Shreveport-Bossier City Photo of the Day

[dimebag1980]

Nice pic ! What a place ! I bet it takes 15 minutes to walk from one side of the house to the other.

I bet.

But seriously, as much as I like it... if it's an oilman who's made his money in the industry over the years, then he's most likely an empty-nester and it's only him and his wife. Can you imagine? One of my best friends has a 4,000 sq. ft. home with just him and his wife and they hate it. They're so badly wanting to move back into a house with less than 2,000 sq. ft.

[byrde]

That is a monster house.

[dimebag1980]

April 16, 2006 contribution

The Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce building, downtown

Where the magic happens!

I think this building is pretty good-looking.

skirby and all... I finally found out the origin of this building. It was built in the 20s as the main branch for Shreve Memorial Library.

[NCB]

skirby and all... I finally found out the origin of this building. It was built in the 20s as the main branch for Shreve Memorial Library.

Interesting. Now that I look at it again, I can definately see it being used as a library. Thanks for the info, Brian!

[dimebag1980]

Interesting. Now that I look at it again, I can definately see it being used as a library. Thanks for the info, Brian!

That's what I thought... as soon as I found that out, I thought to myself... I can definitely see that!

But today the Shreve Memorial Library main branch is in a 5-story historic building around the corner from this building.

[dimebag1980]

May 1, 2006 contribution

Southern University Metro Center

The red brick building in the photo. This is the rear view of the building.

Edited May 1, 2006 by SBCmetroguy

[dimebag1980]

May 2, 2006 contribution

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Pierre Jean Baptiste Evariste Bossier

(1797-1844)

BOSSIER, Pierre Jean Baptiste Evariste, a Representative from Louisiana; born in Natchitoches, La., March 22, 1797; received a classical education; engaged as a sugar and cotton planter; member of the State senate 1833-1843; elected as a Democrat to the Twenty-eighth Congress and served from March 4, 1843, until his death in Washington, D.C., on April 24, 1844; interment in the Congressional Cemetery, Washington, D.C.; reinterment in the Catholic Cemetery, Natchitoches, La.

above info courtesy of this webpage.

My personal note: Most importantly, Bossier Parish and Bossier City are named for Pierre Bossier, and so is Pierre Bossier Mall in Bossier City..

[Mith242]

Thanks for the info. Nice to have some background material.

[dimebag1980]

The soon-to-open Space Center expansion to Sci-Port Discovery Center w/the world's first "interactive laser planetarium."

[byrde]

When is the Expanded Sci-Port due to open?

[dimebag1980]

When is the Expanded Sci-Port due to open?

Well, I was told this summer, but upon further investigation I have discovered (from the Shreveport Times) that it is scheduled for November.

[dimebag1980]

I will re-post these photos at the end of this thread as today's pictures of the day (May 5.)

Edited May 5, 2006 by SBCmetroguy

[Mith242]

None of your pics are showing up for me.

[dimebag1980]

None of your pics are showing up for me.

Oh no.

I accidentally deleted that entire folder when I was uploading the photos I took at lunch today.

Shiite.

I can't fix them tonight, since they're saved on my PC at work, but I will fix them tomorrow.

[dimebag1980]

Since I completely screwed up today's set, here are some of the photos I took at lunch today of the Scottish Rite Temple downtown:

[Mith242]

Nice pics Brian, it's a very interesting building.

[NCB]

Very nice, Brian! I love the architecture of that building, just look at that detail!

[dimebag1980]

Very nice, Brian! I love the architecture of that building, just look at that detail!

Thanks, Nate... and Rod!

And the detail is what naturally attracted me to the building. I had seen another person's photos of this same building online, and I mentioned them to a co-worker of mine. Well, it just so happens that he used to attend functions there almost weekly, so he knew some of the people working inside. Myself and four of my co-workers decided to go downtown today for lunch... at a Chinese restaurant that has been downtown since the 30s or 40s by the way... and then go over and tour the building. Naturally, I had to bring along my trusty camera and get the best shots I could find.

By the way, those columns in the lobby area are actually marble... what a sight to see up close. The walls in the mens' restroom are also marble as well, and I got photos of those as well. And did you see the steps in the trim, with dentil moulding and all, inside each section of the coffered ceiling? Absolutely amazing. Then, on top of that, a decorative piece was added to every single beam intersection and a decorative light fixture was placed inside each section.

Almost every inch of that building impressed me. To be honest, the only area that didn't impress me was the second floor which is mostly just plain offices and hallways with short ceilings. The attic was awesome, as it had a really urban feel with exposed bricks and timber beams. I did get to check out the basement and I could see the fallout shelter, but due to the fact that our lunch break was already going on 2 hours, we didn't go into the fallout shelter. Attached to the shelter is the series of tunnels that go all over the downtown Shreveport underground and I wanted to see those so bad... but time just wouldn't allow it. Luckily this little excursion was blessed by our boss, and he even came along and bought our lunch as well!

My father used to work in security for the 14-story apartment complex across the street from this building and he has had the opportunity to visit the tunnels. As a matter of fact, part of his job was to watch the tunnels as well, since people could use those as a way of transporting drugs into and out of the apartment complex.

Edited May 5, 2006 by SBCmetroguy

[richyb83]

Nice pics Brian. That's some classic architecture !

Seems like you got a cool boss.

[dimebag1980]

Thanks, man.

I will tell you guys, when the other guys would walk off and I would stick around to get the perfect shots, the place was pretty creepy actually. The beauty never waned, but it was creepy when I was standing in the theater alone taking photos. It would be a cool building to go on a ghost-hunting expedition at night.

