CLICK HERE for a link to the St. Tammany Farmer edition of April 27, 1918. The link is provided by the Library of Congress and its Chronicling America service.
Click on the images below to see larger versions.
Friday, April 27, 2018
100 years ago this week
What was going on 100 years ago this week?
CLICK HERE for a link to the St. Tammany Farmer edition of April 27, 1918. The link is provided by the Library of Congress and its Chronicling America service.
Click on the images below to see larger versions.
CLICK HERE for a link to the St. Tammany Farmer edition of April 27, 1918. The link is provided by the Library of Congress and its Chronicling America service.
Click on the images below to see larger versions.
Thursday, April 26, 2018
Rockin' The Rails Music Concert
A thousand or so people turned out for the April 26 "Rockin' the Rails" free music concert at the Covington Trailhead. The band "Uptown Phunk" entertained the crowd with a variety of big dance hits and jazzy upbeat numbers. The weather was perfect and a good time was had by all. Here are some pictures. Click on the images to make them larger.
C.J. Schoen School Staff Reunion
A reunion of employees who had worked in the old C.J. Schoen school building in Covington over the years met on stage at the facility to pose for a picture, share memories and enjoy the dedication of the new C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex on May 3, 2007. Here is the group's picture from 11 years ago. It also includes a few students who attended the school. Click on the images to make them larger.
The dedication of the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex also brought together some former principals who served as administrators during the history of the building. Principals who came to see the results of the renovation of the building included, front row, left to right, Ralph Menetre, Roxanne Lagarde, Ronnie Pogue, and back row, left to right, Lawton McKee, Jack Loup, and Henri Ferrer.
The dedication of the C. J. Schoen Administrative Complex also brought together some former principals who served as administrators during the history of the building. Principals who came to see the results of the renovation of the building included, front row, left to right, Ralph Menetre, Roxanne Lagarde, Ronnie Pogue, and back row, left to right, Lawton McKee, Jack Loup, and Henri Ferrer.
See also:
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
Guitar Hunting Adventures
Jeremy Sheppard tracks down classic vintage guitars and then he finds new homes for those guitars. He has been doing this for 18 years and has met some great people in the process.
"I began buying and selling guitars when I was 14 years old," he said. "I found that I could get much better guitars if I was willing to play used and second hand guitars."
Over the years, he has met some really interesting people. "Two years ago I met Dane, an old oilfield engineer who had lived in Breaux Bridge most of his life. He played a beautiful old Martin D-35. He loved playing love songs to his wife, and they had played across south Louisiana over the years. His wife, sadly, passed away a year before we met."
"He had stopped playing and said it was too hard to play without his wife around. I listened to his stories and thanked him for sharing them. We talked about the joy and hope that music gives the world and he asked if I would not only buy his guitar, but keep his guitar strap. He said that he wanted to be remembered for loving his wife and creating music to heal the world," he recounted.
"I use his guitar strap whenever I play out with my electric guitar," Jeremy added.
Jeremy came to Covington from the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia. His office overlooked the intersection of N. Columbia Street and Gibson Street, a front row seat on many art festivals, music performances, and artwalks.
He is impressed with the guitar music scene in Covington and New Orleans. "Since I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, I found the music scene in Covington and New Orleans wonderfully fresh and inspiring. I’ve struggled to understand the “lingo” of a jazz and blues background in music, where my musical vocabulary comes from bluegrass and olde timey tunes," he said.
He found that South Louisiana is a place of joy. "There is a deep belief that permeates culture at large that life is a wonderful gift and it is worth celebrating with music, food and art," he noted.
When he is able to find a really nice vintage guitar, it feels good to match it up with a really appreciative owner. "The problem facing most musicians is the reality that most vintage guitars, at this point, are in the hands of vintage dealers at top dollar," he explained. "When I find great guitars that are truly of the people, I try to keep them in the hands of creatives and working musicians.
