LINCOLN PARISH HISTORY: Historical Sketch of Lincoln Parish Contributed by: Jo Autrey This information has been generously shared by the 1976 Bicentennial Committee who published "Lincoln Parish History 1776-1976." ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** TIPS FOR SEARCHING RECORDS ON THE INTERNET Netscape & Ms Explorer users: If searching for a particular surname, locality or date while going through the records in the archives or anywhere....try these few steps: 1. Go to the top of the report you are searching. 2. Click on EDIT at the top of your screen. 3. Next click on FIND in the edit menu. 4. When the square pops up, enter what you are looking for in the FIND WHAT ___________blank. 5. Click on DIRECTION __DOWN. 6. And last click on FIND NEXT and continue to click on FIND NEXT until you reach the end of the report. This should highlight the item that you indicated in "find what" every place it appears in the report. You must continue to click on FIND NEXT till you reach the end of the report to see all of the locations of the item indicated. ********************************************************************* HISTORICAL SKETCH OF LINCOLN PARISH Lincoln Parish History, Edited by Mary Frances Fletcher, Ralph L. Ropp Copyright, Lincoln Parish Bicentennial Committee, 1976 Used with Permission Submitted by Jo Lyon Autrey In 1804, Shortly after France had sold to the United Stated that vast territory, which was called Louisiana, the whole purchase was divided into two districts. The northern and western part was called the District of Missouri; the southern part was called the Territory of Orleans. What is now Lincoln Parish was of course in the Orleans Territory. W. C. C. Claiborne was appointed by President Thomas Jefferson as governor of this new Territory of Orleans. This was a particularly difficult position to fill because people of different languages and customs were to live under one government; but with his supervision the Orleans division prospered greatly, so much that after eight years it was admitted to the Union as the state of Louisiana. This was in 1812; but before the state was formed the territorial government saw the necessity of looking after their distant settlements in the northern part of the territory, such as the one at Natchitoches and the smaller ones far up the Red and Ouachita rivers. To provide this care the Territory was further divided. In northern part of the state Natchitoches and Ouachita parishes were formed; Natchitoches Parish embracing all that particular part of the country between Ouachita Parish and the Sabine River, the latter dividing line between the United States and Mexico. Ouachita Parish included what was later Union Parish as well as Morehouse and parts of the Carrol parishes, together with the parish of Ouachita. The county of Ouachita, which was an earlier division, included "All that county commonly known and called by the name of the Ouachita settlements". The parish was not so large and, as we shall see later, it as further divided. Most of what is now Lincoln was included in Ouachita Parish, but a small portion was in Natchitoches. In 1812, all this section of North Louisiana was one great forest, and under the trees there was often a thick mat of underbrush and vines. Here was the home of the wolf, the bear and the panther, with wild horses and cattle running free over the country. There are accounts of Indians roaming here and there through this region but is uncertain whether they were of the Caddo tribe or of the Ouachita - possibly of the latter. Anyone familiar with the old "Wire Road" which passed east and west through Vienna will recall the higher ground west of Cypress Creek Levee; here, in former times, was the picturesque spring which it is said Indians used, making their camp on the hill above. The many arrowheads and other Indian relics found here in years past rather confirm this tradition. There are several other spots in the parish that are rich in these relics, notably a certain field of Iron Rock Farm which is several miles south of Ruston and a site near Dubach where Indian weapons have been uncovered. According to early writers this part of the country was known as a veritable paradise for adventurous hunters. They came from far and near, and in some way the forests were set on fire, making a tremendous conflagration that burned all the underbrush and in some instances even tall timber. The fires raged for several successive summers and were most destructive, but when they finally burned out they left the country looking like a beautiful park diversified with vast openings and vistas most enchanting, the early settlers said. Game of every sort abounded; turkey, deer and buffalo, and in the winter, covering ponds and bayous, were the water fowl. The fame of the hill country of North Louisiana spread far and wide. The hunters and surveyors told also of the fertility of the soil and of the healthfulness of the higher lands. What was of course a crowning inducement to settlers was the fact that lands could be had from the government for almost nothing. The Wilder brothers