Morgan City Archives moved to quarters on First Street

Morgan City history has a new home.
A 1 p.m. Sept. 3 reopening will mark the city archives’ move to a building at 506 First St.
The archives will also be open during the Louisiana Shrimp & Petroleum Festival: 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Sept. 3, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 4 and 5; and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Sept. 7.
The archives have been housed at the Morgan City library and in the three-story building for years.
Lela Lehmann, who began collecting historical items as far back as the 1930s, and Katherine Dilsaver figure prominently in the archives’ history.
The archives have been located at the Morgan City Library and, more recently, the three-story Schreier building.
For the last month or so, items from the Schreier building were moved to their new home. Micah Allen got a special word of thanks for the help.
The new single-level building “makes it more compact, more accessible,” archivist Greig Chauvin said. “It’s climate-controlled.”
“It seemed to make sense to bring it all together,” Morgan City librarian Neal Mayon said.
A tour with Chauvin and Mayon showed some of the treasures stored in the archives:
•A Revolutionary War soldier’s discharge, signed by his commanding general: George Washington.
•A letter signed by Mark Twain.
•A black doctor’s bag belonging to a Dr. Dreher.
•Morgan City Council minutes as far back as there has been a Morgan City.
•Cemetery records.
•Items from the old Jewish synagogue, including a memorial board with the names of deceased members.
•Records from Black churches going back to the 1860s.
•High school yearbooks.
•Newspaper files from the Review and other publications throughout the city’s history.
•All the building plans prepared by architect Lloyd Guillory.
•Mardi Gras memorabilia dating back to the 1800s.
•A Tiger Head Cane Syrup label.
Posted at the archives are posters from Chauvin’s “Living Along the Atchafalaya” exhibit, which was shown publicly in 2024. The exhibit includes historical photos and information about life, culture and significant events along the river.
Chauvin has also been working on a display about patriotism in Morgan City for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.
Those events include photos from Morgan City visits by former President Ulysses Grant in the 1880s and, in 1915, by the Liberty Bell.
Her work was featured in Friday’s edition of the Review.