turtle races~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 48 History of the paper mill~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 52 Brothers of the Brush~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 53 Celebrating 100 years of Magic, the Bogalusa Centennial President ~ J. Kennon General Manager/Managing Editor ~ David Vitrano Advertising ~ Carol Case • Leann Williams • Barbara Eckert Contributing Writers ~ Lucy Parker • Randy Hammons Chris Kinkaid • Jan Penton Miller Graphic Designer ~ Kim Gerald Business Office Manager ~ Mildred Newman Circulation District Manager ~ Debbie Alford Classified Advertising ~ Deborah Stevens Bogalusa Newsmedia, LLC 525 Avenue V, Bogalusa, LA 70427 P.O. Box 820, Bogalusa, LA 70429 985-732-2565
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A Message From Mayor Charles Mizell On the occasion of Bogalusa’s Centennial Jubilee we find ourselves at a crossroads from our storied past to our bright future. On this important milestone, we are honoring our city and its people. Bogalusa’s past dates back far before our incorporation in 1914. Choctaw Indians used to make Bogalusa home, drawn by the abundant natural resources and waterways. The Pearl River makes its way to the Gulf of Mexico on the east. The Bogue Lusa Creek, from which Bogalusa takes its name, runs through our city. Around the turm of the century, our beautiful longleaf yellow pine and virgin forests attracted people from far and wide. Frank Henry and Charles Waterhouse Goodyear formed the Great Southern Lumber Company, to which we owe Bogalusa’s beginnings, and soon we were home to the world largest sawmill. Bogalusa was incorporated on July 4, 1914, and the city owes much of its early success to the inspired leadership of William Henry Sullivan, the city’s first mayor. Since that time, mayors, public officials, church leaders and community members have built on the foundation provided in those early years. Bogalusa has been home to doctors, lawyers, musicians, artists, poets, athletes and generations of hard working people. The talents of Bogalusa’s children have enriched communities throughout the country. Bogalusa has been home to hospitals, schools and industries. People from many backgrounds came together to build our city in its youth. Blacks, whites, Irish, Italians, Poles and
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Jews all came to our city to make it grow. I am proud to be the mayor of this city where family, friendships and faith are our cornerstones. Our faith community is strong and diverse, our people are friendly, and our community is like a family. Tradition runs deep in Bogalusa. We rise to the waving of our country’s flag and send our men and women off to war. They have served our country well. Bogalusa has faced adversity. Division, harsh economic times, and natural disasters with names like Camille and Katrina have struck our city ruthlessly. Time, determination, perseverance and our love for this city have made us resilient. The strength of our pioneering DNA is still with us. As we celebrate this centennial birthday celebration, we welcome new citizens of Asian, Hispanic and Middle Eastern descent. They, along with all of our other citizens, are renewing our spirit. So on the occasion of Bogalusa’s 100th birthday, we honor the proud past of this city and the people who made it so, but more importantly we set the bright future of Bogalusa before us as a beacon for those who have the vision and spirit to make it so. Happy birthday, Bogalusa! Sincerely,
Charles Mizell
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Born on the Fourth of July Bogalusa turns 100 The Magic City — a place born out of the paper industry — turns 100 this year. As of the latest census, 12,232 residents call Bogalusa home. They live in a city that proudly carries on decades-old traditions like the Krewe of MCCA parade and has added new ones — such as the Bogalusa Blues and Heritage Festival — into the mix. Cassidy Park serves as a hub of the city’s cultural and recreational activities, and there is always an eye toward improving infrastructure and attracting new industry. Built by the Goodyear family of Buffalo, N.Y., in 1908 to house workers from the Great Southern Lumber
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Company, the city of Bogalusa was incorporated on July 4, 1914. The sawmill, the city’s primary industry, closed in 1938, when the Goodyears sold the paper operations to Crown Zellerbach. Ownership of the paper mill has changed several times since, and it was acquired by International Paper in 2012. The following article was published in Bogalusa’s first newspaper, The Enterprise, one year after the city’s founding. The Thursday, July 1, 1915, article shows that while many things have changed, the spirit and optimism of the Magic City remain. Bogalusa — The Magic City — is also known as the City Unusual. The progress of Bogalusa has been nothing short of phenominal (sic) and today is recognized as the only city in the south where Progress, Enthusiasm and Hustle is imbued in all our 11,000 happy citizens. Growing from a dense pine forest to a model city in less than eight years is the record of Bogalusa. And this growing has been steady and at times when conditions were far from normal. Besides having the World’s Largest Lumber Mill, the shops of the N.O.G.N., a million dollar paper mill,
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a large creosoting plant and scores of other smaller industries, Bogalusa lays claim to having the best schools and churches of any city its size in the country. Bogalusa is a different city and may be called a city of magnificent distances as the city has six business sections: Columbia Street, Richardsontown, Pleasant Hill, Northwest Bogalusa, Avenue B and North Bogalusa. There are three other residental (sic) sections to Bogalusa and the prediction is made, and we all know it is true, that in 10 years from today Bogalusa will be one of the best manufacturing centers in the south with a population of 25,000 or more. The marvelous work that has been done in this community, in the building of the splendid city of Bogalusa, in the past nine years, has been due, to a large extent, to the many stockholders of the Great Southern Lumber Co. and the N.O. G.N.R.R. Co., who unfortunately do no live in the city and therefore are deprived of the many privileges that we as citizens of the city enjoy. To these people, scattered all over the United States and who by their faith in the men at (the) head of the Great Southern Lumber Co., and the N.O.G.N.R.R. Co., invested their money in these pine forests of Louisiana and who gave direc-
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tions that the people who operated their plant should be surrounded by all the privileges that anyone living in a modern city enjoy, and who during all the depressing times that we have gone through in the last few years had so much faith in the ultimate outcome of the enterprise that they insisted on its continued operation even though sacrificing their own interests and sacrificing their timber in order that the people who are interested as employees might have steady employment and might not suffer the hardships that people living in other Southern lumber communities have had to bear, to these stockholders we owe a great depth (sic) of gratitude which the whole citizenship of the city of Bogalusa will very gladly repay to the very best of their ability during the coming years when it is hoped that general business conditions will be such that they will reap a proper return for their faith in Louisiana. On September 14, 1905, a party of Great Southern Lumber Company officials left Covington, La., with a view of locating a site for a town somewhere between Slidell and Jackson, where a large saw mill would be erected. In the party were: F.H. Goodyear, president of the Great Southern Lumber Company; Mr. C. W. Goodyear, vice-president; Mr.
