By Jonah Daigle, Bossier Parish History Center
Whilst trawling through the older editions of the Bossier papers, there were two separate articles that caught my eye. At my time of writing, there was another in a series of recent heavy rains striking the region, inundating Bossier Parish and the surrounding area with more rain than anyone seems to want. Indeed, the clouds have reopened and rain once again makes its presence known as I continue. The first of these articles written for the Bossier Banner on June 16, 1898, details a great storm striking the region, bringing with it thunder, lightning, and more:
“Heavy rains fell at this place last Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The rain on Saturday was accompanied by a slight hail, and the downpour of Sunday morning was unusually heavy for this season of the year. The rain of Monday forenoon lasted about two hours, and was accompanied by frequent heavy peals of thunder and bursts of lightning. A bolt struck a post-oak shade tree within twenty feet of the residence of the editor of The Banner. [In 1898 the editor was W. H. Scanland.] The tree was struck at the height of about ten feet from the ground, ripping off the bark in a zig-zag direction from the south to the southwest, being an area of one-fourth of the surface of the tree, which is about two feet in diameter. The tree was split at the point of striking, the rift running in the same direction to the roots of the tree. It is about half an inch wide and extends perhaps half way through the tree. About ten feet from the ground is a hole an inch in diameter and an inch in depth, and near the base of the tree is a similar one, and the ground on the west side of the tree at the roots was torn into crevices. The shock was terrifying and the blaze was almost blinding in effect. There were two distinct reports and the tree was evidently struck by two bolts. This upsets the theory, or rather common belief that lightning never strikes twice in the same place.”
“At about the same moment a post-oak tree about fifty feet south of the dwelling house of Mr. H. M. Bailey, about two blocks distant, was also struck by a thunder bolt. The tree is two and a half feet in diameter, and was struck at a distance of ten feet from the ground, splitting it off from the shattered trunk, and stripping off the bark to the length of nearly 25 feet. Fragments of limbs and pieces of bark were thrown upon the house and for some distance about the premises.”
“This place was visited by another heavy rain and thunder storm Tuesday evening, continuing throughout the night and yesterday.”
Storms like these, and storms like those in the past week, led to the creation of the Bodcau Dam project and a series of levees in 1935 (which as an aside, these projects were part of the wider New Deal and the Works Progress Administration). This article, written in April 4, 1935, details the some of the various way that these works will assist the parish:
“The Banner and many citizens and officials throughout Bossier Parish were glad to learn late last week that the Army engineers had finally approved a group of Red River Valley improvements, including the Bodcau Dam and Canal Project, advocated by this publication for some years.”
“In addition to the Bodcau Project, levee work in North Bossier was also among the projects approved. It is understood that the total amount involved in the Red River program will exceed 40 million dollars.”
“The Bodcau dam would protect several thousand acres of land from overflow in this parish and would open up a very fertile section of alluvial land, south of Deans Point, the dam site, southward along Red Chute, for farming purposes. It will also protect low-lying sections of Barksdale Field from overflow.”
“The recommendations of the engineers must now go to Congress for final approval. It is understood that President Roosevelt has already placed his [okay] on the projects.”
“Work may get underway on one or more of these projects before the end of the current year some Bossier folk believe.”
“J. E. Murray, president of the Bossier Levee Board is taking an active part in trying to get these projects approved and work started with as little delay as possible. Various public and civic bodies in the parish have urged the adoption of this program, fostered by the Red River Valley Improvement Association.”
It is improvements like these at Bayou Bodcau that help to ensure that when heavy rains come, like those in the past week or seen in the late 1800s, that Bossier Parish is not inundated with flood waters. Regardless, Heavy rain is not unfamiliar to our Parish and our region.
If you have any photos or other information relating to the history of Bossier City or Bossier Parish, the History Center may be interested in adding the materials to its research collection by donation or by scanning them and returning the originals. Call or visit us to learn more. The History Center is currently closed until July 2026, though staff remains available. Our phone number is (318) 746-7717 and our email is [email protected]. We can also be found online at https://www.facebook.com/BPLHistoryCenter/ and http://bpl-hc.blogspot.com/