who came to this state in the eighteen-forties purchased several sections of land from the state at the rate of 12 ½ cents per acre; some land sold for even less. All these inducements caused settlers to pour into this section. They came so rapidly that it was found necessary to divide the great parishes, for the people rightly claimed that the seats of government were too far for the more distant settlers to reach. It is related that in the early days young couples in the northern part of the state who wished to get married had to make a journey of some days to the village of Natchitoches or to Fort Miro (later Monroe) before they could find someone who could legally issue a license and marry them. In response to the demand the state legislature in 1828 passed an act to form the new parish of Claiborne, named for the first governor. The parish was to include, briefly speaking, all that land south of the Arkansas Territory, west of Ouachita Parish, east of the Red River and north of a line starting at the east bank of Red River at a point fifty miles north of the village of Natchitoches, thence due east to the Ouachita boundary. So a portion of what is now Lincoln Parish was a part of Claiborne for many years. From 1828, but particularly during the forties, the influx of immigration became a steady stream. They came on the Mississippi and its tributaries; they came by way of Mobile, across the Gulf to New Orleans, thence up the Mississippi and Ouachita, then by private conveyance. Largely, they came overland in big companies of covered wagons; many traveled horseback because of the condition of the trails. One courageous woman belonging to the Marbury family, with her husband, bought land in North Louisiana during the Spanish Domination. After some years her husband died and the government officials, sometimes inclined to be unscrupulous, claimed that she was not a lawful wife, hence had no right to the property. To support her claims she rode all the way back to Georgia on horseback with only a colored servant and returned bringing the legal papers that vindicated her entirely. The land that now comprises Lincoln was first settled about one hundred and twenty-five years ago. The section around what was later Vienna was probably the first settlement. This was made by Daniel Colvin and his family about 1807. Other early settlers in this neighborhood were Phillip Brinson, Thomas Nelson, and the Rev. Mr. McFarland, who was the first Baptist preacher in this part of the state. Another early settlement was the one at Woodville, sometimes called the Redwine Community, about ten miles south of the Vienna settlement. Here the Redwines, the Hintons, the Grigsbys, the Smiths and the Iilands were some of the early families. Near what is now Choudrant there was a third early settlement, though probably later then the others, with the Wheats, the Roanes an the Rev. Abraham Pipes among the prominent people. Rev. Mr. Pipes was the first Methodist preacher to labor in this vicinity. In 1839, Union Parish was formed from the northwestern part of Ouachita, so for some years a large part of what is now Lincoln was in Union Parish. Jackson Parish was formed in 1845 "out of the contiguous portions of the parishes of Ouachita, Union and Claiborne." A considerable part of what is now Lincoln was thus made a part of Jackson and so remained for twenty-five years. Those were eventful years for this part of the state. They saw the fresh, rich land cleared and cultivated and made to yield bountiful harvests for all comers. They saw the people settling in their new homes, being able year by year to add some of the comforts and niceties of life to what had been, necessarily, hard living at first. The last few years before the War Between the States saw many planters as well as merchants prospering greatly. Then came the four terrible years of war, with the women, children, and slaves left at home while the men of fighting age were in the army. The men of this section went to fight almost to a man, and the very few who failed in their duty to their country had the fact cling to their names through the years. There was one instance of a man who lived several miles south of Vienna who hired another man to go to war for him. He was to pay his substitute with a certain farm he owned. The man went to the army, fought, and at the end of the war returned unhurt to claim the farm, which was duly made over to him. There was no fighting in this immediate section, fortunately, and few of the enemy troops were to be seen; but anxious mothers listened to the booming cannons in the siege of Vicksburg, over one hundred miles away, and news from the engagements on the Red River and from the Battle of Mansfield was sought feverishly. The most of the War that this parish saw was that pitiful, straggling army of sick and wounded soldier boys who came from to be nursed to health again, or to die, as their lot might be. After four years the war was over, but then came another period which lasted longer and proved to be almost as trying as the other, to a people already worn out with bloodshed and strife. This