Reverend and Mrs. William Thomas Woodward and Family

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, 1978, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Reverend William Thomas Woodward, minister of the Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church South was sent by the Conference in December of 1912 to serve the Sicily Island charge.  His family had remained at his former charge of Bienville until the school year was ended in May of 1913.  By the end of his tenure of four years on the charge, the Woodwards had been provided with a permanent home by their son-in-law, William Smith Peck, II.  They lived out the remainder of their lives on the Island. 

The Dr. Henry John Peck Family

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, 1978, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Dr. Henry John Peck was born on April 29, 1803 in Boston, Massachusetts.  He married Laminda McKinney Smith on December 21, 1828 in Yazoo County, Mississippi.  Laminda Peck inherited Battleground Plantation from her parents, William Mastin and Patience Kirkland Smith.  She and Dr. Henry Peck moved to Sicily Island shortly after they were married.  They had twelve children.  Their son, William Smith Peck, I., has descendants living on Sicily Island and it is this line that will be discussed below.

After having moved to Sicily Island, Dr. Peck represented Catahoula Parish in the Louisiana House of Representatives and later in the State Senate.  He was well known for his contributions toward flood control and the establishment of a free school system in Louisiana.  In 1845, he journeyed to Boston.  While visiting with relatives of his father's dear old friend, John Hancock, they purchased the first free school books to be sent back to Louisiana.

Dr. Henry John Peck died on July 25, 1881.  Laminda McKinney Smith Peck died on December 14, 1871.

William Smith Peck, I. was born on November 22, 1842.  He married his third cousin, Florence Celeste Lovelace, at the Gillis House on December 15, 1868.  William Smith Peck, I. was educated at Center College in Kentucky and was the only Confederate Veteran residing on Sicily Island who was imprisoned during the Reconstruction.  He was apprehended by Federal officers in New Orleans after an illness.

William and Florence had the following four children:

Laura Kirkland, 1869-1873
John Lovelace, 1871-1872
William Smith, II., 1873-1946
Henry Clarendon, 1874-pre-1900

Florence Celeste Lovelace Peck died on September 18, 1881 at her residence on Sicily Island.  William Smith Peck, I. died on December 10, 1910 in New Orleans following a long illness.

William Smith Peck, II. was born on December 27, 1873 and married Barbara Estelle Woodward in Sicily Island on February 1, 1915.  Barbara Estelle Woodward was born on May 8, 1893 at Bayou Barbara, Livingston Parish, Louisiana.  She was the daughter of William Thomas and Rosa Bacot Woodward.

William and Estelle resided in the Lovelace-Peck home on Ferry Plantation in Sicily Island.

Lovelace-Peck Home, 2011

Lovelace-Peck Home, 2011

Ferry Plantation Store, 2011

Lake Lovelace, now known as Lake Louie, 2011

 

The Lovelace Family

The Lovelace family were the first permanent settlers on Sicily Island.  John Lovelace, Sr. was born in Virginia on December 28, 1740.  He married Anne Hughson, daughter of Edward and Anne Washington Hughson.  Anne was born on Popes Creek, Westmoreland County, Virginia, on December 4, 1742.  

Above is a sketch of the first home built by the John and Anne Lovelace.  The log cabin was located near the present township of Sicily Island, at the head of Lake Lovelace.  The original house had only two rooms.  Later, an open hallway and two more rooms were added.  These were of clapboards.  There was a fireplace at each end of the house.  A front porch was built all the way across the length of the house.  The water supply in the early days was from a cistern nearby.  

William Smith Peck (1842-1881) and his wife, Florence Celeste Lovelace (1845-1881) made their first home here when they married in 1868.  Florence was the great granddaughter of John, Sr. and Anne Lovelace.  They later sold the small house and property to a relative, Zachariah Kirkland.  The property and house were later owned by John Peck, an uncle to William Peck.  Thus it is identified as the John Peck Place. 