Edited May 5, 2006 by SBCmetroguy

[dimebag1980]

May 5, 2006 contribution

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1978 Bossier City tornado photo set

The following photos are from a book I own called 'Bossier City Tornado' which I recently purchased from a friend online. It was a popular book years ago, but is extremely rare now. Since the tornado heavily damaged the neighborhood I grew up in, these photos hit very close to home for me and I would like to share then with you all.

This tornado absolutely devastated Bossier City and wiped most of the city off the map. Bossier City has come a long way since this storm.

Front cover of book

Order form for the book (no longer in print)

This is Mrs. Mary Rosenblath... she was my teacher a few years later

Meadowview Elementary School

I started kindergarten at this very school only 7 years later after it had been rebuilt.

A boy walking among scattered books at what used to be Meadowview Elementary School

These next few pictures are of my old neighborhood, Meadowview/Swan Lake

I lived in this neighborhood for 23 years.

Two buses lying on their sides in Mack's Bayou, near my old house

My friends and I used to play in this bayou all the time.

Swan Lake Apartments, just a few blocks from my old house

Governor Edwin Edwards tours the damage

Two sisters died in this house when a car was thrown into their bed as they slept

This was just a few blocks from my old house as well, and I heard this story all my life from my mother.

The Airline Drive/Hwy 80 intersection in Bossier City

This is where Pierre Bossier Mall now sits. I-20 is the freeway at the top of these next two photos

[richyb83]

Thanks for sharing those pics Brian. I had no idea that had happened back in 78'. Truly one of the most awesome forces of nature. That had to be at least a F-3 Tornado ? Gheez. I am glad to see the BC come back strong .

Northern Louisiana gets the bigger tornados more often being on the eastern fringe of "Tornado-Alley". Typically not as strong down in BR.

[dimebag1980]

Thanks for sharing those pics Brian. I had no idea that had happened back in 78'. Truly one of the most awesome forces of nature. That had to be at least a F-3 Tornado ? Gheez. I am glad to see the BC come back strong .

I believe it was an F4, but I'm not 100% certain. I was born in '80 so I just missed it, but it actually roared over downtown on its way to Bossier City. My mother was working the night shift at an alarm monitoring company downtown, and she says she remembers hearing the thing roaring overhead. It actually picked up a cop's car on the Texas Street Bridge (Neon Bridge) and sat it down gently, facing the wrong direction!

My older brother was actually at home with my grandmother at the time the storm came through, and he slept right through it... in the SAME neighborhood I showed in those photos! Can you imagine sleeping through that? And how lucky he was, too, since those two little girls were killed. I still drive by the spot where that house used to sit all the time. It's only a few blocks from my parents' house, so I pass it when I go visit them. It's just so hard to imagine that neighborhood as having been destroyed just 2 years before I was born, because as far back as I can remember, I don't remember ever seeing any remnants. The only one I can think of is a vacant lot right across from Meadowview Elementary School. That house, for whatever reason, was never built. The crossing guards use it as a parking area during the school days now. I do know that, just as recently as a couple years ago, some debris was found in a wooded area of Bossier City. And an old man who lived around the corner from my parents told me that he'd found a Wendy's sign in his back yard... that sign had to have flown 2-3 miles across Bossier City, from Airline Drive, to end up in his back yard. Wow.

Northern Louisiana gets the bigger tornados more often being on the eastern fringe of "Tornado-Alley". Typically not as strong down in BR.

Nope, but you guys down closer to the Gulf have the hurricane risk, so I don't know which of us has it worse to be honest.

I remember a few years ago, there was a news report that said Shreveport was the fifth most prone city in the nation to tornados. I'm hoping the stats have changed since then, but seeing Shreveport as number 5 in the nation really put things into perspective for me.

More recently, just 5 years or less ago, we had a big tornado go through Benton on Easter weekend and do some serious damage. The very next year, on the same weekend, another tornado came through... this time, it struck downtown. Since I lived only 5 miles outside of downtown, I drove down there as soon as I saw it on the news. While I was down there looking at all the damage, the police were closing the downtown area off. This was during the "race" between Hollywood and Harrah's Casinos to get their hotels built. Lots of construction materials were scattered all over downtown, but no damage was done to the structures of the buildings.

[NCB]

Brian, thank you very much for posting those photos. Strong stuff. Stories like the one's you said you heard about as a kid are stories you'll remember forever. They just stick with you.

[dimebag1980]

Brian, thank you very much for posting those photos. Strong stuff. Stories like the one's you said you heard about as a kid are stories you'll remember forever. They just stick with you.

Strong stuff, indeed. And you're correct... things like that do stick with you forever. I'll not only always remember the story, but the house as well. Or at least the house that was built in its place anyway. It kind of stands as a reminder, like the house where my brother's best friend committed suicide years ago... that will stick with me forever and I'll never forget that house either.

Anyway, about the little girls... it's truly a wonder that no one else was killed, considering it was an F4 tornado. Every few years our local news will do a piece about the tornado, and from time to time they'll interview the mother of the little girls. The father always refuses to speak to the media, as he's divorced from the mother and lives in another state now. But when the mother tells the story, it makes you just want to cry. She says that when it was bedtime, the littlest girl was scared of the storms and wanted to sleep with her big sister. When the girls went to bed, rather than saying "goodnight mommy," which she claims they always did, they supposedly said "goodbye mommy." If her story is true, that's scary.