Dr. Martin Dwight Woodin

Sicily Island native, Dr. Martin Dwight Woodin was born on July 7, 1915 to the marriage of Dwight E. and Gladys Martin Woodin.

After graduating from Sicily Island High School in 1932, Woodin attended Louisiana State University (LSU) where he graduated as the top student in the College of Business Administration in 1936.

In 1939, he married Virginia Johnson in West Virginia.  Following Virginia's death, he married Elisabeth Wachalik.

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 School Board by Ward, 1910-1974

Lest We Forget

Catahoula Parish School Board by Ward 1910-1974

Compliments of:

W. A. Book – Clerk of Court

Bruce A. Edmonds – Registrar of Voters

Sue Manning – Deputy Registrar of Voters

Ward One	Tenure		Ward Two	Tenure
H. S. Couillard	1910-1925		J. S. Francis	1912-1918
W. I. Gillepsie	1925-1932		T. L. Enright	1918-1924
H. D. Bruce	1932-1933		J. S. Francis	1924-1936
W. I. Gillespie	1933-1944		R. P. Wilkinson	1936-1948
A. H. Garner	1944-1956		Bruce Edmonds	1948-1974
R. T. Nichols	1956-1962
Jimmy Max Goode	1962-1973
Ward Three	Tenure		Ward Four	Tenure
D. H. Gibson	1910-1923		W. R. Webb	1912-1916
James W. Smith	1923-1924		E. O. Wright	1916-1923
J. E. Clark	1924-1926		J. I. Randall	1923-1934
C. A. McGuffee	1926-1973		O. J. Richardson	1934-1936
			W. R. Richardson	1936-1941
			George R. Richardson	1941-1972
			Gladys Richardson	1972-1973
Ward Five	Tenure		Ward Six	Tenure
J. C. Segrest	1913		A. B. McGuffee	1911-1913
Harvey Taylor	1913-1920		E. W. Dayton	1913-1941
L. P. Wright	1920-1925		E. H. Scott	1941-1944
J. R. Radford	1925-1926		M. T. Dowdy	1944-1948
Jesse L. Beasley	1926-1928		Henry G. Taliaferro	1948-1972
L. P. Wright	1928-1933		Aubry Mophett	1970-1973
A. H. Aplin	1933-1936		W. E. “Sonny” Manning	1972-1973
H. J. Buswell	1936-1938
Richard C. McGuffee	1938-1940
Albert Terry	1940-1944
T. M. Cater	1944-1956
J. Z. Stutson	1956-1968
T. M. Cater	1968-1973
Ward Seven	Tenure
J. M. Trisler	1913-1928
E. M. White	1928-1934
M. N. Trisler	1934-1941
M. H. Trisler	1941-1946
Dewey Gray	1946-1958
Wes White, Jr.	1958-1964
W. A. Book	1964-1970
Wayne D. Sanders	1970-1973

Catahoula Parish School Board, 1879-1910

Lest We Forget

Catahoula Parish School Board 1879-1910

Compliments of:

W. A. Book – Clerk of Court

Bruce A. Edmonds – Registrar of Voters

Sue Manning – Deputy Registrar of Voters

1879-1884		1884-1888		1889-1892 or 94?
M. B. Torrey		K. G. Holstein		Lewis B. Ker
T. A. Routon		Lewis B. Ker		A. G. Hodges
W. L. Ditto		Josiah Dunlap		W. W. Thompson
J. W. Wiggins		R. M. Smith		J. H. Hopkins
S. C. Thompson		W. G. Miller		John S. Young
		S. C. Thompson		W. H. Hanchey
		R. Y. Hodges		W. B. Knight
		E. R. Thompson		J. P. A. Whatley
		J. Guice
		F. Brown
		L. P. Briggs
		P. W. Whatley
		F. A. Jones
		D. H. Gibson
		J. G. Womack
1894-1900		1901-1904		1904-1907
Lam C. Duke		George W. Pearce		G. W. Pearce
G. N. Boddie		E. M. Brian		W. H. Harrington
L. M. Davis		A. J. Blake		Joseph H. Trunzler
A. W. Crawford		John A. Wurster		R. L. Beasley
J. P. A. Whatley		K. G. Holstein		P. B. Allbritton
K. G. Holstein		J. P. A. Whatley		T. J. Drewitt
D. H. Gibson		William A. Moseley		M. Doughty
F. A. Jones		J. M. Trisler		A. J. Blake
John S. Young				T. J. Chisum
Lewis P. Briggs				William E. Lee
J. K. McGee				W. S. Fairbanks
William Gillespie Jr				Walter H. Daniels
				John A. Griffith
1907-1910
J. C. Segrist
W. H. Daniels
J. S. Francis
T. A. McMillin
J. F. Whatley
B. E. Blake
J. W. Wright
I. W. Carter
J. S. Trisler
W. E. Davis

 

Sicily Island Schools, Part 4

From Sicily Island:  A Partial History, compiled by Mickie Smith:

Small plantation schools were the educational basis of many Negroes in the early days of 'The Island's' history.  Small schools were located on Anchor Plantation, Tiger Bayou and Lee Bayou.  Two schools, Hopewell I and Hopewell II, were located on the Bend Road; Mrs. Mabel Hamilton was once a teacher at one of these schools.  Another school was situated in the Negro First Baptist Church of Sicily Island.  Mrs. Hamilton also taught here.  A three-room elementary school was located at Foules. 

