Minden, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
state of Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
. It serves as the parish seat of Webster Parish
Webster Parish, Louisiana
Webster Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Minden. In 2010, its population was 41,207....
and is located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, the seat of Caddo Parish. The population, which has been stable since 1960, was 13,027 at the 2000 census. It has possessed a post office since 1839.
Minden is the principal city of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area, which is part of the larger Shreveport-Bossier City-Minden Combined Statistical Area
Shreveport-Bossier City-Minden combined statistical area
The Shreveport-Bossier City-Minden Combined Statistical Area is made up of four parishes in northwestern Louisiana. The statistical area consists of the Shreveport-Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area and the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area...
.
The community has been served by a newspaper since the 1850s, and the city's present publication, Minden Press-Herald
Minden Press-Herald
The Minden Press-Herald is a Monday-Friday daily newspaper published in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, by Specht Newspapers, Inc...
, which has its office in a building previously occupied by a supermarket on Gleason Street south of Broadway Street, dates as a daily to July 18, 1966, but was earlier published as two weekly papers, Minden Press on Mondays and Minden Herald on Thursdays. For a time there was also the Webster Signal-Tribune.
Geography
Minden has an elevation of 253 feet (77.1 m). According to the United States Census BureauUnited States Census Bureau
The United States Census Bureau is the government agency that is responsible for the United States Census. It also gathers other national demographic and economic data...
, the city has a total area of 12 square miles (31.1 km²), of which, 11.9 square miles (30.8 km²) of it is land and 0.1 square mile (0.258998811 km²) of it (0.75%) is water.
Demographics
As of the censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of 2000, there were 13,027 people, 5,166 households, and 3,430 families residing in the city. The population density
Population density
Population density is a measurement of population per unit area or unit volume. It is frequently applied to living organisms, and particularly to humans...
was 1,095.2 people per square mile (423.0/km²). There were 5,795 housing units at an average density of 487.2 per square mile (188.2/km²). The racial makeup of the city was 46.34% White, 52.17% African American, 0.31% Native American, 0.27% Asian, 0.05% Pacific Islander, 0.21% from other races
Race (United States Census)
Race and ethnicity in the United States Census, as defined by the Federal Office of Management and Budget and the United States Census Bureau, are self-identification data items in which residents choose the race or races with which they most closely identify, and indicate whether or not they are...
, and 0.65% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 0.61% of the population.
There were 5,166 households, out of which 30.5% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 39.6% were married couples
Marriage
Marriage is a social union or legal contract between people that creates kinship. It is an institution in which interpersonal relationships, usually intimate and sexual, are acknowledged in a variety of ways, depending on the culture or subculture in which it is found...
living together, 22.8% had a female householder with no husband present, and 33.6% were non-families. 30.9% of all households were made up of individuals and 15.1% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.44 and the average family size was 3.05.
In the city of Minden, the population was spread out with 27.0% under the age of 18, 8.6% from 18 to 24, 25.3% from 25 to 44, 21.2% from 45 to 64, and 17.9% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years, higher than the state median age of 34.0 years. For every 100 females there were 84.0 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 77.7 males.
The median income for a household in the city was $24,175, and the median income for a family was $31,477. Males had a median income of $28,401 versus $19,199 for females. The per capita income
Per capita income
Per capita income or income per person is a measure of mean income within an economic aggregate, such as a country or city. It is calculated by taking a measure of all sources of income in the aggregate and dividing it by the total population...
for the city was $14,114. About 21.0% of families and 26.6% of the population were below the poverty line, including 39.3% of those under age 18 and 20.1% of those age 65 or over.
Early settlement
Among the first settlers in the Minden area was Newitt Drew, a WelshmanWelsh people
The Welsh people are an ethnic group and nation associated with Wales and the Welsh language.John Davies argues that the origin of the "Welsh nation" can be traced to the late 4th and early 5th centuries, following the Roman departure from Britain, although Brythonic Celtic languages seem to have...
originally from Virginia, who built a gristmill
Gristmill
The terms gristmill or grist mill can refer either to a building in which grain is ground into flour, or to the grinding mechanism itself.- Early history :...
and sawmill on Dorcheat Bayou
Dorcheat Bayou
Dorcheat Bayou, also known as Bayou Dorcheat, is a stream in the USA that extends from Nevada County in southwestern Arkansas through Columbia County and into Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana before emptying into Lake Bistineau east of the village of Doyline. To its south, Lake Bistineau...
in south Webster Parish in what became the since defunct Overton community. Minden itself was established in 1836 by Charles H. Veeder
Charles H. Veeder
Charles Hanson Veeder was a Schenectady, New York-born lawyer who founded the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. In the 2000 census, Minden, which is located some twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport, had a population in excess of 13,000.Veeder was the son...
, a native of Schenectady
Schenectady, New York
Schenectady is a city in Schenectady County, New York, United States, of which it is the county seat. As of the 2010 census, the city had a population of 66,135...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, who named it for the city of Minden in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Veeder left Minden during the California Gold Rush
California Gold Rush
The California Gold Rush began on January 24, 1848, when gold was found by James W. Marshall at Sutter's Mill in Coloma, California. The first to hear confirmed information of the gold rush were the people in Oregon, the Sandwich Islands , and Latin America, who were the first to start flocking to...
and spent the rest of his life practicing law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
in Bakersfield
Bakersfield, California
Bakersfield is a city near the southern end of the San Joaquin Valley in Kern County, California. It is roughly equidistant between Fresno and Los Angeles, to the north and south respectively....
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
A year before Veeder arrived, a group from Phillipsburg (now Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca, Pennsylvania
Monaca is a borough in Beaver County, Pennsylvania, United States along the Ohio River, northwest of Pittsburgh. Monaca was first incorporated as Phillipsburg in 1840, and had been known by that name since the 1820s. In 1892, the name of the borough was changed to Monaca in honor of the Native...
), led by the Countess Leon
Countess Leon
Countess Leon, or Elisa Heuser Leon , was a founder and leader of the communal Germantown Colony established in 1835 north of Minden in the U.S. state of Louisiana....
, settled seven miles (11 km) northeast of Minden in what was then Claiborne Parish
Claiborne Parish, Louisiana
Claiborne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Homer and as of 2000, the population is 16,851.-History:The parish is named for the first Louisiana governor, William C. C. Claiborne....
. For nearly four decades, this Germantown Colony operated on a communal
Commune (intentional community)
A commune is an intentional community of people living together, sharing common interests, property, possessions, resources, and, in some communes, work and income. In addition to the communal economy, consensus decision-making, non-hierarchical structures and ecological living have become...
basis. It was dispersed in 1871, when Webster Parish was severed from Claiborne Parish. The "Countess" moved to Hot Springs
Hot Springs, Arkansas
Hot Springs is the 10th most populous city in the U.S. state of Arkansas, the county seat of Garland County, and the principal city of the Hot Springs Metropolitan Statistical Area encompassing all of Garland County...
, Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
, where she died in 1881.
One of three Utopia
Utopia
Utopia is an ideal community or society possessing a perfect socio-politico-legal system. The word was imported from Greek by Sir Thomas More for his 1516 book Utopia, describing a fictional island in the Atlantic Ocean. The term has been used to describe both intentional communities that attempt...
n Society settlements in this area, the Germantown Colony was the most successful and lasted the longest, having peaked at fifty to sixty pioneers but usually with fewer than forty followers. The settlement had been planned by the countess’ husband, Bernhard Müller
Bernhard Müller
Bernhard Müller, known as Count de Leon , was a German Christian mystic and alchemist of uncertain origins....
, known as the Count von Leon. He died of yellow fever
Yellow fever
Yellow fever is an acute viral hemorrhagic disease. The virus is a 40 to 50 nm enveloped RNA virus with positive sense of the Flaviviridae family....
on August 29, 1834, at Grand Ecore
Grand Ecore, Louisiana
Grand Ecore is an unincorporated community on the Red River in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located approximately eight miles north of Natchitoches and west of Clarence....
