Atkins, J. B.   Neshoba County, Mississippi;  now Caddo Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Date: 1999-2000




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Atkins, John Baxter, who has been for years very prominently identified with
the business interests of Louisiana, is a native of Mississippi, in which
state he was born, in Neshoba county, Feb. 18, 1864.  His parents were Joseph
Washington and Eleanor (Savage) Atkins.  His father was born in Virginia,
reared in Virginia  and Tennessee, and came to Mississippi when a young man of
30 years, and married a native of Mississippi.  He became a lawyer  of
prominence and served as judge of his county for many years, and for many
years was also engaged in planting.  He removed from Neshoba to Madison
county, and died in the latter at the age of 73 years.  From the age of 8 to
20 years, John Baxter Atkins was reared in Madison county, Miss., where he
attended the public schools.  A common school education he supplemented with a
commercial course in a business college at Memphis, and in 1884 Mr. Atkins
became a resident of Louisiana.  He located at Knox Point, where he began his
business career as a clerk in a mercantile establishment, but it was not long
after that we find him in business on his own account.  Although he began on a
limited capital as a merchant at Lake End, Red River parish, Mr. Atkins became
not only a merchant of an enormous volume of business, but a grower and dealer
in cotton, ranking among the leading cotton planters and dealers in Louisiana,
but the boll weevil and a very damaging flood, business reverses came, and not
only carried away his fortune, but business, and after a successful career of
25 years, Mr. Atkins found it necessary to practically begin anew in business;
but with the fortitude of strong character he settled up his business at Lake
End, and removed in 1909 to Shreveport, where he at once became identified
with business interests in a prominent way, the deserved success attending his
business relations.  He is president of the Caddo Oil refinery; president of
the Gardner Carburetor & Brass works; president of the Louisiana Handle
factory, and closely identified with several other business interests,
including that of real estate.  In the matter of politics, Mr. Atkins has
always been a staunch democrat; bore a prominent part in the movements
resulting in securing for Shreveport the commission form of government and in
the removing of saloons from the city.  He is a member of the Methodist
Episcopal church, South, and is prominently identified with the Masonic
fraternity.  In 1889 Mr. Atkins and Miss Alma Foster were united in marriage
and unto this union were born four children.  Mrs. Atkins is the daughter of
Joshua Foster, a prominent educator and resident of Selma, Ala.  She was born
in Louisiana, reared and educated in Louisiana and Alabama.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), p. 32. 
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.