Jackson County Louisiana Archives News.....Plans Complete for historical
occasion June 9 1939

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Tracey Jackson Flossxing1@aol.com August 1, 2004, 4:51 pm

The Jackson Independant
The Jackson Independant
Courthouse Dedication Edition
Friday June 19, 1939 Number 16
PLANS COMPLETE FOR HISTORICAL OCCASION
Huge Crowd Expected At Ceremonies
   The formal didication of the new $250,000 Jackson Parish courthouse will
be held Wednesday, June 14th, at the courthouse grounds.  Governor Richard
W. Leche, Lieut. Governor Earl K. Long and many prominent statesmen of
Louisiana are expected to attend and to speak at the dedication program of
the Jackson Parish Courthouse which has been acclaimed as one of the finest
building of its type in the south. Designed in the almost severe modern
classic style, the new courthouse is a four story building, built of blended
and colored brick with an Indiana Limestone trim.  A spacious building, 111'
x 69', surrounded by the beautifully terraced lawns of the courthouse
grounds, it is a most impressive building, one that the parish may well
claim with pride. With its faultless, shadowless indirect lighting system,
its gleaming aluminum stair railings, its floors of composition marble tile,
the large, panneled courtroom, the dormitory that is at the disposal of the
jury that may be kept through the night, its electric clocks, the elevator
that makes the four flights a joke, its white kitchens, its numberless
ceiling and wall fans, the new Jackson Parish Courthouse, built in 1938, is
a far cry from the first courthouse that was erected in the parish almost a
century ago when the parish seat was in Vernon, La., but that two story
sturdy cypress building was the pride of the people of Jackson Parish of
that day just as this new, gleaming courthouse is to be dedicated next
Wednesday is the pride of the parish today. Just when that first courthouse
was built is problematic,  As far as can be judged, Jackson Parish was
formally incorperated about 1845 with the parish seat at Vernon.  It was a
big parish then, extending almost to what is today Junction City, and it is
supposed that shortly after the parish was incorporated work was started on
the courthouse.  It is known that cypress logs, cut along the Ouachita
River, were dragged to Vernon to build the large two story building that
stood until 1878 when it was burned to the ground.  The story goes that is
was burned at night by a man who had several indictments against him in the
courthouse and those wasa the days before fireproof vaults. Flames that ate
up those indictments also ate up the courthouse and invaluable records of
early days of the parish were destroyed,  The man was eventually caught,
sentenced to ten years in the penetentiary but nothing could bring back the
lost historic and necessary papers that were lost in that fire. Judge N. M.
Smith of Jackson Parish worked years, making maps and doing his best to
establish and clear titles, which were lost in the courthouse fire of '78.
For the next six years court was held in churches and sometimes in the
school buildings of the parish.  In 1884 the second Jackson Parish
Courthouse was erected, built by funds raised by private subscriptions among
the members of the parish.  The parish by this time was considerably smaller
than the original parish for Lincoln parish had been formed in 1872, taking
a large portion of Jackson, some of Ouachita, Bienville, and unity to form
the new parish, the seat of which was Vienna, La., until 1884 when Ruston
became the Lincoln parish seat. So 1884 saw a new courthouse in Vernon, the
second Jackson parish courthouse to be built.  It was not long after this
big single story building was completed before talk arose as to moving the
Jackson parish seat.  It was not to be settled until the turn of the century
and before it was finally settled practically every state legislature was to
see the introduction of the bill to move the seat of Jackson parish. During
this period there were many in favor of moving the parish seat to about
three miles north of Hebron, which is said to be the exact geographical
center of the parish.  Business conditions however, did not warrent this
section as being a logical spot for the parish seat.  Sawmills were
springing up throughout the parish and what is now known as Jonesboro was
already giving promice of being an active thriving community. But the
question was determined when the first railroad in the parish was built in
1900.  The South Arkansas Southern Railway Company, realizing the vast
possibilities of this north Louisiana parish, decided to run a railroad
through the parish.  It is reported that this company was promiced either a
five or tem mill tax if the railroad would run within three miles of the
geographical center of the parish which would then become the parish seat.
The railway is said to have been eager to agree to these terms but when the
work was finally started it was found that such a plan was not feasable.