The Glover-Bruce Families

Matilda "Mittie" Glover was born in New Orleans on December 7, 1857 to John George and Emily Vick Morse Glover.  On April 25, 1878, she married John Henry Bruce in Catahoula Parish.  John was born on Lee Bayou, Catahoula Parish, on December 27, 1852.  His parents were John and Ann Bruce.  

Mittie was a sister to Mary Elizabeth (1855-1936) who married Asa Jourdan Sapp (1849-1925) in Catahoula Parish on April 30, 1874.  Mittie's maternal grandparents were Eliza White Vick and Col. Henry Morse.  Her maternal great grandparents were Elizabeth Clark and Rev. Newit Vick.  The city of Vicksburg, Mississippi is named after Mittie's maternal great grandfather, Rev. Newit Vick.

John Lane, born in Virginia, April 8, 1789, obtained his education at Franklin College, Athens; in 1814, at the age of twenty-five years, he was admitted to the South Carolina conference of the Methodist Episcopal church, in the following year was appointed to the Natchez circuit, and thus became the pioneer Methodist preacher in Mississippi Territory and the first of that denomination to labor among the Cherokee and Creek Indians; in 1820 he was made presiding elder of the Mississippi circuit, and the ministry was his chosen field of labor, but he also engaged in business, in which he achieved a certain degree of success, and in addition served as judge of the private court of Warren County; his prominence in affairs led to his appointment as president of the Conference Missionary Society; he married a daughter of the Rev. Newit Vick, and in 1820 settled in Mississippi on Mr. Vick's estate, and there founded Vicksburg, which he named in honor of his father-in-law, Rev. Vick; his death occurred in Vicksburg, Mississippi, October 10, 1855.  (Virginia Biography, Vols. I-III, p. 208-209) 

The Children (and grandchildren) of Edward Dorsey "Dorse" Smith

Edward Dorsey "Dorse" Smith was born on March 3, 1870 to James Luther and Henrietta DeGlando Smith.  He married Helen Jackson circa 1905.  Helen was born on May 30, 1885 in Mississippi.  After Henrietta's death and the property division, Dorse and Helen lived in several different houses before buying the lot where the Gordon and Mary Nell Higgins house stands today.  When Dorse's brother, Buck, moved to town, Dorse sold his house to Mr. Denham and bought the old Smith home back. 

Dorse died on April 2, 1940 and Helen died on April 10, 1917.  Both are buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery.

Dorse and Helen had the following children: 

The Children (and grandchildren) of Francis Marion "Frank" Smith

Francis Marion "Frank" Smith was born on November 24, 1867 to James Luther and Henrietta DeGlando Smith.  On September 19, 1886, he married Nettie Watson.  Nettie was born on September 4, 1868 in Harrisonburg.

Frank died on July 7, 1953 and Nettie died on August 9, 1946.  Both are buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.

Frank and Nettie had the following children: 

The Children (and grandchildren) of James William "Buck" Smith

James William "Buck" Smith was born on December 10, 1862 to James Luther and Henrietta DeGlando Smith. On February 8, 1883, he married Margaret A. "Mary" Kendrick.  Upon the death of his mother in 1917, he received twenty acres and the old Smith house which was included in the acreage. 

Buck died on July 23, 1936 and Mary died on January 4, 1921.  They are both buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.

Buck and Mary had the following nine children: 

The Children (and grandchildren) of Tom and Kate Smith Chisum

On March 23, 1881, Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Chisum married Catherine "Kate" Smith.  Tom, the son of Isham Russell and Mary Polly Walling Chisum, came to Sicily Island circa 1876 from Limestone County, Texas.  He was born on January 3, 1852.  Kate, born on September 24, 1859, was the daughter of James Luther Smith and Henrietta DeGlando Smith.

Kate died on April 23, 1936 and Tom died on December 4, 1934.  Both are buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.