W. H. Sullivan, general manager; Mr. F. J. Coleman, engineer; Mr. N.G. Pearsall, general manager of the N.O.G.N.R.R. The party arrived where the town of Bogalusa is now located on the morning of September 15, 1905, and found it a very attractive place for the location of a town, but were not satisfied on account of its being nearer to Slidell than it was to Jackson. It was then decided by the party to find a place which was suitable about 20 miles farther north. They found a place called Ten Mile, about 25 miles north of Bogalusa, but owing to the difficulties in purchasing the land at that place they decided to locate the town at the place which is now called Bogalusa. It took six months to name the town. All sorts of names were suggested until finally the name of Bogue Lusa was suggested, and inasmuch as the Government would not have two words in the name of a postoffice (sic), the two words were combined, making Bogalusa. On Wednesday, February 7, 1906, the first tree in Bogalusa was cut down on the north side of the creek near Avenue B bridge, by J. L. McClendon, an old resident of this section, and on February 12th, tents were erected and carpenters, millwrights and construction men moved in and commenced
the erection of a portable mill near the site of the present paper mill. There was sufficient timber on the site of the town to build the town, amounting in all to about fourteen million feet. It was first proposed to locate the saw mill plant north of the creek, but later on when Mr. F. H. Goodyear and Mr. A. C. Goodyear visited Bogalusa and looked the situation over again, it was decided to build the plant on the south side of the creek. This decision was reached on May 15, 1906. The town and plant were completed by November 1, 1907, but operation of the plant was not started until the first of September, 1908. In the Park, within 50 feet of each other, are monuments erected to commemorate the life and service of Mr. Frank H. Goodyear, first president, and Mr. Charles W. Goodyear, second president of the Great Southern Lumber Company. To the wisdom and foresight of these two men and their associates, shareholders in the Great Southern Lumber Company, we are indebted to a large measure for the splendid town. Their instructions at all times to Mr. W. H. Sullivan, vice-president and general manager of the company, who designed and built the town and plant, were to make the town a good town to live in, giving the people good schools, church-
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Mark Your Calendars A full slate of activities lead up to the big day
es, well arranged homes with electric lights, pure water, sewerage and all modern conveniences; to build good streets, good sidewalks, and to make the town so attractive that men who worked in lumber enterprise would be glad to live in Bogalusa. As stated above, the city gets its name from the Choctaw name of the creek
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that runs east and west through the middle of the city. This stream is named Bogue Lusa, which in the Choctaw language means “Black Creek.” The combination of the two words “Bogue Lusa” into “Bogalusa” makes a very unusual name. No where in the whole world is there another place called Bogalusa. No where in the whole world has there
been accomplished as much, with the same amount of money, with the same amount of energy, with the same amount of skill, as has been accomplished in this city. Wherever they are known, the people of Bogalusa are spoken of as a happy contented and boosting people and as a people who believe in the future of the city.
