Entries about bridge

9 January 2008

Barksdale AFB is not really in Shreveport - it is east of the city near Bossier City.

Driving through Shreveport on the interstate

Panorama coming into Shreveport from the east

We made a detour down off the freeway to look at ProBass Shops Outdoor World

Outdoor World

But they weren't open yet

I wanted to go to the historic cemetery in downtown Shreveport, and I wanted to know where it was, so Bob stopped and let me out at the visitor's center to get maps and information.

Shreveport Bossier Convention and Tourist Bureau

Painting on the wall next to the Visitor's Bureau

The people there were extremely helpful. Even though there are some discontented AF wives living here. Shreveport does have things to do other than gamble. Although there are quite a few casinos

Eldorado Casino sign

First we went out to Mooringsport north of town

Driving to Mooringsport

Mooringsport masonic lodge

to see the Historic Caddo Lake lift bridge (free). I found out about this historic bridge in the AAA handbook. In 1914, the bridge at Mooringsport was built to replace the ferry.

Lift bridge from the shore

Railroad bridge next to the lift bridge

Bob approaching the sign

Sign about the bridge

According to the website:
The Midland Bridge Company of Kansas City, Missouri built the bridge under authority of the Caddo Parish Police Jury. This vehicular bridge illustrates the unique "Vertical-Lift" design of Mr. James Alexander Low Waddell of the illustrious firm of Waddell and Harrington Bridges. This design allowed the entire center span to lift in a vertical direction to allow tall oil equipment to pass through, especially Gulf Oil Company's pile driver. This design was invented in 1893...

Part of the historic lift bridge

Joint in the bridge deck

In the summer of 1941, just prior to World War II, the United States Army held maneuvers in and around Mooringsport as a means of preparing the soldiers for war. During the maneuvers, Generals Dwight D. Eisenhower and George S. Patton came to Mooringsport and led the Red and Blue armies in the "capture" of the bridge. They also bombed the bridge with sacks of flour.

In the mid 1940's, ownership of the bridge was transferred away from Caddo Parish to the Louisiana Department of Highways {LA Department of Transportation & Development-DOTD}. Shortly after the transfer, the Department of Highways realized that there was no longer a need for the bridge to open. Consequently, the concrete counterweights were removed from the bridge's tower and dropped in the lake. ..

Standing at the entrance to the bridge

In the late 1970's due to the narrow width of the bridge, the flow of vehicular traffic was changed to one alternating lane. At this time, the DOTD determined that the useful life of the bridge had been exhausted and it was time to consider its replacement. In 1989, the DOTD received funds from the Federal Highway Administration for a bridge replacement project. The project called for the construction of a new two lane bridge approximately fifty feet to the east of the old bridge. Due to efforts of preservationists, the old bridge was not demolished as in the original plans.

Parallel bridges

There were people fishing on and under the bridge.

Fishermen under the bridge

A train passed on the railroad bridge.

Railroad bridge

We watched someone putting their boat on a trailer.

Launching a boat

Then since we were already out there, we went on up to Oil City and visited the Louisiana Oil and Gas Museum (also free).

Museum entrance

The exhibits start off with the the local Amerindian population (the Caddo Indians) with relics and arrowheads dating back 10,000 years.

Beehive house of the Caddo Indians

There was also an exhibit on clearing log jams with a mock-up of a dynamite igniter (where you push down the handle to set off the dynamite). Bob pushed it and it really went off with a bang and startled us.

Log jam cleaning exhibit

Henry Shreve's influence on the area

There are dioramas depicting the life of early oil town workers including a bar

Bar diorama

and house.

Shotgun house

Setup like a kitchen of an oil worker

Living room

Privy

Oil drilling equipment diorama

There are also many artifacts of the oil industry including a wooden flow line pipe, an electric motor patented in 1899, a steam-driven fluid pump, pipe tongs and other equipment.

Drilling platform

Photos of the oil barons

There is also a large collection of early boomtown and gusher photographs.

Huey Long's involvement

I hadn't realized the Huey Long was involved in the oil industry.

Outside, you can visit the oil derrick and historic boomtown buildings just outside the museum.

One of the outside exhibits

Caboose in the museum yard

And you can see the previous home of the museum which was in the city's old Kansas City Southern railroad depot.

The museum was initially formed by a group of citizens in 1969. They wanted to highlight the historic importance of the town as the site of the 1911 "Ferry No. 1" well, which was one of the world's first over-water discovery wells.

We left there about 1300 - we asked for directions of where to eat, but there didn't seem to be anything any closer than 10 miles so we headed back toward Shreveport. We drove for some time without seeing any place to eat. Finally we came to this place which advertises itself as "Where the Smoke Never Clears" and where you can get authentic Louisiana BBQ.

Sign over the restaurant

Advertisement on the street

For lunch they had

SANDWICHES: Sausage, Ham, Turkey, Pulled Pork, Sliced or Chopped Brisket
LIL' PODNUH'S MEALS: Kids size portions served with 1 side, Texas Toast, and a regular soft drink
PLATES: Served with your choice of two sides, Texas Toast and trimmings: Beef • Pulled Pork • Ham • Sausage • Turkey • Chicken • St Louis Style Ribs

And they say you can buy any of of delicious smoked meats and sides in party packs or in individual, larger amounts.

