116 Pearl Street Then

116 Pearl Street Then
1920's Photo of Pearl Street

116 Pearl Street Today

116 Pearl Street Today
Our new location

Welcome To The Dorcheat Museum Blog

Thank you for visiting the Dorcheat Historical Association and Museum Blog. The Dorcheat Historical Museum opened June 10th, 2008. Our hours are, Tuesday - Friday from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m., closed for lunch from 1 p.m. - 2 p.m., open again from 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Saturday hours are 10 a.m. - noon and also by appointment for special showings and meetings. We would like to invite you to visit our location at 116 Pearl Street in Minden, Louisiana. We look forward to sharing our history with you.
For more information please contact museum director
Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192.

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Hours of Operation & Map

Hours of Operation & Map
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Marathon on Broadway

Marathon on Broadway
Put Your Dancing Shoes On And Show Your Support Of The Museum

Marathon On Broadway

Marathon On Broadway
Don't Miss This Fun Way To Raise Money

Some Important Information

"Marathon On Broadway"

Dorcheat Historical Association Takes Part In Festival Of Memories… By Remembering the Great Depression
Dance Marathons of the 1920s and 1930s
Dorcheat Historical Association Takes Part In Festival Of Memories… By Remembering the Great Depression
The Dorcheat Historical Association invites you to put your dancing shoes on for the November 6th - 7th, 2009 24 hour “Marathon on Broadway”. This dance marathon reminiscent of the marathons that became fads during the depression era will be a step literally back in time, with dancers competing for the chance to win some big money! This event will take place at the Minden Civic Center as a fundraiser for the museum. The event will be open to the public for viewing with a $5.00 admission fee. Food and drinks will be available for purchase on site. Participants will be in 3 categories with dancers as young as 12 allowed to dance with a guardian’s permission. Prizes awarded in all categories plus a Grand Prize of $1000 will be awarded to one lucky winner. Pre-registration is $20 per person, $25 per person day of event. Age divisions are as follows 12-40, 41-59, 60 plus. Museum director Schelley Brown stated, “The different age groups will be dancing for different lengths of time. But anyone that would like can dance the entire time to compete for the $1000 Grand Prize. If you dress in 1920s – 30s costume you can also earn extra break passes. This is going to be something that we hope our teens as well as our 40 plus crowd participates in!” Don’t miss lots of fun, music and food for everyone. Brown stated she also needs volunteers to help with this event. For more information please contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192.

Marathon on Broadway


2009 Dancer Registration Form
This from is to be used for registration purpose only.
Fee is $20 per person pre-registration. Day of marathon fee is $25 per person. Checks must be made out to the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Inc. Mail checks to Dorcheat Museum P.O. Box 1094 Minden, La. 71058. Pre-registration ends October 31st.
Name of Contestant: Please Print

___________________________________________________________________
Parent or guardian signature if dancer is under the age of 18 plus a contact phone number in case of emergency.

________________________________________________________________________
Signature Contact Numbers

Address: _______________________________________________________________
Street City State Zip
Marathon on Broadway Waiver of Liability, Assumption of Risk, and Indemnity Agreement
!!!!DANCE AT YOUR OWN RISK!!!!
Waiver: In consideration of being permitted to participate in any way in the “Marathon On Broadway” Dance Contest, hereinafter called “The Marathon”, I for myself, my heirs, personal representatives or assigns, do hereby release, waive, discharge, and covenant not to sue the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum, Inc. board members, museum members, employees, Minden Civic Center employees, City of Minden and its employees, Cultural Crossroads, Inc. board members and employees, owners and employees of Coca-Cola Bottling of Minden, Inc., Party Express Catering owners and employees and any other persons or company associated with the “The Marathon” from liability from any and all claims including the negligence of “The Marathon” , resulting in personal injury, accidents or illnesses (including death), and property loss arising from, but not limited to, participation in “The Marathon”.
Assumption of Risks: Participation in “The Marathon” carries with it certain inherent risks that cannot be eliminated regardless of the care taken to avoid injuries. The specific risks vary from one activity to another, but the risks range from 1) minor injuries such as scratches, bruises, and sprains, 2) major injuries such as eye injury or loss of sight, joint or back injuries, heart attacks, and concussions to 3) catastrophic injuries including paralysis and death.
I will obey the rules of “The Marathon” This is a family fun activity and we want everyone to enjoy the event. We ask that the following rules be followed or you will be asked to leave “The Marathon”: 1) No wild or dirty dancing behavior at any time. 2) No drinking of any alcoholic beverages is allowed on City of Minden Property. 3) No profanity, fighting, pushing or shoving is allowed during “The Marathon” 4) Proper attire is required for all participants.
I have read the previous paragraphs and I know, understand, and appreciate these and other risk that are inherent in “The Marathon”. I hereby assert that my participation is voluntary and that I knowingly assume all such risk.
Indemnification and Hold Harmless: I also agree to INDEMNIFY AND HOLD “The Marathon” volunteers, organizers, and all sponsors and any other participants HARMLESS from any and all claims, actions, suits, procedures, cost, expenses, damages and liabilities, including attorney’s fees brought as a result of my involvement in “The Marathon”
Severability: The undersigned adult 18 or over further expressly agrees that the foregoing waiver and assumption of risks agreement in intended to be as broad and inclusive as possible to protect ALL persons and or businesses, and City of Minden affiliated with “The Marathon”.
Acknowledgment of Understanding: I have read this waiver of liability, assumption of risk, and indemnity agreement, fully understand its terms, and understand that I am giving up substantial rights, including my right to sue. I acknowledge that I am signing the agreement freely and voluntarily, and intend by my signature to be a complete and unconditional release of all liability to the greatest extent allowed by law. You must be a parent or guardian or adult to sign below.