Activities during Bogalusa’s 100th Centennial Jubilee have a little bit of everything for everyone’s enjoyment. Several events are planned for Sunday, June 22, through Friday, July 4, the city’s birthday. The Jubilee theme is “A proud past; a bright future.” “Everyone should attend the events for some great fun and excitement,” Bogalusa Personnel/Projects Assistant Judy Gray said. “People should come out and be a part of celebrating our city’s history.” Among the highlights during the celebration include the South Border Stroll Through The Past from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 29. Residents will have the opportunity to take a walking tour and view the home of Bogalusa’s first mayor, William H. Sullivan, who served from 1914 to 1929. That home is located on South Border Drive. Three other homes will be on display. Interiors of the
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homes on display will not be accessible to the public. Parking will be allowed behind Bogalusa High School and in the library parking lot. Refreshments will be available, and demonstrations of children’s activities are planned. Another event, Pioneer and Heritage Day, is scheduled for 4 to 7 p.m. on Monday, June 30, at Cassidy Park’s Pioneer Museum. Museum representatives or museum volunteers will wear period attire during the day. Demonstrations in pioneer crafts, such as basket weaving and paper making, are planned. Ladies and Men’s Day is Tuesday, July 1, at Bogalusa Country Club. Ladies will be honored from 8 a.m. until noon, before it’s time for the men to be recognized from 1 to 4 p.m. The Civic League will host a show on how fashion has evolved through the years. For the men, the Brothers of the Brush beard contest is also scheduled at the Country Club. Youth Day is from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. on Wednesday, July 2, at Cassidy Park. Lunch will be provided for the youth by the Summer Food Service Program. The youth essay contest winners will be announced. A youth fitness program is also scheduled. The local Explorer
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Let’s Start at the Beginning Opening ceremonies kick off the action on June 27 Post is sponsoring a run through the park. Thursday, July 3, is Hospitality Day, which will take place from 10 a.m. until 2 p.m., at City Hall. Activities include burial of a 2014 time capsule. Refreshments will be served, and there will be displays in the lobby for purchase. That night, the Paper Queen Ball is scheduled at 7 p.m. at the American
Legion Home. The big day is Friday, July 4, with a Fourth of July Parade set for 10 a.m., followed by a Watermelon Festival at 1 p.m. at Cassidy Park. The city’s birthday celebration is scheduled for 2:30 p.m., with turtle races at 4 p.m. Fireworks at 8 p.m. at Bogalusa High School stadium will conclude the Jubilee activities.
Opening ceremonies for Bogalusa’s Centennial Jubilee begin at 7 p.m. on the main stage at Cassidy Park on June 27, and events will continue daily through Friday, July 4, the day Bogalusa celebrates its birthday. Activities during the day include opening a time capsule that was buried in 1989, which marked the city’s 75th birthday. Also scheduled are speakers and a processional of 100 children. Each child represents one year of Bogalusa’s existence. Children in the procession will range from kindergarten through high school seniors. A list of speakers is not yet available, but Bogalusa Mayor Charles Mizell will definitely be one of the scheduled speakers. Opening the celebration, the Bogalusa Centennial Gala was May 3 at the American Legion Hall. Performing at the Gala were the Pearl River County Community Band and the Victory Belles from the WWII Museum in New Orleans. “The theme of the Gala was ‘Dress Your Favorite Era’ from the past 100 years,” Bogalusa Personnel/ Projects Assistant Judy Gray said. “It was a big success. Everybody had a great time with it.” Gray said the public should support some, if not all, of the Centennial activities. “Everyone should attend the activities for some great fun and excitement,” Gray said. “They should come and be a part of celebrating our city’s history. ‘A proud past; a bright future’ is the logo of the Centennial.” Bogalusa Personnel Director Sandy Bloom agreed with Gray about citizens attending the events during the celebration. “We’re working very hard for it to be a meaningful and memorable event,” Bloom said.
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The Big Bang Bogalusa pulls out all the stops for its 100th birthday
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The culmination of Bogalusa’s Centennial Jubilee is Friday, July 4, the date the city was founded. Nearly two weeks of Centennial Jubilee events begins Sunday, June 22, with a tour of local homes and concludes on the Fourth of July, the actual date of Bogalusa’s centennial anniversary. A host of activities are planned surrounding the Fourth of July celebration. Fourth of July activities begin with a 10 a.m. parade sponsored by the American Legion, which is still accepting entries. Participation in the parade is free. The parade begins on
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Columbia Street by The First Bank and ends in Cassidy Park. Following the parade, the second annual Watermelon Festival is 1 p.m. in the park. Categories of watermelons that will be judged at the festival include Summer Flavor, Jubilee, Starbrite, Carolina Cross, Yellow Meat and Best of Show. Gerald and Melba Burris were last year’s top winners. Other winners included Mickey Murphy, Jesse Sumrall and John Gallaspy. The city’s birthday celebration begins at 2:30 p.m. at the park. “We’re encouraging any produce growers if they have any items for sale to participate,” Bogalusa Personnel/ Projects Assistant Judy Gray said. “They can contact me at 985-732-4397. If vendors want to set up booths, they need to contact Deirdra Phelps O’Quin at 985-750-2674.” The popular turtle races
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are scheduled for 4 p.m. at the park. The Bogalusa Police Department is sponsoring the event. “The races were a great big hit last year,” Bogalusa Police Chief Joe Culpepper said. “It was huge. Participants can have their box or water turtles, but those federally protected gopher turtles are not allowed.” Culpepper said the first 50 people who enter a turtle receive free T-shirts. The day wraps up at 8 p.m. with the popular fireworks show at Bogalusa High School Stadium. The fireworks show is a joint venture between the American Legion Magic City Post 24 and the city. Culpepper said the music and fireworks will be synchronized through radio station WBOX 92.9 FM. “If you can see the fireworks anywhere in the city, you’ll be able to hear the music,” Culpepper said.
