Rivercall Magazine 1959

 Here are several pages from the April 1959 issue of Rivercall Magazine. It chronicled the goings-on at Covington Country Club. Click on the images to make them larger and more readable. 

Nature Center Auction 1989

 In May of 1989 the Northlake Nature Center held a fund-raising auction at Trey Yuen Restaurant. Here are some photographs of that event. Click on the images to make them larger. 

Links of interest:

Northlake Nature Center

Photos of the Northlake Nature Center

Northlake Nature Center Facebook Page

Only In Your State

Masonic Officers - 1977

Some 47 years ago, in 1977, these gentlemen were the new officers for the Masonic Lodge in Covington. 

Click on the image to make it larger.

Two years earlier, in 1975, this group of Scottish Rite Club members (local Masons) got together for a bar-be-que.

 

Children's Museum Re-opens in Mandeville

 The Children's Museum of St. Tammany opened the doors on its new location on U.S. Hwy. 190 just east of Mandeville this past Thursday, October 31. The larger space has been outfitted with many of the educational panels and favorite activity areas from the previous location at Koop Drive, plus new exhibits and fun learning sections have been added. 

It is located in Suite A  at 813 Florida Street, in the building that also has the Triple Nickel Grill, S&S Consignment and St. Francis Thrift Store. 

While the old favorites are back, the Market complete with cash register and shopping carts, the boat surrounded by crabs, and the art activity center, there is also now a large gathering room for parties and meetings. Lite Zilla will offer a new light-filled experience, and the shadow wall will delight children with multi-colored shadows. 

The Museum is open from Tuesday through Friday,  10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and then on Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

The world globe is in the front window

The trees are standing tall

The play diner and the fishing boat have been launched.

The "Natural Wonders" exhibit has come indoors and expanded with additional displays and exhibits. 

This exhibit shows the many different stages of pumpkins

A reading space for kids and parents

The Market has been expanded. One little girl visiting this week not only went through the market, filling her cart and then "checking out," but after that she went over to the dining table set up and proceeded to start "boiling crawfish."

Plenty of art materials

Two real artists easels have been placed into service

Many of the panels from the old location on Koop Drive have been brought over and re-arranged to make a whole new experience. Children's Museum staff helped paint backdrops and scenes on the walls. 

There's a coral collection, a seashell collection, and a brand new "light table" that helps illuminate animal skeletons. One display shares the importance of seeds and how they are planted. The lighthouse is still a center focus point, and half wall panels with artistic wood cutouts encase one section of the museum. The additional wall panels will provide space to hang new exhibits and showcase artwork as it is produced. 

They have succeeded in taking every panel and piece of the former location and re-arranging it into a new museum space with even more learning opportunities. 

The organization is now partnered with the St. Tammany Public School System's Talented Art Program, so there will be even more emphasis on developing artistic talents in young visitors. Those efforts will include designing, creating and hanging "butterflies" from the ceiling of the new space. 

There is also additional space for offices for staff members, a welcome feature.

A mini stage complete with puppets

The Children's Museum of St. Tammany getting it in high gear

The Children's Museum will eventually move into a building at Pelican Park, with growing interest in providing STEM type activities. Its original location was proposed next to the Cultural Arts Center on Interstate 12, but those plans never did materialize. The originally planned gallery layout is being implemented as much as possible in the new location. For the past several years, the museum was located in a building on the opposite side of Tammany Trace from parish facilities on Koop Drive between Abita Springs and Mandeville.  

For more information:

Children's Museum Facebook Page

Children's Museum Website

Childrens Museum of St. Tammany

Children's Museum Offers Natural Wonders Section

Baseball Players Recognized by American Legion

 Fifty-one years ago the Covington American Legion group held a baseball awards meeting. Click on the images to make them larger. 

Farm Bureau Commended at 1972 Meeting

 In August of 1972, some fifty-one years ago, the St. Tammany Parish Farm Bureau held its annual meeting and several encouraging reports were given. Click on the images to make them larger.

Patriotic Song Fest

 On November 14, 1996, just a few days after Veterans Day, the members of the St. Tammany Retired School Employees Association met in regular session to catch up with the news of interest. They also took part in a rousing song fest of patriotic music in recognition of Veterans Day. Here are some photographs.

Click on the images to make them larger. 

Mystery of History Tour of 500 Block of N New Hampshire

The Covington Heritage Foundation will hold another of its History & Mystery Tours of a downtown Covington street, this time the 500 block of North New Hampshire, on Sunday, October 15th, 2023. The program will begin at 5:00 pm and end at 7:00 pm. Refreshments will be provided by Haven Coffee & Cocktails and Lola Restaurant.
Participants will stroll down the block and listen to the stories of old from several knowledgeable speakers. Posters will show the buildings as they were in the early 1900s.  

The program is free but space is limited, so interested parties are asked to register at the following link: https://forms.gle/nABzHbDM7maXkosv6

Here are some photographs of the buildings to be mentioned.

Burns Law Office
A new office building in a historic location

Crawford Commons

(Formerly Crawford Meat Market)

Lola Restaurant

Train Depot Building 
Now home to several business offices

Click here for more information about the Covington Train Depot

The Woodwright Shop
(Formerly Covington Motors)

The Haven Coffee Shop

Formerly Beck N Call Cafe and several other places. The Beck N Call building was previously home to "Do The Dishes" and "Southern Printing" as well as a general upholstery shop. Many years ago it was St. Tammany Cleaners run by Frank W. Jones and then Jerry's Used Clothing Store (1970). 

Years Ago....

The Woodwright Building was Covington Motors

Beck N Call Cafe

Covington Train Depot in the 1920's

In the next block north was Covington City Hall (now the police station and Farmers Market).

See also:

History Showcase 200 Block of New Hampshire St. 

CHF Event Examines 300 Block of New Hampshire

 Crowd Enjoys History of Columbia St. Businesses

Maritime Museum Update

 The Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum in Madisonville is newly renamed the Maritime Museum Louisiana, and I stopped by the facility this morning to take pictures of the new signage. I visited for a few minutes with Jim MacPherson, the executive director of the museum, and he caught me up with a few of the ongoing activities.

The new name for the maritime museum

The top of the Pass Manchac Lighthouse is now on display 

A plaque identifying the Pass Manchac lighthouse enclosure will soon be installed. 

The lighthouse keeper's cottage from the Tchefuncte River lighthouse is located just east of the museum on the bank of the river. 

A new roof was just put on the old lighthouse keepers cottage. 

The lighthouse keeper's cottage that used to be located on the point of land just west of the mouth of the Tchefuncte River (shown below with lighthouse in the back left) is a little easier to get to these days.

The view across the river of Marina del Ray

In front of the musem are flags indicating the change in the name, and an old cannon. 

MacPherson said that the museum currently is hosting a kids' summer camp, with 60 participants from around the area. The facility is also installing an "aqua-ponics" system which will feature ponds containing finned fish, shellfish, and a marsh grass growing operation.

See also:

Maritime Museum Unveils New Jahncke Shipyard Model

Lake Pontchartrain Basin Maritime Museum

Don Sharp Visits Maritime Museum

The Madisonville Lighthouses

Lighthouse Keeper's Cottage Restored

Rumsey Exhibit Debuts at Museum