Stephen Weber mused about what was once known as Good Hope, Louisiana.
“There are just about no signs of the town that used to be there,” Weber said.
He and the Norco Civic Association are looking to change that. On Sept. 24, the association will be holding a ceremony to unveil a new Louisiana State Historical Marker remembering the town of Good Hope. It will be held at the former Good Hope Elementary School on River Road at 11 a.m. All are invited to attend, and the ceremony will formally honor the history of the former town.
Weber said former NCA president Sal DiGirolamo had long pushed for a historical marker recognizing Good Hope. When Weber succeeded DiGirolamo as association president, he continued the push.
The initial problem, Weber said, was there was little clear direction on how to proceed.
“The process was actually a little more complicated than I thought it would be,” said Weber. “It wasn’t as easy. I did some research on Good Hope and then looked at some of these other historical markers out there.”
Weber took on the project around 2020. He contacted the Louisiana Historical Society and got an application.
Valero stepped forward to sponsor the marker. Weber said the LSU Department of History approved the facts displayed on the sign about Good Hope as accurate, which was one of the final steps before making the ceremony official.
Weber said that St. Charles Parish Public Schools made the location possible by allowing the marker to be placed on school property. Those traveling along River Road will be able to see the sign as they drive, which was one of the motivations for choosing the former elementary school as the site.
The late Ralph Babin, who was a resident of Good Hope, created a detailed map showing the community’s roads and residences. Event organizers have enlarged the map and plan to display it at the ceremony. Members of Babin’s family will also be in attendance.
In 1983, Good Hope Refinery bought out the residential and commercial property of the town of Good Hope in order to expand its operations, according to a recounting of events by Marilyn Richoux, Joan Becnel and Suzanne Friloux of SCPHistory.org. Once called “the Wonder Town” of the 1920s, it was no longer a town by September of 2000 with new legislation establishing town boundaries. The former town was ultimately absorbed into the community of Norco. Good Hope was considered a thriving community for many years between the 1920s and 1980s.
Good Hope Elementary School opened in 1931 and eventually became Good Hope Primary. It consolidated with Norco Elementary in 1979.
Years later, the original school site will serve as a place to preserve Good Hope’s history.
Weber said that while Good Hope disappeared physically, it remains very much alive in the memories of those who lived there. Several former Good Hope residents have responded enthusiastically about the ceremony, he said, adding a number of them plan to attend.
“We know we’ll have some older people coming – we’ll have a tent out there with chairs,” said Weber. “These people have been sharing their memories and they have such fond memories of Good Hope. My mom is in her eighties, and she has fond memories of it. (Good Hope) was self-contained. They had a post office, restaurants, a train depot … a lot of people grew up there and lived there.”