To the marriage of Tom and Kate were born the following five children: 

Virginia "Ginnie" Smith Blackman, daughter of J. L. and Henrietta Smith

Virginia "Ginnie" Smith was born on March 14, 1856 to James Luther and Henrietta DeGlando Smith.  On November 15, 1872, she married Joseph A. "Frank" Blackman in the home of her parents by the Justice of the Peace.  Witnesses were:  E. L. Keenan, James Kelly and James H. Young.

 

James Luther Smith Family....The Beginning

James Luther Smith (1830-1911)

James Luther "J. L." Smith was born on November 9, 1830 in Saratoga County, New York.  He left New York at a young age and traveled by boat to New Orleans.  There, it is believed that he worked on boats and was a policeman for about a year.  

Henrietta DeGlando Smith

While living in New Orleans, J. L. met and married Henrietta DeGlando circa 1853.  Henrietta was born in New Orleans on September 29, 1836.

By 1860, J. L. and Henrietta had moved to Catahoula Parish and were living in the area of Trinity.  Some time between 1870 and 1880, they moved to Sicily Island where they bought a farm joining Gottleib Krause's farm.  The farmland was purchased from Mrs. Mary Doniphan and was part of Midship Plantation.  Part of this property is now Highland Cemetery.

In 1875, J. L. built a larger home.  The front part was four large rooms divided by a hall from front to back with an extra large fireplace in each of the two front rooms.  There was a railed gallery running the width of the front.  The large dining room and kitchen was an ell on the back with a porch on the inner side of this ell and across the back of the main house.  In the yard, out from the kitchen, there was a summer house where many household chores were done in the summer. (Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, 1978, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith) 

Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele Family

Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele (1870-1934)

Isham Alfonso "Al" Steele, the son of Francis Marion "Frank" and Lucinda Chisum Steele, was born November 20, 1870 in Limestone County, Texas.

Other children born to the marriage of Frank and Lucinda Steele were:  Lula, 1866-1955 (m. Henry H. Stubbs); Lydia Francis, 1867-1941 (m. Silas A. Greer); Louella "Ella", 1868-1954 (m. Walter A. Walling); Mary Allye "Madie", 1872-1961 (m. Henry R. Eaton); Lena Rhoda, 1877-1960 (m. James "Jim" McLelland).

Lucinda Chisum Steele

Frank Steele

Thomas "Tom" Jefferson Chisum

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Thomas Jefferson "Tom" Chisum

Thomas "Tom" Jefferson Chisum was born in Limestone County, Texas on January 3, 1852, son of Isham Russell Chisum and Mary Walling.  Tom was eight years old when his father died.  Due to this, plus the hardship of the war, Tom's boyhood and educational opportunities were narrowed.  Fortunately the duties of the farm and the care of the stock interested him more than anything else.  By the time he was sixteen years old, he had become a livestock trader.

In 1876, Tom brought a bunch of horses to Sicily Island to sell, but this venture was unsuccessful because of crop failure that year.  As a result of this he found himself $1,500 in debt.  Although it took the hard work of five years to accomplish it, the debt was paid in full.

After deciding to remain at Sicily Island, Tom Chisum, in partnership with his brother, opened a store at the end of The Texas Road, later moving to Florence (now Sicily Island).  Later, he built the store pictured below, which was located where the old Graves' Super Store building stands today.  The Chisum store faced the railroad tracks.  This was the center of the village's activity at that time for here was also located H. M. Peniston's gin and sawmill. 

The Deadening

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

The deadening area consisted of between 300-400 acres between the Cane Road and Highway 15 on land belonging to Mr. Tom Chisum.  There was much cane from the Krause place all through this area toward Wisner.

After the crops were in, the trees were ringed so they would die and the cane cut to make more land available for tillage.  Of course as the trees died the limbs would fall.  

One year, in order to get some of the limbs out of the way, someone set them on fire.  Not only did the limbs burn, but the trees did also.  The fire spread so quickly and widely that it also burned a number of tenant houses.  

There is no sign of "The Deadening" now, but this area of land is still referred to by this name.

