The Town Talk from Alexandria, Louisiana • Page 11

tin Week in review, A-12 Bell must cut rates, A-16 Sunday, April 28, 1991 Alexandria Sails Zton Calk a- 1 1 AJHS students visit historic sites Pilot tour organized to help develop appreciation of Louisiana history 4 1 ics Goflcn -'Vu? added stain-glassed windows in 1924 at a cost of $9,000. The church contains its original altar and a pair of rose-shaped, stain-glassed windows, thought to be the largest in the state. "The church had a big affect on the community and architecture of the South," Derek Dunkin said. "The spiritual effect showed the attitude of the people: they were close to the church." Derek, who is interested in genealogy, plans to trace his family roots. Some of his ancestors died in the Civil War.

Like most of his classmates, he enjoyed the Alexandria Historical and Genealogical Library and Museum. The building houses state, national and foreign records. The library's collection of historical items is enclosed in a By Renee Craft Staff reporter Eighth-grade students at Alexandria Junior High School wandered through local history last week and discovered their past. The honors history class of 20 participated in the first Scholars Historical Tour of Alexandria and Pineville. The walkingdriving tour took them to historical sites Wednesday beginning in downtown Alexandria and ending at several Pineville cemeteries.

The pilot tour was coordinated by the Alexandria-Pine-ville Historical Marker Association in cooperation with the Rapides Parish School Board. Its purpose was to help students develop an appreciation of Louisiana history and to motivate exploration and I r' v. A iJirf "flu come from," Mrs. Kraushaar said. Jenny Trevino snapped pictures at almost every stop on the tour.

The California native was anxious to learn more about Louisiana. "Louisiana history is more challenging because I don't know much about the state," she said. Jenny moved with her family to Alexandria a couple of years ago. "The genealogical library is interesting to me because it gives us our history. And since I'm from out-of-state, it's more interesting to me," she said.

After a lunch break at Fort Buhlow, the group moved to the Alexandria National Cemetery, established in 1867. All cemeteries were developed in Pineville because it is on higher ground than Alexandria, Mrs. Dowdy said. Following a National Cemetery guide, the group traipsed over graves dug 7 feet and 9 feet below ground. Headstones with two names, often a husband and wife, mark the graves of many.

Coffins were stacked on top of each other to save room in the cemetery. A large headstone denotes the graves of 1,537 unknown federal soldiers removed from the U.S. National Cemetery in Brownsville, Texas. Most students did not know if any of their ancestors were buried there, but one was ready to practice what she'd learned that day. "We can go look it up at the fenealogical library," Angela lirabelfa said.

Jamal McCann said the tour was a little boring at first and another student complained of too much walking. Most students, however, said they learned more on the tour than in the classroom. "We can only read about it in class," Angela Mirabella said. Textbooks document important events, but nothing beats seeing history in person. Stephen Reed Staff photographer Students study the gravestones in the cemetery behind the Mount Olivet Episcopal Church during their tour of historical areas in Alexandria and Pineville.

Stephen Reed Staff photographer Sue Tudor Miller (far right) explains the histo- part in the historical tour through Alexandria ry of the Hotel Bentley to the students taking and Pineville. La. hold historical sites 1 7 .0 1 i i A Ck Markers for the forts and Bailey's Dam are located at Fort Buhlow on Highway 165 near the banks of the Red River. Bailey's Dam Named for Union officer Col. Joseph Bailey, the dam allowed the federal fleet of about 35 vessels under the command of Admiral David A.

Porter to escape on May 13, 1864. Louisiana College A marker at Louisiana College traces the history of the college back to Old Mount Lebanon University, founded in 1852, and to when the college was established in Pineville in 1906. It was built and operated as a Baptist college. First United Methodist Church, Pineville The part early circuit riders played in the development of the Methodist religion in Louisiana is outlined in the marker at the First United Methodist Church. Built in 1875, the church was moved to its present location on Main Street and expanded in 1927.

Alexandria National Cemetery Established in UJj '-ii A tourism. Oberia Price, Helen Smart and Verdis Dowdy led the group. Though tired from tromping through town, most of the students were awe-struck by the architecture of the St. Francis Xavier Cathedral. Built in 1896, the church Beaten The beaten path in central Louisiana hides some remarkable historical sites.

