Researched by Twin Blends
Researched by Twin Blends
— Vincent Van Gogh
— Jimmy Cannon
Researched by Twin Blends
We are twin brothers and best friends who grew up in Southern Hills in Shreveport and played sports together. Neither of us were really interested in history when we were younger, but we always loved looking at old photos. As we got older and retired from sports, we started to get more interested in old pictures of our city’s history. We search through thousands and thousands of old pictures from the past, go to the exact location where they were taken, snap our own picture and then combine those two pictures to form what we call a “Blend.” We then use those photos to tell the history of that location in a fun and exciting way! Since we are “twins” and “blend” the old and new photos together, that’s where the name Twin Blends comes from and you can find us on Facebook, YouTube, Instagram and now the web at twinblendshistory.com.
Researched by Twin Blends
Come As You Are
Dine In Your Car
Street Car Trolley
Records Unlimited
The Gang's All Here
How About a Victory Lap?
⚓ Porter's Fleet on the Red River – 162 Years Ago! ⚓
Can you imagine the sight? In March 1864, Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter led one of the most powerful naval forces ever seen on the Red River. His fleet included ironclads, tinclads, a timberclad, high-speed rams, three river monitors with revolving turrets, and numerous support vessels—108 boats carrying more than 210 heavy guns!
Their mission: capture Shreveport.
But the Confederates had other plans. They scuttled the giant steamboat New Falls City across the Red River, creating a massive blockade. Combined with rapidly falling water levels—made even worse by diverting much of the Red River into Bayou Pierre—the Union fleet was forced to retreat. Only the engineering brilliance of Bailey's Dam temporarily raised the river enough to free the trapped gunboats and allow their escape.
📅 Mark your calendars now!
Join us for the Twin Blends video premiere of "Thunder and Steel: Porter's Fleet Returns to the Red River!"
🎤 Featured Presentation: Dr. Gary Joiner will bring the dramatic story of Porter's Fleet to life and explore the lasting legacy of Civil War naval warfare.
⚓ Special Bonus: Authentic relics from Porter's Fleet will be on display!
Be sure to visit the Mansfield State Historic Site event page, click on the event photo, and select "Going." We can't wait to see you there! ... See MoreSee Less
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Captain Shreve High School: A Look Back!
Awhile back while researching at the Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS we came across some cool old black and white photos of the construction of Captain Shreve High School from 1966 and 1967. The school officially opened its doors on September 6, 1967, just days after construction was completed on August 25, 1967.
Located at 6115 East Kings Highway in Shreveport, the school was named after Captain Henry Miller Shreve, whose work clearing the Great Raft on the Red River helped make the founding of Shreveport possible.
How cool is it to see all of this area undeveloped?!! We have tons more photos just like this of this area. Search Facebook for "Twin Blends Youree Drive" or Twin Blends Cotton" to for those photos!
(We used A.I. to colorize these photos to bring them to life!) ... See MoreSee Less
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Airline High School 1966
Way back in 1966 when Airline Drive was barely a road, our favorite photographer, Thurman C. Smith, jumped in an airplane to capture these cool pictures of the fairly new Airline High School. Back then, there was no McDonald's, Burger King, Taco Bell or Home Depot...only cows.
Stay tuned for A LOT more incredible Shreveport Bossier aerial photos from TCS!!! All of these photos and more were be donated to the Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS last year!! ... See MoreSee Less
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Airline Drive Shopping Center: A Look Back!
Back in May of 1966, a Shreveport Times photographer made the trip to what was then considered the outskirts of Bossier City to document the construction of a brand-new shopping center. He likely traveled the newly completed Interstate 20 before exiting onto Airline Drive. At the time, Airline was still a quiet two-lane road, and as he headed north there wasn't much to see. Then, rising above the cleared landscape, stood a construction crane holding what would become the shopping center's distinctive scroll-shaped sign—a glimpse of the area's future.
When the Airline Drive Shopping Center opened in 1967, it was one of the few major developments along Airline Drive. Aside from Green Acres Junior High School (which opened in 1959), Airline High School, and a handful of scattered businesses, the area was still largely undeveloped. It's hard to imagine today just how rural this stretch of Bossier once looked.
One of the most fascinating discoveries we made while researching this shopping center was how closely it resembled Shreveport's Southside Shopping Center, which had opened in 1961. The similarities weren't just coincidence. Both centers featured nearly identical scroll-style entrance signs and even included a children's playground in the middle of the parking lot—a popular feature during the shopping center boom of the 1960s.
Digging a little deeper revealed the reason. Both shopping centers were designed by the renowned architectural firm Somdal-Smitherman-Sorensen, a name that left an incredible mark on the Shreveport-Bossier area. The firm was responsible for many of the region's most recognizable buildings, including Selber Bros., Centenary College's iconic Gold Dome, and countless other local landmarks. If you've never looked into their work, it's well worth a Google search—you'll be surprised by how much of our area's architectural history they helped create.
Today, Airline Drive is lined with businesses, restaurants, and neighborhoods, making it difficult to picture a time when a single new shopping center stood almost by itself. Fortunately, photographs like this allow us to step back into 1966 and witness the beginning of one of Bossier City's busiest commercial corridors.
Share your memories of this historic shopping center!
(Our memory of it was when it housed Tayco Foods!)
Photos Courtesy Northwest Louisiana Archives at LSUS ... See MoreSee Less
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Grant Slept Here! Excelsior Hotel in Jefferson Texas: A Look Back!
This post uses actual photos that are not A.I. generated. We have seen tons of posts on Facebook recently that have used made up A.I. images of places from the past and the Excelsior Hotel is one of them. By asking AI to create a photo out of thin air and present it as real is disingenuous. The following photos were taken by real photographers and presented in a way to tell the true story of the Excelsior Hotel. The only time you will see Twin Blends use A.I. is when we colorize a real photo and then sometimes make that photo come alive. Even then we always include the words "colorized by A.I."
Our goal is to honor the photographers and news reporters of the past by passing on their hard work for generations to see! They are the ones that deserve to be honored!
Have you ever stayed there or explored historic Jefferson? We'd love to hear about your visit!
#JeffersonTX #ExcelsiorHouse #TexasHistory #EastTexas #SteamboatEra #HistoricHotels #TwinBlendsHistory #TravelTexas ... See MoreSee Less
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Good times and good food at the Dairy Delight of Pleasant Hill! We love the town of Pleasant Hill and can’t wait to go back!! ... See MoreSee Less
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The Jefferson Historical Society Museum is hosting a Civil War Symposium on Saturday, August 8, and we're excited to share that Dr. Gary Joiner will be one of the featured speakers!
**** (This is not to be confused with the presentation at the Mansfield State Historic Site on Aug 22nd. This is a separate event)
If you're interested in Civil War history, this is an event you won't want to miss. Be sure to let the organizers know you'll be attending!
Please share this post to help spread the word!
#JeffersonTX #CivilWar #CivilWarHistory #History #Museum #Event #ThingsToDo ... See MoreSee Less
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