, four miles (6 km) from Natchitoches
Natchitoches, Louisiana
Natchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
, before he reached Webster Parish. Leon and his followers attempted to build an earthly utopia, socialist
Socialism
Socialism is an economic system characterized by social ownership of the means of production and cooperative management of the economy; or a political philosophy advocating such a system. "Social ownership" may refer to any one of, or a combination of, the following: cooperative enterprises,...
in practice, while awaiting for the Second Coming of Christ. For his religious views, Leon had been exiled from Germany. He intended to plant the settlement in Webster Parish to coincide with the latitude of Jerusalem, 31 degrees, 47 minutes. The colonists worshiped under oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
trees at the center of the colony. They supported themselves from farming, with a concentration on cotton. The settlement is preserved at the Germantown Colony and Museum
Germantown Colony and Museum
Germantown Colony and Museum is an historical preservation project north of Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, USA. It was among three sites in Louisiana founded by former members of the Utopian Movement called the Harmony Society in the early 19th century...
. A second museum in Minden, the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum
Dorcheat Historical Association Museum
The Dorcheat Historical Association Museum is a preservation of 19th and 20th century north Louisiana history and culture located off U.S. Highway 80 in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Highway 80, an early road linking the American South with the Pacific Coast, was...
, named for Dorcheat Bayou, is located downtown at 116 Pearl Street. It preserves the cultural history of the city and parish from the 19th century.
Civil War
During the American Civil WarAmerican Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, a large Confederate encampment, which housed some fifteen thousand soldiers was located east of Minden. Minden was a supply depot
Main Operating Base
Main Operating Base is a term used by the United States military defined as "an overseas, permanently manned, well protected base, used to support permanently deployed forces, and with robust sea and/or air access." This term was used to differentiate major strategic overseas military facilities...
for the troops. Some thirty Confederate soldiers who died in the Battle of Mansfield
Battle of Mansfield
The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, occurred on April 8, 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Confederate forces commanded by Richard Taylor attacked a Union army commanded by Nathaniel Banks a few miles outside the town of Mansfield, near Sabine Crossroads...
and another engagement at Pleasant Hill
Pleasant Hill, Louisiana
Pleasant Hill is a village in Sabine Parish in western Louisiana, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the village population was 786. It is best known as the site of The Battle of Pleasant Hill, fought in April 1864.- History :...
are buried in the historic Minden Cemetery
Cemetery
A cemetery is a place in which dead bodies and cremated remains are buried. The term "cemetery" implies that the land is specifically designated as a burying ground. Cemeteries in the Western world are where the final ceremonies of death are observed...
located off Pine Street. A modern cemetery, Gardens of Memory, opened in 1957 off the Lewisville Road north of town.
In 1862, Confederate General Richard Taylor
Richard Taylor (general)
Richard Taylor was a Confederate general in the American Civil War. He was the son of United States President Zachary Taylor and First Lady Margaret Taylor.-Early life:...
, son of Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the 12th President of the United States and an American military leader. Initially uninterested in politics, Taylor nonetheless ran as a Whig in the 1848 presidential election, defeating Lewis Cass...
, issued orders to round up deserters. According to the historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
John D. Winters
John D. Winters
John David Winters was a historian at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, best known for his definitive and award-winning study, The Civil War in Louisiana, still in print, published in 1963 and released in paperback in 1991.-Background:Winters was born to John David Winters, Sr...
of Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
, near Minden were seen "many robust-looking men claiming to be 'discharged soldiers.'" General Taylor reported that a "'large number of persons liable to military service . . . , deserters, enrolled conscripts who have failed to report, between the ages of eighteen and thirty-five, are to be found throughout the state.' He ordered militia officers and parish sheriffs to arrest all men who could not prove legal exemption or absence from military service because of furlough or parole. Liberal rewards were offered for the apprehension of such men."
Governor Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen
Henry Watkins Allen was an American soldier and politician, and a general in the Confederate States Army during the American Civil War...
tried to make the state self-sufficient during the war. A factory for the manufacture of cotton and wool cards was erected at Minden and in full operation by the end of the war. In 1864-1985, divisions of General Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac
Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac
Camille Armand Jules Marie, Prince de Polignac was a French nobleman, scholar and soldier who joined the Confederate States Army at the outbreak of the American Civil War and became major general before the end of the war...
, hero at Mansfield, and Maj. Gen. John H. Forney established winter quarters near Minden.
Coldest state temperature
On February 13, 1890, Minden recorded the state's all-time coldest temperature, minus-16 degrees during the height of the Great BlizzardGreat Blizzard of 1899
The Great Blizzard of 1899 was an unprecedented winter weather event that affected the southern United States. What made it historic was both the severity of winter weather and the extent of the U.S. it affected, especially in the South. The first reports indicated record-high barometric pressure...
. Another minus-16 reading was recording in Minden on February 2, 1899. The humid subtropical climate, however, is usually mild in winter and mostly hot in summer.
Will Life
William L. "Will" Life (June 23, 1887-October 1972) was from 1925 until his death the owner of the large Webb Hardware store in downtown Minden. A former member of the Minden City Council, who was defeated in 1938, Life was sometimes known as the "father of modern Minden" because of his civic leadership.Life attended the former Minden Male Academy, which was located at what is now Academy Park. He graduated from Minden High School in 1905 and was a member of the 1904 basketball team. He resided in Minden his entire eighty-five years except during World War I, when he served for three years in the United States Army Signal Corps. On June 23, 1972, four months before Life's death, Mayor Tom Colten
Tom Colten
Arthur Thomas Colten, known as Tom Colten , was a Louisiana politician from the 1960s to the 1990s who rose from a small-town mayoralty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties...
proclaimed "Will Life Day" in Minden. He is interred at Minden Cemetery.
1930s
During the Great DepressionGreat Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
, one of the two Minden banks failed. Five banks now exist, Minden Building and Loan, Capital One, Regions, Citizens, and Richland State. On May 1, 1933, a tornado
Tornado
A tornado is a violent, dangerous, rotating column of air that is in contact with both the surface of the earth and a cumulonimbus cloud or, in rare cases, the base of a cumulus cloud. They are often referred to as a twister or a cyclone, although the word cyclone is used in meteorology in a wider...
destroyed some 20 percent of the residences in Minden. Thereafter a fire destroyed much of the business district and many homes. During the national bank holiday
Bank Holiday
A bank holiday is a public holiday in the United Kingdom or a colloquialism for public holiday in Ireland. There is no automatic right to time off on these days, although the majority of the population is granted time off work or extra pay for working on these days, depending on their contract...
in 1933, the funds of both Minden citizens and businesses were frozen, making recovery from the tornado and the fire more difficult. Later, a summer flood destroyed a third of the crops in the area. Because of these quadruple tragedies, 1933 has been called the "Year of Disaster" in Minden.<
Ben F. Turner, Sr. (1883–1934), was the Louisiana and Arkansas Railway
Louisiana and Arkansas Railway
The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway was a railroad that operated in the states of Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas. The railroad's main line extended 332 miles, from Hope, Arkansas to Shreveport and New Orleans...
express agent in Minden as well as the volunteer fire chief. During the 1933 fire, he sustained a heart attack and hence died the next year of cardiac failure. Oddly, Ben Turner's grandfather had died in 1835 while he was fighting a fire at a brush arbor meeting in Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. Ben Turner's son, Harold Martin "Happy" Turner (1911–1988), was a well-known restaurant owner and civic booster in Minden.
Larry B. Hunter (1896–1971) and his wife, the former Gladys Powell (1899–1973), a native of Sibley, for decade
Decade
A decade is a period of 10 years. The word is derived from the Ancient Greek dekas which means ten. This etymology is sometime confused with the Latin decas and dies , which is not correct....
s operated the Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola is a carbonated soft drink sold in stores, restaurants, and vending machines in more than 200 countries. It is produced by The Coca-Cola Company of Atlanta, Georgia, and is often referred to simply as Coke...