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Chopping down the competition A brief history of Lumberjack athletics Bogalusa High athletics has a proud tradition. A big part of the history occurred in 1969 when Bogalusa and Central Memorial High School integrated. Before this happened, the white students attended
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Bogalusa and the African-Americans went to Central. Gary Magee is a 1955 graduate of Central Memorial, where he played football, baseball and basketball. After graduating high school, Magee attended Southern University in Baton Rouge and had a stellar playing career there in football. Magee, a running back from 1955-1959, was a first-team Southwestern Athletic Conference player his junior year and played on a pair of SWAC Conference Championship teams. Magee’s first carry in college was a 60-yard touchdown run against Texas Southern his freshman year. The Jaguars won the Small College National Championship in 1960. After graduating from Southern, Magee returned to Central as a coach and did so until the high schools were integrated. Magee, who currently is Victim Assistance Coordinator for Washington Parish, has great memories of Central. “Central was a school that whatever you were looking for, you found,” Magee said. “We had great spirit, and we were coached and believed that we couldn’t be beat at anything. That wasn’t just football, that was all sports.
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Central to us was everything.” Magee was part of two state titles at Central. They won in football in 1961 after putting up an undefeated season and then in baseball in 1966. Magee coached first base and worked with the infielders in baseball. On the gridiron, Magee was the offensive coordinator for both Central and Bogalusa and in the first year the schools merged, Bogalusa captured the Class 3A state championship by defeating LaGrange. Back then, Class 3A was the highest classification. The game was played at Bogalusa High where the current baseball field is now. That stadium was named for Gary Dildy, who coached and was the athletic director at BHS. The baseball stadium is still named for Dildy. The year after the state title, the team moved to 4A and was state runner-up. “I was in a great situation. I worked under two great head coaches. I was with coach (Johnnie) Piper at Central and coach (Lewis) Murray at Bogalusa.” Piper got sick in the summer of 1969 and passed away Aug. 9 of that year. Magee said Piper never did see a BHS practice in 1969 because he was in the hospital. Coach Murray is the person Lewis V.
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Murray Jr. Stadium is named for. Murray had a stellar coaching career, which mostly occurred at BHS. He was the head coach of the Lumberjacks from 1960-1986. During his time, Murray compiled a 202-97-6 record (.672 winning percentage), which included the 1969 state championship, 1970 state runner-up, 16 playoff appearances and 12 district titles. Prior to that, Murray was the head man at Poplarville High School, where he went 30-3. All losses were by one point to the same team. He took that job after coming back from fighting in the Korean War. After Poplarville, his coaching career took him to Pearl River Junior College, where he was an assistant for five years, and the team went 37-9-3 (.785). His next stop was Bogalusa, and then he finished his coaching career at Bowling Green with a 31-19 (.620) record. His team reached the state finals in just his first season of 1987 and lost when the other team returned a kickoff for a touchdown with less than two minutes remaining. Murray was the athletic director at Bogalusa High from the early 1960s until 1986. Murray was inducted into several halls of fame. He was selected for the University of Southern Mississippi Hall of Fame in 1982. He played center and linebacker at USM. He also made the Louisiana High School Coaches Hall of Fame in 1989 and the Pearl River Community College Athletic Hall of Fame in 1990. Murray’s son, Bill, a 1971 BHS graduate, said his father took much pride in academics. That 1969 championship team, several of the players became doctors, lawyers, CPAs and were just successful individuals after they came out of school,” Bill Murray said. “My dad was an ultra motivator. One of his big sayings was ‘ it’s not the size of the dog in the fight; it’s the size of the fight in the dog.’ We played a 60 defense, a six-man front. We stunted and put the players on the move. We slanted them into the formation. It’s something he brought with him from Pearl River (CC) with his mentor Dobie Holden. The stadium at Pearl River is named for coach Holden.” Lewis Murray Jr. passed away Oct. 10, 2006, at the age of 75. One of the top players on the 1969 team was Don Short, who spent his first season, which was his junior year, at BHS. That season, he ran for more than 1,000 yards and 36 touchdowns and then followed it up with 36 TDs his senior year. “He didn’t even weigh 160 pounds soaking wet, but he was a tremendous sprinter,” Magee said. “He is all heart. Being that small, he could take licks, but he always came back. He also had great hands. He could catch the ball out of the backfield and turn it up.” Prior to 1969, both schools captured the state championship in 1947. Besides the two state titles, the team has also had several guys reach the NFL, including Robert Smith, Bruce Plummer, Roger Magee and Ronald Fields. Smith, a defensive end, was taken in the second round (40th overall) of the 1984 supplemental draft by the Minnesota Vikings. Plummer, who runs the Legends All-Pro Football Camp every summer at BHS, was a defensive back. He was drafted by the Denver Broncos in the ninth round (250th overall) in the 1987 draft. Plummer played in 52 games between 1987 and 1991, started two and made one sack, two interceptions and recovered a fumble. Over his career, he played for Denver, the Miami Dolphins, Indianapolis Colts, San Francisco 49ers and Philadelphia
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Eagles. Fields, a defensive tackle, was a fifth round selection (137th overall) of the 49ers in 2005. He played until 2011 with San Francisco, Denver and Carolina. During his time, he played in 87 games, started 25, and made 90 tackles and assisted on 51, while recording one sack, defending a pass and forcing a fumble. Over the past years, Bogalusa athletics has continued having success. The football team is currently coached by Craig Jones, who has been there since 2006. Jones has led the club to the playoffs every season except for 2009 and 2011. Besides football, the school has seen success in other sports. Magee, who coached at Bogalusa until 1975 when he went into administration at BHS until 1994, ended his coaching career on top, having coached the track team to a 1975 state title. Magee said they dominated the hurdles for two years with a pair of guys that combined to go 108-0. “We had a kid by the name of Edgar Fordham, and he won every race in the high and low hurdles,” Magee said. “Coming in behind him was a kid by the name of Gary Colston. When Fordham
graduated, Colston had 54 races without a loss, and Fordham also had 54 races.” Magee said that everybody on the 440 and 880 relay teams for BHS made all-state, and Magee was named the Louisiana Coach of the Year. One of the first players to go pro in Magee’s era was Charlie Spikes, who was a baseball player and was drafted by the New York Yankees in the first round (11th overall) in the 1969 amateur draft. Spikes was a major leaguer from
1972-1980 and played with four teams, including the Yankees (1972), Cleveland Indians (1973-1977), Detroit Tigers (1978) and Atlanta Braves (1979-1980). During his big league time, he hit .246 with 65 homers and 256 runs batted in. His two best seasons were in 1972 and 1973 when he hit .237 with 22 homers and 73 RBIs and then followed that up with a .271 season with 22 homers and 80 driven in. His brother William, who also attended Central, was selected by the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 11th round.
