Displeased with the way Bentley had portrayed the Democrats, Democrats John Williams, James R. Dickson (who later became a local judge), and constable Sebastian May visited Bentleys schoolhouse to make good on the anonymous threats of the earlier September note. The story of the Lee Street Riot had been passed down orally through the years since 1942. With echoes of the bondage Read MoreThe Thibodaux Massacre (November 23, 1887) Twenty-five years after his article was published, Simpson said he and the community can take satisfaction that the tale of the violent incident that occurred on Lee Street in 1942is no longer a tale untold. Camp Claiborne had been scrubbed from the map. "The Army continued to insist that withall of the fighting that went on, there were no fatalities," said Simpson. Were very excited about it. While the federal government prepared young men to fight across both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans, for many Black soldiers, hell began as soon as they wandered off-base. In 1940, 8,000 construction workers began moving into Central Louisiana, building the entire place in less than a year. I simply wanted to find the truth.. There were 22 homicides in Alexandria in 2020, or 14.5 per 100,000 people -- more than double the 6.5 per 100,000 national murder rate. "This cemetery, in 1942, was an extremely secluded spot," said Wynne. Secret Democratic organizations were formed, and all armed. April 13, 2023 Keisha Swafford 0 Comments. It was an ugly time. how to store unopened contact lenses pacifica high school basketball oxnard pacifica high school basketball oxnard There were fantastical rumors that devil-worshippers used part of the grounds for their ceremonies. They used to go to the movies, go to dinner with the soldiers that came into town, says Linda Rhodes. 160 Fox Fire Ln USD 27 Jun 04 75th Anniversary Celebration. Search America's historic newspaper pages from 1777-1963 or use the U.S. When I was a high school student, more than 50 years after the camps closure, kids would drive out to Claiborne to drink beer and smoke pot. Alexandria Obituaries | Obits for the Alexandria, LA Area - Legacy.com 298 results. Published: Feb. 1, 2021 at 4:36 PM PST. Today, most of those soldiers and most of the civilians who witnessed the pandemonium are dead; records are missing or were destroyed. There were, in fact, a number of soldiers killed on that violent night in Alexandria. About The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918 "And I was convinced that that was not the case.". Privacy Statement "We'll still go there every Memorial Day and have a memorial for those soldiers," he said. Wynne read the book and contacted Bristol about the alleged mass grave. He and others came to the region to assist recently emancipated African-Americans find jobs, access education and become politically active. Please include title of story. After delays due to Hurricanes Laura and Delta, Bristol, Holt, Ian Stewart, a USM graduate student, and Hayden Malloch, an Auburn University graduate student, came to Pineville in late October tosurvey 10 spots at the cemetery that Wynneidentified beforethe team's arrival. When he was interviewed for the video, he was attending a Memorial Day service held by the Buffalo Soldiers Motorcycle Club to honor the soldiers killed in that incident. The story of the incident that unfoldedJan. 10, 1942on Lee Street begins during the World War II era. And in St. Landry, one of the largest and most populous parishes in the state, thousands of white men were eager to take up arms to defend their political power. "Many say a riot occurred, but others actually say a massacre occurred in a battle that lasted reportedly between 2 and 6 hours," Wynne said. The quick and easy way to find all the exciting Halloween attractions in the Louisiana area for 2023! "Once I started research, the official records from the Army indicated that yes, there was a riot but there were no soldiers killed," said Simpson. If there is a site here, it's primarily in the cleared area. Wynne, who spoke about the incident at the briefing,said the markerwillhonor an undetermined number ofBlack soldiers who were killed or injured on Jan. 10, 1942 while on liberty weekend. "Thanksgiving and Christmas. But all the soldiers would come to town to visit Lee Street, which wasthe busiest street in Alexandria. May 26, 2022. The service was held at the site of the former Ritz Theater on Lee Street. It was a nightmare, total hell. Louisiana Lynching Victims Memorial Share Special Exhibits The Freedom-Lovers' Roll Call Wall Stories Behind the Postcards: Paintings and Collages of Jennifer Scott Portraiture of Resistance Memorial to the Victims of Lynching Freedom-Lovers' Pledge Explore Our Galleries African Peoples Before Captivity Kidnapped: The Middle Passage Nearly Three Centuries Of Enslavement Reconstruction: A . Thousands of soldiers, both Black and white,were training at local bases. St Landry's Black Codes of 1865 and the Opelousas Massacre Hopefully, the full truth of what actually happened on that never-to-be-forgotten night will come out one day, he said. Back on January 10, 1942, a riot occurred on Lee Street in Alexandria, where hundreds of soldiers may have died. A University of Southern Mississippi (USM) professor has joined in an effort to resolve questions about the potential existence of a mass grave of African-Americans killed in a 1940s riot in Alexandria, Louisiana by arranging a roundtable panel focused on the issue in the upcoming 38th annual Gulf South Historical Association meeting being held in that city this weekend. Alexandria, LA Map & Directions - MapQuest "And our city hasn't always been so enlightened.". "Getting them out and putting