New Book Highlights History of Alexandria

MT. PLEASANT, S.C. - Aug. 2, 2013 - PRLog -- The newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series is Alexandria from local author Fr. Chad Partain. The book boasts more than 200 vintage and modern images chronicling the growth and change of this Louisiana city.

On the banks of the Red River, in the heart of Louisiana, is the city of Alexandria. First settled by the French in the mid-1700s, the little Post de Rapides grew to be a thriving trading center. Established in 1805 by Alexander Fulton, a Pennsylvania merchant fleeing from justice after the Whiskey Rebellion, the town of Alexandria flourished when steamboats lined its wharves and cotton was king.

Reduced to ashes by Union troops during the Civil War, the town slowly rebuilt itself and, with the coming of the railroads, found new wealth in the timber trade. In 1940 and 1941, Alexandria played host to the US Army as Gen. George Marshall and future heroes of World War II planned a grand strategy in the Hotel Bentley and played war games across central Louisiana. The life and culture of central Louisiana has been captured in Alexandria-native Rebecca Wells’s popular novels Little Altars Everywhere and The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood.

Images of America: Alexandria hopes to capture the spirit of the city by showcasing vintage images from its past.

Available at area bookstores, independent retailers, and online retailers, or through Arcadia Publishing at (888)-313-2665 or online.  

Arcadia Publishing is the leading publisher of local and regional history in the United States.  Our mission is to make history accessible and meaningful through the publication of books on the heritage of America’s people and places.  Have we done a book on your town?  Visit www.arcadiapublishing.com/.