May 23 – Learn Our History Today: On May 23, 1934, Clyde Barrow and Bonnie Parker, a.k.a. Bonnie and Clyde, were killed on a rural road near Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Louisiana, by a posse of Texas and Louisiana law officers led by former Texas Ranger Frank Hamer. (Did you know the pair had a connection to Opelousas?)
Lafayette Genealogical Society monthly meeting will be Thursday, May 18th, 2023 beginning at 6:00p.m., Lafayette Public Library, Southside Branch, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA. Guest speaker is Louisiana native Carola Lillie Hartley.
Today in History — On May 8, 1884, U.S. President Harry Truman was born near Lamar, Missouri. Did you know he has a connection to Opelousas?
Opelousas was buzzing with excitement and anticipation in April of 1907. Local citizens, especially those who had agreed to accept a child, were awaiting the arrival of the first group of New York orphans.
On Wednesday, May 3 at the Delta Grand Theatre in downtown Opelousas, a special screening of “Louisiana Orphan Trains – The Untold Story” will take place.
St. Landry Parish Clerk of Court Charles Jagneaux is announcing the continued exhibition in April for a popular parish wide traveling historic exhibit which has been presented to historic African-American church congregations since February.
Today’s Photo from the Past, taken in 1948, shows the Waldorf Service Station and Massard Tire Supply located at 235 South Court Street in downtown Opelousas.
Opelousas lost a good citizen in September of 2003 when Cam Leach passed away. I knew Cam and considered her a good friend.
As this year’s National Women’s History Month comes to an end, we share the story of a very special Opelousas woman, one who did great things for the town, the parish, the state and the country.
Born on August 30, 1929, Muriel was the daughter of Rev. Cephas and Amelia Boswell. Growing up in Opelousas, she attended the St. Landry Training School, graduating from there with honors.
The story on the old downtown, the heart of Opelousas, continues where we left off at the end of the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s decades.
Although racing horses as a sport, and a business goes back over 200 years in Opelousas and St. Landry Parish, the history of this sport goes back thousands of years before that.
In order for all to know and understand how important a healthy downtown is to our community, here is a glimpse of 200 years of downtown Opelousas history.
The mysterious and perplexing aspects of the Bobby Dunbar story with roots embedded firmly in Opelousas might be nearly 113 years old, yet it continues to be an intriguing detective case that has drawn the attention of a documentary film crew.
1942 began as a year of uncertainty in the United States, and Opelousas as well. Pearl Harbor was attacked on December 7, 1941, and the US was forced to get involved in a war. Photos from the past of Opelousas during that year.
Our photo from the past for today comes from the first page of the Sunday World (Daily World) on Sunday, February 22, 1942.
Although there were several attempts at public education in Opelousas for some time prior to the 1890s, the first public high school in Opelousas that had support and survived was the St. Landry High School established in 1893. Here is the rest of that story.