Bottling Company outlet in Minden. While soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s were produced at the facility into the 1960s, the facility is now a distribution center. It is located across from Minden Cemetery. The Hunters also subsidized the Minden Redbirds semi-professional baseball team and built the former Hunter's recreation complex, which served the youth of Minden from 1940 to 1965. In 1950, Gladys Hunter, became the first woman ever to be elected to the Webster Parish School Board, where she served two six-year terms.
Artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
Ben Earl Looney
Ben Earl Looney
Ben Earl Looney was a Louisiana artist and author known for his Water Colors of Dixie and Cajun Country, pen and ink sketches of Acadiana....
was born in the Yellow Pine community in south Webster Parish and graduated from Minden High School
Minden High School (Minden, Louisiana)
Minden High School is the public secondary educational institution in Minden, a small city of 13,000 and the seat of Webster Parish located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana...
in 1923. He taught art throughout the United States in a career from the 1920s until his death in Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
in 1981.
Minden businesses
Minden has a large number of businesses and an active Chamber of CommerceChamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, which maintains offices near the intersection of Broadway and the Sibley Road. Two former executive directors of the chamber were elected mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
, Tom Colten in 1966 and Paul A. Brown
Paul A. Brown
Paul Aaron Brown was only the second Republican since Reconstruction to have served as mayor of the small north Louisiana city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish. Brown served an unexpired term created by the recall of Democratic Mayor Noel "Gene" Byars...
in 1989.
In the mid-20th century, Minden had two film theaters and a third drive-in facility. To promote the film industry, theater owners Edgar Beach Hands, Jr. (1905–1972), and Ruth Cheshire Lowe in 1951 hosted several film stars in a visit to the city. One was a future U.S. senator from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, George Murphy
George Murphy
George Lloyd Murphy was an American dancer, actor, and politician.-Life and career:He was born in New Haven, Connecticut of Irish Catholic extraction, the son of Michael Charles "Mike" Murphy, athletic trainer and coach, and Nora Long. He was educated at Peddie School, Trinity-Pawling School, and...
. Another was Robert Stack
Robert Stack
Robert Stack was an American actor. In addition to acting in more than 40 films, he was the star of the 1959-1963 ABC television series The Untouchables and later served as the host of Unsolved Mysteries.-Early life:...
of the later ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
television series The Untouchables
The Untouchables (1959 TV series)
The Untouchables is an American crime drama that ran from 1959 to 1963 on ABC. Based on the memoir of the same name by Eliot Ness and Oscar Fraley, it fictionalized the experiences of Eliot Ness, a real-life Prohibition agent, as he fought crime in Chicago during the 1930s with the help of a...
. Jesse White
Jesse White (actor)
Jesse White was an American television, film, and stage character actor. He is best remembered for portraying the Maytag repairman in television commercials, a role he played from 1967 to 1988.-Life and career:...
, best known for Maytag
Maytag
Maytag Corporation is an American home and commercial appliance company, headquartered in Newton, Iowa, that is a division of the Whirlpool Corporation.-Company history:...
commercials, also visited. By the late 1970s, Minden had no theaters. However, in the 21st century, several motion pictures have been filmed in the city and the surrounding areas of Webster Parish.
The Webster Parish Courthouse
Courthouse
A courthouse is a building that is home to a local court of law and often the regional county government as well, although this is not the case in some larger cities. The term is common in North America. In most other English speaking countries, buildings which house courts of law are simply...
, completed in 1953, is located a few yards west of its former location, which in the early 1970s became a parking lot for the Minden City Hall/Civic Center.
Minden is the city of license for CW affiliate KPXJ, Channel 21
KPXJ
KPXJ is the CW-affiliated television station for Shreveport, Louisiana. Licensed to Minden, the station broadcasts a digital signal on UHF channel 21. KPXJ's transmitter is located in Mooringsport. The station is owned by The Wray Family as part of a duopoly with the area's ABC affiliate KTBS-TV...
.
Education
Minden is served by the Webster Parish School Board, an elected body which maintains administrative offices on Sheppard Street. Minden High School, located just north of the downtown, completed major renovoation in 2007. The original school dates to the turn of the 20th century.There is a vocational technical school in Minden, Northwest Louisiana Technical College, located on Constable Street near the sites of the Webster Parish fairgrounds and Griffith Stadium, a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
field, where the former Minden Redbirds semi-professional team played. Governor Earl Kemp Long had included a trade school for Webster Parish in his 1948 platform, and State Senator
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
Drayton R. Boucher and State Representative
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
C.W. Thompson
C.W. Thompson
Clyde W. Thompson, known as C.W. Thompson , was a member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who served from 1944 until his death in office. He was briefly succeeded as representative by his widow, Lizzie P...
set about getting the initial $175,000 in funding through the legislature.
The facility opened in the early 1950s and has since undergone several renovations, including a $361,000 expansion in 1966, when its enrollment was 170. A lunch room, science room, library, and business department were then added to the campus. A program for training Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed Practical Nurse
Licensed practical nurse is the term used in much of the United States and most Canadian provinces to refer to a nurse who cares for "people who are sick, injured, convalescent, or disabled under the direction of registered nurses and physicians. The term licensed vocational nurses is used in...
s began in 1967. Northwest Technical College will be relocated to a new and expanded site off the Interstate 20 service road.
Elementary schools include E.S. Richardson
E.S. Richardson Elementary School
E.S. Richardson Elementary School is a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade campus which serves parts of the eastern section of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. The school opened in the 1949-1950 academic year, with Wayne Wynn Williams, Sr. , as the...
, J.L. Jones, and J.E. Harper schools. The former William G. Stewart Elementary School
William G. Stewart Elementary School
William G. Stewart Elementary School is a defunct elementary school, which formerly served the western portion of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, with public school pre-kindergarten through fifth grade. The institution was located at 215 North Middle...
will close at the end of the 2010-2011 academic year under an economic realignment package approved by the Webster Parish School Board.
The middle school is located at the site of the former historically black Webster High School, which closed in 1975, with desegregation
Desegregation
Desegregation is the process of ending the separation of two groups usually referring to races. This is most commonly used in reference to the United States. Desegregation was long a focus of the American Civil Rights Movement, both before and after the United States Supreme Court's decision in...
into Minden High School. The previous junior high school, Theresa M. Lowe Junior High School located near the technical college, was closed after desegregation and converted into an alternative school. Theresa Lowe graduated from Rayville High School in Rayville
Rayville, Louisiana
Rayville is a town in, the parish seat of, and the largest community in Richland Parish in northeastern Louisiana, United States. The population was 4,234 at the 2000 census. It is also home of Palmetto Addiction Recovery Center...
, the seat of Richland Parish
Richland Parish, Louisiana
Richland Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Rayville. As of 2010, the population was 20,725.-History:...
in northeastern Louisiana and received her Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University
Louisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in Ruston
Ruston, Louisiana
Ruston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
. She was a long-time teacher of the seventh grade at the former Minden Junior High School and a leader in the renamed Louisiana Association of Educators.
There is also the private Glenbrook School off the Lewisville Road toward Shongaloo
Shongaloo, Louisiana
Shongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
, which began within the First Baptist Church in 1970.
The Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary, which offers bachelor's, master's
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
, and doctor of theology
Doctor of Theology
Doctor of Theology is a terminal academic degree in theology. It is a research degree that is considered by the U.S. National Science Foundation to be the equivalent of a Doctor of Philosophy....
degrees, is located off the Homer Road in eastern Minden. The theologically
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
conservative
Christian right
Christian right is a term used predominantly in the United States to describe "right-wing" Christian political groups that are characterized by their strong support of socially conservative policies...
institution was opened in 1952 by the pastor L. L. Clover
L. L. Clover
Leander Louis Clover, known as L. L. Clover , was an American Baptist Association clergyman who in 1952 established Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary in Minden, Louisiana...
