Keep Up With Covington

The new newsletter is now available (free) in the green newspaper boxes all around town. It's a handy reference for what's happening around town.

Fools of Misrule 12th Night

Saturday, January 6th Downtown CovLA

Witnessing the absence of proper Twelfth Night merrymaking on the Northshore, the St. John Fools of Misrule was formed to announce the arrival of the Carnival season to St. Tammany Parish. The organization’s rituals are derived from an ancient English men’s group that clamored along the evening streets creating unruliness with cowbells and whips while delivering jeers and spankings to those caught on the street unaware. This bawdy procession begins at 6:00pm this Saturday, January 6th at the Tap Room and marches two entire blocks before stopping at the Trailhead to choose the Lord of Fools and make much merriment. The group then foolishly advances to the Boston Pub and Wharton's Green Room followed by a stroll to Rock n' Blues with a finish at the Tap Room.

Enrollment is currently open for the Spring 2024 Semester, which begins January 17th.

NTCC programs include the Louisiana Transfer Degree, Health Sciences, Technical Education, General Studies, Construction Trades and others.

Northshore Technical Community College is committed to providing quality workforce training and transfer opportunities by awarding associate degrees, technical diplomas and certificates to students seeking a competitive edge in today’s global economy. … Degrees and Courses

Well, This is Cool

1947 Phone Book (Part 1 of 3)

Big Thanks to my friend, Bob Bailey, who shared the 1947 Covington phone book with me. Bob recovered it from his grandparent's home just north of the St. Joseph Abbey. Bob recalls as a child, riding the family carriage through the woods to Mass at the Abbey.

For the younger amongst us, a phone book is made of paper bound together. Telephones were connected to the wall by wires and required "dialing" a number (on an actual dial). The book contained a list of all the residents and businesses that had a phone (not everyone had one). The list included the name, the address and the phone's number.

Front Cover

Back Cover

In 1947, the home pictured below was the childhood home of Fred, Dick, Sue and Jack Blossman. Mr. Jack recalls this being the home to the first television in Covington. When first turned on, there was nothing on the screen. Several days later, they received a test pattern signal from WDSU. Friends, family and neighbors would gather around the set to view the test pattern.

Later, the house served as the childhood home of Mickey, Larry, Blinky, Joel and Jon Champagne.

B - C

C - E

E - G

G - I

In 1947, most businesses in downtown Covington had phones as well as many residents in the Old Covington Neighborhood and some in the West 20s.

Based on this phone directory, few phones were found in the west teen avenues and no phones were found in our historically Black community i.e. the West 30s save "Professor" James A. Harrison (824 Florida), principal of Covington Rosenwald from 1933 to 1957. Today, the old school at the corner of 28th and Tyler St. bears his name: Harrison Curriculum Center.

Click here for the Legacy of Dr. Harrison.

Look for more "phone book history" in my next two e-blasts

MMJ

Replies to this e-mail go directly to Mayor Mark.

Rooted in History, Focused on the Future