Gates Post Office, 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.

GATES POST OFFICE was established on April 10, 1901 with Lewis E. Watson

as the first postmaster.  In 1914, the postmaster was R.A. Felder, and

the office was discontinued on January 15, 1919.

     William Jefferson Gates, according to records in the National Archives,

purchased a Military Bounty Land Warrant from Corporal Henry L. Achord on 

April 4, 1853.  The warrent, which had been awarded Achord for military

service during the War of 1812, was used by Gates to claim land located

east of Grays Creek Baptist Church.  The church is situated about two 

miles north of Port Vincent on La. Hwy. 16.

     The proximity of Gates' property to that of the post office location

would indicate that the post office was named for some member of the Gates

family or possibly for William Jefferson Gates himself.

     The name originally proposed for the post office was Jack Fields, but

this was later rejected in favor of Gates.  The origina of the suggested

name Jack Fields is unknown at this time. -- Clark Forrest, Jr.

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