Rodessa, Louisiana: Frog Level - Concrete Frogs

As you travel just north of Rodessa on Highway 168, you will notice the most unique historical marker in all of Louisiana. Perched on two brick columns are two very large green frogs made of concrete, one is named "ALABAMA" the other named "GEORGIA". On the plaque suspended between the two columns and the amphibians it reads:

FROG LEVEL Later Rodessa "History"- FROG LEVEL AND RODESSA

A TOWN MEETING WAS CALLED IN THE 1800'S BY NOAH TYSON SR., STORE OWNER, POLICE JUROR AND POST MASTER, TO NAME THEIR TOWN. THE FROGS WERE HOLLERING IN A NEARBY POND. A MAN FROM ALABAMA JUMPED UP AND SAID, "LET'S NAME IT FROG LEVEL." AND SO THEY DID. ON APRIL 11, 1879, M.C. SPEARMAN WAS APPOINTED POST MASTER. FROG LEVEL'S NAME WAS CHANGED TO RODESSA IN 1898 WHEN THE K.C.S. RAILROAD WAS BUILT IN THIS AREA. THE PRESIDENT OF THE K.C.S. NAMED THE TOWN AFTER HIS DAUGHTER, WE'RE TOLD. IN JULY OF 1935, THE I.L. YOUNG, GAS WELL WAS BROUGHT IN BY UNITED GAS COMPANY OPENING ONE OF LOUISIANA'S MAJOR OIL FIELDS. AS OF JANUARY 1, 1973, 101,773,804 BARRELS OF CRUDE OIL HAVE BEEN PRODUCED ON THE LOUISIANA SIDE.

The frogs commemorate those who came from Georgia and Alabama and settled in the area. The city of Rodessa named in 1896, took over two smaller nearby communities - Spoonful and Frog Level, named for the noise of the frogs in a nearby pond. The idea for the monument came from Rodessa's mayor, Noah Tyson. The sculptures cost about $2,700 and were donated by the Fix-It-Well Company.