Monroe in Ouachita Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)

The Ouachita Candy Company Building

Downtown Monroe

— History —

The Ouachita Candy Company Building Marker image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, July 4, 2026

1. The Ouachita Candy Company Building Marker

Inscription.

The Ouachita Candy Company Building. Downtown Monroe. , The Ouachita Candy Company building, originally known as the Ouachita Valley Bottling Works, was first purchased in 1912 by Joseph A. Biedenharn, and was the site of some of the first mass bottling of Coca-Cola in the nation. , This building also served as the location where Delta Airlines was created from a crop dusting company into a commercial airline. , Biedenharn operated several business enterprises out of the building, growing the company from just manufacturing candy and bottling Coca-Cola to the sale of toys, school supplies, non-prescription drugs, fountain supplies, and even liquor after the lifting of prohibition in 1933. At its height in the early 1960s, the Ouachita Candy Company operated from Dallas to New Orleans to Jackson and Little Rock. Other business enterprises operated by Biedenharn throughout the building's history including the Monroe Transfer and Warehouse Company and the Biedenharn Realty Company, Inc. , By the 1980s, confectioneries had shifted to "big box retailers," decreasing the demand for a local business like Ouachita Candy. Their sales had reduced until January 1996, when the 70 year old firm sold its inventory and vacated the building. At the time of the sale of Ouachita Coca-Cola Bottling Company to Coke Enterprises of Atlanta in 1995, nearly 24 products were still being produced. , The Biedenharn business empire lent a level of prestige to North Louisiana and created significant economic multiplier effects. The status of the family is still recognized in histories of Coca-Cola and is represented in the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens and on the University of Louisiana Monroe's campus. After sitting empty for nearly 30 years, the City of Monroe purchased the building in late 2021 and has plans to revitalize it as a major point of attraction along the Ouachita River, ensuring public access to the water and preservation of the historic property., For more information, visit www.oneroe.city/candyco.

The Ouachita Candy Company building, originally known as the Ouachita Valley Bottling Works, was first purchased in 1912 by Joseph A. Biedenharn, and was the site of some of the first mass bottling of Coca-Cola in the nation.

This building also served as the location where Delta Airlines was created from a crop dusting company into a commercial airline.

Biedenharn operated several business enterprises out of the building, growing the company from just manufacturing candy and bottling Coca-Cola to the sale of toys, school supplies, non-prescription drugs, fountain supplies, and even liquor after the lifting of prohibition in 1933. At its height in the early 1960s, the Ouachita Candy Company operated from Dallas to New Orleans to Jackson and Little Rock. Other business enterprises operated by Biedenharn throughout the building's history including the Monroe Transfer & Warehouse Company and the Biedenharn Realty Company, Inc.

By the 1980s, confectioneries had shifted to "big box retailers," decreasing the demand for a local business like Ouachita Candy. Their sales had reduced until January 1996, when

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the 70 year old firm sold its inventory and vacated the building. At the time of the sale of Ouachita Coca-Cola Bottling Company to Coke Enterprises of Atlanta in 1995, nearly 24 products were still being produced.

The Biedenharn business empire lent a level of prestige to North Louisiana and created significant economic multiplier effects. The status of the family is still recognized in histories of Coca-Cola and is represented in the Biedenharn Museum & Gardens and on the University of Louisiana Monroe's campus. After sitting empty for nearly 30 years, the City of Monroe purchased the building in late 2021 and has plans to revitalize it as a major point of attraction along the Ouachita River, ensuring public access to the water and preservation of the historic property.

For more information, visit www.oneroe.city/candyco.

Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1912.

Location. 32° 30.188′ N, 92° 7.152′ W. Marker is in Monroe, Louisiana, in Ouachita Parish. It is at the intersection of Walnut Street and Washington Street, on the

Photographed by Jimmy Emerson, July 4, 2026

2. The Ouachita Candy Company Building & Marker

right when traveling south on Walnut Street. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 215 Walnut St, Monroe LA 71201, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in North Louisiana.

It is also in the American South

and specifically in the Deep South.

Globally, it is in North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

the Louisiana Purchase,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Art Alley (approx. 0.2 miles away); St. Matthew Catholic Church (approx. ¼ mile away); Don Juan Filhiol Historic Preservation District (approx. 0.3 miles away); Webb Pierce (approx. 0.3 miles away); Prairie des Canots Seat of Justice (approx. 0.3 miles away); Site of First City Hall of West Monroe (approx. 0.3 miles away); Operation Iraqi Freedom Memorial (approx. 0.3 miles away); Ouachita Parish High School (approx. 0.4 miles away).

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Touch for a list and map of all markers in Monroe.

Credits. This page was last revised on July 13, 2026. It was originally submitted on July 7, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. This page has been viewed 9 times since then. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on July 7, 2026, by Jimmy Emerson of Dalton, Georgia. • James Hulse was the editor who published this page.