Judge W.L. Richardson   1890  Grant Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to USGENWEB By: Kay Thompson - Brown

Source: Biographical and historical memoirs of Northwest Louisiana
          Nashville and Chicago: The Southern Publishing Company 1890



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Judge W.L. Richardson, planter, Colfax, La. No name is justly entitled to a
more enviable place in the history of Grant Parish than the one which heads
this sketch for it is borne by a man who has been usefully and honorably
identified with the interests of this parish and with its advancement in every
worthy particular.

He was born in Livingston Parish, La on December 19, 1831 and is a son of
Moses B and Asenath (Distmukes) Richardson, natives also of Louisiana. The
paternal grandparents were among the early settlers of Louisiana and the
grandfather was a successful planter. Some of the ancestors of the Richardson
family were in the War of 1812. Moses B. Richardson was parish surveyor of St.
Helena for about thirty years and was also a planter and mechanic. He died in
Rapides and his wife in Grant Parish.

There were the parents of four children who lived to maturity: Sylvester E was
a lieutenant in the Civil War and died at Baton Rouge during the war; he was
captured at Port Hudson and died while on his way from prison. The others in
order of birth are named as follows: W.L., W.B. and Lillie A.E.

Judge W.L. Richardson was reared in St. Helena received his education there
and in 1855 removed to Rapides Parish where he made his home until the
creation of Grant Paris in 1869. He was the first man to locate at Colfax
after its organization and he has resided in this parish ever since.

He was judge of the same for some time, was also parish treasurer for about
eight or ten years and was treasurer of the school board for the same time. He
owns about 1,000 acres of land and has about 200 acres under cultivation.

In 1862 he enlisted in Company C. Twenty-seventh Louisiana Regiment and served
until 1864 when he was elected recorder of Rapides Parish and so he was
discharged returning home to take care of his office. He was captured at the
fall of Vicksburg but was paroled and sent home.

The Judge was married in 1879 to Miss Elizabeth Christian by whom he has two
children: Robert W and Zachariah A.

The Judge is a member of the Farmers' Union, is president of Colfax Union No.
104, and is one of the trustees and stockholders of the Commercial Association
of Farmers. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having advanced as high
as the Royal and Select Master degrees. He is also at present the parish
superintendent of public schools and ex-officio secretary of the school board.

He and Mrs. Richardson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and
he has been president of the board of trustees in the church for a number of
years.