SIGNED______________________________________________________DATE_________________
A little marathon history to get you started.

Dance Marathons were an American phenomenon of the 1920s and 1930s, where human endurance contests in which couples danced almost non-stop for hundreds of hours (as long as a month or two), competing for prize money. Dance marathons originated as part of an early-1920s, giddy, jazz-age fad for human endurance competitions such as flagpole sitting and six-day bicycle races. Dance marathons persisted throughout the 1930s as partially staged performance events, mirroring the marathon of desperation Americans endured during the Great Depression. In these dance endurance contests, a mix of local hopefuls and seasoned professional marathoners danced, walked, shuffled, sprinted, and sometimes cracked under the pressure and exhaustion of round-the-clock motion. A 25-cent admission price entitled audience members to watch as long as they pleased. Dance marathons were held in Spokane, Seattle, Yakima, Wenatchee, Bellingham, and elsewhere. They occupied a slightly disrespectable niche in society, and many towns banned them, finding them disruptive, disturbing, and even repugnant.
Dance marathons were known as "bunion derbies," and "corn and callus carnivals." Promoters called them "walkathons." Social dancing had only recently acquired a veneer of respectability through the efforts of wholesome married dance teams like Vernon and Irene Castle. At a time when many churches still considered dancing sinful, "walkathon" was a less threatening term. But today we remember these endurance contests of the Great Depression as "dance marathons."
Dance marathons were both genuine endurance contests and staged performance events. Professional marathoners (often pretending to be amateurs) mixed with authentic hopeful amateurs under the direction of floor judges, an emcee, and the merciless movement of the clock to shape participatory theater. Both grim spectacle and vaudeville-based amusement, dance marathons offered an inexpensive chance for audiences “to be entertained and while away time” They also offered audiences the Depression-era novelty of feeling superior (and feeling pity) toward someone else.
Despite their controversial status, during the 1930s dance marathons were entrenched in American culture. Dance marathon historian Carol Martin reports that nearly every American city of 50,000 people or more hosted at least one endurance dance marathon.
Fifteen minutes each hour were allotted for rest. When the air horn signaling a rest period sounded, the contestants exited the dance floor for curtained-off rest areas filled with cots. These rest areas were segregated by sex. Contestants trained themselves to drop instantly into deep sleep as soon as their bodies touched the cots. After 11 minutes the air horn sounded again and the contestants filed back onto the dance floor to begin another hour. Female contestants who didn’t wake at the end of 11 minutes were revived with smelling salts (and slaps), and male contestants were often dunked in a tub of ice water.
Medical services were available to contestants, usually within full view of the audience. Physicians tended blisters, deloused dancers, disqualified and treated any collapsed dancer, tended sprains, and so on. "Cot Nights," in which the beds from the rest areas were pulled out into public view so the audience could watch the contestants even during their brief private moments, were also popular. The more a marathon special event allowed the audience to penetrate the contestants’ emotional experience, the larger crowd it attracted.
By the late 1930s, dance marathons had faded from the cultural landscape. Ordinances prohibiting the contests, combined with dwindling "virgin spots," discouraged promoters. America’s entry into World War II sent former marathoners and their audiences to work and to war. Glimmers of the fad remained, however, in roller derbies, which were televised and persisted into the 1960s, and in walkathon/fun runs benefiting charity. Even dance marathons themselves resurfaced, albeit in a form so tame as to be unrecognizable, as charity fundraisers. These modern marathons are usually 12-24 hours, a far cry from the Spokane show that closed October 12, 1935, after 1,638 hours (about two months).

Membership and Contribution Levels

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Membership Dues and Contribution Levels:
· Individual - $20.00

· Family - $40.00
· Sustaining - $75.00
· Patron – $125.00 -
· Benefactor – $250.00 -
· Corporate - $500.00
· Bronze - $1000 - $2,499
· Silver - $2,500 - $4,999
· Gold - $5,000 - $9,999
· Platinum - $10,000 – 24,999
· Diamond - $25,000 & up
· We also have a stock transfer plan for your contributions

In return for your support, you will receive not only a tax deduction, but also, invitations to all museum activities. Please give every consideration to helping with this endeavor. Be a part of Webster Parish history by becoming a member of the Webster Parish Dorcheat Historical Association and Museum.
Dues and pledge contributions may be mailed to:

Dorcheat Historical Association Museum
PO Box 1094

Minden, Louisiana 71058.