"Recently, I had a wonderful Recording King archtop guitar come into my shop that was worth around $1,500-$2,000. I was given this guitar as a part of another deal, and I had very little in it," he said. "I decided that I wanted to find a local musician to afford it. I ended up selling it to a friend in Baton Rouge for $500. He was overjoyed at the prospect of owning such a great guitar and being able to play it with his friends." When he saw the excitement that receiving the guitar gave his friend, he felt really good.
"Great guitars connect people and places. They work in the world with us to fill it with beauty and goodness," he went on to say.
Using his people skills has enabled him to make many friends along the way, whether guitar-related, in website marketing, or local church activities. Guitars and the people who own them (and play them) are some of the most incredible people he has met. While Covington has its share of talented guitarists, sometimes it's the instruments themselves that bring people together.
"Most musicians struggle to find vintage guitars that inspire them and help them create music. I teach people how to find, buy and breathe new life into old guitars," he said. He runs a YouTube channel that chronicles his efforts to track down early and sometimes rare guitars that the owners may want to part with.
His "Guitar Hunter "YouTube channel helps to teach people how to enjoy guitars and learn about their histories from amazing guitar owners along the way. Jeremy knows that guitars are musical instruments that not only give the owner pleasure in playing them, not only give the audience pleasure in hearing them being played, but they are, in themselves, something that are handed down from generation to generation.
Some of his recent YouTube videos are entitled: (1) A 1968 Gibson ES-175 demonstration, (2) should you buy broken Vintage Guitars? Picking up my 1968 Gibson ES-175, (3) 1955 Martin D-18, and (4) Finding a 1967 Gibson ES-175 and a 1940's Recording King.
So, is it a good idea to buy broken guitars? A few weeks ago he bought a ES-175 in New Orleans. "It's all original with Patent Number pickups and original case...it's a time capsule. Except, it had an old neck crack, heel lifting up and top sagging....I got it fixed by Tim at Tim's Guitars in Baton Rouge and it's better than ever," he said.
"Some time ago I found a 1967 Gibson ES-175 with patent number pickups and all original hardware and finish," he goes one to explain. "The problem was that it had an old neck crack repair, sunken top and separating neck heel. I made an offer and became friends with the owner. We became dear friends over a few weeks and he sold me his cherished guitar for $600. When we met, he was so thankful for our friendship that he GAVE me a 1940's Recording King and asked me to find a good home for it. This is just one story of how guitars connect people and places and make all of them better."
When he's not finding old cherished guitars, he is building websites for people with a product or service to sell, a website with an emphasis on clear, understandable, and action-provoking marketing. The technique is called "Story-Branding," and it provides a framework that personalizes the buyer-seller experience in a way not common in today's fast-paced internet merchandising.
"I know what it’s like to own a small business and struggle to connect with customers," he explains. "By using the StoryBrand concept, I’ve seen businesses better able to succeed by creating a clear, and compelling message. Business people want their customers to thrive as a result of doing business with them."
In a similar way, guitar players thrive when they get their hands on a really great guitar. He has found that guitars are appreciated not only for the music they can be used to produce, but also for their style of construction, beauty of workmanship, and individual history. Jeremy will continue to use his communication skills to tell their story and the story of their owners.
"I began buying and selling guitars when I was 14 years old," he said. "I found that I could get much better guitars if I was willing to play used and second hand guitars."
Over the years, he has met some really interesting people. "Two years ago I met Dane, an old oilfield engineer who had lived in Breaux Bridge most of his life. He played a beautiful old Martin D-35. He loved playing love songs to his wife, and they had played across south Louisiana over the years. His wife, sadly, passed away a year before we met."
"He had stopped playing and said it was too hard to play without his wife around. I listened to his stories and thanked him for sharing them. We talked about the joy and hope that music gives the world and he asked if I would not only buy his guitar, but keep his guitar strap. He said that he wanted to be remembered for loving his wife and creating music to heal the world," he recounted.
"I use his guitar strap whenever I play out with my electric guitar," Jeremy added.
Jeremy came to Covington from the Shenandoah Valley, in Virginia. His office overlooked the intersection of N. Columbia Street and Gibson Street, a front row seat on many art festivals, music performances, and artwalks.
