Crawfish and Lumber in Central Louisiana


I don't know how this is smack, but the land is probably owned or controlled by the Martin Family (Roy O. Martin). I believe they are the largest landowners in Louisiana. The grandson now controls the business Roy O. Martin, III. He served on LSU Board and Louisiana Board of Regents. Crawfish is a big business all over Louisiana and timber is a big business in Central and North Louisiana. Take a ride up U.S. Hwy 167, especially when you get to Jonesboro, Louisiana just south of Ruston, Louisiana. The survival of that town depends on a woodmill. Travelling on I-49 one would see crawfish ponds just south of Alexandria and lumber mills just north of Alexandria right when you get into Natchitoches Parish. The neighborhood (Sonia Quarters) my mom grew up in was built around a sawmill, which is now closed. My great grandfather owned a grocery store that a lot of the people who lived in that neighborhood would do their grocery shopping. Integration was pretty much the reason why his grocery store went out of business. Now people do their grocery shopping at Super Markets and Walmart.
 
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I don't know how this is smack, but the land is probably owned or controlled by the Martin Family (Roy O. Martin). I believe they are the largest landowners in Louisiana. The grandson now controls the business Roy O. Martin, III. He served on LSU Board and Louisiana Board of Regents. Crawfish is a big business all over Louisiana and timber is a big business in Central and North Louisiana. Take a ride up U.S. Hwy 167, especially when you get to Jonesboro, Louisiana just south of Ruston, Louisiana. The survival of that town depends on a woodmill. Travelling on I-49 one would see crawfish ponds just south of Alexandria and lumber mills just north of Alexandria right when you get into Natchitoches Parish. The neighborhood (Sonia Quarters) my mom grew up in was built around a sawmill, which is now closed. My great grandfather owned a grocery store that a lot of the people who lived in that neighborhood would do their grocery shopping. Integration was pretty much the reason why his grocery store went out of business. Now people do their grocery shopping at Super Markets and Walmart.

Thanks. I was in Alexandria on Thursday, and the people in the town are very nice. I went to some place called: Stella Jones.
 
Thanks. I was in Alexandria on Thursday, and the people in the town are very nice. I went to some place called: Stella Jones.

There's a lot military history in Alexandria. The plans for the D-Day invasion was basically done at the Bentley Hotel with Eisenhower and Patton. Several famous Army units were created at a base just outside of Alexandria near Forest Hill. The base was called Camp Clariborne. The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were created there and the all Black tank unit the 761st aka Black Panthers were created there. The Bentley Hotel is located downtown right across the street from City Hall.
 
There's a lot military history in Alexandria. The plans for the D-Day invasion was basically done at the Bentley Hotel with Eisenhower and Patton. Several famous Army units were created at a base just outside of Alexandria near Forest Hill. The base was called Camp Clariborne. The 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions were created there and the all Black tank unit the 761st aka Black Panthers were created there. The Bentley Hotel is located downtown right across the street from City Hall.

Thanks.
 
We had a Deep South Shriners Meeting in Alexandria, LA. It was a great meeting and we were greeted by many Black elected Officials. Didn't know the area but would like to go back. Matter of fact the head man was A Grambling Alum.
 
We had a Deep South Shriners Meeting in Alexandria, LA. It was a great meeting and we were greeted by many Black elected Officials. Didn't know the area but would like to go back. Matter of fact the head man was A Grambling Alum.

Alexandria is 65% Black. Mayor Hall is a Grambling Alum. Alexandria and Monroe are very similar cities. Even the City across the river (Pineville) has a Black mayor. By it being in the center of the state, Alexandria has a little of both South and North Louisiana, which kind of give it its own identity as Central Louisiana or CENLA for short. It's surrounded by plenty of hunting, fishing, and campgrounds.
 
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