The Rocks

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Long before the white man came to Sicily Island this spot was known to the Indians who lived here.  "The Rocks", as it was labeled by white settlers, is a shallow place in Lake Louie where the Indians forded the lake when the water was low.  To make the task of crossing less hazardous, they brought large rocks to lay in the shoals.

For generations "The Rocks" has been a favorite spot for camping, fishing, boating, and skiing.  It is remembered by the writer that often when farm crops were "laid-by" or in the fall when crops were in, her father and two or three neighbors would load the wagons with camping supplies and the families would travel the ten miles to "The Rocks" for a three day camp-out. 

The McKay Family

From Our Island Heritage, Vols. 2 and 3, 1977-78, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

William Columbus McKay married Mary Eveline Rogers on December 27, 1867.  Mr. and Mrs. McKay were both natives of Mississippi.  They arrived on Sicily Island around 1897.

William C. McKay - Record of Death

Children of this marriage include:
Almedia Isadore, 1870-1951 (m. 1. Benjamin F. Saxon; 2. James David Weeks, Sr.,1872-1957)
Eudora - Born April 17, 1871
William Samuel - Born July 16, 1873
Thomas Columbus - Born August 13, 1878
John D. - Born November 9, 1880
Daniel M. - Born February 2, 1883
Robert Lee - Born March 7, 1888
Mary W. - Born November 22, 1899

Christopher Columbus Guice

From Our Island Heritage, Vols. 2 and 3, 1977-78, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Levi Guice (1790-1842) must have been prosperous as he owned vast properties in Catahoula, Franklin, and Ouachita parishes.  A large portion of his estate was signed over to Elmore Guice (1826-1864), one of his sons, while Elmore was still a minor.  Another son, Fielden John, served as a private in Co. K of the 1st LA Cavalry during the Civil War.  He was killed in action in 1863.

Elmore married Mary Ann Woods (1837-1864) and set up housekeeping near Guice Lake in the Turkey and Deer Creek area.  They had only two sons, Charles Ira (1859-1864) and Christopher Columbus Guice (1856-1923).  According to a family legend, Elmore, Mary Ann and Charles Ira died of yellow fever in Natchez within a few days of each other.

As the aunt of Christopher Columbus Guice, Martha Woods Tiller went to James L. Smith and told him her nephew was in Natchez and his parents had died in the yellow fever epidemic, and would he go bring Christopher to her.  James road a horse over and brought Christopher back.

[Note from D.E.B.:  A descendant of Martha Wood states that Martha was Mary's mother, not her sister.  Note also that Wood (without the s) was Martha's first husband's name.  Martha's maiden name is unknown at this time.]  

The Doniphans of Midship Plantation

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

T.A.S. Doniphan, Old Pine Hill Cemetery

Thomas Alexander Slaughter Doniphan (T.A.S. Doniphan) came from Virginia by flatboat to Natchez, Mississippi.  Here he met and married Miss Sarah Cartwright, who was editor of a Natchez paper, "The Free Trader".  The Doniphans sent their children up north to be educated.

(Editor's note:  Tombstone photograph for Sarah Cartwright Doniphan is courtesy of Debbie Belk Ellis at FindAGrave.com)

Sarah C. Doniphan, Natchez Cemetery

In 1859, T.A.S. Doniphan purchased Midship Plantation, located on Sicily Island, from James Denegre of New Orleans.  Midship consisted of around 950 acres.  This along with other smaller tracts brought his holdings to around 1,500 acres.  The Doniphans moved into a log house which was already built on the place.

This house consisted of rooms on either side of an open hallway and had a full front porch.  It was situated on the cut-off road between Martin High School and the Guice Road, and sat beside a small stream. 

Ditto Plantation

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

(Editor's Note:  Some portions have been updated with information provided by Barbara Peck Gilbert Haigh, a descendant of the Peck and Kirkland families)

Ditto was originally a part of a tract of land owned by William Mastin Smith and his wife, Patience Kirkland.  This tract of land also included Battleground and Nuttall Plantations.