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The Frontiers of Faith Bogalusa’s first churches preceded city founding
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Union Avenue Baptist Church was the first organized body of believers in this community. In 1855 in a log house on Pool’s Bluff 11 Christians banded together for the purpose of worshiping Jesus and spreading the gospel. The first pastor was Elder Joe Seals. A spirit of unity was exhibited in the early days when people of Methodist, Holiness and Baptist denominations all shared the same building. Each group had their own worship services at various different times. Long before integration black and white families alike used the church facilities. They had separate services, as was the accepted way of the time, but all used the same building worshipping the Lord of all. This Christ-like example of sharing gave this body of believers the name of “Union.” Not only did Union house the first group of people in this area meeting to worship Christ, but it also housed the first school. Many pastors came and went during the early history of Union Baptist. Elder Washington Toler traveled from 10 miles north of Columbia, Miss., for service and was only able to make the trip once per month. Regardless of the hardships or difficulties this congregation faced, they carried on and are still here today. William Stogner, deacon and longtime member of Union Avenue, encourages anyone interested in learning more of Jesus
Christ’s power to heal, transform and forgive to come worship with the congregation at the new church facility. The church was recently renamed Union Heritage Baptist and is located on Caroline Street just off of Highway 10. A new fellowship hall has been completed on the church’s 7-acre tract. The church’s architect is working on a plan for a beautiful new sanctuary to be begun in the near future. Sunday school begins at 9:30 a.m. for children and 5:30 p.m. for adults because of space constraints. Worship services begin at 10:30 a.m. Deacon Stogner and his wife Lavene are walking their faith out in their daily lives. Four years ago, they were challenged with an unwanted medical report.
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Actually, they were already dealing with the diagnosis of cancer of their son-in-law when Lavene was also diagnosed with cancer. Tests showed that Lavene had 16 spots on her thyroid, lungs and liver. Lavene was told that there was no treatment or cure for her very rare form of cancer. Every six months she goes for a checkup. Every check up so far has shown no progression of this disease, and Lavene looks the picture of health. “All my family, church family and friends have been praying. Our son-inlaw is in treatment and doing well. He has been a great source of strength and inspiration to William and me,” said Lavene. “He said from the start, ‘We are gonna be alright. God will take care of us.’” Lavene continued, “This hardship has brought our family closer. God is in control.” William Stogner added, “Your most important ministry is what people see in your life any day of the week, not just what you do on Sunday morning.” According to the “History of First Baptist Church Bogalusa,” Bogalusa had 10,000 people when it was incorporated in 1914. W.H. Sullivan, general manager of the Great Southern Lumber
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Co. sawmill, and affectionately called the “Father of Bogalusa,” was also the first mayor. Sullivan was elected in 1914 and served without opposition until 1929, the time of his death. Sullivan, a man of faith, along with at least three active Baptists on the city council, was instrumental in moving the city of Bogalusa from a southern town resembling the old wild west to a more moral and peaceful place. When First Baptist Bogalusa was founded in 1906, there were no churches within the corporate limits of new Bogalusa although Union Avenue and Lee’s Creek Baptist Church, an outgrowth of Union, were active in the area. Reportedly there was also a Methodist church southwest of the city. W. F. McGehee, along with seven others, founded First Baptist Church. Mayor Sullivan donated the building to house the church. McGehee was a circuit-riding preacher who felt God’s call to ministry when he was close to 30 years old. He served rural churches in Washington, St. Tammany, and Tangipahoa parishes, as well as Pearl River County, Mississippi. The Rev. McGeehee’s old notebooks show collections of a few cents, surely not enough to cover even his expense of
oats for his horse. Not only did “Brother Willie” work for only a pittance, but his very life was threatened by rural people who did not want religion brought to them. Fortunately for McGehee, his brother Wayne who was reportedly a man of great courage rode with him with pistol close at hand to ward off any danger they might encounter in trying to do the Lord’s work. It was not unusual during a service to have men on horseback circling the building and firing guns into the air. The men who followed the sawmill to the area were similar to the ones who followed the gold rush to California and Alaska. For the most part they were uneducated and rough. The way was rocky that led to a God-fearing peaceful community, but men like Sullivan, McGehee and countless others paved the way. First Baptist Church of Bogalusa, led by the Rev. Greg Whaley, has grown from its humble beginnings into a church that serves as a lighthouse to this area. Located at 541 Avenue F, First Baptist is a place where all members of the community are welcome. The church offers a variety of activities for people of all ages. They are the
home of a Christian Fine Arts Academy dedicated to providing a strong Christian-based learning environment for all ages. Piano, voice, flute and painting are among the many courses offered. Whaley said, “Our mission is to reach out to and be an integral part of the community. Christians provide a moral compass for society. It is part of our mission to let people know that culture changes, but the Word of God never changes. Our moral compass should be the unchanging Word of God.” “Most importantly we want to show Bogalusa and the world who Jesus is. We want people to know that God is love. There is forgiveness, grace, peace and joy available to any who call upon the name above every name, Jesus Christ.”