(1902–1975) of Calvary Missionary Baptist Church.
Politics
- Jack BattonJack BattonJack Batton was a small businessman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, for a single term from 1978–1982.-Early years:...
(1913–1996), mayor of Minden, 1978–1982; former city council member; merchant and civic leader, DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
. - William Jasper Blackburn (1820–1899), mayor of Minden, 1855–1856; newspaper publisher; later U.S. RepresentativeUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
(1868–1869), RepublicanRepublican Party (United States)The Republican Party is one of the two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Democratic Party. Founded by anti-slavery expansion activists in 1854, it is often called the GOP . The party's platform generally reflects American conservatism in the U.S...
. - Bruce M. BolinBruce M. BolinBruce Martin Bolin is a current Louisiana state district court judge who was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1979 to 1990. Bolin holds court in the 26th Judicial District based in Benton, the seat of Bossier Parish. He is a native of Minden, the seat of...
(born 1950), state representativeLouisiana State LegislatureThe Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
from Webster Parish, 1978–1990); state district court judge, since 1991, Democrat - James E. BolinJames E. BolinJames Edwin Bolin, Sr. was an American jurist and politician who served as a judge of the Louisiana Second Circuit Court of Appeal and Louisiana Supreme Court as well as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in the northwestern part...
(1914–2002), state representative, 1940–1944; state district court judge, 1952–1960; Louisiana appeal court judge, 1960–1978, Democrat. - Jesse L. BoucherJesse L. BoucherJesse L. Boucher was a north Louisiana insurance agency owner and large-scale real estate developer who also served from 1958-1962 as the mayor of his native Springhill in northern Webster Parish....
(1912–2004), real estateReal estateIn general use, esp. North American, 'real estate' is taken to mean "Property consisting of land and the buildings on it, along with its natural resources such as crops, minerals, or water; immovable property of this nature; an interest vested in this; an item of real property; buildings or...
developer and former mayor of SpringhillSpringhill, LouisianaSpringhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, taught at Minden High School in the latter 1930s, Democrat. - Parey BrantonParey BrantonParey Pershing Branton, Sr. , was a businessman from Shongaloo, Louisiana, who was from 1960 to 1972 a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from what is now District 10 in Webster Parish...
(1918-2011), ShongalooShongaloo, LouisianaShongaloo is a village in Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States.West of Shongaloo on Louisiana Highway 2 is Munn Hill, a homestead of Daniel and Rebecca Munn, established on July 26, 1900....
native and resident, represented Webster Parish in the Louisiana House from 1960–1972, Democrat. - Henry L. BridgesHenry L. BridgesHenry L. Bridges, Sr. , was a businessman who served from 1928 to 1932 and again from 1934 to 1936 as the mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana....
(1874–1939), mayor (1928–1932 and 1934–1936) - John Calhoun BrownJohn Calhoun BrownJohn Calhoun Brown was a merchant who served from 1942 to 1944 as the Mayor Pro Tem of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, when the elected mayor, Floyd D...
(1879–1964), interim mayor (1942–1944), Democrat. - J. Frank ColbertJ. Frank ColbertJefferson Franklin Colbert, known as J. Frank Colbert , was a Democratic politician who served in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1920–1925 and from 1944-1946 as the mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Background:Colbert was born in...
(1882–1949), mayor (1944–1946), state representative (1920–1925), and member of the Webster Parish Police Jury (1912–1920), Democrat. - Tom ColtenTom ColtenArthur Thomas Colten, known as Tom Colten , was a Louisiana politician from the 1960s to the 1990s who rose from a small-town mayoralty position to head his state's Department of Transportation and Development under three governors from both parties...
(1922–2004) served from as the first Republican mayor, 1966-1974. He later headed the Louisiana Department of Transportation and DevelopmentLouisiana Department of Transportation and DevelopmentThe Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development is a state government organization in charge of maintaining public transportation, roadways, bridges, canals, select levees, floodplain management, port facilities, commercial vehicles, and aviation which includes 69 airports, in the U.S....
under three governors of both parties. - Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.Floyd D. Culbertson, Jr.Floyd Douglas Culbertson, Jr. served from 1940-1942 as the mayor of Minden, a small city in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.-Biography:Culbertson graduated at the age of nineteen in 1927 from Minden High School...
(1908-1989), mayor from 1940-1942 - John T. DavidJohn T. DavidJohn Thomas David, Sr. was the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, from 1946-1955...
(1897–1974) was mayor of Minden from 1946–1955, when he resigned after two misdemeanorMisdemeanorA misdemeanor is a "lesser" criminal act in many common law legal systems. Misdemeanors are generally punished much less severely than felonies, but theoretically more so than administrative infractions and regulatory offences...
convictions for bootleggingRum-runningRum-running, also known as bootlegging, is the illegal business of transporting alcoholic beverages where such transportation is forbidden by law...
. He was thereafter elected to three terms on the Webster Parish Police Jury, Democrat. - Everett DoergeEverett DoergeEverett Gail Doerge was an American state legislator who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from District 10 from January 1992 until his death in office....
(1935-1998) was a former educator and former Louisiana House member, 1991-1998. He was succeeded by his widow, Jean M. DoergeJean M. DoergeJean McGlothlin Doerge is a retired school teacher and a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Minden, who has represented District 10 since the death in 1998 of her husband, Everett Doerge. In 2007, her colleagues named her to the House Appropriations Committee, a key...
, also a former educator, a Democrat, and a native of Natchitoches Parish. She has since been reelected twice without opposition. Everett Doerge won the post in the 1991 general election by defeating the Republican Eugene S. EasonEugene S. EasonFulton Eugene Eason was a businessman from Springhill, Louisiana, who ran as a Republican in four elections for the Louisiana House of Representatives in calendar year 1991...
of SpringhillSpringhill, LouisianaSpringhill is a city in northern Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,439 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. - Harmon Caldwell DrewHarmon Caldwell DrewHarmon Caldwell Drew was a lawyer from Minden, Louisiana, who served prior to 1945 as the district attorney of Bossier and Webster parishes and then as a judge of both the district and the state appeal courts. His political career ended with his defeat by future Governor Robert F. Kennon...
(1889-1950), District and circuit court judge, Democrat. - Harmon Drew, Jr.Harmon Drew, Jr.Richard Harmon Drew, Jr. , is a Louisiana judge, legal lecturer, and rhythm-and-blues musician. He is serving a second 10-year term on his state's Second Circuit Court of Appeal, based in Shreveport.-Ancestry:...
(born 1946), Court of Appeals Judge (born 1946), Democrat. - Richard Cleveland DrewRichard Cleveland DrewRichard Cleveland Drew, Sr. , also known as R. C. Drew, was a judge of the state district and circuit courts, based in Minden in northwestern Louisiana. The Drew family was among the original 19th century settlers of the future Webster Parish, of which Minden is the parish seat...
(1848–1919), District and circuit court judge, Democrat. - R. Harmon Drew, Sr.R. Harmon Drew, Sr.Richard Harmon Drew, Sr. was a fourth generation judge and a former Democratic state representative who was descended from pioneer families of Webster Parish in north Louisiana...
(1917–1995), former municipal judge and a Democratic state representative - Richard Maxwell DrewRichard Maxwell DrewRichard Maxwell Drew was an attorney and politician in Claiborne Parish in north Louisiana whose family was among the first settlers of what is now Webster Parish, established in 1871 as a breakaway from Claiborne Parish....
(1822–1850), district court judge, state representative
- John C. FlemingJohn C. FlemingJohn Calvin Fleming, Jr. is a Minden, Louisiana physician, the author of the book Preventing Addiction, and the Republican U.S. representative from Louisiana's 4th congressional district...