The Smiths had five daughters:  Sarah, Martha, Mary, Laminda, and Luvenia.  Sarah and Mary died at young ages.  Laminda married Dr. Henry Peck and in 1830 they were settled at Battleground Plantation.  Luvenia married Zachariah H. Dorsey.  Martha was married first to William Lego Ditto in about 1819 and was given a portion of land on which she and her husband built their home.  Thus it came to be known as Ditto Plantation. After William Lego Ditto's death, circa 1827*, Martha married Ditto Lego Nuttall.  An old family graveyard located on Ditto helps to tell the story of the lives of some of these early settlers.

Editor's Note:  William Lego and Martha Smith Ditto had one son, William Lego Ditto, Jr. born on January 20, 1826.  He married Levinia Holstein on January 31, 1855.  William Lego Ditto, Jr. died on December 11, 1909.  He is buried in the Evergreen Cemetery in Jacksonville, Duval County, Florida.  Tombstone photograph is courtesy of Johnny at FindAGrave.com

The Knotts Family

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

This home stands on land purchased in 1900 by the Hobgood brothers, B. A. and W. H. Hobgood.  Older residents in the community recall that this house was built around 1912 by B. A. Hobgood in 1920.

Soon after they moved into the house, Walter Scott Knotts, Sr. and Annie Gathings Bowen Knotts engaged a landscape artist from Memphis, Tennessee to lay out plans for formal gardens.  Mrs. Knotts' work on the gardens was never completed due to the depression of the twenties. 

Descendants of Clay W. Fairbanks

William Fairbanks, Jr. was born on January 5, 1805 in Copiah County, Mississippi.  On March 5, 1829, he married Elizabeth Ann Watkins in East Feliciana, Louisiana.  Elizabeth was born on October 7, 1806 in Copiah County, Mississippi.

William Fairbanks, Jr. died on April 15, 1856 and Elizabeth Watkins Fairbanks died on March 1, 1871.

The following children were born to the marriage of William and Elizabeth Watkins Fairbanks:

Edward J, 1829-?
William A, 1832- aft 1880 (m. 1. Julia L. Johnson; m. 2. Eliza E. Empress)
Mary M, 1833-?
Clay W, 1837-1920 (m. 1. Mary V; m. 2. Mattie A. Lovelace)
Samuel David, 1839-1918 (m. 1. Mary Ella Sullivan; m. 2. Alice L. Clark)
Osborn Pulaski, 1842-1917 (m. Cassie Husbands)

Descendants of Clay W. Fairbanks

Clay W. was born on May 17, 1837.  He first married Mary V. (1817-abt 1881) and had the following children:

Thomas J.
Francis B.
Annie Laurie
Henry Osborne

On December 25, 1883, he married Mattie A. Lovelace and had the following children:

John Lovelace, 1884-1944 (m. Rosa Cerniglia), son Clay W. (1912-1944)
Mabel, 1887-1971 (m. Robert D. Swayze), children:  Augustus, Mabel, Mattie

Clay W. Fairbanks died on January 19, 1920 and Mattie A. Lovelace Fairbanks died on April 5, 1911.  Both are buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.  The actual date of death and location of Mary V.'s burial are unknown at this time.

The Denham House

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

This house was built by Mr. Goodrum Davis about 1890.  Mrs. Davis (Tabitha Margaret Smith Kendrick)  had a store across the street, about where the Denham garage is now.  (Editor's note:  this is now the location of the Sicily Island Police Department)  Most merchandise was shipped in wooden crates.  These crates were used to seal the inside of the house, and Bea Denham recalls that you could look at the ceiling and read what was shipped and by what company.  At some later date, someone covered this with beaver board.

Tabitha Davis, Old Pine Hill Cemetery

After Mrs. Davis' death in 1901, Goodrum lived here with his daughter, Julia until his death in 1920.  His granddaughter, Willie Bruce, bought the house and took Miss Julia to live with her in her home.

Miss Julia was probably not happy being away from home and she moved back.  Her two nephews, Hal and Warren McGee, stayed with her and went to school in Sicily Island.

