"Creole Moon, It Was Yawning"

From the mountains of Tennessee I worked my way west, stopping in Shreveport, Louisiana.  It not only made for a great break to get out of the car and stretch, but allowed me to take in some incredible engineering history at the Water Works Museum; an incredible site for any industrial pump/machinery enthusiasts.

Located in downtown Shreveport, the museum featured 100+ years worth of water pumping equipment.  A friendly gentleman greeted me at the door and was there to provided an informal tour of the plant to provide historic insight and application details for each machine.  The facility was built in 1887, and acted as a source of clean water for the city, as many poor citizens couldn't afford the delivery or clean water for consumption, bathing, sewage, etc.  The primary reason for it's installment though was to have a source of water for fires that would occasionally break out in the city.  The pumps themselves were marvels of civil engineering yet, formidable in their appearance.  Much of the equipment was still in use as a steam-powered waterworks plant until it was shutdown in 1980, partly due to the advancement of electric pump technology.

As I finished my tour, I spent a little time driving through town, and unfortunately noticed much of the area was in a decrepit state.  Shreveport appears to be a hub for its hotel & Casinos, but from what I could see, the economy was not being boosted from the industry.  Lots of buildings, homes, stores and neighborhoods sat downtrodden in a town that could be flourishing.  I hope I'm wrong based on my observations, but if not, I hope proper leadership can help stimulate growth and wealth for all of the Shreveport citizens.  That would be a great site to see next time passing through., but until next time...I'm comin' home, baby.

 TRIP HIGHLIGHTS

• Water Works Museum - Shreveport, LA
• Railroad Museum (also on site of WWM)

RECOMMENDATIONS

• I went in on a late afternoon when there were only a few other visitors, and was able to ask several questions regarding the museum during the tour.