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A Century Worth of Living Local veteran gets ready to celebrate a milestone of his own Elette Cooper will celebrate his 100th birthday right around the same time his native Bogalusa commemorates its centennial. He was born in Bogalusa Aug. 24, 1914, and said his ancestors were in the area long before the city’s incorporation. While he was growing up his father worked for the Great Southern Lumber Co.’s turpentine camp, and the family moved from one area to the next. “About two years was as long a camp stayed in any one place,” he said. The camp extracted resin from the pine trees, which was cooked down to produce turpentine. The company got everything it could out of the trees, Copper said. After the turpentine camp was done the logging camp would come through and cut the trees down. They were then used to
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make paper. Cooper’s experience during school was different than that of most other kids, as he attended a different one each year, he said. He was at Pearl River Junior High School for eighth grade. “Then I moved and went to Covington in the ninth grade,” he said. “Then I moved to Enon and went to Enon in the 10th grade.” His family moved over to the logging camp that year, 1930. He was at Franklinton High School beginning in 11th grade and graduated from the school in 1932. At the start of World War II Cooper joined the Naval Construction Battalion. He said he had tried to sign up for the Navy, but at 27 he was deemed to old. The Navy wanted young boys who didn’t know what fear was, he said.
“I was old enough to see danger out there and be afraid of it,” he said. He served in the United States for most of his time in the CBs and didn’t go oversees until the very end of the war, he said. He was discharged Nov. 1, 1945. After that he returned to work at the Bogalusa paper mill, picking his job up right back where he’d left it. He began his career at the mill in 1937 and retired 40 years later, in 1977. He didn’t stay retired long, however. A couple of years later he was called back to work at the mill. He said he was there through the modernization program that was implemented and then agreed to come in whenever he was needed. “I worked on a call basis until I was 90 years old. That was in 2004,” he said.
Cooper has been a dues-paying member of the American Legion for 60 years, having joined after the war. Magic City Post 24 checked the records at the state level to verify his status as Louisiana’s oldest active Legion member. He said he thinks all who have served should become part of the American Legion. “That’s the veterans’ organization, and I feel like all of them ought to join,” he said. Each Thursday night for years, Cooper has been seen selling blackout cards at the American Legion Home during the post’s weekly bingo games. Different people come in each time, and there is always plenty of activity at the hall on those nights, he said. Cooper, who resides at Resthaven Living Center, attends services at Elizabeth Sullivan Memorial United Methodist Church, where he is the oldest member. Magic City Post 24 plans to honor Cooper as part of the Centennial Jubilee celebration. He will be co-grand marshal of the Fourth of July parade, along with World War II veteran and prisoner of war Bernie Martin. That parade will roll through Bogalusa Friday, July 4, at 10 a.m.
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Carnival comes to the Magic City From humble start, MCCA grows to regional attraction The Krewe of MCCA has been rolling through the streets of Bogalusa since 1981, and the parade is still going strong. “I’m don’t see how much better it can get,” said Dixie Gallaspy, the krewe’s first queen. Gallaspy has been riding in the parade every year since it started, and she said people come from everywhere for the event. “They come home like it’s a big holiday to see this parade,” Gallaspy said. “Mr. (Don) Spiers and wife Georgia do a great job with this parade.” Spiers said the idea started on a Wednesday afternoon after-golf session
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“mecca.” The parade rolled for the first time Feb. 28, 1981, and they rented eight floats, which included a king and queen float pulled with pickup trucks. They were followed by small groups of the wives and some of the MCCA members. One of the ladies’ groups rolled down the streets of Bogalusa in a borrowed National Guard three-quarters ton vehicle wearing Army uniforms and calling themselves MASH, which was a popular television show at the time. The other was in a borrowed and decorated gravel truck from Lakeview Sand and Gravel. They costumed, decorated and rode in the gravel truck, naming themselves the Gravel Girls. Both of the ladies groups still ride in the parade, as MASH and the GGs. In April 1981, Wempe called Spiers to his residence, as he was moving to manage a J.C. Penny in Kentucky. Spiers said Wempe handed him the keys to the parade with one piece of advice, “keep it flexible.” Spiers, who has been captain for 34 years, said he has been trying to continue that strategy. The 34th edition of the Krewe of MCCA rolled March 1, 2014, on an absolutely beautiful day to be outdoors, a welcome change from the dreary weather of other recent years. The crowd was unofficially estimated between 50,000 and 70,000 people. The theme was “Reality TV on Parade,” and the parade featured more than 30 floats. Former Gov. Edwin Edwards was the grand marshal. Russell Lambert was the king, and Charmaine Reeves served as this year’s queen. MCCA will hit the streets for the 35th time in 2015. The parade is set for Valentine’s Day, Feb. 14, 2015. The theme is “MCCA Salutes the Classics.” Some of the floats will include motifs such as “Gone with the Wind,” “Huckleberry Finn” and “The Great Gatsby.” at the Bogalusa Country Club on Jan. 14, 1981. Two businessmen, Spiers, a Bogalusa