When Julia and C. R. "Pop" Denham were married, "Pop" bought the house and they lived here.  "Pop" died on April 1, 1958 and Julia died on December 30, 1958.

Mrs. Suttles rented the house and lived here until 1973 when high water forced Lewis Ratcliff out of his house on the "Louie" and he bought the house.

In 1977, the back part of the house was damaged by fire and the remainder was torn down.

The Copeland-Carter House

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

William E. McGraw was born in 1872 on a plantation near Woodville, Mississippi.  His father died in 1879, leaving Mrs. McGraw with two young sons.  Mrs. McGraw, with her children, went back home to live with her father and mother.  When Will was 18 years old, having learned to farm, he began farming for himself.  After ten years farming, he opened a general store in Laurel Hill, Louisiana.  In 1908, he came to Foules, Louisiana where he built a store and later another store at Greenville Landing. The Tensas river at that time was a very much used river, as the cotton and freight was shipped by boat.  In 1913, Will McGraw was appointed postmaster at Foules and ticket agent for the Missouri Pacific Railroad.

He married Miss Lydia Rabb of Wilkinson County, Mississippi, who was a graduate nurse from Turo Infirmary.  Together, they designed and built this house which consisted of a hall down the center with three bedrooms on one side, living and dining room on the other side.  There was a back porch across the back with an off-set kitchen and a servants house in the back.  The front porch extended across the front, curved on one end and ran down the side.

Copeland, which was already named this when Mr. McGraw bought it, consisted of 160 acres.  The store and house were the core of the plantation.

"Miss" Lydia was a great aunt of Prentice and Bessie Carter who came to live with Mr. and Mrs. McGraw when they were quite young.  Prentice later married Marguerita Morris and they had two children, Prentice, Jr. and Lydia.  Miss Bessie never married.  At the death of Prentice and Marguerita, the place was left to his children.  It is still in the family, and still called Copeland.

Old Pine Hill Cemetery

The Carroll House

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, compiled by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

The Carroll House is built on land which was originally part of a Spanish Land Grant.  It is listed in old records as being a part of the Santiago Del Rio riquet.

The house has had quite a colorful history, having once been a saloon.  It is known that at least one man, and some say three men were killed here in a saloon brawl.  Evidence of the shootout can still be seen by the bullet holes in the walls.  Following its saloon days, the building is said to have housed a general store.

In 1882, C. H. Walters, father of Mrs. Mamie Carroll, bought the place from a Mr. Watkins.  Mr. Walters came to Sicily Island from Jefferson County, Mississippi.  He and his wife had two children:  a son, who died at an early age, and a daughter, Mamie, who was to become Mrs. Alec Carroll.

A few years after the Carrolls were married, they came to make their home with her parents.  At the death of her parents, Mamie inherited the house and land.  According to those who knew Mrs. Mamie, she was asked by her parents to never sell the place, as they wanted to make sure she would always have a home.

The Carrolls shared their home for many years with a friend, Miss Sallie Aaron, who in her declining years was a complete invalid for some fifteen years.  They also gave Oscar Bedford a home for many, many years until his death in the forties.  Oscar had lived on with Mrs. Carroll after Mr. Carroll's death to help take care of her, but she outlived him.  She then gave Mr. and Mrs. Tom Mason a home next door so they could help look after her.  At her death, the place was willed to Tom and his wife.  When Tom died, his half was divided among his family.  Mrs. Mason sold her half which included the house to Clarence Martin and today his father, Johnnie Lee Martin resides there.

The Blacksmith Shop

From:  Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2, 1977, complied by Sophie Haley and Mickie Smith:

Every respectable town had it's blacksmith shop, for it was as important to transportation as our gas stations are today.  This shop was owned by Mr.David P. Ford, Mrs. Ida Burke's father.  It was located close to where Mrs. Randall's house now is, facing East.  There was a narrow dirt road, more like a lane, that was in front of it, curved around and came out in front of the Chamber's House.  (Editor's Note:  the original site of the Blacksmith Shop is just North of the Snack Shack's current location)

Mr. Ford was a capable man.  Besides being the blacksmith, during ginning season he operated a small gin owned by Mrs. Anna Peniston.  Also when there was a need, he ran a small sawmill for Mrs. Peniston.

