Dr. Charles J. Gordon, "Our Doctor"

From Our Island Heritage, Vol. 2 - Compiled by Sophie Haley & Mickie Smith - Commemorating Frontier Days 1977 - June 24-25, 1977 - Sicily Island, Louisiana:

Dr. Charles J. Gordon came to Florence (Sicily Island) from Fayette, Mississippi in 1898, at the request of the Nichols family who were at that time residing at the Gillis Place.  

 

Dr. Gordon set up his first office in the small office building which stands next to the Chambers Hotel.  The first of hundreds of babies whom he delivered in the years he practiced here was Mary Nichols.

It was not long before he had met and fallen in love with Mary Eva Chisum.  After their marriage, he decided to settle here permanently.  To the Gordons were born four children:  a son, Charles Judson, Jr., who died at a very early age, Eva (Vaught), Dorothy (Tillinghast), and Frances (Selser).

As his practice grew, a need for more commodious quarters was felt, and since the movement of the village was away from the Railroad Street and toward Newman Avenue, Dr. Gordon established Gordon Drug Store on Newman Avenue, and opened his office in the rear of the building.

It is remembered that the first paved side walk in the village was laid along this side of the street in front of the drug store.  A sycamore tree which came up beside the walk was allowed to grow and as the years passed, its roots, like the roots of many early settlers here, went deep into the soil.  Forcing their way under the sidewalk, they broke the concrete but the shade from the tree was pleasant to those who would often gather on the store porch to chat, so it was not cut down until progress, in the form of a concrete highway went through sometime in the 1930s made it necessary. 

Curtis Drug Store

 

Dr. Gordon's Drug Store continued in operation until shortly before his death in 1942.  Forrest Curtis had bought the business a few years prior to this and the Curtis Drug Store occupied the building until 1940 when he moved his business to West Monroe, Louisiana.

For forty-four years, Dr. Gordon was "OUR DOCTOR".  He came to the Island during the horse and buggy days and the area he served was widely scattered, but night or day when needed, he answered the call.  In those days malaria was rampant and pneumonia was prevalent.  Without the miracle drugs we have today these diseases were hard to fight.  Dr. Gordon was known as one of the best pneumonia doctors of that day.  Many were the babies delivered by him and his name lives on today through many a namesake he helped to bring into the world.  To name a few -- Gordon Vaught, Gordon Higgins, and William Gordon Smith. (Reference:  "Our Island Heritage, Vol. 3, A Book of Biographical Sketches"  Compiled by Sophie Crawford Haley & Mickie Farmer Smith-Commemorating Frontier Days, June 30-July 1, 1978-Sicily Island, Louisiana.)

Dr. Charles J. Gordon and wife, Mary Eva Chisum Gordon are both buried in the Old Pine Hill Cemetery in Sicily Island.

Dr. C. J. Gordon:  Born February 25, 1873; Died December 4, 1942

Mary Eva Chisum Gordon:  Born January 25, 1883; Died June 1, 1955