Logically there was but one place to build a railroad.  Along the route
where potential sawmills would build, where shipments could be easily
handled, where business would boom.  Teh mill tax was forgotton by the
railway, rails were laid along the route where undoubtedly future sawmills
waould stand, and where, already a few were standing, and on the route was
Jonesboro.  It was the start of a boom for Jonesboro.  Transportation was
made easy.  Vast resorces ware at hand. Jonesboro, up until then a quiet
small farming community, gave every promice of being one of the coming towns
in the parish.  It was then that the parish seat battle really started.  It
was then that Jonesboro really entered it's bid as the new parish seat of
Jackson Parish.  Jonesboro was growing.  Jonesboro was expanding.  It was
1902 and Jonesboro was looking into the future. The tales they tell about
those days are hairraisere.  On paper it is done simply.  Thus: in 1910
Jonesboro became the new parish seat of Jackson Parish. That is on paper.
In actual facts it is a different story.  Chatham put in a bid for the new
parish seat.  It was realized that with the boom that was bound to follow
the new railway in Jackson parish, the new parish seat would be an
outstanding community.  Vernon, naturally, did not care to see the parish
seat moved.  Chatham and Jonesboro were both anxious to have it moved, each
town eager to get the vote.  Bill after bill was introduced, argument after
argument was voiced.  And then, in 1910, in a popular parish wide vote the
parish seat was moved to Jonesboro.  And in 1912 another courthouse was to
be dedicated. But, before going on there is the tale of the old Jackson
parish courthouse, dismantled at Vernon now that Jonesboro was the new
parish center.  The courthouse was at public auction and Mr. Jim McDowell,
now of Hodge, purchased the courthouse fort the amazing sum of $65.00.  He
then tore it sown, selling the benches in the courthouse and realizing
through this sale practically half of the money he had spent on the purchase
of the building, moving the purchased lumber to his land and built a five
room house that is today his home in Vernon. Two years lapsed before the new
parish seat had its courthouse.  In that time court was held in the two
story wooden building that stood on the corner across from what is now the
courthouse, spot where Moore's Service Station now stands.  A bond was
raised by the taxpayers to build a new courthouse and a three story brick
and stone building was erected and formally dedicated in 1912.  For it's day
it was as fine and modern a building as is the new courthouse that is to be
dedicated this week and Jackson parish was proud of it's new building,
designed by Colonel Stevens of New Orleans, one of the most noted architects
of that day.  The parish turned out for that dedication in 1912.  It was a
start of a new era for Jonesboro. On February 16, 1936 an explosion that
shook the two towns completely demolished the courthouse.  Occuring as it is
said to have in the basement of the courthouse, it literally blew the
building to pieces.  What few walls were left standing were immeadiatly torn
down.  And immediately but plans, formulating through tion of a new
courthouse building. Plans that, due to the nature of things, had to move
slowly but pltns, formulating through the parish, eventually put through the
bond issue of $150,000 for a period of thirty years that, with the addition
of a large amount of government money was to build a finer, bigger more
modern building for Jackson parish.  In the meantime, court was held at the
new Jonesboro-Hodge high school building. Work started on the new courthouse
on December 29, 1937 with J. W. Smith & Associates of Monrtoe, La.,
architects for the new building, and as the construction slowly took shape
it met with the popular approval of the people for even in its rough form it
gave promice of being a splendid building. The formal opening of the
courthouse, the formal dedication, is to be next wednesday with noted
visitors not only from all over Louisiant, but from adjoining states as
well, planning to attend the dedicatory exercises of the new Jackson parish
courthouse. The building, built as it is, back on the high terraced lawns of
the courthouse square, has a commanding position of the town of Jonesboro
tnd once inside the courthouse, even from the first floor windows, a fine
view may be had of the town and from the upper floor windows the surrounding
territory may be seen for miles. The first floor is laid out in compass
pointstyle, so to speak, with one corridor leading directionally east and
west, the other north and south. Entering the big double glass doors at the
front of the building a corridor leads straight through to a big double
glass door on the opposite side of the building, while at the north side of
the corridor that cuts across the first floor is another wide glass door,
giving three main entrances to the first floor.  The corridors are wide, the
floors being of composition marbleized tile that is used throughout the
building in corridors, offices, and the courtroom and the finish of the
