Columns

In considering local history our neighbor to the south is a must for us to consider. Sabine Parish has been a good neighbor to DeSoto since 1843 and the founding of the two parishes. Sabine was organized two months before DeSoto and it was taken solely from Natchitoches Parish whereas DeSoto took the southern half from Natchitoches and the north from Caddo Parish which was organized in 1838 from Natchitoches. There was some exchange of property with Sabine that straightened the southern boundary line of DeSoto.

I just love a good Rueben Sandwich but have been disappointed lately. The best I’ve had, though, is the Abita Grill in Abita Springs, La. near Covington. I did some checking on the Rueben Sandwich and found out that it originated at the Blackstone Hotel in Omaha, Nebraska. During one late Saturday poker night the local Chef, who was Jewish, threw together what was on hand in the kitchen for sandwiches to feed the hungry card players. They liked it so much that the sandwich, which featured Corned Beef from the local grocery store whose owner (and poker player) was Rueben Kalofofsky, became a regular menu entry at the chain of hotels. It won National Sandwich of the year (yes, that was a real thing) in 1956!

As Paul Harvey used to say in his syndicated radio program, “AND now you know the rest of the story!” Most readers of this article know the details of the Battle of Mansfield when Gen. Taylor’s Confederate Army soundly defeated Gen. Banks’ larger Union Army on April 8, 1865. Taylor suffered less than 1000 casualties whereas Banks lost 2200 men. His hasty retreat allowed Taylor to capture 20 cannon, 200 wagons full of supplies and hundreds of rifles. General Kirby Smith, the general over all of the Trans-Mississippi region, was in Shreveport, La. He told Taylor to not engage the Union forces in Mansfield but wait until just south of Shreveport which was the capital of Louisiana at that time. “Too late, Sir”, replied Taylor, “The battle is over and the Yankees are on the run”!

A Twelfth Night Birthday!

One of my Daughter Ashley’s late arriving Christmas gift finally came in last week. I called to see if she and her Husband, Paul, could meet me for dinner so I could get it to her. We all agreed on her favorite Mexican Food Restaurant, El Compadre’, on Kings Hwy. just a block away from their house. It had been a cold and wet day that was just perfect for some Tex-Mex and our “Chili Pheromones” were kicking in.

You Need a Yam Beater

Get a Beater they said; It’ll improve your cook ing preparations they said; you can’t really do desserts unless you have one they said; (plus) You really need one. So with all the after Thanksgiving sales on kitchen utensils and all I picked up an inexpensive one at the Discount Store.

I was planning on doing our yearly Christmas dishes and one of them is a Yam Casserole with sweet potatoes and cream and beaten eggs topped with cinnamon and nutmeg. Every year it would take me a fair amount of time to bake the potatoes then scoop them out and mash it all up with a fork. Soooo, with my new mixer and two cans of prepared sweet potatoes I figured this would end up being one of my easiest dishes. Oh ha ha! You know those of you who enjoy my “Disaster Recipes”? Well you’ll get a grin out of this one.

It is interesting to take a few minutes and peruse through the old Mansfield Enterprise Newspapers at the Mansfield Female College Museum. Newspapers from the 1930’s to the 1960’s are available for your inspection. The 1951 issues reveal some items that many of you probably have forgotten. The DeSoto Hospital Fund Drive to add to the original facility was kicked off for the $100,000 expansion in 1950 with J.C. McLauren, Sr. and J.W. Caraway as Co-Chairman and Mrs. B.W. Goss, Vice Chairperson. Roger H. Silver, General Gifts Chairman, built an organization of 77 to serve as Division Chairman. The Big Gifts group was headed up by Oliver H.P. Sample, Claude Roberts, P.E.Dixon and Marshall Calhoun. Team Captains were H.L.Wiggins, Raymond Powell, Ned W. Jenkins and Riemer Calhoun, Sr. Special Gifts group consisted of Hartwell Smith, Floyd Knott, R.U. Johnson, A. N. Latham and Sam Murray.

Epiphany Feast

Or Three Kings Day is normally around two weeks after Christmas Day. In England and Europe it is also called Twelfth Night and commemorates the day when most scholars agree that the Magi or Three Kings ( of Orient “Or”) visited the Christ Child. I first became aware of this mainly Catholic Holiday when I lived in the New Orleans area. I’d been curious of my eccentric neighbor’s Christmas lights still being up and was informed by old Mr. Jimmy that lived behind me that he was probably leaving them up until Epiphany weekend. Hmmm, sounded very “convenient”, but being the new guy I decided to withhold judgment.

Sure enough Epiphany weekend came and went and my weird neighbor’s lights were still up. Now, I didn’t want to be a smart aleck (but I kinda am) and when I saw Mr. Jimmy picking up in his yard I worked my way over to ask about the lights. He shrugged and smiled and offered that maybe he was gonna wait until …. Easter. What?!

The Gifts and Travels of the Magi

“For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:11 (NKJ). We are all familiar with the nativity scene showing the holy family and the “Three Wise men” or “Three Kings”. As a twelve year old boy I could have written up the story with a great deal of confidence but with further study and reading how much do I really know about the Magi? Where did they come from? What was the star they followed?

Celebrating a new year is like being given the gift of a fresh start. We now have a clean slate before us. We want to make the best choices possible to make this the best year ever.

Many of us make New Year’s resolutions. Some of those are the same ones we make every year – lose weight, save money, get organized. And although those are all great resolutions, maybe it is time to make a few others that can help us ‘fly high’ and make all the difference in the world – to us, and others.

Here are a few suggestions:

1) R.A.O.K. – Random Acts of Kindness not only makes you feel better but can lift the spirits and put a smile on the face of others. These can be a simple smile, a kind word, or a helping hand. An RAOK can also be done through sending a card of encouragement, taking a meal to a sick neighbor, or letting someone else have that coveted parking space.

Did you e v e r think of yourself as a writer of historian? Probably not but most of the “History Buffs” are people who enjoy reading things pertaining to the past. Most of the history books were written by people who didn’t actually live history but read and heard history.

Our children and grandchildren will know us if we write it down or – second best – tell them of our lives when we were younger. Even though they seem to have their heads buried in a phone they will listen if you make it interesting. Often times children listen and retain a great deal more history than you realize. Children normally are interested in your early life and your parents and grandparents. How your fore parents migrated to this part of America and why they came is also interesting.