He is impressed with the guitar music scene in Covington and New Orleans. "Since I grew up in the Shenandoah Valley, I found the music scene in Covington and New Orleans wonderfully fresh and inspiring. I’ve struggled to understand the “lingo” of a jazz and blues background in music, where my musical vocabulary comes from bluegrass and olde timey tunes," he said.
He found that South Louisiana is a place of joy. "There is a deep belief that permeates culture at large that life is a wonderful gift and it is worth celebrating with music, food and art," he noted.
When he is able to find a really nice vintage guitar, it feels good to match it up with a really appreciative owner. "The problem facing most musicians is the reality that most vintage guitars, at this point, are in the hands of vintage dealers at top dollar," he explained. "When I find great guitars that are truly of the people, I try to keep them in the hands of creatives and working musicians.
"Recently, I had a wonderful Recording King archtop guitar come into my shop that was worth around $1,500-$2,000. I was given this guitar as a part of another deal, and I had very little in it," he said. "I decided that I wanted to find a local musician to afford it. I ended up selling it to a friend in Baton Rouge for $500. He was overjoyed at the prospect of owning such a great guitar and being able to play it with his friends." When he saw the excitement that receiving the guitar gave his friend, he felt really good.
"Great guitars connect people and places. They work in the world with us to fill it with beauty and goodness," he went on to say.
Using his people skills has enabled him to make many friends along the way, whether guitar-related, in website marketing, or local church activities. Guitars and the people who own them (and play them) are some of the most incredible people he has met. While Covington has its share of talented guitarists, sometimes it's the instruments themselves that bring people together.
"Most musicians struggle to find vintage guitars that inspire them and help them create music. I teach people how to find, buy and breathe new life into old guitars," he said. He runs a YouTube channel that chronicles his efforts to track down early and sometimes rare guitars that the owners may want to part with.
His "Guitar Hunter "YouTube channel helps to teach people how to enjoy guitars and learn about their histories from amazing guitar owners along the way. Jeremy knows that guitars are musical instruments that not only give the owner pleasure in playing them, not only give the audience pleasure in hearing them being played, but they are, in themselves, something that are handed down from generation to generation.
Some of his recent YouTube videos are entitled: (1) A 1968 Gibson ES-175 demonstration, (2) should you buy broken Vintage Guitars? Picking up my 1968 Gibson ES-175, (3) 1955 Martin D-18, and (4) Finding a 1967 Gibson ES-175 and a 1940's Recording King.
So, is it a good idea to buy broken guitars? A few weeks ago he bought a ES-175 in New Orleans. "It's all original with Patent Number pickups and original case...it's a time capsule. Except, it had an old neck crack, heel lifting up and top sagging....I got it fixed by Tim at Tim's Guitars in Baton Rouge and it's better than ever," he said.
"Some time ago I found a 1967 Gibson ES-175 with patent number pickups and all original hardware and finish," he goes one to explain. "The problem was that it had an old neck crack repair, sunken top and separating neck heel. I made an offer and became friends with the owner. We became dear friends over a few weeks and he sold me his cherished guitar for $600. When we met, he was so thankful for our friendship that he GAVE me a 1940's Recording King and asked me to find a good home for it. This is just one story of how guitars connect people and places and make all of them better."
When he's not finding old cherished guitars, he is building websites for people with a product or service to sell, a website with an emphasis on clear, understandable, and action-provoking marketing. The technique is called "Story-Branding," and it provides a framework that personalizes the buyer-seller experience in a way not common in today's fast-paced internet merchandising.
"I know what it’s like to own a small business and struggle to connect with customers," he explains. "By using the StoryBrand concept, I’ve seen businesses better able to succeed by creating a clear, and compelling message. Business people want their customers to thrive as a result of doing business with them."
In a similar way, guitar players thrive when they get their hands on a really great guitar. He has found that guitars are appreciated not only for the music they can be used to produce, but also for their style of construction, beauty of workmanship, and individual history. Jeremy will continue to use his communication skills to tell their story and the story of their owners.
