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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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.

Monday, September 1, 2008

1933 A Year Of Devastation For Minden


Click to enlarge

“A Night for Remembering So Much”
Many came together Monday night at the Dorcheat Historical Association’s monthly “Night for the Museum” to remember not only the event theme but to remember Mrs. Juanita Agan. The unexpected death of scheduled speaker John Agan’s mother was a shock to many in the Minden area. Museum director, Schelley Brown began the evening by urging everyone to sign cards for the family that were placed on each table and by telling everyone about the frequent calls shared with Mrs. Agan and how they always left you with a smile.
As the program began Thad Andress described the Juanita he knew as a child. Andress explained how Mrs. Agan and her beloved J.C. were an Andress Motor Company romance that would last a lifetime. Richard Campbell would continue with his memories of growing up in Minden and how loved and cherished Mrs. Agan was to so many. He also spoke of how priceless she was to those that love history.
The theme for the October event was the disasters of that year and the toll it took on Minden and Webster Parish. Dr. Campbell then began the program with a reading of a 1933 newspaper to set the tone. Webster Nation was the first one from the crowd to get up and tell his story. He was a young boy just wanting to play a game of baseball that day after school. He was stopped from leaving the house by his father. This act possibly saved his life. He described the scene with such emotion that you could feel the fear that was felt that day. He described in detail the sights and sounds of that terrible day. He said as long as he lives that he will never forget that day of having to go down into a crowded storm cellar with family and neighbors. Mr. Nation was also a classmate of Mrs. Agan and he spoke of her with the affection of lifelong friends.
Betty Lowe was next in line and she told how she and her family saw the storm approaching from Cotton Valley. Neighbors gathered in their large home that would later be almost totally destroyed by the cyclone. She told how they lived with neighbors and in two tents supplied by the Red Cross until a home was rebuilt for her family.
Joan Willey Luck, Eugene Allen, Dr. Steve Kirkikis, Marcus Wren and Faye Gordon all took the stage to tell of the death and destruction that followed the worst tornado to ever hit the state of Louisiana so many years ago. They also shared memories of what Mrs. Agan had meant to them. A tour of the 1933 museum exhibit was taken at the program’s end.
The 2nd Monday in November “Night for the Museum” will be an evening with the Bossier Parish Historian Clifton D. Cardin. Mr. Cardin will be speaking about the connections between the two parishes. For more information on the Dorcheat Historical Association and Museum contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or visit the web site at http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ . A DVD of each event is available at the museum located at 116 Pearl Street.



Large Turnout Expected Again For “A Night for the Museum” with Mr. John Agan
Monday, October 13th, 2008, “A Night for the Museum” will be a special night for history lovers. John Agan, lifelong resident, local author, newspaper columnist, history teacher and the official Webster Parish Historian will be the guest speaker at The Dorcheat Historical Association’s “A Night for the Museum”. John is a 1976 graduate of Minden High School and earned a B.A. in History, a M. Ed. in Social Studies Education and a M. A. in History from Louisiana Tech. He did work toward his Ph.D. at both the University of Mississippi and LSU. He is currently an Instructor of History at Bossier Parish Community College . He has written three books on local history and since 2000 has written a weekly column on local history for the Minden Press-Herald. He is a member of the First Baptist Church where he has served as a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher and currently serves on the Board of Trustees. John is also am a member of the Minden Cemetery Association Board, the Germantown Colony Museum Commission, the Advisory Board of Cultural Crossroads and the Board of the Dorcheat Historical Association. Mr. Agan was appointed by the Police Jury as the designated official historian of Webster Parish.
Don’t miss this exciting and entertaining evening of hearing our history. This informative night dealing with Webster parish history during the 1930s should be another huge success. The monthly gatherings of history fans have been held to a packed house almost since it began over six months ago. Museum coordinators are again expecting a large turnout, so you may want to bring your lawn chairs just in case of a shortage of seating! “John Agan and his mother Juanita Agan have such a keen memory for detail. Minden is so lucky to have them both and we should be so appreciative of their work and knowledge. I don’t know where I would be with some of my projects without them. “Ghost Walk”, that benefits the Minden Cemetery , would never have happened without John helping me every year with scripts and information. The Dorcheat Museum would be in the same shape, I am afraid, without John’s knowledge.” stated Brown.
Our Webster Parish historian will be speaking on the subject of the new museum exhibit “The Disasters of 1933”. That year was especially tragic for Minden and the entire parish, as well as many other parts of the country. The “Great Depression” was in full swing for many, with droughts and flooding not much help to farmers. Banks failed and people struggled. Hear how Minden citizens survived bank failures, tragedy of fire, floods, and tornado. Minden later would triumph over all these events to become what we know and love today.
For this event museum director, Schelley Brown is encouraging everyone that remembers the 1933 disasters to come and have your story recorded. “This is a rare opportunity to get our oral history of this year down for posterity. Phil Demaline will be on hand making this recording possible. We want those that remember stories that were told to them, as well as those that were actually there, to stand up and tell us what happened to them. All of this will be a huge help with our new exhibit. We have an actual news reel from 1933 that shows live footage of the tornado of 1933 damage and the aftermath of the storm, but it has no sound. These real accounts can greatly enhance this exhibit.” stated Ms. Brown.
Mr. Agan will be speaking at Christopher’s located at 615 Main Street in Minden , Louisiana . Refreshments will be provided by Charlotte Martin and sponsored by Ty Pendergrass of Argent Financial. Refreshments will be served at 6:00 P.M. An opening welcome will be given by Mr. Thad Andress, President of the Dorcheat Historical Association & Museum, Inc. Everyone is encouraged to arrive before 6:00 P.M. for seating. Program will begin at 6:30. A large gift basket with a value of over $200 will be given away to a lucky attendee at the end of the evening! Also a raffle drawing for a two- night stay (value $378) at the McKay House B & B in Jefferson, Texas will be held.
Admission is free of charge and everyone is welcome. For more information on “A Night for the Museum with Mr. John Agan” please contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or visit http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ . Reservations not required. First come, first served seating


The Dorcheat Historical Association Museum Needs Your Help with The Disaster of 1933 Exhibit !

The Dorcheat Historical Association Museum is currently working on its new exhibit “The Disasters of 1933”. “This exhibit is a very important element in the museum timeline.” stated museum director Schelley Brown. This new exhibit is the work of local artist Larry Milford and includes not only a Tornado and Fire display but will also include sound effects and a live footage news reel that will be played on a small screen TV. “What we are working on now are the stories from the people that lived through this time in our history. We want to get these stories recorded at our next “Night for The Museum” which will take place on October 13, 2008 at Christopher’s on Main Street. We are encouraging everyone that remembers these 1933 events to please come out for this evening of history. We also are looking for pictures and artifacts from 1933. We hope that people will remember that they have old photos or items that were saved from the tornado or fire to come forward and help us make this new exhibit something we can all be proud of. Minden suffered a great many disasters that year with failing banks, fires, floods, and then the worst tornado on record to hit the state of Louisiana. To come back from all of that says a lot about the type people Webster Parish citizens were and still are.” said Ms. Brown. For more information about the museum you can contact Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192 or visit the museum blog at www.museuminminden.blogspot.com Remember this is your museum!


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