Sunday, May 10, 2009

THIS IS MY LIFE

I was born in Manila, Arkansas, in 1952, and was raised in Lake Providence, La.. I had a really terrific childhood. I was usually out riding one of my horses, swimming at the dock, across from the Ship-AHoy, skating at the rink over the lake, fishing, playing softball, or basketball, anything outside of the house.
My Dad, Buddy, was a crop-duster, 1st working at Fleeman's Airport in the 1950's, Wilson's in the 60's, and later at Charlie Davis' Flying Service. My Mom, Jeri, did waitress work at most of the eating places in town. She started at the Old 400 Club, Nellie’s [Newton] CafĂ©, and Zimmerman’s Restaurant, and even later working at the 16 Hour Grocery store.
Mom and Dad later had their own convenience store called the Hitching Post, along with my brother Bobby, and his wife, Juanita [nee Husbands, from Oak Grove, La.], which was on the ‘other’ side of the lake at the 4-Way stop. When in my 11th grade of school my sister, Sherryl, [married to Jack Miller of Oak Grove, La.] wanted me to help her gather the headstone inscriptions from the old Lake Providence Cemetery. Since she had become interested in local history, I didn‘t give it a second thought.
That summer I worked at the concession stand in the Lake Theater where I met Gordon Harrison, from Monticello, La, and after school the following year we married moving to Houston, Texas where I raised two children: Lori Ann & George. I traveled back and forth ’home’ visiting my family and making some trips to Lonoke, Arkansas visiting my sister and helping her with her Fish Frys, Motorcycle Rallies, Quilt Raffles, etc., making money to help start the new Lonoke County Museum she was putting together of which she was Curator. She was living and breathing genealogy, and history was in her blood. After 21 years of marriage I divorced.
My work at Sears kept me busy and then at work I met and married my second husband. We lived in Eureka Springs, a very beautiful tourist town. Still traveling to help Sherryl from time to time we would talk about all the history that was in and around the Lake Providence area and I began to get anxious about finding out more on East Carroll Parish. It was during this time she reminded me of the headstone inscriptions that we had done so many years before. She told me that she had given that list to Mrs. Howard, of L. P.. and if I had that it would be a start for me. I sought out to find Mrs. Howard to see if she still had a copy and hoped to get a copy of them for myself. Not only did Mr. Howard still have a copy but in my amazement Mrs. Howard gave me the original copies of our work. It was a small miracle! My marriage to Scott Schmitz only lasted 9½ years.
I had started working at the closest Wal-Mart store which was in Berryville, Arkansas. But when I could I was helping my sister with her Museum benefits, and I would go over to Lonoke. But what happened during this visit to my sister’s was the best of all. During one of our chats about my typing out the L. P. inscriptions that she told me that she had saved her hand copied 1850, 60, 70, & 80 [whites only] Census records of East Carroll Parish, of which I never knew she even had done. I could hardly believe it… WOW… what a start I had. I saved years of copying there!
It was during one of these benefits, the ‘Cajun Festival’, where I was cooking the Seafood Gumbo, when my sister introduced me to R. B. Moore, a local genealogy researcher. I made many more trips over and decided later to transfer to the Cabot, AR.. Wal-Mart. I was “overseer” for a cabin on the outskirts of Lonoke where I lived until R. B. & I married in 2003. Now, everything concerning East Carroll Parish I am collecting, and hope that if you have anything of historical value concerning the wonderful parish of East Carroll that you would like to share it. I would love to hear about any of your local Northeast Louisiana ancestors.
My name is Sandra Guthrie Moore.
My email addresses:
morechev@ipa.net morechev07@yahoo.com