Reconstruction time is of special interest in a history of Lincoln Parish, for out of conditions arising then came the demand for the organization of a new parish. It was not that the people were demanding smaller parishes and parish sites more conveniently located. There may have been some need, but the principle demand was from Radical politicians who wanted more offices and more power. The parish was organized in 1873, during Kellogg’s administration. Of the succession of carpetbag governors who had possession of the state at that time, Kellogg was perhaps the most unscrupulous, not even excepting Warmoth, his predecessor in office. Loot and graft were rampant over the state, with decency and honesty helpless to correct the evils. In the election of 1873, it was commonly understood that John McEnery had rightly won the governship, but the Federal Authorities backed Kellogg and his supporters through the state wherever anyone dared to contest an election. Allen Greene, a citizen of Vienna, ran for senator of the district composed of Jackson and Union parishes and claimed that he had been elected. His opponent, E. M. Graham of Vernon, knowing that he had received a large majority of the votes and being urged to do so by many citizens, contested the election; but to no avail for the carpetbaggers, scalawags, and their followers were in control. Green’s opponent said many years later that in contesting the results of the election he had to go before the Returning Board in New Orleans, which was composed of two white men and a Negro, and of the three the negro came nearest to being a gentleman. Such were conditions in the parish in 1873. Allen Greene was seated as senator, though a large part of his constituency felt that he had not gotten the place fairly. Being of the Radical party which had possession, he and his son, C. J. Greene, who was representative from Jackson Parish, had a great deal of power. In a letter to a committee from the Conservative Democratic party, Allen Greene said: "...as Republican members of a Republican state government it was of course in our power to control the appointment of whoever we may fit to office in the new parish." Actually, several men who might well have been the choice of the people were appointed along with three of Greene’s son’s, one man brought into the parish to fill office, and several Negroes. The officers were as follows: C. J. Greene, parish judge; S. P. Colvin, clerk of the court; J. B. Ray of Ouachita Parish, sheriff; William Taylor (Negro), coroner; W. L. Greene, tax collector; J. A. Greene, assessor; Dr. A. C. Simonton, recorder; J. M. Roane, surveyor. Allen Greene was Director of Education, and John Scott (Negro) was one of the parish school board members. Two Negroes, Marshall Jackson and Hicks, were appointed members of the Police Jury. Greene had the power to remove any of the officers who failed to meet his approval, so in the course of a few months, several of the best officers were removed; but feeling that they were being dispossessed of their offices unjustly and knowing that they had the citizenry behind them, they refused to vacate when the newly appointed men claimed their places. This angered the Radical element very much and they committed many high-handed and illegal acts, such as moving the court records to Greensboro (Greene’s home) and failing to hold regular sessions of the parish and district courts. The people were growing desperate and began to talk of mobbing their rulers, but the older and wiser citizens counseled moderations and suggested the circulation of a petition asking Greene, his three sons, and several other citizens to resign. This was very readily signed by a large majority of the taxpayers. The committee of citizens who drew up this petition had the white voters behind them, but the Radicals had Kellogg and the state government and behind them Grant and the federal government who would back them in whatever they did. Nothing but the feeling that theirs was a righteous cause could have made men willing to protest against such odds. It was a reckless thing for defeated men who had been dispossessed of their property and of their political rights to take a stand against their oppressors, for any rumors that ex-slaveholders were not submitting to the state government were soon heard in New Orleans and Washington. The citizens felt that it was more than likely that there would be trouble; but they had stood as much as self-respecting men could stand, so they demanded that the Radicals resign their offices. The tenseness of the occasion is felt in the following letters, written to the committee of citizens from adjoining parishes: Sparta, La., Aug. 26, 1874 Dear Sir: Mr. Ellis informs us that you want us to have one hundred men ready to march to your assistance whenever there is necessity for them. In reply we take pleasure in informing you that, judging from the expressions of all with whom we have conversed, there will be no difficulty in getting that number and even a larger one if necessary. Our citizens, to a man, express the strongest sympathy for you and your cause and