corridors, floors and stairs is terrazzo. The walls and ceilings of the
building are plastered and painted a mellow golden brown shade and the
stairway connecting the three floors gives a colorful note to the building
for it's outside bannister is of aluminum, designed in open modernistic
effect with three railings of bright aluminum curving gracefully from floor
to floor.  There is also an elevator that runs from the part basement which
houses the boiler and fuel roomsup to the jail that is on the fourth and top
floor of the building. On the first floor of the courthouse is the sheriff's
office suite which has a large public office, a private office, vault and
detention cell.  Across the hall is the school board offices with the large
school board office, the private office of the superintendent of schools and
a large book storage room and, down across the broad center corridor, on the
other side of the building is the Tax Assessor's large public office and
large record vault, the clerk of court offices, in the corner of the
building, made up of a large public office and a large record vault and next
door, the Registrar of Voters office. The second floor has, down at one end,
the District Attorney's office, an adjoining library room that is stocked
with a complete Louisiana law library, the Judges office and the Petit Jury
Room that opens right off the beautiful courtroom that occupies the center
of the second and third floors. Thew courtroom, two stories high, is
panelled in veneered Louisiana gum wood and twelve large ceiling lights in
striking modernistic chandelier globes of frosted crystal and silver offer
perfect lighting facilities.  There are twenty benches that seat
approzimately 180 persons on the first floor and there is, at the back of
the room, second story height, a large balcony with tier-style seating and
arrangement.  The court enclosure is large with the judge's bench and
witness stand at the front of the room.  High two story windows line one
side of the room and wide double doors lead from the corridar into the
courtroom. Also on the second floor are the Public Health offices composed
of a large waiting room, a big private office and a work room that is used
as the record room, filled with steel filing cabinets containing the record
of the cases handled in the department.  there is also a large white-tiled
private lavatory connected with this office suite. Completing the second
floor is the Highway Engineer's office and the Police Jury room, with
private office, secretary's office amd vault. On the third floor are the
jailor's quarters that are made up of a large livingroom, bedroom, and
private bath and across from these quarters is the Petit Jury Dormitories
equipped with tile shower and lavatory room.  At present the Jury Dormitory
os being used by the W. P. A. Sewing class. On this third floor there is the
door to the balcony of the courtroom and across the corridor is the large
Grand Jury Room, the Witness Room, and the offices of the Farm and Home
Agent Department.  Included in this department is the AAA Room, the Farm and
Home Agent's private office which at the present time is being used as the
Cotton office, the Secretary's office and as a model kitchen equiped with
gas range, large white sink, cabinet and closet space. The fourth floor is
the Parish Jail.  Here there are accomodations for 45 prisoners including an
insane cell, isolation ward with two beds, juvenile cells, white and negro
women cells, white and negro men cells, and day rooms, condemned cell and
the execution chamber.  There is a kitchen here where meals are prepared,
the kitchen being fitted with all modern equipment,  A stairway, just
outside the jailor's quarters on the third floor is the only stairway
leading to the jail, the only other way of reaching the fourth floor being
by means of the elevator. The new, modern indirect lighting equipment used
throughout the building with uniform trim white and silver globes used as a
decorative touch, electric clocks, both ceiling and wall fans, new covered
heaters connection with the main gas range in the basement of the building,
white venetian blinds at all the long windows, all these items add greatly
to the courthouse.  The building itself is of fireproof construction of
concrete frame and all records in the building are kept in large fireproof
vaults and safes.  Nothing has been spared or forgotton in making this
building as fine a building of its type as there is in the entire south.
This new courthouse, styled in the beautifully modern classic design is a
long jump from the sturdy two story cypress building that was Jackson
Parish's first courthouse, but then Jackson Parish has come a long way from
the days of the courthouse although in time it is scarcely a hundred years
ago. Jonesboro and Jackson Parish today are known as one ot the most
thriving communities in the state, with a bright and splendid future, and
the magnificent new Parish courthouse, to be dedicated next Wednesday,
stands as a monument to the progressiveness of the people of Jackson Parish.

Additional Comments:
Typed as printed, typos are not mine :)

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