(born 1951), physician, author; member of the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Republican - Connell FortConnell FortConnell Fort was a businessman and newspaperman who served as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in north Louisiana, from 1922 to 1926 and again from 1932 to 1934....
(1867-1937), mayor of Minden from 1922–1926 and 1932–1934, Democrat - Thomas Wafer FullerThomas Wafer FullerThomas Wafer Fuller was an educator and newspaperman from Minden, Louisiana,who served as a Democrat in the Louisiana State Senate from 1896 to 1900....
(1867-1920), state senator from 1896 to 1900, second Webster Parish school superintendent from 1908 until his death in 1920, Democrat - E.D. GleasonE.D. GleasonErnest Dewey Gleason, known as E. D. Gleason , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from the Evergreen Community near Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. Gleason served from 1952 until his death at the end of his second term...
(1899-1959), member of the Louisiana House from Webster Parish from 1952 until his death in 1959, Democrat - Mary Smith GleasonMary Smith GleasonMary Smith Gleason was an interim Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from Webster Parish, who served from 1959–1960, after the death in office of her husband, E.D. Gleason.Mrs...
(1899-1967), succeeded her husband as a member of the Louisiana House, 1959–1960, Democrat - Jasper GoodwillJasper GoodwillJasper Goodwill served from 1955 to 1958 as the Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
(1889-1974), mayor of Minden, 1955–1958; started employee health insuranceHealth insuranceHealth insurance is insurance against the risk of incurring medical expenses among individuals. By estimating the overall risk of health care expenses among a targeted group, an insurer can develop a routine finance structure, such as a monthly premium or payroll tax, to ensure that money is...
and pensionPensionIn general, a pension is an arrangement to provide people with an income when they are no longer earning a regular income from employment. Pensions should not be confused with severance pay; the former is paid in regular installments, while the latter is paid in one lump sum.The terms retirement...
plans, Democrat - Thomas Jerald "Jerry" HuckabyJerry HuckabyThomas Jerald Huckaby, usually known as Jerry Huckaby , is a retired businessman who served as a Democratic U.S. representative from the northeastern portion of the U.S. state of Louisiana between 1977 and 1993...
(born 1941), a 1959 Minden High SchoolMinden High School (Minden, Louisiana)Minden High School is the public secondary educational institution in Minden, a small city of 13,000 and the seat of Webster Parish located twenty-eight miles east of Shreveport in northwestern Louisiana...
graduate, served in Congress from 1977-1993. He represented the Fifth Congressional District, which did not include either Minden or Webster Parish, Democrat. - Herman "Wimpy" JonesHerman "Wimpy" JonesHerman "Wimpy" Jones was a businessman who served as a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate from Bossier and Webster parishes for a single term from 1956 to 1960...
(1905-1967), State senator from 1956–1960, Democrat; founder of restaurant that became the Southern Kitchen in Minden. - Edward KennonEdward KennonFrancis Edward Kennon, Jr. , usually known as Ed Kennon is a multi-millionaire Shreveport real-estate developer and a former Democratic member of the Louisiana Public Service Commission, the regulatory body for oil, natural gas, and utilities. He represented north Louisiana on the commission for...
, Louisiana Public Service CommissionLouisiana Public Service CommissionLouisiana Public Service Commission is an independent regulatory agency which manages public utilities and motor carriers in Louisiana. The commission has five elected members chosen in single-member districts for staggered six-year terms...
er, 1973–1984, Democrat - Robert F. KennonRobert F. KennonRobert Floyd Kennon, Sr., known as Bob Kennon , was the 48th Governor of Louisiana, serving from 1952-1956. He failed to win a second non-consecutive term in the 1963 Democratic primary....
(1902-1988), was at 23 the youngest mayor ever in the state of Louisiana (1926-1928); DemocraticDemocratic Party (United States)The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
Governor of Louisiana, 1952-1956 - Coleman LindseyColeman LindseyIsaac Coleman Lindsey, known as Coleman Lindsey , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana State Senate, a district judge, and from 1939 to 1940, the lieutenant governor under Governor Earl Kemp Long....
, Democratic lieutenant governor of Louisiana, 1939–1940; state senator from Bossier and Webster parishes, 1924–1928 and 1932–1940; judge in East Baton Rouge ParishEast Baton Rouge Parish, LouisianaEast Baton Rouge Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Baton Rouge, Louisiana's state capital. As of the 2010 census, the population was 440,171. The parish has a total area of , of which is land and is water. It is the most populous parish in the state...
, 1950-1968 - W. Matt LoweW. Matt LoweWilliam Matt Lowe, known as W. Matt Lowe was a merchant and public official in the city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. During World War I and its aftermath, Lowe served two terms from 1916-1920 as mayor of Minden...
, mayor of Minden from 1916–1920; Webster parish police juror from 1940–1954, Democrat - J. Frank McInnisJ. Frank McInnisJesse Frank McInnis, known as J. Frank McInnis , was a judge of his state's Second Circuit Court of Appeal from Minden, Louisiana. In 1952, McInnis succeeded Robert F. Kennon of Minden, in the circuit judgeship which Kennon vacated to become governor of Louisiana...
, state court judge, 1930–1953, Democrat - Leland G. MimsLeland G. MimsLeland Garland Mims was a Minden, Louisiana, businessman and civic leader who served as a member of the Webster Parish Police Jury from 1953–1976 and as president of the body from 1956-1973...
, Webster Parish police juror from 1953–1976; jury president, 1956–1973, and president of the Police Jury Association of Louisiana, 1965–1967, Democrat - John Willard "Jack" Montgomery, Sr.Jack Montgomery (Louisiana politician)John Willard Montgomery, Sr., known as Jack Montgomery , is an attorney in private practice in the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, who served in the 26th District of the Louisiana State Senate for a single four-year term from 1968—1972...
, Minden attorney and state senator from 1968–1972, Democrat. - Frank T. NormanFrank T. NormanFrancis Toadvin Norman, known as Frank T. Norman , was a Democratic mayor of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, from 1958-1966. From 1952-1958, Norman had served on the Minden City Council as the then public safety commissioner under the since disbanded...
, mayor of Minden from 1958–1966; worked to establish the municipal power plant, Democrat - E.S. RichardsonE.S. RichardsonEdwin Sanders Richardson, Sr., principally known as E. S. Richardson , was an educator who served from August 14, 1936, until 1941 as the president of Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, the seat of Lincoln Parish. Previously, Richardson was the superintendent of schools in his native Webster...
(1875–1950), Webster Parish school superintendent and president of Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in RustonRuston, LouisianaRuston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
, namesake of E.S. Richardson Elementary SchoolE.S. Richardson Elementary SchoolE.S. Richardson Elementary School is a pre-kindergarten through fifth grade campus which serves parts of the eastern section of the small city of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana. The school opened in the 1949-1950 academic year, with Wayne Wynn Williams, Sr. , as the...
, Democrat - Billy Henry "Bill" Robertson (born 1938), current mayor, elected in 1990, Democrat
- J. Berry Sandefur (1868–1954), mayor of Minden (1920–1922), Democrat.
- John N. SandlinJohn N. SandlinJohn Nicholas Sandlin, Sr. , of Minden, Louisiana, represented his state's Fourth Congressional District in the United States House of Representatives from 1921 to 1937. In 1936, rather than seeking a ninth term in the House, Sandlin, upon the request of U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt,...
(1872-1957), succeeded John Watkins in Congress, 1921–1937; ran unsuccessfully in 1936 for the U.S. Senate against fellow Democrat Allen J. EllenderAllen J. EllenderAllen Joseph Ellender was a popular U.S. senator from Houma, Louisiana , who served from 1937 until his death. He was a Democrat who was originally allied with the legendary Huey Pierce Long, Jr.. As Senator he compiled a generally conservative record, voting 77% of the time with the Conservative... - Robert T. TobinRobert T. TobinRobert Terry Tobin was an African-American educator who became the first and, to date, only member of his race to have served as mayor of Minden, a small city of about 13,000 residents and the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana...
