The City Hall that lost it’s balls in Alexandria, La.

First of all…This is not going in the direction you might think.

 

  Although that premise did cross my mind.    

The title to this story has a good ring to it…But I digress…    

This is about a good old-fashioned mystery..    

A who done it or what happened to?    

It is the case of the missing “balls”..    

And PLEASE..no smart comments!!    

The Alexandria City Hall was built in 1909.    

Here is a photo taken shortly after it was built.    

Notice the four balls  around the rotunda..    

 

 

 

 

 

Notice four balls at each corner of dome.

Now lets take a look at another early photograph…,A few years latter. Probably around 1920-25.    

I have labeled and highlighted the “ball’s”  so there is no confusion.    

Detail air view 1920-25.

Now the mystery begins…. Sometime in the 1940′s Alexandria’s City Hall lost it’s “balls”.  

What happened to them?  

Where did they go??

They are gone from this late 1950′s photograph.  

balls are missing.

 As you can plainly see the “balls” are missing..gone..  

What happened to the City Hall’s balls???  

Perhaps..we will never know.  

From what I can determine, they went missing in the 1940′s or early 50′s.  

Interesting mystery.  

Alex  

Alexandria’s Barber Shops of the past. 1915+

While checking my stats on visitors to Alex Cenla, I came upon a puzzling item.

For some reason people were doing a lot of searches for Barber Shop in some frame or the other.

So Alex being Alex decided to give them something to look at.

Around 1912 or a little after the story was told to me, the gentleman who owned the shop pictured, came to Alexandria, La. from Bentley, La. on of all things an Ox Cart.

His name was Oliver Luther Tullos. Known to his friends as  Oliver… There are still a lot of Tullos in the Bentley area today. He learned the trade of barbering and became the operator off a large shop on 2nd or Main Street as it is known today..(around the year 1915.)

As you can see in the photo’s it was a successful shop. But for some reason. (unknown) He left barbering to become a city policeman.

Oddly enough retiring with badge #1 He is pictured below in the back of the shop with a bow tie and white shirt, reflected in the mirror.

Operator O.L. Tullos, middle , back, with bow tie.

Here is another photo of the other side of the shop.

Another view of Shop, right side.

One thing I noticed is that each customer had his own shaving cup on a rack in back of the shop. 

I thought it would be interesting for you to see a barber shop out of the past…

Sort of  visiting another planet.

Alex

Shiloh Church (update)

I have been told by  one of my contacts that Shiloh will not be demolished. I hope that turns out to be factual.

My source is in the know.  Lets see if the Town Talk reports that fact in the coming week.

(They did two days after I found out about it.)

We do not need another empty  lot downtown..We have an excess of them already.

Alex

Downtown Alexandria at its peak. 3rd Street. 1950′s.

How do you bring something like this back?

You can  not.

Still it is interesting to think about.

Peak traffic on 3rd Street 1950's.

 

Alex

Alexandria’s total lack of concern. (SHILOH CHURCH) or preaching to an empty church.

Here I go again preaching to an empty church so to speak!

From 1900 to 1910 we saw the buildings below  built in Alexandria.

Where are they today?

GONE!

TORN DOWN FOR:

PROGRESS!!!!

Sad.

Where is this building?

GONE!

 

Now let’s look at Shiloh Baptist Church at it’s beginning.

Let’s look at it today.

 

Will it be here tomorrow?

It’s up to you.

Anyone care?

I hope so.

 

This one may be next.

 This church may be next after Shiloh.

Do you know where it is?

Of course not.

Who cares about old historic buildings?

Alex cares…Do you?

Save Shiloh and move on to other historic buildings that need to remind us of a better past.

Nough said.

Sad Alex

The Alexandria Retrospective..A super place to visit.

Alex is a history buff..I love nostalgia.Anything that deals with Central Louisiana.

Unlike some bloggers who seem to have an aversion to writing about the good things.

Although we may not be headed in a positive direction.

I believe in Central Louisiana and its future.

I am a kean student of it’s past…..

I also believe we can learn a lot from our past mistakes, if we pay attention.

I would like to reccomend a web site to you.

I have had it listed in my roll of good history sites for Central Louisiana since I started this blog.

Some of you may have visited it.

I can count only a few people who are interested in Central Louisiana in a positive way as my friends.