Wednesday, August 6, 2008

Memories Of Hunter's Night For The Museum


click on pictures to enlarge






“Night for the Museum Memories of Hunter’s Playhouse Era” with an All-Star Cast!

The September 9th, 2008 “Night for the Museum” was “A Sentimental Journey” to remember. Dorcheat Museum’s director; Schelley Brown stated, “We have never had a crowd this large before, folks having been calling me for weeks in anticipation about this night. People started to arrive at Christopher’s around 4:00 P.M. for the 6:00 P.M. historic venue event. These events just keep growing. In fact we have now officially outgrown Christopher’s. I am telling people to bring lawn chairs because of the limited number of chairs that we do have plus we did not set up tables and added more chairs just for this occasion. It is great that people have made this monthly event a must do! This era of time was so special to so many folks. Many of those that took part in Monday night’s event traveled back to their old hometown for the weekend and spent time with family and friends. It is wonderful to know that now we have people traveling a great distance to come to Minden once a month just to hear our speakers and take part in the museum activities.”

Monday night’s trip down memory lane included the legendary Harmon Drew on keyboard; The Minden Melodies singing group, a Playhouse skit on what it was like back then (with the boys seated on one side of the room and the girls sitting on the other in anticipation for that question of “will you dance with me”?). Master of Ceremonies; Lamar Pace kept the program moving with each introduction of the next speaker. A list of locals and those that experienced a wonderful time in Minden’s history made their way toward the stage, to tell stories and relive how important this time in their lives was. At one point a popular dance from the era “The Paul Jones” was brought back to life as a few couples were drawn from the crowd to form the two circles required.

Brown stated, “This was a moving and an emotional night for many as were evident by the smiles and tears seen in the crowd. This tribute to Larry and Gladys Hunter and what they did for Minden youth for over 30 years was a true testament that showed how important it was and how many lives were touched by their generosity. I don’t think they had anyway of knowing that over 50 years later crowds would gather in honor of what they did for children and young adults in our area. They made a lasting impression that will live on forever in the memories of so many. I am so glad that we will now have the new museum exhibit to showcase this as well as the DVD that captured so many memories for other to share. Their legacy will live on with this new exhibit.”

If you missed last night, a DVD is available for $10 at the museum. The next “Night for the Museum” is scheduled for October 13th, 2008. A night remembering the disasters of 1933 with historian John Agan will be a great history lesson for all of us.
Admission is free of charge and everyone is welcome. For more information on “A Night for the Museum” please contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or visit
www.museuminminden.blogspot.com . Reservations not required first come first serve seating.
ROCK -N- ROLL IS HERE TO STAY















Don’t miss the next Dorcheat Historical Association and Museum Event on Monday, September 8th, 2008. Christopher’s, located at 615 Main Street in Minden, La. will be the place to have those poodle skirts on and your duck tails slicked back. That’s right, we are going back more than 50 years in time to when rock-n-roll was here to stay and chrome was blinding on your new ‘57 Chevy.
For those who grew up in the 1940s, 50s and early 60s in Minden when you said the words “I’m going to Hunter’s”, everyone knew what you meant. It meant you were going to go swimming, play ball or just hang out with friends at the Playhouse. It was a simple time, it was the best of times, it was the good ole’ days!
Artist Cora Lou Robinson described her teenage years as wonderful in part due to the generosity of the Hunter family. The Hunter family has owned the Coca-Cola Bottling Company of Minden since 1901. Back in the 1940s the Hunters became the recreation hub for all of Minden and the surrounding area. Everyone swam in their pool, played in their playground, danced in their playhouse, and watched countless ballgames in their park. No other town has ever seen the likes of the Hunter family in Cora Lou’s eyes. The 1940s, 50s and early 60s were a special time in Minden, Louisiana because of the generosity of Gladys and Larry Hunter. Cora Lou’s love of the special times and memories of the 1950s and Hunter’s Playhouse is depicted in one of her first paintings of a dance at the Playhouse. This painting has recently been recreated in prints and Giclee’ canvas reproductions as a fundraiser for the all new museum located on Pearl Street in Minden.
This trip down memory lane will feature stories from several longtime citizens of the area, songs and dances from this special time in so many privileged people’s lives. This night will be recorded and everyone will be given the opportunity to tell their Hunter’s memory. Museum director; Schelley Brown stated, “Larry and Gladys Hunter devoted their lives to the children of this area and that love for them still shines in so many that it is only fitting that we have this special night of memories. We will not focus so much about what they did because everyone knows they were the reason for it all. This night is more of a tribute to their work by hearing how it changed lives. We will hear stories about what it was like to grow up and be able to enjoy what was offered to Minden’s youngsters.”
For more information on this special evening please contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or iluvoldcars@yahoo.com . Don’t forget to visit our museum blog at http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ . If you would like to be placed on our mailing list please give us a call. You don’t want to miss what is happening with the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum. Let’s make history in 2008!

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