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What makes Shreveport's Oakland Cemetery so spooky might be the mass burial of 715 victims of the 1873 yellow fever epidemic. Another bone-chilling locale is the city's historic Municipal Auditorium, which according to local legends may have briefly served as a morgue under the watch of Dr. Willis P. Butler, perhaps the longest-serving Caddo Parish medical examiner and coroner. Years after his passing, Butler is still seen dutifully working in the courthouse and other public spaces. And over at the beautifully restored Logan Mansion, unexplained mischievous pranks are blamed on the spirits of a young girl whose life was tragically cut short. Historians Gary D. Joiner, PhD, and Cheryl H. White, PhD, recount the true stories of these and other notable landmarks framed within the intriguing twist of the paranormal.
About the author
Gary Joiner is a history professor at LSU, Shreveport, director of the Red River Regional Studies Center and has written many articles and books on the history of the Red River Valley region of northwestern Louisiana. Since 2006, he has aired a weekly radio program called History Matters for Red River Radio and is an experienced and popular lecturer on history, geography and archaeology. His myriad affiliations include the Civil War Preservation Trust, U.S.; the North Louisiana Historical Association (former board of directors, former editor of North Louisiana History); the DeSoto Parish Historical Society (former president); the Southern Historical Association; the Louisiana Historical Association; the Oakland Cemetery Preservation Society; the Spring Street Historical Museum; Red River Radio; the Red River Heritage Association; the Sons and Daughters of Pioneer River Men; and the Historic Shreveport Preservation Society. Cheryl H. White, PhD, is assistant professor of history at Louisiana State University at Shreveport and holds the endowed Hubert Humpreys Professorship. A winner of numerous teaching awards, Dr. White is a national and regional speaker and lecturer. She has founded community initiatives aimed at bringing arts and culture to underserved youth and has developed history-based reading projects for adult learners. Her publications and numerous professional presentations include topics related to local history, religious history and early modern England.