realtor and builder, and Jack Wempe, who was the manager of the downtown Columbia Street J.C. Penny Department Store, were in a chatting session. Wempe was brainstorming for ideas on ways to put the brakes on the decline of Bogalusa downtown shopping and activity, particularly at his store. Wempe asked about having a Mardi Gras parade, which would travel right through the heart of downtown on Columbia Street. The two got to work. Fat Tuesday was March 3 that year, so they decided to hold it the preceding Saturday, which was Feb. 28. They started to discuss and list men who would join by recruiting and heading up a group of friends to ride on floats. They came up with several names right away, such as Bill McGeehee and Lloyd Baudier. McGeehee had just been named Young Man of the Year, and Baudier had a two-way radio business and was a rider in the Krewe of Endymion, which takes place in New Orleans. Spiers said Gallaspy was a great organizer, a friend and a popular social activist, so she was their obvious choice to be the queen, and they asked her to find a king. She enlisted Vertress Young, who was a widely known and respected business leader, and he was the first king. Baudier, who was their carnival consultant, told them that they needed a non-profit corporation, formed as the organization, so they recruited Spiers’ lawyer and lifelong friend, Don Fendlason. They called the corporation the Magic City Carnival Association, hence the acronym MCCA, which is pronounced
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Architecture Tells the Tale Tour of Homes gives a glimpse into how city’s founders lived
As part of the Centennial celebration, the Bogalusa Centennial Tour of Homes Committee will present four homes for citizens of Bogalusa to view and enjoy on Sunday, June 22. The hosts for this tour at Mr. and Mrs. Ronnie Glen Penton (the Goodyear home and cabin), Mr. and Mrs. Robert Neilson (the Berenson home), Katherine and Virginia Dunn (the Mullins home) and Stan Wilson (the Delos Nobles home). These homes represent a cross section of the types of homes built during the early years of Bogalusa’s development.
Berenson Home The Berenson Home at 724 N. Columbia St. was designed by Andrew M. Lockett Jr., a very prominent New Orleans architect. He was commissioned to design the 5,210 square foot, two-story Federal Style house by Meyer and Eva Berenson. The construction began in the fall of 1939 and was completed in September 1940. The Berensons lived in the house until Eva’s death in 1997. The house was purchased by Bob Neilson, a local CPA, in 1998 and a very difficult 20-month restoration of the home began. The restoration was completed in May 2000 and the home is currently occupied by Bob and Jan Neilson.
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of the first basic “Shotgun” houses build by the Goodyear family to house its workers for the Great Southern Lumber Company Sawmill. These were built from virgin Pine harvested in surrounding forests. It is one of the few remaining examples still containing the original millwork and floor plan. It was relocated by the City of Bogalusa in the 1960s to its current location when highways were rerouted through town. It is referred to as Delos Nobles’ House by locals, who associate it with one of its most notable occupants. Delos, a local legend who passed away in 1991 at the age of 80, used the vantage point of the front porch to choose north and southbound freight trains for his next excursion. The structure, owned by Stan Wilson, is in the process of renovation and is a work in progress but will contain period furnishings and historical items specific to life in 1900s Bogalusa during the Centennial Tour of Homes June 22.
Mullings Home The Mullings home was built in 1913 by the Mullings family and stayed in their family until the 1980s. Construction started on March 31 and was completed on June 6 of that year. The contractors were Earhart and Jenkins. It is a nine room, two-story house with a big attic. Originally, it had one bath up and a half of bath down, but now the downstairs is a full bath as well. It was build with heart timbers and was said to be the house that was built on faith and Hope! It was the first house built in the area, as it was mostly timber property. Mr. Mullings worked for the railroad, so it was close enough without being right in the middle of the business area. It is now the home of Virginia and Katherine Dunn. The house was completely restored in 2012 by Susan Dunn Interiors.
Nobles Home The Nobles House, 945 Avenue D, circa 1908, is an example
Goodyear Home The Goodyear estate was build by one of Bogalusa’s founding families, the Charles Goodyear Family of Buffalo, N.Y. Ronnie Glynn Penton purchased the home in 1992 and restored it to its former grandeur. The home was extensively renovated in 2000 by adding a larger living area, veranda porch, pool, cabana, French barn and wine cellar. The original cabin was built around 1898, has a few restorations and has been maintained, as it was when it was utilized as the living quarters for the Goodyears as the Great Southern Lumber Company was being created. The first tree cut by the Great Southern Lumber Company was cut on this property and was used to buld the first cabin
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Pioneer and Heritage Day See how those who blazed the trail for Bogalusa lived People can get a glimpse of what life was like in early Bogalusa by attending the Museums of Cassidy Park’s Pioneer and Heritage Day. The event, part of the city’s Centennial Jubilee celebration, will take place Monday, June 30, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Pioneer Museum. Assistant Director Cidette Rayburn said Pioneer and Heritage Day promises to be a fun family outing and an educational experience for local children. The event will feature a variety of activities focused on the time period of the 1800s to early 1900s.
