Tioga originated as a lumber mill town. Swords Lee, who represented Grant Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1904 to 1908, operated a large sawmill there until it closed c. 1917 because of exhaustion of the timber supply. At the Tioga commissary, workers could use their mill script to buy groceries and supplies. Outside workers were paid a quarter per hour; if he worked inside the mill, he earned $3 per day. Many laborers were granted mill housing across the street from the commissary in "shotgun"-style shacks. The mill whistle announced the time to report for work, lunch, and the ending of the work shift. After the heyday of the lumber business, the United States military during World War II established local training facilities at nearby Camp Beauregard and Camp Livingston. The two military establishments played a major role in preparing United States military forces during World War II. The "Louisiana Maneuvers" prior to World War II originated at Camp Beauregard. Today Camp Livingston, located near Ball, has been abandoned and become largely overgrown. Its area has become part of Kisatchie National Forest. Risk remains of unexploded ordnance in the old firing ranges; visitors are advised to remain on approved roads and trails. Camp Beauregard remains an active base of the Louisiana National Guard.
Notable People
James Garland Murrell is a Tioga, Louisiana, native, and a graduate of Tioga High School in the class of 1983. He is the only son of Wayne Murrell and Deloris Murrell. He has one sister, Shelly Leger who is also a graduate of Tioga High School in the class of 1986. Murrell now resides in Los Angeles, California. Murrell graduated from the University of Louisiana at Monroe, formerly Northeast Louisiana University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Radiologic Technology. He went on to pursue a Master of Science in Management from Troy University, graduating in 1994. He then started another Master of Science degree, this one in Radiologic Science Education from Midwestern State University graduating in 2000. Murrell is now pursuing a Doctoral degree in Education from Northeastern University in Boston, MA. He is active in the Association of Educators in Imaging and Radiologic Sciences, and holds the prestigious status of Fellow in the organization. Murrell was one of the stars of the internationally broadcast television series Mummy Autopsy produced by Atlantic Productions on the Discovery Channel. Atlantic Productions describes the show as "a new series that uses forensic science and the latest investigative techniques to unlock the human stories of mummies around the world, examining their deaths - from disease, murder and even ritual sacrifice - and exploring their lives." Murrell held a five-year talent contract with Discovery Communications from 2004-2009 to appear on the weekly series as a MI on the well-reviewed series by the Archeological Institute of America. While on Mummy Autopsy, Murrell traveled to six continents and 37 countries to investigate the mysterious deaths of both contemporary and ancient peoples around the globe. He is now the Executive Director of Imaging Sciences, the largest of its kind in California, at Gurnick Academy of Medical Arts in Los Angeles, California.
Education
Tioga Elementary serves kindergarten through grade 6. Grades 7–8 are taught at Tioga Junior High School while Tioga High School serves grades 9-12.
Coach Jerry Ingram
Jerry Donald Ingram of Pineville, a Monroe native and a graduate of La Salle High School in Olla and the University of Louisiana at Monroe, was the football coach of the Tioga High School Indians from 1966 to 1986, when he retired to pursue a second career with Woodmen of the World Life Insurance Company. He was a field supervisor in Omaha, Nebraska, and in 1998 became the Louisiana state manager for the company, from which he retired in 2008. A cancer victim, he was survived by his wife, the former Susan Annette Cameron, and four children, Debbye I. Storer, Stephani I. Nassif, Jeffrey Scott Ingram, and Darron Keith Ingram, as well as grandkids Trevor Ingram, Jeremy Ingram, Braden Ingram, Ryan Ingram, and Mackenzie Ingram. He is interred at Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Ball. During the middle 1970s, Kevin Vanek, the president of Red River Youth Football, played under Ingram, who in 1969 became the Tioga head coach. Vanek recalls a story about Ingram's influence on the team: "We lost a big game to Winnfield... We were No. 10 in the state, they were No. 2. We had the game won, and we just blew it. I mean, it was a traumatic loss for all of us. We go back into the locker room, we're all feeling bad and down on ourselves, and Coach comes in the locker room and tries to take the blame. And it was like, in unison, every player in that locker room stood up to say "No, Coach, you can't do that."' Vanek continues: "He never put winning ahead of the kids. That's why everybody stood up for him. He knew we were all feeling horrible about it, and instead of yelling and screaming at us, he tried to take it on himself. That's what made him such a special person." In 1973, the Indians led by quarterback Jim Adams ended their season as the AAA District Runner-up under Coach Ingram. Running backs Chris Williams, Murray Stokes, Bruce Radford, and lineman Kent Combs advanced to successful collegiate careers. Williams and Radford went on to play in the National Football League. In 1985, his last year as coach, Ingram was given a plaque by the Tioga High School team that went undefeated. In 2018, Tioga will name their football stadium in his honor.
Recreation
Tioga is also served by the Ward Ten Recreation District, which participates in Dixie Youth baseball and Dixie Girls softball. The Dixie Belles won the 2001 Dixie Belles World Series.
