Webster Parish Courthouse        

                              Constructed in 1952                                     

   Our leaders believed in the youth of the town. Progress is never at a standstill.  The parish fathers outgrew their quarters in the half century - old courthouse, so they built this magnificent structure. Isn't it beautiful? Mr. J. E.  Pitcher, Superintendent of Schools is the man pictured on the left. This courthouse was built on the site of the Minden City Park. When this picture was made the school board had office space in the new courthouse.      

                                              Earlene Mendenhall Lyle, Mayor Bill Robertson and
                                              Sherry Gresham Gritzbaugh

                                                                             The Civic Center

                                                      Earlene Lyle, Supt. of Schools, W. W. "Butch" Williams, Jr., & Sherry Gritzbaugh

                                                     Taken inside the Webster Parish School Building which now has their own building.

            May, 2006                   

In 1954 the school building was located in the court house.

From the 1954 Grig

Sherry Gresham Gritzbaugh, Police Chief, T. C. Bloxom, & Earlene Mendenhall Lyle

This was the Webster Parish Courthouse in 1953. It was built in 1905 and cost $52,000.00.

It broke my heart when this historical building was demolished. I thought it was so pretty. It

once had a clock in its dome. It was removed when it stopped working in the 1930's. 

From a postcard

MINDEN, LOUISIANA
ESTABLISHED 1835
BY
Charles H. Veeder   

Minden remained an ordinary town until 1871. In 1872 this courthouse was built on Main and Union St.

PA2820  (F172) Minden, La. Court House (1st) Main and Union compliments of

La. State University - Shreveport

One University Place

Shreveport, Louisiana 71115-2399

The first Minden Court House was built on Main and Union in 1872. It looks desolate.

Where are the horse and buggies?

In 1871 the first police jury was organized in the old town hall, which subsequently burned . You can read this complete history under the history of Webster Parish, even the part about Minden having a saloon in it.

                                                                   http://www.rootsweb.com/~lawebste/

                         You will want to click onto the Webster Parish History 1890 hyperlink.

                                        John Chaffe's bull was elected mayor in 1872.  John L. Hart was then appointed mayor after the election. 

CAN YOU  BELIEVE MINDEN HAD A SALOON IN IT?!

The fire of December 30, resulted in the destruction of the business center of the present Goodwill Store, south  to the Drake Store, namely Hart's two-story building, Wimberly's Store, south to the Drake Store, William Oliver's Store,  F. Robinson's Store, which is now Capt. W. B. Miller's grocery, which  is now the office of the Eagle Eye Newspaper and Miller's Jewelry, Warren's General store, where Leary & Creichton's Store now is, William  Holmes' and C House, where the JONES' SALOON  NOW now is, while the grocery store which occupied the  Hill Store was blown up to save the Drake building.                                                                                                

Compliments of Neil Baker