In recognition of National Trivia Day on January 4, RRPJ is digging into the archives…

This was the last article Joe Taylor submitted to RRPJ. It was originally published on December 23, 2023. 

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Obscure facts about Coushatta you may not know
Joe Taylor

 1. Carroll Street, when the village was founded, ended about where Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home is, at the banks of Bayou Nichols as it flowed uninterrupted towards the river. First, they built a walking bridge across the river and later a bridge cutting off the stream from the river.

2. The road east from the village was along current Ruby Street across the Marston pasture then the school baseball field into Springville. It was called the Radical Road.

3. Sidewalks were poured in the early 1920’s. Look closely as you approach Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home from the river, the sidewalk splits into a Y. The right side is heading towards the old walking bridge while the left continues along Carroll Street. You may have noticed that the sidewalks end at the Chinese restaurant and just past the high school. Why? Because in the 1920’s, when they were built, that was the end of town. Nothing of note past them.

4. Over the years there have been a number of car dealerships in town and several are still standing. The oldest is across from Rockett-Nettles Funeral Home. That brick building, that for years was Cranford Farm Supply and now belongs to the Murrays, was built to sell Star automobiles in the ’20’s. The present Chinese restaurant has housed 3 Chevrolet dealerships. First, Booth-McClellan then Brock Chevrolet followed by Heyl Chevrolet. Heyl Chevrolet would later move to the north forks, leaving the building to house a supermarket, to a large building that was originally built to house the John Sibley Tractor Supply dealership. The red brick building across the street from the Methodist church originally housed the Brown Ford dealership. At the south forks the building on the left beside the washateria was built by John Stratton to house his Chrysler dealership and also the former Quality Ford dealership was originally built by Dupree’s as a Chrysler dealership.

5. There used to be 3 cotton gins in Coushatta and 2 are still standing. The Giddens Gin on Marvel just past Mabile’s and the Posey Gin across the railroad tracks from it.