(1911–2007), a retired educator, served on an interim basis as mayor of Minden in 1989, the first and thus far only African AmericanAfrican AmericanAfrican Americans are citizens or residents of the United States who have at least partial ancestry from any of the native populations of Sub-Saharan Africa and are the direct descendants of enslaved Africans within the boundaries of the present United States...
to have held the position, Democrat. - Abner Drake TurnerAbner Drake TurnerAbner Drake Turner was a banker who served three two-year terms from 1910-1916 as the mayor of Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana....
(1877–1953), a banker, who served as mayor of Minden (1910–1916) - John T. WatkinsJohn T. WatkinsJohn Thomas Watkins was a Democratic U.S. representative from northwestern Louisiana who served from 1905-1921...
(1854-1925), served in the United States House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
, Democrat.
Sports
- Ken BeckKen Beck (American football)Ken Beck is a former defensive tackle in the National Football League. Beck played two seasons with the Green Bay Packers. He was a member of the Western Division Champion Packers in 1960....
(born 1935), defensive tackle for the Green Bay PackersGreen Bay PackersThe Green Bay Packers are an American football team based in Green Bay, Wisconsin. They are members of the North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . The Packers are the current NFL champions...
. - Billy Joe BoothBilly Joe BoothBilly Joe Booth played professionally with the Ottawa Rough Riders in the Canadian Football League from 1962-1970. He also played for his alma maters, Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and Minden High School in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, where he was born...
(1940–1972), after playing for Minden High School and Louisiana State UniversityLouisiana State UniversityLouisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, joined the Ottawa Rough RidersOttawa Rough RidersThe Ottawa Rough Riders were a Canadian Football League team based in Ottawa, Ontario, founded in 1876. One of the oldest and longest lived professional sports teams in North America, the Rough Riders won the Grey Cup championship nine times. Their most dominant era was the 1960s and 1970s, a...
of the Canadian Football LeagueCanadian Football LeagueThe Canadian Football League or CFL is a professional sports league located in Canada. The CFL is the highest level of competition in Canadian football, a form of gridiron football closely related to American football....
, having played from 1962-1970. He died in an airplane crash in CanadaCanadaCanada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He resided in HarveyHarvey, LouisianaHarvey is a census-designated place in Jefferson Parish, Louisiana, United States. Harvey is on the West Bank of the Mississippi River, within the New Orleans–Metairie–Kenner Metropolitan Statistical Area...
, Louisiana. - Larry C. BrewerLarry C. BrewerLarry Clinton Brewer was the offensive end for the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs during the 1966, 1967, 1968, and 1969 football seasons. In the latter two years, he served primarily as one of two main receivers for Terry Bradshaw, the Shreveport native who subsequently embarked on a highly...
(1948–2003), a 1966 graduate of Minden High School, played successfully for Louisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech UniversityLouisiana Tech University, often referred to as Louisiana Tech, LA Tech, or Tech, is a coeducational public research university located in Ruston, Louisiana. Louisiana Tech is designated as a Tier 1 school in the national universities category by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report college rankings...
in RustonRuston, LouisianaRuston is a city in and the parish seat of Lincoln Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 20,546 at the 2000 census. Ruston is near the eastern border of the Ark-La-Tex and is the home of Louisiana Tech University. Its economy caters to its college population...
and joined the Atlanta FalconsAtlanta FalconsThe Atlanta Falcons are a professional American football team based in Atlanta, Georgia. They are a member of the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
after college graduation but was unable to meet the commitment because of an injury. Brewer became a certified public accountantCertified Public AccountantCertified Public Accountant is the statutory title of qualified accountants in the United States who have passed the Uniform Certified Public Accountant Examination and have met additional state education and experience requirements for certification as a CPA...
and worked in hospital management until his death of a drowning accident while on a family vacation in HawaiiHawaiiHawaii is the newest of the 50 U.S. states , and is the only U.S. state made up entirely of islands. It is the northernmost island group in Polynesia, occupying most of an archipelago in the central Pacific Ocean, southwest of the continental United States, southeast of Japan, and northeast of...
. He resided in Sand Springs, OklahomaSand Springs, OklahomaSand Springs is a city in Osage and Tulsa counties in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. A suburb of Tulsa, it is located predominantly in Tulsa County. The population was 18,906 in the 2010 U. S. Census, compared to 17,451 at the 2000 census. The city was founded in 1911, by Oklahoma philanthropist...
, near Tulsa. - George DohertyGeorge DohertyGeorge E. Doherty was a National Football League player from 1944–1947, who thereafter was the defensive coach of the Louisiana Tech University Bulldogs in Ruston and the head coach of the Northwestern State University Demons in Natchitoches from 1972-1974.-Early years and education:Doherty was...
(1920–1987) was a former professional football player (right tackle) who coached Minden High School to two state championships in 1954 and 1956 and then coached at Louisiana Tech and Northwestern State University. - Louis DunbarLouis DunbarLouis "Sweet Lou" Dunbar is the Director of Player Personnel, and a former 27-year veteran basketball player for the Harlem Globetrotters....
is a former center for the Harlem GlobetrottersHarlem GlobetrottersThe Harlem Globetrotters are an exhibition basketball team that combines athleticism, theater and comedy. The executive offices for the team are currently in downtown Phoenix, Arizona; the team is owned by Shamrock Holdings, which oversees the various investments of the Roy E. Disney family.Over...
.
- Fred HaynesFred HaynesFreddie Lynn "Fred" Haynes was an American football player for the Louisiana State University Tigers from 1966–1968, having climaxed his three-season career by successfully quarterbacking both the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans and the Peach Bowl in Atlanta in calendar year 1968...
(1946–2006), a 1964 Minden High School graduate, became a champion college quarterback at LSU, where he was affectionately known as the "Littlest Tiger" because of his modest physical size. - Charles T. "Charlie" HenniganCharlie HenniganCharles Taylor Hennigan, Sr., known as Charlie Hennigan , is a retired American football player with the former Houston Oilers who resides in Shreveport, Louisiana. Born in Bienville in Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Hennigan grew up in nearby Minden, the seat of Webster Parish, located...
(born 1935), originally from Bienville Parish, graduated from Minden High School in 1953 and played for Northwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State UniversityNorthwestern State University, known as NSU, is a four-year public university primarily situated in Natchitoches, Louisiana, with a nursing campus in Shreveport and general campuses in Leesville/Fort Polk and Alexandria. It is a part of the University of Louisiana System.NSU was founded in 1884 as...
in NatchitochesNatchitoches, LouisianaNatchitoches is a city in and the parish seat of Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana, United States. Established in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis as part of French Louisiana, the community was named after the Natchitoches Indian tribe. The City of Natchitoches was first incorporated on February...
before joining the newly-created Houston Oilers in 1960. - David Allen LeeDavid Lee (Baltimore Colts)David Allen Lee is a former American football punter for the former Baltimore Colts in the National Football League and subsequently retired from a career as a General Motors executive in Shreveport, the seat of Caddo Parish, in northwestern Louisiana...
(born 1943) is a retired industrial executive in Bossier CityBossier City, LouisianaBossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
in Bossier Parish who holds National Football LeagueNational Football LeagueThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
punting records during his tenure with the former Baltimore ColtsHistory of the Indianapolis ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They play in the AFC South division of the National Football League. They have won 3 NFL championships and 2 Super Bowls....
from 1966-1978. Prior to his professional duties, Lee played for Louisiana Tech. - Jackie MorelandJackie MorelandJack Wade "Jackie" Moreland was an American basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and the former New Orleans Buccaneers.-Early Life & High School:...
