Poley Bayou, Livingston Parish, Louisiana
File prepared by D.N. Pardue



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From the book entitled "The Free State - A History and Place-Names Study
of Livingston Parish" by the members of the Livingston Parish American
Revolution Bicentennial Committee in cooperation with the Livingston 
Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana American Revolution Bicentennial
Commission, 1976.  Reprinted by permission.  Dedicated to the memory of
Reuben Cooper and Raymond Riggs.

POLEY BAYOU, a bayou approximately three miles in length, is located

three miles northest of the town of Port Vincent.  It is the last

tributary of Colyell Creek before the latter enlarges and becomes

known as Colyell Bay.

     It originates in Section 41, T8S-R4E and extends in an almost

northerly direction through Sections 27, 38, 37, 61, 22, and 60 into

Section 16 where it converges with Colyell Creek.

     According to Claude B. Slaton of Baton Rouge, Poley was named

by his great-great-grandfather, Calvin Doris Bowman, Sr., who arrived

there sometime in the late 1830's or early '40's, and while scouting

for a place to build a house, came upon a small creek. (1)  There

had been at least one makeshift bridge built across it, and at the

time he saw it, there was nothing but a number of poles sticking out

of the water.

     Bowman is said to have exclaimed to his companions, "This is just

about the poliest place I ever say."  The name Poley stuck and came to

refer to the entire community around the creek.

     A post office was established at Poley on Dec. 31, 1909 with 

Martin L. Bowman as its first postmaster.  It was discontinued on

Sept. 29, 1928. (2)

     Mrs. Reuben S. Cooper, formerly of Denham Springs, a Bowman

descendant, has two original photographs of sawmills operated by 

the Bowman family at Poley. -- Clark Forrest, Jr.

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(1) Letter from Claude B. Slaton, Baton Rouge, La., to Clark Forrest, Jr.
dated July 10, 1972.
(2) Letter from Jerome Finster, Chief, Industrial and Social Branch, 
National Archives, Washington, D.C., 20408, to Clark Forrest, Jr. dated
June 14, 1972.

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