The star-progress. (Opelousas, La.) 1917-1921, 1921-02-16
rVrURY MARK Is
REACHED BY THE
dTY OF OPELOOSAS
..4.r Of Municipality
e9lrsooted by Legislature
G hundred Years Ago
LORDS SHOW IT :, 900
RECONO0I OLDER THAN 100
.,,.sting Program Arrang-
bts e and Staged at High
g School

az an organized ana
OPeolS-1 ,r,icipaIity, celebrated lis
'ilrsIs sd-sdth anniversary last Mon
ohs hunul aon with appropriate GER
" a !. IN the auditorium Of the To-
snoals, : acbool. The meeting was
y Dr. y order by Mayor Loeb who
elsa " exclamation issued by the
s'a - department Of the city call
a'e.., meeting. Judge f. T. Lewis
% y Of the city and who is one
: n 4. oldest citizens Of the PARISH
. ~ sonsbting over eighty-six years
y w. was asked to preside as
.s l.rr5 Of the meeting.
D..o-ds show that while the town
As - one hundred years old it IS
s ! matter Of fact many years-per-
mother century-older. As a
l'. w.. # fact. it, the town of Natchl-
", and Monroe are the three Old
ottlaments in the state. and come
4. order named. 1t was a trading
established during the Spanish
.,mo and following the purchase
!, M vast Louisiana territory from
60 bv the United States, court
=, held in the town long before 1t
....ived its charter from the state leg
,,I.ture in February, 1921. A long and
ntsreseting history of this municip-
.,l,v eould be written, but it would
,sorire time and close attention to
details.
The program of the celebration fol-
lows:
There was first a chorus sung by
NJ pupils Of the Opelousas high
birb school. then Mayor Loeb read
M PROCLAMATION relative to the cele-
bntion. and named the permanent
chairman of the meeting, Judge E. T..
lxeis. the oldest native citizen of
0pelOusas
Judge Lewis called the meeting to
order
The first number on the program
vas the invocation, by Rev. S. L.
Riggs. This was followed by the sing
Ing Of Dixie" by the pupils Of the
high school.
Mr.. W. ]. Sandoz then made an in
tpresting address. He held up be-
fore the audience the first charter Of
0pelousas which he called the Magma
Charta" Of our town. He then gave
several historical facts about the city.
he said some people were disappoint-
ed to think of Opelousas as being on
y one hundred years old, but he point
ed out the fact that tho place called
Opelousas existed probably fifty years
before.
In 1853 0pelousas was a Spanish
trading post according to the opinion
Of some, and it was probably even
settled by white people even under
me French domination. he said. He
also called the attention Of the audi
ence to the fact that the Catholic
church had records dating from 1777,
'hat the Masonic lodge celebrated its
centennial last year, and that the
hst Methodist conference was held
Y THIS city some time shortly aft 9r
rs receiving its first charter.
Nj. Sandoz's address was followed
0g one delivered by Judge G. L. Du.
pre- Mr. Dupre said he was not ma,
i've OF Opelousas but it was the city
q bis adoption.
ne quoted SCOTS we'll known lines:
Breathes there a man with soul
70 dead,
"no never to himself has said.
This is may own my native land"
ne showed how Onelousas had nat.
la advantages and in his usual
'u'Oit manner brought out the vari-
y parts Of his speech in a way to
= 'he clarmous applause of the au-
''nce' especially the school children
.esen'' he discussed the difference
wen school conditions in the days
- ne attended school at the old
]. ,aAAlln college whcih was located
.asre the oil mill now stands. and,
.ssent school conditions where chill
hoes. % 90
!, Up' speech was followed
song The Old Folks at Home, ="
'-aered by Mrs. w. T. Steward.
.uiS song was followed by MY
s.a'fy' tbs of Thee" in which the
~. assembly was asked to partf-
!, .As last number On the program
~ ! prayer by Rev. D. R. Pevoto in
h., 4 ne called the blessing Of the
ra sn'y down upon the whole com.
/, 'y and asked for forgiveness for
: trespasses.
4. :, ana Mrs, Charles Shoemo zer OF
VI Barre Wars 0r,.,,-..