(1938–1971) was the first All-American basketballBasketballBasketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
player for Minden High School. He thereafter played for the Louisiana Tech Bulldogs, the Detroit PistonsDetroit PistonsThe Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
, and the former New Orleans BuccaneersNew Orleans BuccaneersNew Orleans Buccaneers was a charter member of the American Basketball Association. After three seasons in New Orleans, Louisiana the franchise moved to Memphis, Tennessee where it became the Pros, Tams and Sounds for four years before an abortive move to Baltimore in 1975.-Origins:With the...
. He died of cancerCancerCancer , known medically as a malignant neoplasm, is a large group of different diseases, all involving unregulated cell growth. In cancer, cells divide and grow uncontrollably, forming malignant tumors, and invade nearby parts of the body. The cancer may also spread to more distant parts of the...
at thirty-three. - Sammy Joe OdomSammy Joe OdomSamuel Joseph Odom, known as Sammy Joe Odom , was an American football player for the Houston Oilers, the Northwestern State University Demons in Natchitoches, Louisiana, and the Minden High School Crimson Tide in Minden, the seat of Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana.Odom was born in...
(1941–2001) was an MHS and Northwestern State football star who played in the 1964 season for the Houston Oilers. He was later the administrator for the De Soto Parish Police Jury in MansfieldMansfield, LouisianaMansfield is a city in and the parish seat of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,001 at the 2010 census. Mansfield is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
. - Chase PittmanChase PittmanChase Pittman is an American football defensive end who is currently the defensive line coach at Calvary Baptist Academy in Shreveport, Louisiana. He was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in the seventh round of the 2007 NFL Draft. He played college football at Louisiana State...
is defensive end for the Cleveland BrownsCleveland BrownsThe Cleveland Browns are a professional football team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are currently members of the North Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League...
. - Raymond Tate (1964–2010) Minden's only "High School Parade All-American", 1981. Led MHS to state championship in 1980. Played for the University of HoustonUniversity of HoustonThe University of Houston is a state research university, and is the flagship institution of the University of Houston System. Founded in 1927, it is Texas's third-largest university with nearly 40,000 students. Its campus spans 667 acres in southeast Houston, and was known as University of...
, where he was AP All-Southwest Conference at running back in 1984 and 1985. Had 71 yards on 10 carries in the 1984 Cotton Bowl Classic. Passed up by NFL teams. - Jimmy UptonJimmy UptonJames Saunders "Jimmy" Upton was a college and high school track star from Minden, Louisiana, who was inducted into the University of Louisiana at Monroe Hall of Fame. In 1971, Upton was a United States Track and Field Federation All-American hurdler...
(1949–2003) excelled in track and fieldTrack and fieldTrack and field is a sport comprising various competitive athletic contests based around the activities of running, jumping and throwing. The name of the sport derives from the venue for the competitions: a stadium which features an oval running track surrounding a grassy area...
at Minden High School and thereafter at the University of Louisiana at MonroeUniversity of Louisiana at MonroeThe University of Louisiana at Monroe is a coeducational public university in Monroe, Louisiana and part of the University of Louisiana System.-History:...
and was admitted to three halls of fame. - Stepfret Williams III is a former NFL and XFL wide receiver who played for the Dallas CowboysDallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football franchise which plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference of the National Football League . They are headquartered in Valley Ranch in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas...
and Cincinnati BengalsCincinnati BengalsThe Cincinnati Bengals are a professional football team based in Cincinnati, Ohio. They are members of the AFC's North Division in the National Football League . The Bengals began play in 1968 as an expansion team in the American Football League , and joined the NFL in 1970 in the AFL-NFL...
.
Others
- Gene AustinGene AustinGene Austin was an American singer and songwriter, one of the first "crooners". His 1920s compositions "When My Sugar Walks Down the Street" and "The Lonesome Road" became pop and jazz standards.-Career:...
was a singer, sometimes called "the first croonerCroonerCrooner is an American epithet given to male singers of pop standards, mostly from the Great American Songbook, either backed by a full orchestra, a big band or by a piano. Originally it was an ironic term denoting an emphatically sentimental, often emotional singing style made possible by the use...
". - Alan BeanAlan BeanAlan LaVern Bean is a former NASA astronaut, engineer, and painter. Bean was selected to become an astronaut by NASA in 1963 as part of Astronaut Group 3. He made his first flight into space aboard Apollo 12, the second manned mission to land on the Moon, at the age of thirty-seven years in...
, U.S. astronautAstronautAn astronaut or cosmonaut is a person trained by a human spaceflight program to command, pilot, or serve as a crew member of a spacecraft....
lived in Minden as a child while his father was employed there by the United States Soil Conservation Service. - James BurtonJames BurtonJames Burton is an American guitarist. A member of the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame since 2001 , Burton has also been recognized by the Rockabilly Hall of Fame...
, a popular guitaristGuitaristA guitarist is a musician who plays the guitar. Guitarists may play a variety of instruments such as classical guitars, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, and bass guitars. Some guitarists accompany themselves on the guitar while singing.- Versatility :The guitarist controls an extremely...
who once performed with Ricky NelsonRicky NelsonEric Hilliard Nelson , better known as Ricky Nelson or Rick Nelson, was an American singer-songwriter, instrumentalist, and actor...
and Elvis PresleyElvis PresleyElvis Aaron Presley was one of the most popular American singers of the 20th century. A cultural icon, he is widely known by the single name Elvis. He is often referred to as the "King of Rock and Roll" or simply "the King"....
, was born in Dubberly, Louisiana in 1939 and raised in Minden until he was ten years of age. - L. L. CloverL. L. CloverLeander Louis Clover, known as L. L. Clover , was an American Baptist Association clergyman who in 1952 established Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary in Minden, Louisiana...
(1902–1975) was a pastor who founded the Louisiana Missionary Baptist Institute and Seminary in Minden and authored the theological study Evil Spirits Intellectualism and Logic. - Barbara ColleyBarbara ColleyBarbara Ann Logan Colley is a romance and mystery novelist based in New Orleans, Louisiana. Her recent work is centered on the fictitious "Charlotte LaRue", the subject of a series of mysteries. She has written more than a dozen novels which have been published in some seventeen languages....
(born 1947) is a romance and mystery novelist in New Orleans who grew up in Minden.
- John Jones, an honorably discharged African American former United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
corporalCorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
was jailed in August 1946 under dubious pretenses of loiteringLoiteringLoitering is the act of remaining in a particular public place for a protracted time. Under certain circumstances, it is illegal in various jurisdictions.-Prohibition and history:Loitering may be prohibited by local governments in several countries...
. He was released and lynched by a civilian posse, having reportedly refused to give a war souvenir to a white person. - Countess LeonCountess LeonCountess Leon, or Elisa Heuser Leon , was a founder and leader of the communal Germantown Colony established in 1835 north of Minden in the U.S. state of Louisiana....
(1798–1881), founder of the Germantown ColonyGermantown Colony and MuseumGermantown Colony and Museum is an historical preservation project north of Minden in Webster Parish in northwestern Louisiana, USA. It was among three sites in Louisiana founded by former members of the Utopian Movement called the Harmony Society in the early 19th century...
north of Minden - Charles E. MapleCharles E. MapleCharles Edward Maple, known as Charlie Maple , was a journalist, chamber of commerce official, and state parks executive during the second half of the 20th century in the four-state region of Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.-Early years, education, military:Maple was born in Oklahoma City...
(1932–2006), journalist and chamber of commerce official in Minden and several other cities - Percy MayfieldPercy MayfieldPercy Mayfield was an American songwriter famous for the songs "Hit the Road Jack" and "Please Send Me Someone to Love", as well as a successful rhythm and blues artist known for his smooth vocal style.-Career:...
