Bernice Historical Society People and Places Education In Bernice Farmerville Gazette - March 3, 1960 The elementary school building and the Bernice High School gym burned to the ground late Sunday evening, causing an estimated $250,000 in damages. No one was injured in the blaze but all school supplies, equipment, books, school records, athletic and … Continue reading Bernice School Building Lost in Sunday Fire
Bernice Historical Society
Friendship Church and School
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Friendship Church Five miles east of Bernice on Louisiana Highway 2 in the little community of Shiloh you will find a cemetery on the north side of the highway and a wooden one room frame building to the south. These two places are all that remain of a community … Continue reading Friendship Church and School
Early Newspapers in Bernice
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Early Newspapers in Bernice It might come as a surprise to some that Bernice had a newspaper printed in town as early as May of 1900. The Farmerville Gazette ran a notice that “Mr. J. C. Shumaker has rented the defunct Herald (Farmerville) printing outfit and moved it to … Continue reading Early Newspapers in Bernice
Vietnam Memorial
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Vietnam Memorial This past week the Traveling Vietnam Memorial made a 4 day stop in Ruston and a special program honoring those who lost their life in Vietnam was held. There are two names on that wall that everyone in our small town should know and never forget. The … Continue reading Vietnam Memorial
The Garland House
Bernice Historical Society People and Places The Garland House A few weeks ago some friends of mine passed through Bernice headed North on 167 and later commented to me on the beauty of the newly restored Heard House (more on that in a future article) and wanted to know the story behind it and the … Continue reading The Garland House
Uncle Tom Phillips
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Uncle Tom Phillips Barbara Green Pilgreen recently shared with me an article about “Uncle Tom Phillips” of Bernice. The article first appeared in the Farmerville Gazette on the occasion of his 88th birthday and was entitled “Oldest Bernice Business Man Celebrates His 88th Birthday”. Going back through my files … Continue reading Uncle Tom Phillips
Bernice and Baseball Part Two
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Bernice and Baseball Part 2 It was in June of 1933 that a baseball league became a serious thought in the mines of promoters and players. It was expected from the start that Ruston, Winnfield, Farmerville, Homer, Haynesville, Bernice, Dubach and Simsboro would seek admission to the league. The … Continue reading Bernice and Baseball Part Two
Bernice and Baseball
Bernice Historical Society People and Places Bernice and Baseball Part 1 Through the years much has been written about the Big Eight Bernice Lions of the 1950's but what you might not know is that baseball was alive and well in the rural areas of Union Parish long before the town of Bernice ever saw … Continue reading Bernice and Baseball
The Doodlebug
Bernice Historical Society People and Places "The Doodlebug" Last week I posted on “Bernice Remember When” asking for any memories of the passenger train known as The Doodlebug. Thanks to all who shared. I started out not knowing much about the quaint rail vehicle I had heard so much about. I know now that it operated through … Continue reading The Doodlebug
Save the Caboose Campaign
"Save the Caboose Campaign" has begun! Contributions are greatly appreciated no matter how small ! Plans are underway to restore the caboose as an actual caboose. You can send donations to Bernice Historical Society, P.O. Box 524, Bernice, Louisiana 71222 or to Cathy Buckely at 12764 Hwy 2 Bernice 71222.
Bernice Dots #27
Bernice Historical Society Bernice Dots #27 (There was no #26) By Cathy Buckley Excerpts from Ark-La-Tex in Review in 1952 Busy Bernice, high in Louisiana’s piney hills likes to think of itself as a low tax rate, pay-as-you-go town. Last year when the beautiful new First Baptist Church was completed at a cost of about … Continue reading Bernice Dots #27
Bernice Dots #22
Bernice Historical Society Bernice Dots #22 By Cathy Buckley By April of 1942 the town of Bernice had organized for civilian defense thanks to the leadership of G.E. Lindsey, the parish chairman. Assisting Lindsey were Mayor George Grafton, Mark Price, Don Lomax and John Beasley. The entire town seemed to be included in the plan … Continue reading Bernice Dots #22
Bernice Dots #16
Bernice Historical Society Bernice Dots #16 By Cathy Buckley 1930's Part One The year 1930 began with the good news that the town population had grown since the last census of 1920 and the town now sported a population of 975 people; a fact Mayor Talbot attributed to the town not being dependent upon … Continue reading Bernice Dots #16
Bernice Dots #14
Bernice Historical Society Bernice Dots #14 By Cathy Buckley In 1924 another Bernice hotel, the Lindsey Hotel, was sold by Mrs. Lila Rives. Rives was the mother of G.E. Lindsey and in January sold the hotel to her son. It was stated she had accumulated enough money from the running of the hotel to be … Continue reading Bernice Dots #14
Bernice Dots #12
Bernice Historical Society Bernice Dots #12 By Cathy Buckley As early as 1914 the citizens of Bernice began a fight for good roads leading into and out of town and would yearly hold “good roads” day when all the businesses would close and men would work on improvement of the roads. In 1916 forty of … Continue reading Bernice Dots #12
Shiloh to Canaan 
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