Tuesday, April 24, 2018
Covington Train Depot
Covington's first train depot was located on N. New Hampshire St. on the northeast corner of its intersection with Gibson St. Click on the images to make them larger.
North side
South side
A timeline of important dates in the development of the railroad in St. Tammany Parish is detailed in the book "The Early History of Bonfouca and Lake Pontchartrain" by Carl Fedrowisch. On Dan Ellis' website the following information is provided:
The Mandeville to Sulphur Springs Railroad Co. was organized in 1868, aiming to build a railroad from Mandeville northward towards Abita Springs.
A 22 mile long railroad trestle between New Orleans and Mandeville was deemed "possible" by engineers in 1880, but a year later the proposed bridge location was moved to the east end of the lake following the completion of the preliminary survey.
On October 15, 1883, the railroad bridge across Lake Pontchartrain south of Slidell was completed. The first train arrived in New Orleans from Meridian, MS, and Slidell became an important railroad stop, especially with the coming of the creosoting process and Roberts Landing creosote plant providing trestle building timbers and crossties that lasted much longer in service.
In June of 1887, the East Louisiana Railroad was completed between Pearl River and Abita Springs, and on May 16, 1888, the East Louisiana Railroad was completed into Covington.
In 1904, the New Orleans and Great Northern Railroad was organized and plans were made to build a track from New Orleans to Bogalusa, then northward up the west side of the Pearl River to Jackson, MS. The same year the Salmen brothers of Slidell started building a railroad track from Slidell to Mandeville.
The original railroad depot in Covington was built in mid-1888, and when the East Louisiana Railroad reached Covington, it heralded an economic boom. The original depot faced New Hampshire Street with a passenger and freight terminal facing east. The track split in front of what is now Hebert's Cleaners, with one track curving northward towards New Hampshire St. and the other track continuing on Gibson heading west.
The Mandeville to Sulphur Springs Railroad Co. was organized in 1868, aiming to build a railroad from Mandeville northward towards Abita Springs.
A 22 mile long railroad trestle between New Orleans and Mandeville was deemed "possible" by engineers in 1880, but a year later the proposed bridge location was moved to the east end of the lake following the completion of the preliminary survey.
On October 15, 1883, the railroad bridge across Lake Pontchartrain south of Slidell was completed. The first train arrived in New Orleans from Meridian, MS, and Slidell became an important railroad stop, especially with the coming of the creosoting process and Roberts Landing creosote plant providing trestle building timbers and crossties that lasted much longer in service.
In June of 1887, the East Louisiana Railroad was completed between Pearl River and Abita Springs, and on May 16, 1888, the East Louisiana Railroad was completed into Covington.
In 1904, the New Orleans and Great Northern Railroad was organized and plans were made to build a track from New Orleans to Bogalusa, then northward up the west side of the Pearl River to Jackson, MS. The same year the Salmen brothers of Slidell started building a railroad track from Slidell to Mandeville.
The original railroad depot in Covington was built in mid-1888, and when the East Louisiana Railroad reached Covington, it heralded an economic boom. The original depot faced New Hampshire Street with a passenger and freight terminal facing east. The track split in front of what is now Hebert's Cleaners, with one track curving northward towards New Hampshire St. and the other track continuing on Gibson heading west.
Eventually the increase in the volume of train traffic convinced town officials and business people that a bigger, better train depot was needed, and the push for a new train station began.
The new depot would be on N. New Hampshire a block north of the existing depot.
Original Trail Depot in Blue, New Train Depot location in red
And the new depot, a large brick structure, was built in 1921.
Covington Train Depot 1978
Train knocks down wall of new depot, June 10, 1922
1982
The Depot in 2018
The north end of the train depot building is occupied by Lola Restaurant.
The Lola kitchen is located in an old train caboose.
An old passenger car was brought in to serve as a dining area.
The car underwent extensive renovation.
Interior of dining car while it was being refurbished.
Curved wooden ceiling of old passenger car
The dining car after it was restored
The area around the train depot is experiencing a rebirth as a town center:
Diagonally across the street is the new Covington Beer Garden
The old Beck N Call building is being converted to a coffee cafe.
