Tallulah was the first city in the United Stated to have an
indoor shopping mall. The mall was only one hall wide with stores on either
side, much like the malls of today, but much smaller. The mall is accessible
from from the street at both ends of the building. The historic landmark is
well preserved but has been dormant for years until recently when a developer
bought the property and is in the process of restoring it for commercial use.
Tallulah got its name in an unusual sort of way. When the railroad was expanding in the area, there was a widow who owned a large plantation. She became friendly with the railroad's contractor and persuaded him to change the route of the railway so it would run through her property and enhance the value of it. After the railroad was built she had nothing else to do with him. Feeling rejected, he named the railroad water stop for an old girlfriend named Tallulah, instead of the plantation.
NOTABLES NATIVES
The Daily News
James Silas was born in Tallulah in l949, and graduated from Tallulah High
School where he played basketball.
He became known as “Captain Late” because he seemed to play his
best late in the game.
Silas’ distinguished record included:
. Three-time All American basketball player at Stephen F. Austin University.
. Scored more than 12,000 points.
. ABA All-Star Team in l975 and l976
. Played for San Antonio Spurs for eight seasons.
. Career free-throw percentage 88.5 percent.
. His number 13 was the first number ever retired by the San Antonio Spurs.
Silas currently supervises the non-profit organization, Athletic Services
Network. This organization’s objective
is to mentor, support and guide at-risk youth of Austin TX.
“Buddy” Caldwell graduated with honors from Tallulah High School,
and lettered in football, basketball and track. He earned his bachelor’s
degree at Tulane University where he also played football and ran track.
He received his law degree from Tulane in 1973. He was elected District Attorney
for the parishes of Madison, East Carroll, and Tensas in l978, and was reelected
to that office until 2008 when he was elected Attorney General in 2007.
Jimmy Jones, a native of Tallulah, graduated from Grambling University, and was drafted by the National Basketball Assn. in 1967, but joined rival American Basketball Assn. and played for the New Orleans Buccaneers, Memphis Pros, and Utah Stars. In his 7-year professional career in the ABA, he averaged 19.2 points, 5.1 assists, and 4.9 rebounds per game. He also played with the Bullets for three seasons before retiring in l977.
She was born as Sarah Breedlove, the daughter of ex-slaves, orphaned at
age 7, started working at age 10, married at l4, and was a widow with an
infant daughter at 20. She worked as a domestic servant, laundress, and
later sold hair-care products door to door. In her scant spare time she
experimented and developed in 1905 an ointment and system to stop hair
loss in black women, and create smooth, shiny coiffures. In 1906 she married
newspaperman Charles J. Walker and began using Madam C. J. Walker as her maiden
name. A few years later she had built a cosmetic empire and earned a fortune.
She endowed educational institutions and supported many organizations to aid
the black community.
Anthony Lucas had a brilliant collegiate record at University of Arkansas.
In his debut game at Arkansas vs. SMU, Lucas had a blow-out game
with 6 receptions, 194 yards, 3 touchdowns. In his first season at Arkansas
he chalked up 43 receptions for 1004 yards, made 10 touchdowns, and was the
team’s leading scorer. He was drafted by the NFL in the four round in
2000, and played for the Greenbay Packers and for the Dallas Cowboys.
Shea Arender, a native of Tallulah, is an accomplished Elvis Tribute
Artist who got his start in this exciting role by performing on Commodore
Cruse Line cruses at the age of 12. He has a degree in international business,
but his early success as an Elvis Tribute Artist led him to pursue his education
in music, including such areas as vocalization, music theory, and songwriting.
His career as an Elvis Tribute Artist includes winning the prestigious Grand
Tribute Championship held in Las Vegas. His engagements have taken him to
performances in Las Vegas and other venues across America, as well as in Brazil,
Italy, and Puerto Rico. He returns to Tallulah frequently to visit his family
and friends from this area.