Inside of the restaurant

• 1 Meat Plate $6.99
• 2 Meat Plate $7.99
• 3 Meat Plate $8.99
• ¼ Chicken $4.99
• ½ Chicken $6.99
• 3 Rib Platter $7.99
• 6 Rib Platter $11.99
• Bar-B-Que Sampler Plate (St. Louis Style Ribs, Sliced Brisket, Ham & Down Home Sausage) $11.99

LUNCH SPECIALS: Available Monday–Saturday until 5:00 pm. Served with choice of two sides

• Pork, Ham, Turkey, Sausage or Brisket Sandwich $5.49
• ½ Chicken $5.99
• Sausage Plate $5.49

The food is served in a kind of cafeteria setting.

A plate would have been too much food and too close to dinner. So we had one of the Lunch Specials - we shared a half chicken and two sides. The sides available were Podnuh's Baked Beans, Homemade Potato Salad, Cole Sl aw, Mashed Potatoes & Green Beans. I'm pretty sure, from the picture that we had corn on the cob too.

Our Plate of food

We got to the cemetery (Oakland) about 1400.

One of the buildings near the cemetery

We drove around the cemetery past the entrance at Milam Street and Elvis Presley Boulevard, but couldn't find a place to park on the street. So we parked in an adjacent lot, and walked over. I took some pictures.

Oakland Cemetery gate

On the very edge of Shreveport's business district by the Municipal Auditorium is the old Oakland Cemetery, resting place of Shreveport's pioneers for over 150 years. It is not that well known but it is the city's oldest and arguably most important landmark.

Oakland Cemetery

Facts About Oakland

Some of the gravestones and monuments

* Founded in 1847

• Oldest monument bears a death date of 1842; moved here from earlier, now vanished, Fannin Street Cemetery, which closed when Oakland was opened.
• At least 15 (and probably 16) Mayors rest here
• 85% of burials pre-date 1900
• Ten acres in size
• Boundaries are Milam, Christian and Sprague Streets and the Municipal Plaza
• Believed to contain about 5,000 burials, many of these unmarked

Memorial plaque to 1873 yellow fever victims

• 759 victims of the 1873 yellow fever epidemic rest in a mass grave; more throughout cemetery

First Jewish Cemetery

• Jewish section (1858) was third Jewish Cemetery in Louisiana outside New Orleans
• Over 300 veterans of the Civil War are buried here
• Listed in National Register of Historic Places, 1977

Oakland is still in use, though few burials now take place here

Old building in downtown

Reflection in an architecture firm's building

Then we drove back to Barksdale and got there about 1515. Homebase to both the B-52 Stratofortress and the A-10 Thunderbolt II, Barksdale is an important air force base in United States. All vehicles are subject to search.

They have a museum there, and we went through that. It is Free, but you need
A Government issued ID, (Drivers License, Passport etc.) to gain entry at the museum entrance.
No backpacks, briefcases or large bags will be allowed in any buildings.
Visitors please sign in upon entering the museum.

Inside the museum are displays of

"The Home Front" a large cabinet radio, and a Gold Star flag

and "The History of Aerial Bombardment"

B 52 Gunner Shield and B-52 Stratofortress Gunnery Turret

including photos and displays on other Army Air Corps and Air Force planes. It was very dark and photography was difficult.

After we looked around the museum, went into the museum shop and looked around briefly, but did not buy anything. The items that they have for sale are available on the internet.

Eighth Air Force Museum Association Gift Shop

Then I was tired. I walked back to our Inn unit.

Outside the museum, twenty-eight aircraft are on static display, including the

North American P-51D Mustang

the B-17 Flying Fortress, the F-84F Thunderstreak,

Boeing B-47E "Stratojet"

the KC-97 Stratofreighter, the B-52D Stratofortress and the

Boeing B-29 Superfortress

Stratocruiser

Bob went on took pictures of the airplanes outside of the museum, He has one of the

MiG 21-F

and the

Lockheed P80 Shooting Star

List of items on static display
1. 1953 Dodge AF Ambulance

B-47 Stratofortress

2. Boeing B-47E (above)

Thunderstreak

3. Republic F-84F

Moonbeam McSwine

4. North American P-51D

Boeing B-17G Yankee Doodle

5. Boeing B-17G
6. 8AF Memorial Walkway

Louisiana Belle II

7. Consolidated (Ford) B-24J

Douglas C-47A SkyTraker

8. Douglas C-47A

Beechcraft C-45 Expeditor

9. Beechcraft C-45

Beechcraft AT-11

10. Beechcraft AT-11
11. Titan II Nose Cone
12. B-58 Rocket Sled

General Dynamics FB 111A

13. General Dynamics FB-111A
14. GE TF-30 Jet Engine
15. Lockheed T-33A
16. Boeing B-29 (above)
17. OA-11 Crash Truck
18. Boeing KC-97G/L

Avro Vulcan

19. AVRO Vulcan
20. Jet Engine Crane
21. MiG-21F (above)
22. Boeing B-52D
23. EUCLID

Boeing B-52G and closeup of front section

B-52G

24. B-52G
25. AGM-28
26. P-15 Crash Truck

Boeing KC-135A

Boeing KC-135A

27. Boeing KC-135A

SR-71A Blackbird - newest edition

28. Lockheed SR-71A

I decided to skip dinner and just eat some stuff that we had there. So this was a really inexpensive day. Tomorrow we are driving to Frisco to see our Texas grandchildren