Genealogy and the sources we use can teach us about far more than the bare facts of our ancestors’ lives. We can use these sources to add context, and understand what was going on around them as they lived their daily lives. For example, newspapers, the first drafts of history, show that some elements of the past are familiar to us today. The Advocate Historical Archive, available through the digital library on the EBR Parish Library web site, is a fully searchable archive of every iteration of the Advocate going back to the 1840s.
We have all been reading the news: An illness sweeping across our country; forced closure of public buildings; pleas to keep inside; a grim and growing total reported daily in the newspaper.
This headline appeared in the Baton Rouge State Times on June 24, 1952: 
Just a month later, on July 23, this sentence appeared:
This article also came with this advice from Dr. J. D. Martin, the parish health officer:
Polio in 1952, like COVID-19 today, was a frightening, often deadly illness. It attacked the muscular system, so many of those who escaped with their lives were left with mobility problems. Most of these victims were children. Unlike the Spanish flu, Polio outbreaks occurred within living memory. However, with a massive societal effort, and the discovery of an effective vaccine, polio has been eliminated from the United States. The last known case here was reported in 1979, according to the CDC.
As you undertake your genealogy journey, you should contact older relatives for information about their lives. A good way to start a conversation is to ask about the events that they lived through, especially those that are similar to our lives right now. You might ask how it affected their lives, or if they knew of anybody who got the disease. These sorts of questions can lead to broader discussions of family relationships.
guest post by David Laatsch, EBRPL genealogist
In 1977, new krewes and parades begin to develop. La Krewe Mystique de la Capitale became the premier parade Krewe in Baton Rouge. This parade and Krewe is meant to be for the Capital City and not specific to any one neighborhood or specific group or organization. It’s mission is to bring Mardi Gras to Baton Rouge. Today, La Krewe Mystique de la Capitale’s parade is one of the longest running parades in the city.
Plessy v. Ferguson. Later, when this became too expensive, he successfully sued to equalize pay for black and white teachers and to desegregate Louisiana State University and the Orleans Parish School District.
to the 1953 bus boycott in Baton Rouge. It goes on to examine how the boycott’s organizers, and the reaction of the citizens of Baton Rouge, contributed to civil rights organizations across the south, especially the Montgomery bus boycott of 1955.
“Games that we Play.” As you can see from the intricate detail and size of the costume a great deal of time and skill goes into creating them. The Krewe of Apollo has utilized the skills of costume designers, Carol Guion, who has been working for Apollo since the early 1990s, and Charles West, who was one of the group’s first designers. The designers are integral part to the development of a theme for the festivities and begin working on designs almost a year in advance.
of Romany. This Krewe, created in 1949, was one of Baton Rouge’s first women’s Krewes. In many ways this ball served as a debutant ball. In order to serve on the court or to be Queen, women had to be between the ages of 17 and 25 and never been married, and their mothers had to be members in good standing. Loretta Shelton has been the Krewe’s costume designer for 40 years and before that, costumes were designed by Frances Doyle and other members.