I went to the Spanish Town Mardi Gras parade (it’s a Baton Rouge thing) Saturday and was somehow talked into adding rum shots to my giant daiquiri. Let’s just say that I had a marvelous time and came home, ate a baked potato and went to bed while the sun was still up. I didn’t wake up until the next day.
So, I laughed when I came across this postcard while scanning in old family photos. Apparently we love a parade so much that this postcard from April 1918 is carefully saved amongst the portraits of long forgotten babies.
According to the Texas Historical Commission, This is the 36th Infantry Division who fought bravely in World War I. Because they mobilized at Camp Bowie near Fort Worth, they were called the Texas Division. They later even had T patches for their uniforms.
It looks like the entire town turned out to cheer them.
Historic postcards are a useful way to get a glimpse of the past. Our ancestors bought them to remember places and events. Until cameras became commonplace, postcards were a nice memento.
I love so much about this postcard, from the different flags to the spectators perched on rooftops.
Enjoy!
louisianagenealogygirl 
HaHa! Glad you enjoyed your visit to Baton Rouge and the Spanish Town Parade so much! We went too, to see the floats and costumes, but left before the parade started to roll. We already have a lifetime supply of beads! It was a beautiful day and I think there were more floats this year than I’ve ever seen before!
It’s probably my favorite parade. We came home with so much junk!