Bentley, Emerson; Orleans Parish; now Caddo Parish, Louisiana Submitter: Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Bentley, Emerson, of Shreveport, La., lawyer, was born in New Orleans, Feb. 3, 1875, the son of Emerson and Joan (Pursell) Bentley. Removing from Ohio to Louisiana in 1868, the elder Bentley edited several newspapers, one of which was the Morning Chronicle, of New Orleans. His wife, a native of the suburb Carrollton (now the 7th district of New Orleans), was the daughter of one of the early settlers in Louisiana who was Mayor of Carrollton from 1861 to 1865. Emerson Bentley, Sr., was widely known as a brilliant journalist. He died in 1889, at the age of 39 years. The second son in a family of 6 children, the subject of this biography was educated in the public schools in New Orleans, and graduated from the high school with the class of 1890. His first employment was that of clerk in the office of the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas R. R. (now the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R.); leaving in 1892 to become soliciting freight agent for the Missouri Pacific R. R. In 1895 Mr. Bentley accepted the position of chief clerk in the New Orleans Bureau of Freight and Transportation, of which W. H. Masters was the commissioner. Five years later he came to Shreveport and was manager of the Traffic association, remaining in office until 1908. Taking advantage of his spare time, Mr. Bentley studied law in New Orleans under the direction of Judge Clegg, and in Shreveport in the office of the late Judge T. F. Bell; and in March, 1905, was admitted to practice after examination by the justices of the Louisiana state supreme court, receiving, soon after, a commission as notary public. From 1905 to 1908 Mr. Bentley followed his profession of lawyer in Shreveport, and in the latter he went to Winnfield La., to form a partnership with William M. Wallace. Jan. 5, 1903, there took place the marriage of Emerson Bentley and Miss Marie Louise Connolly, in New Orleans. They had 2 children, Muriel and Emerson, Jr. Mrs. Bentley died Aug. 13, 1898, in Winnfield. Returning to Shreveport after the death of his wife, Mr. Bentley resumed his practice of law in that city. Sept. 26, 1910, he married Miss Sue Eleanor Watson, of Shreveport. For some time past Mr. Bentley has been specializing in the practice of the law affecting railway matters before the Interstate commission and the Railroad commission, and has been successful in several important cases of that nature. Politics claimed much of his attention, particularly when questions of reform in public affairs were before the people. In 1896, he was an active participant in the Citizens' league in opposition to the "regular" democrats; and in 1913 made an unsuccessful race for district judge. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, of which he is Esteemed Lecturing Knight, and he is president of the High School Class of 1890, an office he has held several years. Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 44-45. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.