(1920-1984), bluesBluesBlues is the name given to both a musical form and a music genre that originated in African-American communities of primarily the "Deep South" of the United States at the end of the 19th century from spirituals, work songs, field hollers, shouts and chants, and rhymed simple narrative ballads...
singer - A. T. PowersA. T. PowersAustin Toliver Powers, known as A. T. Powers , was a leading figure from the 1930s to the 1970s in the theologically conservative American Baptist Association, based in Texarkana, Texas...
(1896–1975) was a Missionary Baptist clergyman in Minden from 1956–1961, a former two-term president of the American Baptist AssociationAmerican Baptist AssociationThe American Baptist Association , formed in 1924, is an association of nearly 2,000 theologically conservative churches that are Landmark Baptist in their missions and teachings...
. - Maggie RenfroMaggie RenfroMaggie Mae Renfro was an American supercentenarian who was, at 114, the third-oldest living person in the United States and the oldest person in Louisiana until her death on January 22, 2010...
(1895-2010), an AthensAthens, LouisianaAthens is a village in Claiborne Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 262 at the 2000 census.The Pilgrim's Pride poultry hatchery in Athens was designated for closure early in 2009, along with other company businesses in nearby Arcadia in Bienville Parish, Choudrant in Lincoln...
native and Minden resident, was at the time of her death the third oldest person living in the United States. - Ada Jack Carver SnellAda Jack Carver SnellAda Jack Carver Snell was an American short story writer originally from the historic city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.-Background:...
(1890–1972) was a short storyShort storyA short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer who specialized in the literature of the Cane RiverCane RiverCane River is a lake and river formed from a portion of the Red River that is located in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. In the 19th and 20th centuries, it has been best known as the site of a historic Creole de couleur culture that has centers upon the National Historic Landmark Melrose...
of Natchitoches Parish. - David SnellDavid Snell (journalist)David Snell was a reporter and cartoonist for the defunct Life Magazine and several other publications during his career as a journalist.-Early years, family, education:...
(1921–1987) was a journalistJournalistA journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
and cartoonistCartoonistA cartoonist is a person who specializes in drawing cartoons. This work is usually humorous, mainly created for entertainment, political commentary or advertising...
for the defunct LifeLife (magazine)Life generally refers to three American magazines:*A humor and general interest magazine published from 1883 to 1936. Time founder Henry Luce bought the magazine in 1936 solely so that he could acquire the rights to its name....
magazine. - Tam SpivaTam SpivaHubert Tamblyn Spiva, known as Tam Spiva , is a television screenwriter in Pacific Palisades, California, who is best known for his work on ABC's The Brady Bunch situation comedy , starring Florence Henderson and Robert Reed, and CBS's family drama Gentle Ben starring Dennis Weaver.Spiva is...
(born 1932) is a televisionTelevisionTelevision is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
script writer (ABC'sAmerican Broadcasting CompanyThe American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
The Brady BunchThe Brady BunchThe Brady Bunch is an American sitcom created by Sherwood Schwartz and starring Robert Reed, Florence Henderson, and Ann B. Davis. The series revolved around a large blended family...
and CBS's Gentle BenGentle BenGentle Ben is a children's novel by author Walt Morey, first published in 1965. The book concerns the friendship between the title character, a bear, and a young boy named Mark...
). - Latha Tomlinson (born 1983) is a television writer for Ghost HuntersGhost HuntersGhost Hunters is an American paranormal reality television series that premiered on October 6, 2004, on Syfy . The program features paranormal investigators Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson who investigate places that are reported to be haunted. The two originally worked as plumbers for Roto-Rooter as...
. - Jimmy G. TharpeJimmy G. TharpeJimmy Gid Tharpe, Sr. , was an Independent Baptist clergyman in Shreveport, Louisiana, who founded the unaccredited theologically conservative Louisiana Baptist University and Theological Seminary, originally established in 1973 as Baptist Christian University...
(1930–2008) was an Independent BaptistIndependent BaptistIndependent Baptist churches are Christian churches generally holding to conservative Baptist beliefs. They are characterized by being independent from the authority of denominations or similar bodies. Members of such churches comprised three percent of the United States adult population according...
clergyClergyClergy is the generic term used to describe the formal religious leadership within a given religion. A clergyman, churchman or cleric is a member of the clergy, especially one who is a priest, preacher, pastor, or other religious professional....
man originally from SibleySibley, LouisianaSibley is a town in south Webster Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 1,098 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Minden Micropolitan Statistical Area....
who founded Louisiana Baptist UniversityLouisiana Baptist UniversityLouisiana Baptist University is an accredited theologically conservative Christian university, founded in 1973, located at 6301 Westport Avenue in Shreveport, Louisiana....
in Shreveport. - Stanley R. TinerStanley R. TinerStanley Ray Tiner has since May 2000 been the executive editor and vice president of The Sun Herald newspaper in Biloxi-Gulfport, Mississippi. He previously served briefly as the executive editor of The Daily Oklahoman in Oklahoma City and as editor of the Press-Register in Mobile, Alabama...
(born 1942), the executive editor of The Sun HeraldThe Sun HeraldThe Sun Herald is a U.S. newspaper based in Biloxi, Mississippi, that serves readers along the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is owned by The McClatchy Company, one of the largest newspaper publishers in the United States....
in Biloxi-GulfportGulfport-Biloxi metropolitan areaThe Gulfport-Biloxi Metropolitan Statistical Area is a metropolitan area in the Mississippi Gulf Coast region that covers three counties - Hancock, Harrison, and Stone. As of the 2000 census, the MSA had a population of 246,190. The area was significantly impacted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. A...
, MississippiMississippiMississippi is a U.S. state located in the Southern United States. Jackson is the state capital and largest city. The name of the state derives from the Mississippi River, which flows along its western boundary, whose name comes from the Ojibwe word misi-ziibi...
, started his journalism career at the Minden Press-Herald in 1969-1970. The Sun Herald won the 2006 Pulitzer PrizePulitzer PrizeThe Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
for its Hurricane KatrinaHurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was a powerful Atlantic hurricane. It is the costliest natural disaster, as well as one of the five deadliest hurricanes, in the history of the United States. Among recorded Atlantic hurricanes, it was the sixth strongest overall...
coverage. - Robert O. TroutRobert O. TroutRobert Oren Trout was an American sociologist whose principal academic career was based at Louisiana Tech University in Ruston, Louisiana, where he was the longtime chairman of the Social Sciences Department.-Biography:...
(1904–1995) was a Minden educator and school principal prior to 1947, when he joined the faculty of Louisiana Tech University as a sociologist. - H.O. West (1900–1981), founder of West Brothers clothing stores, active in company, 1923–1981
- The FOE Headed Monsta Rap group consisting of Minden natives C.C. Stevens, Trey F.B. Ferrell, Lucas Luko Owens,and Decarro Dat Boi Hill
Hank Williams married in Minden
CountryCountry music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
singer Hank Williams, Sr.
Hank Williams, Sr.
Hank Williams , born Hiram King Williams, was an American singer-songwriter and musician regarded as one of the most important country music artists of all time...
, married Billie Jean Jones Eshliman in Minden on October 18, 1952. The next day, the couple repeated the vows in two separate public ceremonies. Less than three months later, Williams was dead. A judge ruled that the wedding was not legal because Billie Jean's divorce
Divorce
Divorce is the final termination of a marital union, canceling the legal duties and responsibilities of marriage and dissolving the bonds of matrimony between the parties...
did not become final until eleven days after she had married Williams. Thereafter, Billie Jean married another singing giant, Johnny Horton
Johnny Horton
John Gale "Johnny" Horton was an American country music and rockabilly singer most famous for his semi-folk, so-called "saga songs" which began the "historical ballad" craze of the late 1950s and early 1960s...
. Horton died in 1960 and is buried in Hillcrest Cemetery in Haughton
Haughton, Louisiana
Haughton is a town in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,792 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Haughton is located at ....
in Bossier Parish.