"Minden and Webster Parish Matters"

May is National Preservation Month. The theme for 2009's National Preservation Month is “This Place Matters”. Preservation Month raises awareness about the power historic preservation has to protect and enhance our communities and the places that really matter to us. They do this by celebrating the diverse and unique heritage of our country's cities and towns www.preservationnation.org . The Dorcheat Historical Association Museum along with Minden Main Street coordinator Pattie Odom did their part in the city of Minden, Louisiana with their contributions to history with the “Night for the Museum” May event.
On Monday May 11th, 2009, Mr. Richard Noles was the fifth guest speaker for the 2009 season to pack Christopher’s on Main. Noles a 5th generation citizen of the Heflin area is well known for his work in education. But many learned Monday night about his family and the history of what was known as Noles Landing along with some Heflin facts.
Noles brought along some priceless family heirlooms that went hand in hand with his story. One such artifact was a horn dating back over 150 years. This horn was an important part of the operation of Noles Landing after the Civil War and used to signal from one side of the lake to the other for passengers wanting to cross over to the landing.
The Noles family settled in the Heflin area in 1854. The family still lives on this same land acquired by a land grant. Noles learned much of his family history from a great aunt and other family members as he was growing up. Noles love of history was evident as he highlighted subjects ranging from Bayou Dorcheat, the steamboats at Noles Landing and his ancestors of the Civil War.
Museum director Schelley Brown stated, “I am very pleased at how these events are being received by the public. We now have over 750 names in our data base for the museum. Many of these have attended our monthly events at one time or another. These people are now traveling from Ruston, Arcadia, Shreveport, Haynesville and East Texas on a monthly basis to hear our speakers with a monthly attendance of 150-200. This kind of response is what we hoped for when we started this in 2008. We want to teach history in a fun and exciting way and I think we are doing that. We are also capturing these history lessons on DVD which is a valuable tool for learning as well as fundraising. The events have included a wide range of subjects from the Civil War, WWII, the 1940’s and 50’s recreation at Hunter’s Playhouse, Black American history and each is available for $10 each or the entire 2008 series for $75.
The museum has an exciting list of speakers lined up for its history filled 2009 schedule. The events will be held at Christopher’s located at 615 Main Street in Minden on the 2nd Monday of the month. Doors open around 5:30 refreshments are served at 6:00 p.m. with speakers to begin at 6:30. No admission is charged for the events but donations to the museum are welcomed. It is recommended that you bring a lawn chair due to the large crowds. Seating goes quickly. For more information on the museum you can visit the web site at http://www.museuminminden.blogspot.com/ or call Schelley Brown at 318-423-0192.