McBRIDE, William J., London, KY., then Jackson Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 

Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions,
and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 542-543.  Edited by
Alc‚e Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

McBride, William J., sheriff of Jackson parish.--This well-known citizen was
born in London, Ky., Aug. 15, 1865; a son of Jesse E. and Lucinda (Hatcher)
McBride.  His ancestors were originally from  Tennessee, and came to
Mississippi in the colonial days.  His grandfather moved from Mississippi to
Louisiana in 1856, and settled in Jackson parish, where he remained until
his death in 1905, being 85 years of age.  He was a member of the
constitutional convention in 1898, and was well known as a splendid citizen
and a man who took a deep interest in the welfare of his state.  The
sheriff's father was a veteran of the Civil war, and served in a company of
Louisiana volunteers, organized at Vernon, then the parish seat of Jackson
parish.  After Appomattox, he was paroled in ''Old Kaintuck,'' and it was
here that he married, and remained from 1863 until Dec., 1869.  He then
removed to Jackson parish, La., and being a farmer by trade, he resumed his
old occupation, and he and his wife are still living happily on the old
plantation.  In 1882 he was a member of the police jury, and also at one
time served on the school board. Of the children, there are, the subject of
this sketch, who is the eldest;  John T., of Weston, La, and James L., of
Jackson parish, both engaged in farming;  Anna, the deceased wife of William
B. Stewart, and mother of 9 children, who died in 1912;  Charles F.,
assistant cashier and bookkeeper of the Jackson parish bank;  Stephen D.,
farming in Jackson parish, and  JesseD., of Dayton, N. M., editor of the
Dayton Informer, also postmaster of that city. The sheriff received his
early education in the parish school, and in a little private school in the
locality.  After completing his schooling he worked on a farm until his
marriage, when he went into business for himself, and continued to farm very
successfully until 1892.  He then went into the mercantile business in
Weston, where he remained for some time.  His establishment was destroyed by
fire in 1901, but Mr. McBride moved to Jonesboro, where he succeeded in
re‰stablishing his business.  His worth was soon recognized, and in 1906 he
assumed the management of the Farmers Union and Cotton Warehouse, and in
this capacity served for 4 years.  In 1907 he became a candidate for
sheriff; was elected June 10, 1908, and has continued in this incumbency
ever since.  Mr. McBride is the owner of a small plantation in Jackson
parish, a stockholder of the Jonesboro National bank, an Odd Fellow and
Woodman of the World, of Jonesboro.  He is well known for his energy and
fearless performance of his duty, and is one of the most popular citizens
ofhis community.  He was married July 6, 1886, to Sallie L. Watts, of
Lincoln parish, a daughter of Hope and Martha (Mills) Watts, both of
Georgia.  Her family lived in Lincoln parish until the father's death in
1875, when they moved to Jackson parish.  Her mother died in 1886.  Mr. and
Mrs. McBride are the parents of 6 children:  Martha Loula,  Mary Iva, wife
of M. Resenger, of Gandy, La., a mill foreman for the Wyatt Lumber Co. ;
Will L.,  Walter E., of Ruston, La.,  Zelina and  Roland W., who are at
home.