EAST CARROLL RESEARCH MATERIAL THAT I HAVE COLLECTED

CENSUSES
1673 INHABITANTS ALONG THE MS. RIVER & ALONG THE AR. RIVER
1724 CENSUS ALONG THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER -
(from New Orleans to Ouacha or German Villages)
1726 GENERAL CENSUS ALONG MS. RIVER -
(to the region known as Illinois)
1810 CONCORDIA PARISH
1810 OUACHITA PARISH
1820 CONCORDIA PARISH
1820 OUACHITA PARISH
1830 & 1840 CALDWELL PARISH CENSUS
1830 & 1840 CATAHOULA PARISH CENSUS
1830 & 1840 CONCORDIA PARISH CENSUS
1830 & 1840 MADISON PARISH CENSUS
1830 & 1840 OUACHITA PARISH CENSUS
1830 & 1840 UNION PARISH CENSUS
(1850 - 1930 WHITES ONLY)
1850 CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1860 CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1870 CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1880 EAST CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1900 EAST CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1910 EAST CARROLL PARISH CENSUS INDEX
1920 EAST CARROLL PARISH CENSUS
1930 EAST CARROLL PARISH CENSUS INDEX

ALSO: OTHER CENSUSES
1840 WARREN CO., MS.
1850 ISSAQUENA CO., MS.
1860 SLAVE CENSUS SCHEDULE OF LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA.,
1870 SURNAME MATCHES FOR AFRICAN-AMERICANS
1860 AGRICULTURAL SCHEDULE OF CHICOT COUNTY, AR.
1860 AGRICULTURAL CENSUS OF CARROLL PARISH, LA.

CEMETERY RECORDS:
ALL KNOWN CEMETERIES till 1998

LAND PATENTS:
CARROLL PARISH /EAST CARROLL 1826 - 1899

WAR CASUALTIES:
Civil War, Korean War, WWI, WWII, Viet Nam,
Desert Storm, and Iraqui Freedom

MARRIAGE RECORDS:
Thru 1833 CONCORDIA MARRIAGES
1700 - 1834 OUACHITA MARRIAGES
1832 - 1900 EAST CARROLL MARRIAGES
1855 - 1900 WEST CARROLL MARRIAGES
1866 - 1900 MARRIAGE AND DEATH ABSTRACTS

NEWSPAPER MICROFILM:
(1) CARROLL RECORD - 06/16/1866 - 06/18/1867 & 02/08/1868 - 06/12/1869
(2) MISCELLANEOUS TITLES OF LAKE PROVIDENCE PAPERS: 4/5/1873 - 2/1/1879;
April 05, June 14 & 21, Nov. 01, June 07, Aug. 02, & Oct. 16. -- 1875;
April 08 - Sept. 30, & Oct. 07. -- 1876; Sept. 09, 1877; Sept 15. -- 1878;
July 20, Aug. 17, Nov. 23, 30, & Feb. 1
(3) EAST CARROLL DEMOCRAT - 05/05/1883 - 05/24/1888
(4) CARROLL BANNER - 07/14/1887 - 06/11/1892
(5) BANNER DEMOCRAT - 08/06/1892 - 12/28/1895
(6) BANNER DEMOCRAT - 01/04/1896 - 12/31/1898
(7) BANNER DEMOCRAT - 01/;07/1899 - 12/27/1902
(8) BANNER DEMOCRAT - (SCATTERED ISSUES) 1904 - 1906; 1918 - 1928
(books for sale from microfilms)
“1866 - 1876 Murder, Mayhem, & Misc. of Carroll Parish, LA.”
by Sandy Schmitz~Moore
“1877 - 1888 East Carroll Parish, LA.
Old Newspaper Gleans of the Local Folk” by Sandy Moore

