Columns

A continuat ion of “Old DeSoto and Mansfield” will be the theme this week. Many of our citizens never realized there was a gunpowder factory in Mansfield located on Franklin St. It was a successful factory that made powder for shotgun shells and dynamite. The DuPont Company bought up the smaller plants like the one in Mansfield to get a monopoly on the business.

During the depression years a program was developed under F.D.R. to put men to work. The Works Progress Administration (W.P.A.) was formed. The program built the old swimming pool in Mansfield and the old Mansfield High School brick Gymnasium. Several other schools in the parish got gyms; however, they were made of wood.

From Tree To Table: A Guide To Growing Pecans In Louisiana

There’s nothing quite like pecans. With their rich, buttery flavor, these nuts are a staple of Louisiana culture and cuisine.

If you’d like to produce your own pecans, November through March is an ideal time to plant these trees. There are a few considerations to take into account first.

“Our main limitation to pecan production, especially in the residential setting, is a disease called pecan scab,” said Michael Polozola, LSU AgCenter fruit and nut specialist. “The varieties I like to recommend for residential settings are the ones that have innate disease resistance.”

Scab causes black spots and streaks on pecan husks, and nuts from affected trees do not fill in well. If you’ve ever noticed an older pecan tree that no longer yields good-quality nuts — or produces none at all — scab is likely the culprit.

Mushroom Rice

Growing up back in the Fifties my young parents were members of a couple’s bridge club here in town. They met once a month on Saturday at a member’s home and rotated so that everyone had a chance to host. Of course the competition was intense on entrees and desserts and stuff and when it was my parents turn my Mother pulled out her cookbooks and came up with some pretty darn good things. Two that I remember well were Shrimp Harpin that was a kinda cream sauce sherry infused dish over noodles and another was her Mushroom Rice.

If you are a faithful reader of this column you will know that one of the main objectives is to keep alive the history and culture of DeSoto Parish. Today’s article is devoted primarily to a historical fact that will be new to some — World War II German Concentration Camps in Mansfield!

With the cold weather, a warm bowl of soup or stew is one of the best ways to warm our bodies and souls. And with every bowl, having a slice of homemade bread or a hot muffin just makes it that much better.

Depending on the soup you make will help you choose the bread. A loaf of French Bread (homemade and straight out of the oven), pairs perfectly with a pot of Gumbo. Cornbread just seems to naturally go well with Vegetable Beef Stew. But some of the lighter soups, such as Cream of Chicken or Tomato need something a little heartier.

When I make these soups, I usually turn to one of my favorites, Paradise Muffins. They are a savory muffin, chock full of bacon and cheddar cheese — perfect to either slather with butter or used to soak up that last bit of soup in the bowl.

Prob ably most individuals that read this column weekly consider themselves as Americans who love our constitution and the freedoms which it insures. Let’s review or consider some of the facts of our constitution and freedoms.

1. What does our constitution do?

It sets up the government, defines the government, and protects the basic rights of Americans. 2. What did the Declaration of Independence do? Announced our independence from Great Britain. 3. What are the Rights in our Constitution?

Life, liberty, pursuit of happiness.

4. What is Freedom of Religion?

You can practice any religion or none at all. 5. What is the Rule of Law?

Everyone must follow the law & no one is above the law.

6. What are the Branches of Law?

Congress (Legislative) President (Executive) and the Courts (Judiciary).

7. What keeps one Branch from becoming too powerful?

Checks and Balances and Separation of Power.

Creep Feeding Beef Calves, Is It Worth It?

Proactive beef cattle producers are always on the watch for means to earn a larger profit when it is time to market their calves. One of these means is the process of creep feeding. Creep feeding provides supplemental feed in the form of forage and/or grain to nursing calves. This can be accomplished with the use of creep feeders or creep gates which allows calves of certain sizes to access the feed or forage while keeping mature cattle out.

Those of you that have read this column through the years know my first love in history is for DeSoto Parish but other things are also interesting. History can take many forms and today’s article relates to the January 1946 Roosevelt Dime. Before 1946 the dime carried the image of a female figure wearing a winged cap representing Lady Liberty and mistakenly called a Mercury Dime.

DeSoto Parish has produced many outstanding ladies through the years — some of whom I’ve written about. The lady in this article, Kate Tomkies Beard, is one of those that should be remembered down through the generations.

Kate was the wife of the battle of Mansfield hero, Col. James H. Beard. She was born July 4, 1835 in Lincoln County, North Carolina, the 4th child of John F. and Margaret Hoyle Tomkies. Like many other families the Tomkies started out in Virginia, moved to N. Carolina, then to Alabama and Mississippi and then on to DeSoto Parish. The family arrived in Kingston, La. in the late 1840’s. Mrs. Tomkies was related to C.E. Edwards, one of the wealthiest men in DeSoto Parish.

I’m a planner, that’s my happy place. I get a warm fuzzy feeling when I make a list and check it off. I majored in Accounting at Baylor University, stayed the course, and graduated with a degree exactly four years later. I checked off all my boxes.

Then I had children, and that’s when I discovered I could make as many lists as I wanted. But that didn’t mean my kids would check all the boxes as complete.

I wanted the boys to think and pray about their future careers and make plans for them. Doesn’t every parent? Let’s face it — when you’re the child of a planner you have no choice. My kids would make plans for their future.