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Rayburn said there will be children’s games such as sack races and marbles, along with demonstrations of pioneer crafts like basket weaving and quilting. Additionally museum volunteers and other participants will be in period costume. Refreshments that would have been served during that time period, such as lemonade, iced tea and watermelon, will be available to attendees, as well. Rayburn said some dedicated volunteers have been working to organize the event, but more helpers are always needed. Anyone interested in volunteering can call the museum at 735-9188.
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Not a Hare in Sight Turtle races return July 4
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Reptiles not normally known for their speed will take center stage during the July 4 turtle races, part of Bogalusa’s Centennial Jubilee celebration. The races are set for Friday, July 4, at 4 p.m. at Cassidy Park, and Police Chief Joe Culpepper, one of the event organizers, said people should start gathering their turtles now. Participants’ attire should fit with the day’s patriotic theme, and he said people can decorate their turtles with red, white and blue embellishments, as well. Culpepper said the inaugural turtle races at last year’s Watermelon Festival saw around 75 participants. “We’re hoping for at least that or
more this year,” he said. Registration will take place on the day of the event, and T-shirts will be available to the first 50 people to sign up, Culpepper said. He also described how the turtle race setup will work. Spectators will stand behind barricades arranged in a large square, and a 20-foot circle will be drawn in the middle. The turtles will be placed in a wire mesh cage in the center of the circle. When it is time for the race to begin, the cage will be lifted, and the turtles will take off in all directions. Culpepper said the first turtle to cross the chalk line at any point in the circle wins. As with last year’s race, turtles will be broken up into three groups based on physical size, small medium and large. “Depending on the number of turtles in each of these categories, we’ll have heats,” he said. He said there were too many turtles racing at once last year, so the heats will make it easier for
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people to cheer on their turtle. Culpepper said the turtle races are a fun event with appeal to people of
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all ages. “Although this was initially thought of to be a kid thing, last year we had
very enthusiastic adults who participated. We’d like for them to come back,� he said.
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PULP NON-FICTION A brief history of Bogalusa’s paper mill
Brothers of the Brush Beards and burns abound for brotherhood In keeping with the spirit of Bogalusa’s Centennial Jubilee, Police Chief Joe Culpepper has outlawed men shaving their beards, goatees and mustaches. Well, not outlawed as such, but he is encouraging all the men of Bogalusa to join the Brothers of the Brush and let their facial hair grow in the spirit of unity with one another as well as the pioneers who built this city. To join the Brothers, participants
are required to complete a registra-
tion form and submit $5 to the City
1906 – Great Southern Lumber Company founded by the Goodyear family of Buffalo, N.Y. For several years, it was the largest lumber company in the world. 1938 – The Goodyear family ceased its lumber operations and sold the paper mill operations to Crown Zellerbach. A chemical plant also opened at the time. 1986 – Gaylord Container Corp. acquires paper mill from Crown Zellerbach in a hostile takeover. 1995 – Railroad car explodes, releasing nitrogen tetroxide and forcing the evacuation of 3,000 residents. Referred to as the day the “sky turned orange.” 2002 – Temple Inland acquires paper mill portion of facility from Gaylord Container Corp. 2010 – Gaylord Chemical Corporation shuts down operation of chemical plant portion of mill and relocates to Tuscaloosa, Ala. 2011 – Temple Inland shuts down paper mill temporarily in wake of massive fish kill in the Pearl River 2012 – International Paper acquires mill from Temple Inland in $3.7 billion deal
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of Bogalusa. “I think it’s a very worthwhile effort,” Culpepper said. “There will never be another 100-year anniversary for the city. We would like for everyone to get involved. It’s to the benefit of the city that everybody gets involved.” There are a number of categories in which prizes will be awarded. They include: • Best Beard – The grand prize of the Brotherhood Awards will be given to the brother who the judges deem embodies all other categories and whose beard is full, long, well-groomed and has a good beard-related story. • Longest Beard – This award is based purely on the length of foliage. May the longest man win. • Best Grower – This man has not shaved, trimmed or shaped his beard in any way. He has simply grown the most hair on the most available surface area. • Most Creative Beard – Judges choice: color, shape, length, and even beard-lore are considered. • Best Goatee – This award is given to the gentleman who has the best groomed goatee per the National Goatee Committee. • E For Effort: The award is given to the gentleman who obviously is unable to grow facial hair but gave it his best. This award is often awarded to fair-haired men or redheads but is open to all. • Best Mustache: Is it a “Flying V,” a “Wilted Cigar” or does it have food in it? • Manly Mutton Chop Award: This award is given to the gentleman with the friendliest side whiskers this side of the Mason-Dixon line. • Brotherhood Chapter Award: This award is presented to the faithful brothers who teamed up to form the largest chapter. Judging will take place on Tuesday, July 1 during Men’s Day at Bogalusa Country Club. Men’s Day activities are scheduled from 1 to 4 p.m.
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