Vivian - A View Into The Year 1965

The Feb-1965 issue of the Louisiana Municipal Review featured separate articles about the towns of Mooringsport, Oil City, and Vivian. Here are highlights from the Vivian article.

The local Industrial Development Committee's brochure touts "there are many pretty girls named Vivian, but there is only one Vivian, La.; at the heart of the business life of four states." The town provides everything needed by industry including labor, land, water, buildings, utilities, and industrial tracts. It's 1960 population was 2,860 and it has a "metropolitan area" of over 5,000. The town leadership is identified as follows:

Mayor:

Earl G. Williamson - elected in 1962 and had previously served from 1938-46. He had been on the town council for 12 years, and on the Caddo Parish Police Jury for 32 years, including eight as jury president. He'd also been chairman of the state highway board.

Aldermen/Occupations:

Owen P. Clawson - Insurance and is also the Caddo Parish School Board President

H. T. Kendrick - Oil & Gas

Charles W. Spikes - Oil & Gas

Harvey D. Walton - Retired

James W. Williamson - Auto dealer

Town officials and other civic  leaders witnessing an unidentified signing ceremony (establishing the Redbud Festival, perhaps? - see below) also attended by former Shreveport mayor, James C. Gardner.

Seated (i-r): Walton, E. Williamson, Spikes, J. Williamson
Standing: Unknown, Clawson , Gardner, Kendrick, Bamburg 

Note the unidentified man to the far left is not part of the original photograph.

Vivian is a member of the Lovely Louisiana Tourist Association. and the initial Redbud Festival, set for March 25-27, represents years of planning, and is designed to attract visitors to Vivian. It's being organized by Redbud Festival, Inc., which is headed by I. B. Bamburg (President) and Gordon Smith (Vice President).

Highlights are to include:

• Regional bridge tournament
• Men's and Women's golf tournament
• Fishing derby
• Regional flower show
• Miss North Caddo and Miss Redbud pageant associated with Miss America pageant
• Tours of homes
• Riders trail and rodeo
• Historical tours

An advertisement accompanying the article.

Community attributes cited include:

• Police department has three officers and two marshals, who work with Caddo Parish Sheriff's Department
• A paid chief and firemen are supplemented by 13 volunteers
• Town owns its own water and sewage systems
• A new 100,000 gallon water tower is being constructed
• 40 unit federal housing project is in the works
• North Caddo Memorial Hospital, with 32 rooms will open in mat
• Heritage Manner Nursing Home plans to double in size from current 30 rooms
• A comprehensive youth program that includes Little League
• North Caddo High School is one of the largest consolidated schools in the state; and its band has been rated one of the best in state and in the country

Article obtained courtesy of the Louisiana Room, Edith Garland Dupré Library, University of Louisiana at Lafayette.