By Jessica Gorman

1923 was a year of growth and development for Minden. Construction of the L&A Railway shops had already brought new residents to the town with more to follow upon completion of the shops. Even before this, the 1920 United States census records many living in tent cities located in the Dirty Six neighborhood near the depot and at the fairgrounds. These tent cities primarily housed oilfield workers.

The influx of families had created a housing shortage that was sure to increase. Meetings were held and committees were formed to address the issue. The Westgate Addition, on Shreveport Road, had been developed several years before and improvements were being made to this area. Lights were being added in this neighborhood and in the Chandler Addition across town. The capacity of the light plant was being increased to accommodate the growing need for electricity.

Besides a housing shortage, those planning to move with the railroad shops from Stamps, Arkansas to Minden were concerned that there would not be adequate school facilities for their children. L.H. Denman, principal of Minden High School, assured the superintendent of schools in Stamps that construction of the new high school building, expected to be complete by the end of the year, would be sufficient to accommodate the hundreds of new students expected to enroll in the school. 

Other improvements were being made to the town. Sewer, water, and gas lines were being laid simultaneously to provide residents with these services. New brick buildings had been built or were under construction downtown, including the Imperial Hotel. Both the Baptist and the Presbyterian churches were putting plans in place to construct new church buildings and parsonages. 

With so many new additions to the town, 1923 would have certainly been an exciting time in Minden.

(Jessica Gorman is the Assistant Director and Archivist for the Dorcheat Historical Association Museum in Minden and is an avid genealogist.)

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