them on the freight trains," he said. The Louisiana History Museum is not just dedicated to Alexandria but to all of Louisiana's history. The places we choose to forget often contain stories we would rather not tell. It lies on the south bank of the Red River in almost the exact geographic center of the state. PINEVILLE, La. A police office stands watch behind police tape near strewn softballs on a field in Alexandria, Va., Wednesday, June 14, 2017, after a multiple shooting involving House Majority Whip Steve Scalise . Photo: Flickr. The Alexandria, Louisiana, Lee Street Riot (January 10, 1942) By WILLIAM M. SIMPSON' January 1942 brought Alexandrians, as it did most persons across the United States, bleak prospects for a happy new year. With Louisiana passing a new state constitution in April 1868 that included male enfranchisement and access to state schools regardless of color, Bentley had reason to feel optimistic about the states future. Alexandria "Lexi" Aniyah Rubio . Simpson said he interviewed scores of peopleincluding former policemen, former state troopers and civilians. Over the summer, armed white men harassed black families, shot at them outside of Opelousas (the largest city in St. Landry Parish), and killed men, women and children with impunity. The Caucasian (Alexandria, La.) 1874-1875 | Library of Congress We may never know the full and complete story of what transpired on Lee Street. Hopefully the full truth of what actually happened on that never-to-be-forgotten night will come out one day.". Later on, she started the tradition of laying awreath each Memorial Dayat the site of the former Ritz Theater to honor soldiers killed. Terms of Use Wynne said he wasn't sure what to expect but he was prepared for a negative result. 2023 www.thetowntalk.com. Click Here to report it. It is the story of a violent incident that at the time was referred to as the Lee Street Riot. Little could the Ohio-born Republican have predicted just how soon that violence would come about. Different stories have been told about what initially sparkedthe incident on that Saturdaynight. The number of soldiersand possibly civilianskilled is unknown. There were four major military training camps within fifty miles of Alexandria, and the influx of soldiers stretched the local police force thin. I didnt set into this to make the army look bad, says Dr. Bill Simpson. Newspaper Directory to find information about American newspapers published between 1690-present. Henry Clay Warmoth, a Republican, won the race for state governor, but the votes African-Americans cast for those elections cost them. Expert researchers and historians spent Tuesday at Holly Oak Cemetery in Pineville, searching for a rumored mass gravesite. It is unclear why there had been such a sense of urgency to remove instead of restore the mural, but regardless, it echoes what one discovers at Camp Claiborne. How two men are helping shed light on Colfax's deadly past | News As a small number of African-Americans prepared to rescue Bentley, word spread around the parish that a black rebellion was imminent. A 2003 article in the Alexandria Town Talk, part of the USA TODAY Network, states that . "I don't know how I got to safety after the riot," a black trainee at Camp Claiborne recalled. Despite the scores of contradictory eyewitness accounts and widespread rumors that morticians and funeral parlors with government contracts had been called to work throughout the late night and early morning, the Town Talk reported the official line: Zero deaths, 28 injured, including a White state trooper who suffered a badly injured hand in wielding a flashlight over the head of a negro.. All rights reserved. That Saturday night in 1942 was like any other, said Wynne. Notably, it was generally acknowledged, even- implicitly- by the government, that the soldier had not been responsible for provoking the violence). But there was another factor, and the federal government didnt make it much of a secret: Locals, they believed, wouldnt complain about the inconvenience. The city had to budget about $100,000 for the careful exhumation of the remains, he said. The shiny new black marble monument dedicated to the victims of the Colfax Massacre sits next to the railroad tracks on Eighth Street, not far from where the atrocity took place on April 13, 1873. Lamar writes about the people, the politics, and the magic of Louisiana. A century before it hosted the Louisiana Maneuvers, 69% of the population of Rapides Parish were enslaved African Americans. I dont know how I got to safety after the riot, a Black trainee at Camp Claiborne recalled. 30 Best Things to Do in Alexandria, LA - Travel Lens The police never patrolled out there; they couldnt. But the soldiers, both Black and white, would frequent Alexandria during their off-duty hours. Sort: Homes for You. The Bayou Brief is Louisianas only statewide, completely free, member-supported digitally-oriented publication. Black soldiers who were killed or injured in a tragic incident in Alexandria's history known as the Lee Street Riotwill be commemorated withabronze historical marker, said local historian Mike Wynne. Down Home Louisiana. And the empty lot was the site of the Ritz Theater. "The front part of the cemetery dates prior to 1945," said Wynne. Touch for map. Landrians reacted to armed Negroes and rumors of an uprising in the same manner that Southerners had reacted for generations, wrote historian Carolyn deLatte in 1976. The Civil War altered Rapides Parish forever. In 1940, Alexandria had a population of more than 27,000 people, and although nearly half were African American, there were only 17 Black registered voters in the entire city.

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