Sicily Island Schools, Part 3

From Sicily Island:  A Partial History, compiled by Mickie Smith:

In 1927, Maitland, Foules and Bayou Louis communities were consolidated with Sicily Island.  On April 1, 1930, the consolidated School District No. 2, including Wards One and Two, was created.  A bond issue of $75,000 was passed on June 30, 1930 for a new building.  The present high school building was completed in 1931, in time for graduation ceremonies to be held in it.  The three story building was converted into an elementary classroom building. (Material compiled by Debbie Guice Longman for Catahoula News Booster, Bicentennial Issue, 1976)

Editor's Note:  In the late 1960s, the three-story school building was torn down and replaced with a one-story elementary school building.  Sicily Island Schools, Part 1 and Sicily Island Schools, Part 2

Sicily Island Elementary (L); Sicily Island High (R)

Sicily Island Schools, Part 2

From Sicily Island:  A Partial History, compiled by Mickie Smith:

Sicily Island Central School (1912-1923)

On January 7, 1911, the Catahoula Parish School Board petitioned to consolidate all Ward Two schools.  A committee was appointed to seek a location for a central industrial school.  This school was located about two miles from Florence on the 'Old Steele Place'.

Old Steele Place, 2011

The school was a two-story wooden structure that housed grades one through eleven, the total amount needed to obtain a high school diploma at that time.

The curriculum included English, science, mathematics, history, home economics and Latin.  The children walked to school awhile, carrying their lunch in a 'tin pail'.  Mrs. Lucille Steele Ogden said, "Oh, in the cold weather, my feet got so cold!".  

After some time, the families of the children who lived in Florence each paid a certain amount and hired James W. (Buck) Smith to drive a wagon and take them to school.  It was a full wagon load.  There were railings on the sides with benches along them, but no covering overhead.  Often times the wagon got stuck in the mud and the larger boys got out of the wagon and pushed to help free the wheels.

Mrs. Ogden said she remembered one time it rained so hard they stopped at a church and everyone went inside until the rain was over.  The school board later took over the payment for the wagon driver and hired several more drivers with wagons.  Some of the drivers were Mr. Squyers, Mr. Guice, Mr. Egloff, Mr. John Knight, John D. Boyette, Jack Smith, Mr. Keenan and Mr. Brooks.  These various drivers had different routes for hauling the children. 

Sicily Island Schools, Part 1

From Sicily Island:  A Partial History, compiled by Mickie Smith:

Just as education was of prime importance to the founders of our country, it was of equal importance to the early settlers of Sicily Island.  In the infancy of the area, children were taught in the home by the mother or a tutor, who lived with the family.  

The earliest known school building on Sicily Island was Knapp's Academy, established in 1849.  For more information on this academy, click Here

The accepted principle was that parents able to do so should provide for the instruction of their children.  There was no public funding for schools until 1847, when the first free-school act was adopted in the State.  By the terms of the act, any youth between the age of six and sixteen years of age was entitled to at least three years' schooling.  (Fay, Edwin W., History of Education in Louisiana, Govt. Printing Office Washington, D.C., 1898, p. 69)

Governor Francis T. Nichols

During and after the Civil War, the Police Jurors and residents were so financially burdened, there was no money for public education.  During the corrupt carpetbag regime following the war, public education suffered even more.

In 1877, Francis T. Nichols was elected governor of the State, and began the herculean task of trying to bring order out of chaos.  The educational system was given a general legal overhauling, and a superintendent in each parish was provided for. 

The First School in the Sicily Island Area

From Sicily Island:  A Partial History, compiled by Mickie Smith:

As the land became more settled, the residents desired for their children more education than was being taught in the homes.  The result was an academy built in the hills.

In De Bow's Review, Dr. A. R. Kilpatrick tells of the academy:

The academy of Mr. J. B. Knapp on Sicily Island is deserving of particular mention.  Mr. Knapp is a native of Ohio, and came to Louisiana some years ago, and was assistant in Mr. Digg's academy in Rapides Parish.  In 1849, he established his academy here, and had about fifty pupils.  The house stands in a retired and most romantic spot, ten miles from Harrisonburg, in the lofty hills of the island, where there is plenty of spring water.  The house was built by contribution and the joint labor of the citizens, and is commodious, protected by a veranda on the south side, having shrubbery in the yard.  The course of study embraces all the primary English branches, and at the same time the mathematics and languages usually taught preparatory to a college education.  The cost of board and tuition for the year is from $120 to $130.  The annual income is about $1,500.  Mr. Knapp is principal; Mr. William Reh is teacher of instrumental music and French; and Mrs. Knapp is matron.  During the present year there were twenty students in the male and twenty in the female department.  There is no school near here where better facilities are presented for obtaining a good, substantial education.