BOOKS for RESEARCH:
(1) "A Place to Remember", by Georgia Pinkston & INDEX
(2) "Brokenburn, A Kate Stone Journal", by John Q. Anderson & INDEX
(3) "Between the Rivers", by McKoin & INDEX
(4) "4th LA. Infantry" book on the "Trailleurs", regimental history.
(5) "Louisiana Plantation Homes", by La. Dept. of
Commerce & Industry Tourist Bureau.
(6) “Murder, Mayhem, and Misc. of Carroll Parish”, (1866 - 1876)
by Sandy Guthrie Moore
(7) Have composed exerpts also from 1877 up through 1894, but not in book form yet.
(8) “Life on the Mississippi”, by Mark Twain.
(9) “Louisiana Plantation Homes”, by the LA Dept. of Congress & Industry.
(10) “Steamboat Gothic”, Francis Parkinson Keyes.
(11) “Ransdell of Louisiana”, by Adras Laborde
(12) “Tales of the Mississippi(River)”, by Ray Samuel,
Leonard V. Huber, & Warren C. Ogden.
(13) 1966 Telephone Book for Lake Providence, LA.
(14) "Three Roads to the Alamo", by William C. Davis. [James Bowie tells of some land deals happening around the northeast Louisiana area]
(15) "Genealogy of the Roberdeau Family", by Roberdeau Buchanan


OTHER RESEARCH MATERIAL:
HEADSTONE PICTURES:
I have collected several headstone pictures from the cemeteries in East Carroll Parish, and are listed below. I am in the process of doing the Lake Providence Cemetery. If you are interested in any of these pictures please email me.
CAIN RIDGE CEMETERY
KING SOLOMON CEMETERY
MT PLEASANT CEMETERY
PERKINS CEMETERY
I also have a few headstone pictures that I have collected on the internet from these cemeteries:
EVERGREEN CEMETERY
HERRINGVILLE CEMETERY
LAKE PROVIDENCE CEMETERY


MAPS:
TOWN OF LAKE PROVIDENCE, LA. 1892
LAKE PROVIDENCE REACH, 1892
PROVIDENCE, LA, AND MS RIVER, 1911
EAST CARROLL PARISH (WARDS), 1990
LOUISIANA TOURIST MAPS (1950)
LAKE PROVIDENCE BOTTLING COMPANY LOCATION

COURT RECORDS:
NATURALIZATION PETITION RECORDS
WEST CARROLL BOND BOOK RECORDS
OUACHITA PROBATE RECORDS
SOME SLAVE SALES RECORDS (1851 -1859)

MAGAGINE STORIES:
Harper’s Magazine:
"The Canal at Lake Providence" (sketch)
"Cutting the Levee at Lake Providence" (sketch)
"Union Jim’s Prisoners" (sketch)
"A ’Contraband’ Volunter" (sketch)
Reader’s Digest: “Poorest Town in the U. S."
George Magazine: “10 Most Corrupt Cities in America”

BOOKS BY LOCAL FOLK:
“A Bird in Flight, on Broken Wings”, by Troy Buckner
“Louisiana Swamp Doctor”, by John Q. Anderson
“Life and Times of King Cotton”, by David L. Cohn.
“Ben Lilly’s Tales of Bears, Lions, & Hounds”, edited by Neil B. Cormony

HISTORICAL QUARTERLIES:
"MISSISSIPPI RIVER ROUTES"
Vicksburg Genealogy Society Quarterly.
Vol. 1, #1, 2, 3, & 4 (#3 - Milliken's Bend Academy);
Vol. 4, #1, & 3 (#1 - L. P., LA. Yellow Fever Deaths in 1878 );
Vol. 5, #1
(Recollections of James Old, Concordia Tax List 0f 1806);
Vol. 6, #1, & 4 (#1 - 1st Graduates of St. Francis Xavier Academy);
Vol. 7, #1 (Wills: (1) John Johnson & Emily Williams (2) Bridget Furgusen)
"LE RACONTEUR GENEALOGY MAGAZINE"
Baton Rouge Genealogical. I have an index of all published LeRaconteur magazines listed above and below:
Vol. XI, Nos. 3, & 4; Vol. XII, Nos. 1, 2, 3, & 4; Vol. XIII, No. 1

OLD SCHOOL ANNUALS:
1929 ECHO
1963 Deltan, 1964 Deltan, 1965 Deltan, 1966 Deltan,
1968 Deltan, and 1970 Deltan

POEMS :
“Robert E. Lee”
“the steamboat”

STORIES ABOUT THE AREA :
"Major Todd’s Leg”, from a Vicksburg newspaper

YOU CAN CONTACT ME AT:
morechev@ipa.net