hope you will resist the Metropolitianist to the last. Please inform us by courier when the Metropolitans reach Monroe. Respectfully, (Signed) J. A. Dorman J. F. Pierson "Resolved by the 3rd Ward Club of Ouachita Parish" That, whereas a large majority of the tax-payers and best citizens of Lincoln Parish, moved thereto by the corrupt and illegal acts of the officials appointed for that parish by W. P. Kellogg, acting governor, civilly demanded the resignation of said officials; and Whereas intelligence has been received that the acting governor has ordered Metropolitan policemen, armed and organized, to said parish to maintain the said officials in office contrary to the solemnly declared will and best interests of the people of that parish therefore: Be it resolved, that this club construes this act of Mr. Kellogg as the expression of a purpose to intimidate the people of this state and to carry the approaching election by violence and in defiance of the will of the people. Be it further resolved that the people of Lincoln Parish have the sympathy of this club in the struggle to perpetuate free and honest government, and that we pledge them our earnest and active support. "Adopted 22nd of August, 1874. (Signed) Thos. G. Aby, President A. L. Slack, Secretary The carpetbag government was shrewd enough to know when men were so desperate that they would stand for nothing more. Squads of the Metropolitans rode through the country, arresting a few citizens here and there, but no large company of them came to wreak vengeance on the citizens of Lincoln. Political affairs were bad on occasions but never so bad after this. G. L. Gaskins and Edgar Howard, both men of the community, were made parish judge and sheriff respectively. Other abuses were remedied, several of the Radicals left the parish, and things were more quiet for a while but the elections of 1876 brought a renewed excitement to the people. In this election, as the day drew near, a troop of cavalry sent out from the Federal Forces stationed at Monroe made raids into the surrounding county, arresting prominent citizens on some slight pretext and hailing them before these authorities. Such a raid was made on Vienna, and men noted for their sobriety and moderation in all things were seized, handcuffed, and carried off to show how powerful the Government could be. Some of the more influential people realized that if they wanted to be on hand to vote on election day, it would be wise to hide out until that time. So, they left their homes and their businesses and slept in the fields and woods in order that they might vote and free the state of her tyrants. An exciting incident of the election of 1876 was the parade of a big company of negroes through the streets of Vienna. They paraded double file on horseback, going west to one polling place to vote the "Publican Ticket." The powers that directed their movements well knew well how dangerous the ignorant freedmen could be if they were encouraged a little and they knew, too, that if the people always feared un uprising among them. The Radical had the Negroes well in hand and managed their vote for the state political machine. To do this they associated with them in a social way, entertaining them in their homes, to the amazement of their fellow citizens; and they did this, not from any mistaken idea of helping the Negro race but for what they could get of out of them. The people of that day have said in their justifiable wrath some things that were too harsh, and they may have failed to give credit for what good the Radicals did, but the sober judgment of years remains that in a time of all times, when their section needed the loyal and unselfish support of its citizens, they seized the opportunity to mend their own fortunes when doing so meant untold injury to their neighbors. While these things are true it is also true that whatever is exciting or tragic, or, one might almost say, romantic in the early history of the parish centers around this same time. Allen Greene, he was a kind neighbor, as many could testify, and very hospitable to all who went to his home. The site of this place, "Greensboro", may be seen from the "White Lightening" road a few miles west of Vienna. His broad fields extended over the fertile hills and valley well beyond what we call now the McLure Hill, the beauty spot of the parish. Allen Greene was a man of vast energy and had many projects in mind for the building of his plantation. One of these ideas was the establishment of a shoe factory where he employed a good many workmen. Even in his later years he planned a broad, straight road that was to lead from his place to the V. S. & P. Railroad, at a station called Allen Greene (now Grambling) some four miles west of Ruston. The highway at his death was left uncompleted, and his different projects soon faded away. Today there is nothing left of Greensboro. After 1876 the rule of the carpetbagger was practically over through some of the evil effects of that regime were felt for many hears. This was especially true of the negro vote, which was a source of corruption in Lincoln as in the