Town: Montgomery Louisiana, Grant parish Louisiana Source: The Colfax Chronicle August 24. 1962, A Grant Parish History by Louis R. Nardini, Sr. Submitted to USGENWEB by. Kay Thompson Brown 250 Dupont Drive Madison Tn 37115 Diggersinc@aol.com ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** MONTGOMERY LOUISIANA Montgomery was first on the Buffalo Trail which forded the then stream which was later called the Rigolet De Bon Dieu and the crossing was later designated by the French as Petite Ecore Rouge. The Trail of Notches, the mark of the Trade trails of the Caddo Nation of Indians who adopted this buffalo trail as part of their trail system and later, during the French period, as the Natchitoches to Natchez Trace. Cabeza De Vaca was among the Natchitoches and Adais Indians in the year 1530 and could have very well wondered also into this area of the very town site of Montgomery. Hernando De Soto in following the buffalo Trail westward in 1542 passed through the townsite. St. Denis and Bienville in 1700 passed through the area and Father Paul Du Ru Dairy gives a written account of their visitation. Long before the coming of the White man the Buffalo Crossing was a site for the slaughter of buffalo by the different tribes of Indians who knew of it's existence. There were tribal wars between them to determine who would control and inhabit the area. In the early 1880's Hosea Sos and Marie Hosea Ortiz had obtained a Spanish land Grant which encompasses the site of the present town of Montgomery. Later this land was sold to Vallery Lemoine, who in 1840 sold the land to General Thomas Woodward. In 1840 the Bon Dieu Mission had been reestablished in the near Montgomery area. Montgomery in tracing back its location of continuous occupancy by the white man, this writer believes it to be the third oldest town in the State of Louisiana from the date of 1719 when Jean Baptiste Deprez Dion Derbonne, who was at that time the guardian of the storehouse of the Company of the West and stationed at the Natchitoches Post, had established a trading post at Petit Ecore (Creola Bluff). This was approved by Lieutenant Phillippe Blondelle, then Post commandant at Natchitoches. These men were assigned to this post, for trading purposes only. An old Natchitoches Record; Book 1 page 41 in unbound volume states, "At La Poste Du Petite Ecore are Julian Rodain, Marley Dupuy, Ensigne and Pierre Closseau, Lieutenant on half pay, assignees to the Yatasees." HOW MONTGOMERY GOT IT'S NAME In 1840 when General Woodard laid out the town site, he named it Creola Bluff, in honor of Creola, an Indiana princess, with whom he had fallen in love but whose chieftain father had forbade their marriage. The tribe had moved on westward and though separated by miles and years, Creola continued to watch for her Calvery Officer, but in vain. Romance came again, and she married a young itinerant preacher, Montgomery Rogers. But still remembering her firs fond affection, she named the son who was born to them Montgomery Woodard Rogers. This son became a great Missionary and teacher among the Indians. (This man later became the father of a most famous movie personality, Will Rogers.) Montgomery Woodard Rogers searched for and found the man for whom he was named. The old General was so delighted he called in all of the citizens of Creola Bluff and told them the story. Then and there they changed the name of the town to Montgomery, honoring not only a great teacher and preacher, but his faithful mother as well. Aside from Woodard, two other men figure well in the history of the development of Montgomery. They were: Dr. Thomas D. Harrison, Montgomery's first physician and Phillip Bernstein the town's first merchant. It was they who assisted in laying out the townsite and in building the first Protestant school and church. Soon other merchants came into the area, men like Mike Gans, for who Gansville in Winn Parish is named, Colonel C. C. Dunn from Brookhaven, Mississippi and Major H. Van McCain and later, W. O. Harrison whose business grew to be one of the largest mercantile businesses in North Louisiana. There is more to the history of this Petite Ecore Bluff where Dr. Harrison built his home. In the spring of 1864 when the United States Naval Gunboats, under the command of Admiral Porter steamed up the Red River during the Red River Campaign of the Civil War, the Gunboats of Porter began shelling the buildings of Creola Bluff. The wife of Dr. Harrison, nee Elizabeth Sullivan, went out on the porch amid the shelling and with an apron gave the Masonic sign of distress. General Banks, who was on one of the leaders of the flotilla, recognizing the sign, immediately gave cease fire signals, hence for the time being the town of Montgomery was saved by the courage of this woman. MONTGOMERY CHARTERED Creola or Creola Bluff was chartered by Act 224 of the year 1859 and its name changed to Montgomery by Act 73 of the year 1860 and then again by Act 348 of the year 1876. State of Louisiana. Montgomery moved from its river location out to the tracks of the Louisianan Railway and Navigation Company in 1901.