Few written resources exist about the town of Donner. Two books were published in recent years about the town.
Jo Anne Plessala published a book “I Remember Donner” in 1999. The book is a compilation of memories of the town, which focuses on the lives of the various people who once lived in Donner.
“Donner, Louisiana: Historical and Archaeological Investigations of an Early-Twentieth Century Sawmill Community” is a book that evaluates the remains of Donner, with escalation reports and several historical accounts. The book also has many maps detailing the site.
The town also appears in one periodical ” The Houma Courier ” several times.
In 1906, the newspaper published several pictures of the mill. Thirty years later, advertisements were published for the Dilbert, Stark and Brown Cypress Company.
The Courier published an article in 1939 titled “Donner a Decade Ago Far Cry from Donner of Present Day,” and in 1954 another article titled “Fifteen Years Ago.”
In recent years, The Courier has covered the Donner reunions and recent attempts to gather information and stories about the town.
All of these documents can be found on the University campus in the Hill Memorial Library. There is also a copy of Plessala’s book in Middleton Library.
In addition to these documents, Bobby Matherne recorded two interviews with his mother, Annette Matherne, and wrote a poem that showcased several of the vignettes of the town, which are available in online sources.
 
Contact Justin Fritscher at [email protected]