other parishes until the constitution of 1898 eliminated it from politics. After fifteen years of war and political oppression were over this section waked to the fact that it was really at the beginning of a new era of freedom and progress. The V. S. & P. Railroad, long awaited, was actually being built through the parish in 1883. This meant much to a people whose nearest market was thirty odd miles distant, over bad roads. Lincoln Parish was strictly rural without a single big town in all her 472-square miles of territory. Vienna, the parish site, hardly reached the one thousand mark even in her palmist days. The other post offices were merely thickly settled communities, such as Knowles’ store or Mitchell’s schoolhouse, which were used as polling places at election time. The new railroad, near the eastern part of the parish, passed through one of the earliest settlements and located a station, called at first Shuder Station, later Choudrant for the big creek of that name which wound through the adjacent lowlands. It might be of interest to mention that the two bayous in the parish have the only names of French origin to be found here. It is not hard to imagine that some hardy Creoles found their canoes in these big creeks as they explored the Ouachita regions, and perhaps stayed to hunt and trap in the creek bottoms until their names came to be associated with the streams. When the new railroad builders had constructed their tracks eight miles west of Choudrant they located a station which they called Ruston, destined soon to be made the parish site. Another eight miles completed and they located a station at what was already an old settled community, Simsboro. As early as 1848 James Monroe Sims settled at the place that came to be known by his name. Old Simsboro was made up of his residence, together with the Negro houses, a mill and a store. Today, a thriving little town has grown up, with churches, business houses, an approved high school, and the luxuries of a bigger town in their lights and water. When the east and west road was completed to Shreveport, public spirited citizens looked forward with high hopes to a road that would pass through Ruston, connecting it with northern markets and with New Orleans. They expected it right away and felt that it would be the means of establishing Lincoln’s prosperity. Actually it was sixteen years before the road materialized, connecting us on the north with Little Rock, Arkansas, and on the south with Alexandria, La. Following in the tracks of the railroad builders there came lumbermen setting up saw mills along the road and, as was natural to suppose, some of these saw mill communities survived and grew into towns. Such a one was Dubach, which took its name from a lumberman. It has developed in its forty-odd years of existence into a thriving town with public buildings, waterworks and lights and a trading radius of many miles. In the years that have passed since Lincoln Parish was established her boundaries have been changed once. This occurred in 1877, when certain citizens living in the southeastern part of the parish desired that they be transferred to Jackson Parish. The land in question was described as "The North half of Township Seventeen North, Range One and Two West." The necessary steps were taken and the transfer was duly made; but after more than a quarter of a century (1904) there was a persistent demand that this plot of land be returned to Lincoln Parish. During the years since 1877 the parish site of Lincoln had been moved four miles nearer them and had developed into a good market town, whereas Vernon, the capital of their parish, had dwindled into an insignificant village with the seat of government soon to be moved farther down in the parish. It was decidedly to their advantage to be in the parish of Lincoln, but for some reason the election authorized by the legislature failed to carry, so the boundary lines remain as established in 1877. One of the problems that faced these citizens must have been the stretches of bad road that lay between them and the outside world, for roads have always been a special matter of concern to our people. Twenty-five years ago the prosperity of whole communities was affected by impassable roads. Lincoln shared with all the state in its demand for better roads, so for the past thirty years there has been a steady improvement in our highways. At the present time we have a very good system: approximately 27 miles of the paved Dixie Overland Highway extend from east to west in the parish, and about 21 miles of the paved Pershing Highway extends north and south. Other short stretches of pavement are to be found here and there in our boundaries, with many miles of graveled roads and many more of native gravel and improved roads. With the improvements of the roads came a good system of rural free delivery of mails that has connected numerous isolated farm homes with the outside world. The network of telephones that is gradually covering the parish is likewise serving to better conditions, as is also the Louisiana Power and Light Company’s rural electrification system. Lincoln