Story of a Newspaper
In 1969, Allen Lottinger, a newspaper publisher in Houma, was approached by a West Bank businessman looking for a place in which to advertise. He suggested the need for a newspaper to serve west bank communities. Lottinger toured the area and decided the project had possibilities. Allen and his wife Collette established an office for the publication of a newspaper in Boutte in the building previously occupied by the Raven, a popular nightclub on Highway 90. In August 1969, the West St. Charles Guide was published for the first time. The circulation grew over the years. It became a paid publication in 1979.
The entire Lottinger family has been involved in the enterprise. The business, which expanded to include other forms of publications, remains in Boutte in the original location. The Guide merged with the St. Charles Herald (Yoes Family) in 1993 and the name was changed to the St. Charles Herald Guide. In 2006, Pat and Gail Yoes agreed to sell their half of the company to the Guide group, known as Louisiana Publishing, Inc. In 2010, Tony and Anne Lottinger Taylor continue to operate the Herald Guide and also publish six magazines including the Louisiana Sportsman.
This text is copyright © material by Marilyn Richoux, Joan Becnel and Suzanne Friloux, from St. Charles Parish, Louisiana: A Pictorial History, 2010.
