Looking Back: Recalling events of January/February 1949

Above is a look at the full-page ad from the February 24, 1949, issue of the Ville Platte Gazette announcing the opening of the Jan Theatre located on Main Street in Ville Platte. (Gazette archive photo)

By: HEATHER BOGARD
Associate Editor

Today, we take a look back to the events of January and February 1949.
•The first artificially bred calf was born in Pine Prairie. Cattleman Roger Reed performed artificial insemination of cows for area farmers from stock of good parentage.
•The Town of Mamou saw great growth and progress in 1948, with an increase of 622 residents, bringing the town’s population up to 3122. All streets were graveled and three-and-a-half miles of concrete sidewalks were laid throughout the town. Veteran Trade School opened and an advanced water well was installed to supply citizens with pure water. The town’s water works bonds were paid in full and city garbage collection service was initiated. The town saw an increase of 200 percent in water and gas customers. A steady increase in municipal funds brought the town’s total to exceed $90,000. The article closed by saying, “Ville Platte, if it chose, could look at Mamou and learn a lesson.”
•A fire in Point Blue caused $10,000 in damage including damage to Gregory Saloon, a filling station and barber shop in the area.
•Sacred Heart football star Conrad Ardoin, son of Mr. and Mrs. Lester Ardoin, accepted a scholarship to play football at Tulane University.
•The new, state of the art Jan Theatre opened on February 24, 1949. The modern facility featured air conditioning, pulley-driven stage curtains, comfortable seats, soft lighting and carpeting. The building also housed a cry room featuring an automatic bottle warmer for mothers with babies. The first movie shown at the new theatre was “Beyond Glory,” starring Alan Ladd and Donna Reed.
• The Tate Cove Road was set to be blacktopped in the near future.
•Mayor Zannie J. Guidry and Harvey R. LeBas announced their candidacy for the Ville Platte mayor’s race in the upcoming election.
•Sale items at Exchange Market included: three pound container of Crisco ($1.19), 25-pound bag of White Goose flour ($1.69), picnic ham (44 cents per pound) and Kraft American Cheese (47 cents per pound).
•Sale items at G. Ardoin’s included: men’s 26-inch wheel bicycle ($34.95), Bendix gyromatic washer ($299.95), carrots (two bundles for 15 cents) and cabbage (four cents per pound).
•Sale items at Brown’s Furniture included: Lane cedar hope chest ($49.95) and Simmons deep sleep mattress ($39.50).
•Billips featured a sale on tires ($9.95 for tire and tube).
•Popular songs of January and February 1949 included: “Buttons and Bows,” by Dinah Shore, “Careless Hands,” by Bing Crosby, “My Darling, My Darling,” by Jo Stafford and Gordon McRae, “Again,” by Doris Day, and “You Was,” by Peggy Lee and Dean Martin.