A new law office building is being completed across the street.
The Lola Restaurant train car dining areas are popular
Directly in back of the depot is the Once in a While Gift Shop and its cozy coffee cafe. The building was originally Alexius Brothers Hardware.
And to the south is the extremely busy and versatile Covington Trailhead, the beginning of the Tammany Trace
See also:
Over on Facebook, Patrick Moore shared with us some of his grandmother's memories of the Covington Train depot.
"My grandmother, who was 96 when she died in 2003, talked about taking the train from Abbeville to Covington in about 1935. She came to visit her mother-in-law/my great grandmother.
"My grandmother remembered arriving at “the new station” and walking to my great-grandmother’s house. When she’d asked for directions to the house, she was told “it’s an easy walk.” Today I’m not sure anyone would say that, as the distance is about a mile!
"When I was in high school I worked at The Covington Depot as a waiter, and when my grandmother would come in for dinner she’d show me where the depot waiting room had been, where she’d sat, etc.
"My grandmother remembered arriving at “the new station” and walking to my great-grandmother’s house. When she’d asked for directions to the house, she was told “it’s an easy walk.” Today I’m not sure anyone would say that, as the distance is about a mile!
"When I was in high school I worked at The Covington Depot as a waiter, and when my grandmother would come in for dinner she’d show me where the depot waiting room had been, where she’d sat, etc.
"My grandmother was born in 1907 and she was raised in Abbeville, where her father was mayor, but she spent several years as a young girl residing in New Orleans because her father’s work brought him there. While she was living in New Orleans, my grandmother befriended a girl whose last name was Delahoussaye. The girl’s family owned a weekend home here in Covington and my grandmother stayed there on several weekends as a guest of her friend’s parents.
"My grandmother told me about her first visit to Covington, which was via the Delahoussayes, and that it occurred in the late teens. She and her friend traveled here from New Orleans by streetcar and they were met at the station in Helenburg by the Delahoussaye’s chauffeur and limousine. Mrs. Delahoussaye received them at home and proposed that they embark soon thereafter into Covington to pick up groceries for dinner.
"My grandmother was impressed when Mrs. Delahoussaye, who was described as “very formal,” prepared for the short trip into Covington by donning a hat, veil and gloves. My grandmother, who was rather formal herself, shook her head when telling that story and said: “Imagine! Wearing a hat and veil and gloves(!) in the country!” Apparently the fashion conventions to which Mrs. Delahoussaye so staunchly adhered, in my grandmother’s way of thinking, were better reserved for town events.
"The story continued with Mrs. Delahoussaye making her grocery selections and departing the store immediately thereafter, unburdened by her purchases. The groceries were delivered to the house later that day and received by the cook.
"Ever since hearing that story I’ve imagined the c. 1919 scene of the Delahoussaye’s black limousine as it rumbled across the Bogue Falaya River bridge (which would have been a plank bridge in those days, I assume) onto Boston Street.
"My grandmother was impressed when Mrs. Delahoussaye, who was described as “very formal,” prepared for the short trip into Covington by donning a hat, veil and gloves. My grandmother, who was rather formal herself, shook her head when telling that story and said: “Imagine! Wearing a hat and veil and gloves(!) in the country!” Apparently the fashion conventions to which Mrs. Delahoussaye so staunchly adhered, in my grandmother’s way of thinking, were better reserved for town events.
"The story continued with Mrs. Delahoussaye making her grocery selections and departing the store immediately thereafter, unburdened by her purchases. The groceries were delivered to the house later that day and received by the cook.
"Ever since hearing that story I’ve imagined the c. 1919 scene of the Delahoussaye’s black limousine as it rumbled across the Bogue Falaya River bridge (which would have been a plank bridge in those days, I assume) onto Boston Street.
"The story also reminds me of the culture that my grandmother and others always associated with Covington: that it was a country town where one employed country manners in all things, such as clothing. We think of Covington today as a rather fashionable and sophisticated address, but it was certainly a country town in 1919!"
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