Parish has always been considered, and is today, one of the most healthful parts of the state. The land is well drained by the D’Arbonne and Choudrant bayous with the aid of Sugar, Cypress, Middle Fork and Stowe creeks, their principal tributaries. The elevation while not high as compared with other parts of the South, is among the highest in the state. In the vicinity of Ruston, it is something over three hundred feet above sea level, though in the creek "bottoms" there is an elevation of just about one hundred feet, not surprising in this land of hills and valleys. It would seem because of the lay of the land that here would be a promise of mineral wealth, but repeated efforts have failed so far to unearth the much coveted oil. However, in prospecting, two gas wells have been discovered that will eventually provide an abundance. It would seem too, that the different clays found here might be valuable, but nothing has been done with them in a commercial way. Some years ago, a vein of antimony was reputed to have been found in the neighborhood of Ruston. This discovery aroused considerable interest, and a company was formed to promote the mining of this valuable substance. In their efforts to get possession of the promoters brought such pressure to bear upon the Negro owner of the land that he felt it expedient to turn over the deed of his property to a white neighbor and to leave for parts unknown for a few months. The owner came home after a time and was never again molested. He died some years ago, and there is probably no one now who knows the exact location of the supposed mine. The character of the people remains the same as in earlier years. There have been no great tides of immigration into the parish nor any considerable movement out of it, so except for the natural increase in the population we have remained the same. The colored portion of the population, approximately 40 per cent, is on the whole law abiding and thrifty, with an increasing number owning their own homes. As concerns race difficulties, while it is hoped that they are now a thing of the past. The Negro citizens of the parish are to be congratulated on their school at Grambling, which they organized themselves. The developments of the school are briefly as follows: In 1900 a sawmill was set up on a site near the Vicksburg, Shreveport, and Pacific Railroad about four miles west of Ruston. The owner and operator of the mill, Mr. Judd Grambling of Ruston, doubtless selected this spot because of large tracts of timbered land near by. So extensive were the tracts that the plant operated here for a number of years, the railroad finally locating a station here and calling it Grambling, after the owner. Millwork demanded intelligent and industrious workmen, so the colored people who settled in this neighborhood were probably above the average. They organized a school for their children, calling it Allen Greene School, but they could find no suitable teacher, so they appealed to Booker T. Washington, the president of Tuskegee School. He recommended one of his graduates, Charles P. Adams, who came to Grambling in 1901 to take charge. The school began in a very small way and for a few years had a rather chequered career but the enrollment increased from year to year, and they were able to acquire a few acres of land. For several years there was a dissension among the patrons over a leader, but Adams seems to have been able to retain his position and, needing help badly, he appealed to Northern friends for aid. A number of people contributed, among them a Miss Fidelia Jewett of California, who gave substantial help. They were thereby able to purchase two hundred acres of land, construct some buildings, and pay their teachers. In 1918 when the Parish School Board took charge of the institution, it was a very flourishing school with ten grades and was named the Lincoln Parish Training School. The funds from the parish enabled them to construct a building and to assure their teachers a fixed salary. In 1928 a bill was introduced in the Legislature to make this a state-supported school. The bill was finally passed but it carried no appropriation with it. However, the Parish Board agreed to finance the school until the Legislature should meet again. In 1930 an appropriation was finally made, the sum being $9,000.000. In 1936 the Institute was reorganized, the name being changed again to the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute. Charles Adams retired, and Ralph W. E. Jones was appointed in his place. President Jones, who had already served the school in several capacities, was well qualified for his new work, holding a B. A. degree from Southern University and an M. A. from Columbia University. At this time the good work they have been doing at Grambling is beginning to be known, not only in the state but well beyond her borders. It is her good fortune to have been located in a community composed largely of colored people; also to have been placed in a section well removed from any other school for their race. So with an assured income, capable leaders, and a fairly good plant