LSUS Professor Dr. Cheryl White Searches For Shreveport Area Founder
LSU-Shreveport History Professor Dr. Cheryl White has been chasing Shreveport history for a long time. Her work with Shreveport history is unparalleled, and now you have a chance to help her with her next project.
Dr. White is looking to uncover one of Shreveport's greatest mysteries. She's looking for William Bennett.
Here's how Dr. White describes Bennett:
"William Bennett was one of the original founding members of the Shreve Town Company, years before Shreveport was incorporated. His wife, Mary Bennett Cane (the mother of Shreveport-Bossier) is buried in a marked grave within the gates of historic Oakland Cemetery. The exact location of William Bennett's grave is unknown...but early maps place "William and Mary Cemetery" on a corner lot just adjacent to Oakland, so we believe there are graves there, including that of Shreve Town charter member William Bennett."
Dr. White is hoping to find Bennett's grave site, with the hopes of marking a preserving the final resting place for one of Shreveport's Founding Fathers. But Dr. White needs your help.
A GoFundMe Campaign has been set up to raise $10,000 for the project. You can contribute as much, or as little, as you would like. The hope is that the project is able to start before the Summer heat kicks in. Here is a link to donate now:
This is a big project, and this is only the first step. KEEL plans to stay up to date with Dr. White, and her search for William Bennett's remains.