Day 7 - JHA Conference 2024 at DennyGibson.com

Day 7: April 26, 2024
Tunes, Talks, and Trolleys
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This was another day with no driving as the morning was filled with presentations and the afternoon with trolley tours. JHA President Roger Bell got the day started with some announcements and introductions.

The first presentation came from Cece Otto. Cece recently moved back to her native Minnesota and was able to follow the Jefferson from her home to the conference. "Music and Songs of the Jefferson High Era" combined the telling of musical history with performances of songs that were popular when the Jefferson Highway was at its peak.

I saw Cece perform her original American Songline on the Lincoln Highway multiple times in 2013 but have not seen a complete live performance since then. Without knocking her 2013 outings, I can say that her delivery is even more polished now than it was a decade ago.

Next up was Jay Dardenne who recently retired from a political career that included stints as Louisiana's Lieutenant Governor and State Senator. Jay's love for his home state came through loud and clear in his "Why Louisiana Ain't Mississippi or Anywhere Else" presentation.

Stephanie Stuckey, of Stuckey's Corporation, was the second of the day's presenters I had seen previously. Even though that first time was just a year and a half ago, I had the feeling that Stephanie had become a little more polished too. Her story of reviving her grandfather's business is clearly an inspirational one for other entrepreneurs but it is also an engaging story for road fans. In its heyday, Stuckey's wasn't just a seller of candy and trinkets. It was a familiar buddy for road trippers of all sorts. Part of Stephanie's revival success comes from recognizing and embracing that.

UnStuck, Stephanie's book with the subtitle Rebirth of an American Icon, was released on April 1 and was available at the conference. I had pre-ordered the book through a local store which allowed me to get out a review before the conference and skip ahead of those buying books in the signing line on Friday.

During the lunch break, I did a walkabout and took some pictures with the hotel's cool neon sign as a prime target.

I then grabbed a picture of the front of the hotel along with Bill Johnson's 1955 Chevrolet, and of a nearby mural that includes the Murray Street Bridge which carried the Jefferson Highway over the Red River. The Murray Street Bridge came down in 1984 but the ramps that led to it remain. I knew that some folks had gone to the Sentry Grill for lunch so snapped a picture. Then I spotted conference attendees Perry, Fred, and Lina framed by the front window.

Two trolleys were reserved for afternoon tours. During the first session, both provided narrated tours of downtown which were interesting but not photo friendly. For the second session, one trolley went to the Kent Plantation and the other to the Louisiana History Museum. Having visited the Kent Plantation in 2019, I opted for the museum.

The museum is housed in the former Library of Alexandria. Not the one that Julius Caesar supposedly burned but the one that Andrew Carnegie paid to have built in 1907. It became a museum in 1971. The pictured trunk has a connection with yesterday's bus tour. Before being sold to Edwin Epps, Solomon Northup was owned by William Prince Ford who also owned the trunk. The picture of Robert E. Lee is made interesting by the letter displayed below it. The letter if from G.T. Beauregard promoting a statue of Lee in New Orleans.

The conference's final dinner was a buffet served in the closed off street in front of the hotel. It was suggested that attendees dress in 1920s attire. Not only did I fail to come up with period appropriate clothing, I failed to document the many who did. That I regret. I only had my phone and only managed to document the entertainment. Cece Otto, accompanied by pianist Melva Hillard, started things off with a selection of period tunes in the lobby. The Gary Cathey Band started up a bit later outside. My photo of the band shows them being helped by JHA members Jane & Bill from Kentucky and Lou & Lionel from Manitoba.

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