Lost Minden

Lost Minden

Minden has transformed quite a bit since Charles Vedeer founded it in 1835. The town has suffered damages of the Civil War and Reconstruction and between 1872 and 1933 the devastation of five fires and a killer tornado. Despite disaster, Minden continues to progress, but adaptation and rebuilding have caused many familiar landmarks to vanish from the local landscape. The 1902 fire led to the enactment of a city ordinance banning wooden structures downtown; as a result, many edifices were reconstructed. Today, not a single building in the business district predates the 1870s, and the roles of those still standing--such as the First National Bank, which is expected to reopen as a restaurant--are continually changing. In 1918, another fire destroyed the Minden Lumber Mill, the town's largest industry. Later in the 20th century, the development of a city government complex demolished an entire shopping district, the 1905 Webster Parish Courthouse, and Minden City Hall. Lost Minden captures catastrophes, celebrations, storefronts, and back streets that otherwise only remain in memories. ?John Agan is a lifelong Minden resident who has been actively involved in local history writing and research for more than 30 years. In the course of these activities, he accumulated most of the vintage photographs in this volume that depict the Minden that has since been "lost."

House documents

Frederick the Great and the Seven Years' War, 1756-1763

The Seven Years' War (1756-1763), known as the French and Indian War in North America, was perhaps the first war that might be called a world war. It involved the major European countries, North and Central America, the coast of West Africa, the Philippines, and India. A major player in the war was Frederick the Great (1712-1786), the king of Prussia and a great military leader. The first major work on the monarch and his role in the war for more than a century, this book sheds light on many aspects of military and European history.