Last week's first Scholars Historical Tour was an effort to show students those sites. The day-long pilot project was coordinated by the Alexan-dria-Pineville Historical Marker Association. An eighth-grade honors history class from Alexandria Junior High School began its tour in downtown Alexandria and ended in Pineville at several cemeteries. Following are the tour sites and a brief description of their history: Alexandria marker The marker, at Third and Murray streets, tells the history of the city of Alexandria up to and through the Civil War in 1864 when the town was burned to the ground. A second marker, detailing the town's struggle back, has been approved and will be placed on the opposite corner of the square.

Commercial Building Listed on the National Register of Historical Places, this building is considered Alexandria's first skyscraper. Old Rapides Bank Building marker Located in the front of the Alexandria Mu glass case. Angelique Krau-shaar, library president, said plans are to further develop the museum to the library's bottom floor. "In the meantime, we're teaching you the history of you. It's sort of fun to know who the heck you are and where you paths of seum at Main and Murray streets, the sign marks the land on which the first trading post was located, prior to 1800.

It belonged to Alexander Fulton who laid out the city of Alexandria in 1805. In 1898, Col. G.W. Bolton purchased the land on which to locate Rapides Bank. When the institution moved in 1954, the building was rented for some years before it was donated by the Robert Bolton family as an art center.

Rapides Parish governors Another marker pays tribute to four Louisiana governors from Rapides Parish. The former governors and their terms in office are Joseph Marshall Walker (1850 to 1853), Thomas Overton Moore (1860 to 1864), James Madison Wells (1865 to 1867) and Newton Crain Blanchard (1904 to 1908). The marker stands across from Alexandria City Hall on the corner of Main and Murray streets. Historical architecture The Alexandria Transportation Center is built from materials salvaged from the old railroad station formerly located on Tenth Street. The center is located on Main Street.

The old James Bolton house, 1y 4 1 4 it I A 1867, the Alexandria National Cemetery was begun after the Civil War. It holds the graves of thousands of Union and Confederate troops killed in action in the area in 1863 and 1864, including five German prisoners of war and two Seminole scouts. Pineville marker The history of Pineville is detailed on a marker in front of the old City Hall at Main and Shamrock streets. Plans are to develop the building into a museum to showcase the city's history. Mount Olivet Mount Olivet Episcopal Chapel, now home of the Diocese of Western Louisiana, once housed Union soldiers.

Other cemeteries on the tour that have historical significance are the Jewish, Methodist and old Rapides cemeteries in Pineville. A marker indicates the history of the Rapides Cemetery, the oldest in the parish, located on the grounds where the first settlements began in 1724. Plans are to erect a marker commemorating the Jewish cemetery. A W' Central now River Oaks Square, exemplifies Victorian architecture. Future plans include a marker which will commemorate the Alexandria Daily Town Talk and the old courthouse, located on the same property, which burned in 1864.

Arna Bontemps home The boyhood home of Arna Bontemps, a renowned 20th century writer, is being made into a museum depicting his works as well as other black history of the area. A historical marker has been approved for this site at Third and St. James streets. Alexandria Historical and Genealogical Library and Museum Andrew Carnegie helped reconstruct the South following the Civil War, including the building which now houses the Alexandria Historical and Genealogical Library and Museum. It was built in 1907 to replace the one that burned in the Civil War.

A marker traces the history of the building, located at Washington and Fifth streets. St. Francis Xavier Cathedral Constructed in 1898, the cathedral stands on part of the area's largest plantation homes which belonged to the Flint- 4 1 Stephen Reed Staff photographer Geneva Moreau, a social studies teacher at thedral with students Courtney Crowell and Alexandria Junior High, looks at the stained Cynthia Chapman (right) during the Scholars glass windows in the St. Francis Xavier Ca- Historical Tour. if Si Casson family.

During Reconstruction, the cathedral site was headquarters for Gen. George Armstrong Custer, whose 4,000 troops revolted while stationed here. Louisiana Maneuvers Hundreds of thousands of soldiers trained at the local military camps and went on to serve in the European and Pacific theaters of World War II. A marker on DeSoto and Main streets describes the Louisiana Maneuvers. Hotel Bentley Several commanding generals met at the Hotel Bentley in the early stages of World War II.

Built in 1907 by a lumberman, it is also on the National Register of Historical Places. When it was constructed, it was called the "Biltmore on the Bayou" and the "Waldorf on the Red River." Fort Buhlow and Fort Randolph Following a second invasion of Union troops in central Louisiana in 1864, Fort Buhlow and Fort Randolph, a sister stronghold, were erected. Stephen Reed Staff photographer displays in the Historical and Genealogical Library and Museum during the tour. Alexandria Junior High School student Angela Mirabella takes a close look at one of the.