Death of John W. Prescott 
Source: The Weekly Town Talk, Alexandria, Rapides Parish, La.; 
Saturday, 23 July 1898. P. 8, column 1. -  
Submitted by Houston Tracy Jr   

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JOHN W. PRESCOTT  
Accident Report and Obituary     

Sad Death of John W. Prescott - Near Fishville (Grant Par., La.).  
Drowned While Fishing in Big Creek. He had left Alexandria, La. to go fishing 
(for Green Trout, now known as Largemouth Bass) at Fishville, La. on Big Creek, 
with Major Fred Seip and his 4 sons, E.B. Pendleton, C.A. Schnack and his 2 
sons on Saturday morning. They travelled in their vehicles and put up at Mrs. 
Miller's hotel. Mr. Prescott would go fishing on the bank of the creek with 
his troll (casting rod and reel with an artificial lure), while the others 
caught bait. Mr. John Seip was the last to see Prescott alive sometime 
about 11 am., when Prescott was fishing about 200 yards below the bridge.  
The others, after returning to the hotel, had not seen him in a while, just 
supposed he was having good luck fishing. Later in the day, they feared he 
might be sick in the woods and went to search for him. After several hours 
on the bank where he had last been seen were found his pantaloons with his 
watch lying on them.  His body was recovered from a 10 foot deep hole, 
where he had apparently drowned, after stepping off the hard sandbar into it.  
He was still wearing a duck hunting coat (which likely held him under). 
They knew he was a good swimmer, so speculated he must have suffered a heart 
attack or hit his head when he fell.  The was taken to Mrs. Miller's hotel 
and Mr. Schnack boarded the Iron Mountain Railroad for Alexandria. He went 
immediately to the home of Judge J.R. Thornton and they drove to the family 
home some 5 miles from Alexandria on Bayou Robert. They delivered the sad 
news to J.W.'s only son, Aaron Prescott, since Mrs. J.W. Prescott was asleep 
and she was not told the news, until Sunday morning. Prescott founded, 
19 July 1880 and was the only President of the Alexandria Rod & Gun Club.  
His friends called him, Father John He was born in Rapides Parish, La. 
12 July 1836. He married Miss Martha Hynson He was a member of St. 
Francis Xavier Catholic church and the Rev. L. Menard, the priest in charge, 
officiated at the graveside funeral, where a very large number of friends 
had gathered in Rapides Cemetery to pay their last repects. His body was 
transported from Mrs. Miller's hotel on Big Creek to the cemetery by Mr. 
Patrick Kelly, undertaker, in a hearse, arriving there at 5 pm.   

NOTE: In the Alexandria Daily Town Talk, Sunday, 19 April 1998, P. C-12, 
Editorial Page, 100 Years Ago Today, 19 April 1898.  
"The Alexandria Rod and Gun Club members are enjoying a shoot at Prescott's 
Grove (now the site of Landmark subdivision) today."  A near exact replica 
of the  original "Fair Oaks" plantation home was built by the present lot 
owner adjacent to Bayou Robert.