it would seem that the Louisiana Negro Normal and Industrial Institute has a bright future before it. As to our farmers. The farmers, and they make up a good part of the population, have been accused of being unprogressive, of farming as their fathers before them, but in the prosperous years after World War I, they made great strides toward new farming enterprises - truck and fruit growing, animal husbandry, forage crops, et. It is true that the Depression with its attendant ills has caused a serious setback, but our farmers have definitely put behind them the idea that cotton is their one money crop and have become dairy-minded. Many people feel that this may be the ideal dairying section of the nation and that we may confidently expect in the not too distant future to see numberless fat cattle on Lincoln’s thousand hills. The following are lists of those holding the principal offices in Lincoln Parish from its organization in 1873 up to the present time. As a whole, the parish has been blessed with excellent officers, many of them being kept in office a number of years. Clerk of Court J. W. (Tobe) Williams, Sheriff Eugene Howard, and Tax Assessor N. B. Gill are outstanding examples of efficient and popular officers of our earlier days: Mr. Williams serving as Clerk of Court from 1876 until 1904, when he retired on account of advancing years. Mr. Howard, being Sheriff from 1880 until his death in 1899; and Mr. Gill serving as tax assessor from 1876 until 1896. DISTRICT JUDGES J. R. Trimble, 1872-1876 E. M. Graham, 1876-1880 E. M. Graham, 1880-1884 John L. Young, 1884-1888 Allen Barksdale, 1888-1892 Allen Barksdale, 1892-1896 Allen Barksdale, 1896-1900 Robert B. Dawkins, 1900-1904 Robert B. Dawkins, 1904-1908 Robert B. Dawkins, 1908-1912 J. B. Holstead, 1912-1916 J. B. Crow, 1916-1920 J. B. Crow, 1920-1924 (S. L. Digby filled unexpired term) S. D. Pierce, 1924-1930 E. L. Walker, 1930-1936 E. L. Walker, 1936-1942 E. L. Walker, 1942- SHERIFFS J. B. Ray, 1873 - Edgar Howard, 1874-1876 R. E. Russ, 1876-1880 Eugene Howard, 1880-1884 Eugene Howard, 1884-1888 Eugene Howard, 1888-1892 Eugene Howard, 1892-1896 Eugene Howard, 1896- (J. L. Bond filled unexpired term) T. B. Finley, 1900 - (A. H. Mayfield filled unexpired term) L. C. Gahagan, 1904-1908 L. C. Gahagan, 1908-1912 J. M. Colvin, 1912-1916 J. M. Colvin, 1916-1920 A. J. Thigpen, 1920-1924 A. J. Thigpen, 1924-1928 A. J. Thigpen, 1928-1932 A. J. Thigpen, 1932-1936 A. J. Thigpen, 1936- (J. B. Thigpen filled unexpired term) Clyde Frazier, 1940 CLERKS OF COURT S. P. Colvin, 1873-1878 J. W. Williams, 1876-1880 J. W. Williams, 1880-1884 J. W. Williams, 1884-1888 J. W. Williams, 1888-1892 J. W. Williams, 1892-1896 J. W. Williams, 1896-1900 J. W. Williams, 1900-1904 J. M. Sims, 1904-1908 J. M. Sims, 1908-1912 Dhu Thompson, 1912-1916 Dhu Thompson, 1916-1920 E. D. McCallum, 1920-1924 Max Bradley, 1924-1928 Max Bradley, 1928-1932 Ross Neill, 1932-1936 Ross Neill, 1936-1940 Ross Neill, 1940- DISTRICT ATTORNEYS Robert T. Vaughan, 1873-1876 Allen Barksdale, 1876-1880 Allen Barksdale, 1880-1884 E. H. McClendon, 1884-1888 E. H. McClendon, 1888-1892 E. H. McClendon, 1892-1896 C. B. Roberts, 1896-1900 Fred Preaus, 1900-1904 Fred Preaus, 1904-1908 C. B. Roberts, 1908-1912 Howard Warren, 1912-1916 Howard Warren, 1916-1920 (S. L. Digby filled unexpired term) S. L. Digby, 1920-1924 REPRESENTATIVES FROM LINCOLN PARISH C. J. Greene, 1873-1876 G. L. Gaskins, 1876-1880 Max Feazel, 1880-1884 Will Van Hook, 1884-1888 John Stallings, 1888-1892 George M. Lomax, 1892-1896 T. W. Pipes, 1896-1900 S. D. Pearce, 1900-1904 S. D. Pearce, 1904-1908 Sam L. Atkinson, 1908-1912 Fred Price, 1912-1916 Fred price, 1916-1920 Burns Colvin, 1920-1924 J. T. M. Hancock, 1924-1928 C. B. Roberts, 1928-1932 Ashley Wright, 1932-1936 Ashley Wright, 1936-1940 Ragan D. Madden, 1940- SENATORS FROM THIS DISTRICT WHO WERE FROM LINCOLN PARISH Allen Greene, 1872-1876 Will Van Hook, 1876-1892 C. K. Lewis, 1900-1904 C. K. Lewis, 1904-1908 S. D. Pearce,1916-1920 Howard Warren, 1920-1924 Howard Warren, 1924-1928 R. B. Knott, 1928-1932 A. K. Goff, 1940- TAX ASSESSORS J. A. Greene, 1873-1876 N. B. Gill, 1876-1880 N. B. Gill, 1880-1884 N. B. Gill, 1884-1888 N. B. Gill, 1888-1892 N. B. Gill, 1892-1896 John R. Heard, 1896-1900 John R. Heard, 1900-1904 George Knowles, 1904-1908 George Knowles, 1908-1912 Allen Givens, 1912-1916 R. R. Hightower, 1916-1920 R. R. Hightower, 1920-1924 R. R. Hightower, 1924-1928 R. R. Hightower, 1928-1932 Rhode Smith, 1932-1936 Rhode Smith, 1936-1940 Rhode Smith, 1940- CORONERS Wm. Taylor (Negro), 1873-1876 J. W. Stallings, 1876-1880 Dr. C. H. Griffin, 1880-1884 Dr. M. A. Laurence, 1884-1888 Dr. N. B. Null, 1888-1892 Dr. C. H. Griffin, 1892-1896 Dr. John R. Moore, 1896-1900 Dr. S. L. White, 1900-1904 Dr. S. L. White, 1904-1908 Dr. N. B. Null, 1908-1912 Dr. N. B. Null, 1912-1916 Dr. N. B. Null, 1916-1920 Dr. W. S. Rutledge, 1920-1924 Dr. W. S. Rutledge, 1924-1928 Dr. W. S. Rutledge, 1928-1932 Dr. W. S. Rutledge, 1932-1936 (Dr. H. N. Harper filled unexpired term) Dr. H. N. Harper, 1936-1940 (Dr. J. J. Bennett filled unexpired term) Dr. J. J. Bennett, 1940-