The publisher of the Alexandria Retrospective is one of that very few.

His name is Ken Freeman. Ken was born and raised in Alexandria.

He is an avid student of this area and it’s history.

I am placing the link to the Alexandria Retrospective in this story.

Visit it.

Learn and remember if you are fortunate enough to have been born here.

http://alexandria-louisiana.com/

Thanks for what you do and your past favors, Ken!

Alex

Our city needs? Alexandria, Louisiana.

In the coming years what are the need’s of Alexandria?

Somewhere in the late 1920′s we had an opportunity to begin to thrive and grow.

Unfortunately our elected officials began to think that truck farming would be a great way to grow.

Through the 1930′s that industry did not grow and neither did our City.

Cotton and sugar cane remained our major economic  force along with king timber.

(Strike one)

World war two came along and offered Central Louisiana and Alexandria the opportunity of a lifetime after it was over.

Once again Alexandria missed the boat, so to speak.

Other towns grew, we became stagnant.

(strike two)

The 1950′s through the 70′s saw very  little if any population growth.

We enticed several big  company’s to invest in the area..

All across the river..

A few survived, most folded and closed.

Still stagnate growth..

(Strike three)

1980′s till today.

A  little more growth.not enough to mention.

Air base closes. (a few business model’s  move in)

No real big success.

No incentive for growth.

We focus on urban  sprawl.. Whipping dead horse’s again.

They are desperately trying  to revitalize downtown in the present administration.

What happened to encourage industry?

Promoting tourism?

Not talking about bicycle trails or driving tours or Bar-b-Q losers or no name talent or any of that mundane stuff…

That just attracts the locals…

Hotel’s help but do not encourage tourism……(misplaced emphasis.)

Is anyone really interested in seeing our city grow?

The mayor’s election coming up will be a dirty nasty toxic oil spill in Alexandria.

The only candidate I can see that will  make a feeble attempt to move forward is the current one.

And he is not an ideal option..

Our city councilmen best serve the city in their current post..

The others..I think they are running for office for a multitude of wrong, wrong reasons..

No bull shit..It is all about what can you do in a positive progressive  effort for ALL of Alexandria..Not for your self.

I am not endorsing or belittling any  one.  

 Just giving my opinion.. Oh, and I do realize it is perhaps NOT  the best in some of the readers minds.

I just do not want to see another opportunity dumped in the sewer for the sake of misplaced ambitions.

(strike four )

(is strike five headed our way?)

Probably..I hope not.

What are your thoughts? (if any)

Alex

General Petraeus letter to troops on July 4th.

This is a letter sent to the troops on July 4th.

Since things like this get NO coverage to speak of in the United States. I thought it would b e intresting for you to read.

Alex

GenPetraeusLettertotheTroops

Happy 4th of July!!

Most of us still love our country!!

Just enjoy the sight! And see the whole picture.

Happy 4th of July.

God love us!!

Alex

80% of the elected politicians.

 

I just bought the best ice box from this politician in Alexandria.

On the local level I see it every day. It is sad but true. Most of our local politicians who hold elective office are wrapped up in their own little world.

That world is closed to anyone other than someone who can do for them in some way or the other.  It is a self gratification complex akin to a sexual pervert.

They will if cornered stare at you with a vacant look and nod to your complaints, then as soon as you are gone, slip back into their “God, I love myself” obsession.

They will promise you anything if they have to and then sell out to the highest bidder. The” what is in it for me”  complex is rampant in Alexandria politics.

Have you noticed the slipshod way the sidewalks on Jackson street are being reconstructed?

Just approach a representative of city government and ask them why is such shoddy work being done?

I guarantee at least three out of  four,  you ask will cite every possible excuse that comes to their tiny mind..

The one  out of four if you are lucky will say, “I will look into it.”  But probably will forget about it before you are out of  their line of vision.

Now do not get me wrong, I am not bitter about this. I am just mystified as to why we continue to reelect these light headed people who are so full of their imaginary self-importance, they can not focus on solving the simplest of problems without trying to make it as complex and as screwed up as they possibly can?

Oh, I am sure that most people will claim old Alex has flipped…But think about it for a while.

Sort of rings true.

And that is more than sad…

Will it change?

When cow’s can fly and hell freezes over.

(Ask any  politician, they will  say it is possible. If you vote for them next election.)

Alex