Ruth Peniston tells of a man who had some timber in the hills and had a man who worked for him to haul the logs to the mill.  Mr. Ford sawed it and turned in the dimensions and the amount due to Mrs. Peniston.  When the man came to pay the bill, he said it was wrong, that he didn't have that much lumber and couldn't owe that much.  Mrs. Peniston told him to pay the amount that he thought was right.  Ten years later, she received a check from him and a letter saying he had found some old receipts and the check was for the balance of the amount due her.

"Miss" Ruth quoted her mother as saying, "This is his conscious money."

Catahoula Parish Superintendents of Education, 1909-1985

Lest We Forget

Catahoula Parish Superintendents of Education, 1909-1985

Compliments of:

W. A. Book – Clerk of Court

Bruce A. Edmonds – Registrar of Voters

Sue Manning – Deputy Registrar of Voters

Jacob W. Carter, 1909
J. C. Hardin, 1909-1913
J. K. Stone, 1913-1917
Howard W. Wright, 1917-1941
Charles Orville Elkins, 1941-13 Apr 1943
Aubrey L. Brooks, 14 Apr 1943-1973
Kelly N. Breithaupt, 1973-1978
Sam E. Dale, 1978-1985
L. Keith Guice, 1985


Pictured below: York Sheppard-Enterpirse School Board Member(seated); Standing LtoR:  Bruce Edmonds-Sicily Island School Board Member, W. C. Speights-Sicily Island Coach, Joe Raymond Peace-Sicily Island Coach, Aubrey L. Brooks-Catahoula Parish Superintendent of Education 

Photograph taken circa 1964

Catahoula Parish Judges, 1805-1834

Lest We Forget

Catahoula Parish Judges, 1805-1834

Compliments of:

W. A. Book – Clerk of Court

Bruce A. Edmonds – Registrar of Voters

Sue Manning – Deputy Registrar of Voters

The judge of a parish court was also a justice of the peace and Recorder of deeds and mortgages.  His jurisdiction also covered probate matters such as estates of deceased persons, minors and interdicts.  The following is a list of the parish judges of Catahoula Parish:

Territory of Orleans

William Miller, 1805-1807

Born in PA, came to LA, and engaged in mercantile business with Alexander Fulton; appointed parish judge in June, 1805; resigned in 1807; died in Cincinnati OH, May 12, 1845.

Thomas Dawson, 1807-1808
Appointed parish judge, Rapides Parish LA; May 1807


Catahoula Parish created by Act approved March 23, 1808

Benjamin Tennille, 1808-1809

Born in Prince William County VA, son of Benjamin and Margaret Tennille; soldier in Revolutionary War (3rd VA Regt.); moved to Georgia in 1788; to LA 1807; appointed parish judge in 1808; resigned in 1809; died June 30, 1811, Monroe LA.

Robert Hall, 1809-1812

Married 20 July, 1806, Mira St. John Tennille, daughter of Benj. and Rachel (St. Clare) Tennille; Delegate from Rapides County, and Catahoula Parish to Constitutional Convention of 1811 in New Orleans that framed the constitution for Louisiana's admission to the Union.  He died in Monroe LA.

Under State Government (Louisiana)

Robert Hall, 1812-1813

Samuel Lightner, 1813-1834
Married Elizabeth Lovelace and died in 1834.

Catahoula Parish Judges (Under State Government), 1837-1880

Lest We Forget

Catahoula Parish Judges (Under State Government), 1834-1880

Compliments of:

W. A. Book – Clerk of Court

Bruce A. Edmonds – Registrar of Voters

Sue Manning – Deputy Registrar of Voters




*Parish Courts abolished in 1857, re-established in 1868
*Parish Courts abolished under Constitution of 1879