by Wesley Harris
Q: What early railroad led to the creation of Ruston and the development of the local economy?
A: The Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific (VS&P) Railroad. The line linked Ruston to Vicksburg and Shreveport where other rails could take travelers to points further east and west.
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Q: What location served as the seat of government for Lincoln Parish before it was moved to Ruston?
A: Vienna, from 1873 when the parish was created to 1884.
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Q: What is the nickname for the Town of Dubach based on an unique architectural feature of the area?
A: Dubach is known as the “Dog Trot Capital of the World,” celebrating the traditional “dog trot”-style homes of the 1800s that featured an open breezeway running through the center of the structure.
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Q: Where was Ruston’s first high school located?
A: Ruston High School was built in the block where City Hall now stands. Formerly, this block was the home of Ruston College. When the new Ruston High School was constructed in 1939, the old building was used as a junior high school. It was torn down in the 1960s with the City Hall/Civic Center complex replacing it in the early 70s.
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Q: What led to the massive decline in peach production in Lincoln Parish?
A: Fungal diseases in the soil after the federal government banned the only pesticide that could kill it. Occasional massive spring freezes didn’t help, either.
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Q: What was the original name of Louisiana Tech?
A: Tech was founded as Louisiana Industrial Institute in 1894. The name was changed to Louisiana Polytechnic Institute in 1921, although informally referred to as Louisiana Tech. In 1970, the name was officially changed to Louisiana Tech University.
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Q: Where was Ruston’s first park that included recreational facilities?
A: Memorial Park on Memorial Drive. Over the years the park has included a baseball stadium, swimming pool, and playground equipment. The baseball stadium was dismantled and moved to Woodland Park as Fraser Field but has since been demolished. Soon a skate park will be constructed on the former pool site.
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Q: Is Railroad Park’s magnificent fountain original to the park?
A: No. It is an exact replica of the 1890s fountain that was destroyed by a hard freeze.
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Q: Of the post offices still operating in Lincoln Parish, which one has existed the longest?
A: Choudrant post office, established 1857, even before Choudrant was officially incorporated.
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Q: What were the two most serious disasters in terms of property damage to occur on the Louisiana Tech campus?
A: The April 25, 2019, tornado that destroyed the softball and baseball complexes and damaged residence halls and other facilities and the January 6, 1936, fire that demolished the “Old Main,” which contained most of the campus’s classrooms, labs, administrative offices, and the auditorium and library.
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Q: When did Louisiana Tech officially acquire its first live Bulldog mascot?
A: “Tech I” was given to the school in 1930 by Henry and Thomas Matthews, two students from Shreveport. The bulldog died August 17, 1932 after receiving injuries from an unknown source. He was buried off campus with plans to later move his grave to the athletic field. According to legend, five students unofficially adopted a bulldog in 1899 that had been wandering around campus. A fire broke out among the students’ house not long after. The adopted bulldog barked at his new masters until they all awoke, allowing them to escape the burning building. The bulldog, however, had inhaled too much smoke and never made it out of the building. The students supposedly buried the dog on campus.
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