Allen, Albert C.; St. Mary Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
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Allen, Albert C., attorney-at-law, Franklin, St. Mary parish, La.  Was born at
Franklin, La., Aug. 23, 1847; son of William P. and Caroline P. (Nixon) Allen,
the former of whom was born at Gallatin, Tenn., in 1806, and the latter in the
State of Missouri.  Both parents died at Franklin, the mother in 1879, at the
age of 60 years, and the father in 1889.  When the mother was but 6 years old
she had started on a trip down the Mississippi river in a boat accompanied by
her father, sister and brother.  Her mother had previously died.  While the
party was encamped near Memphis, her father, in crossing the river, was
drowned, and the three small children left alone.  Their situation was
reported by friendly Indians, and they were taken in charge by white people. 
Through correspondence the relatives of the children were located near
Franklin, La., and shortly afterward the orphans were carried to that place. 
The father, William P. Allen, was one of the pioneers of Franklin.  He located
there in 1830, as a contractor, and built most of the antebellum sugar houses
of St. Mary parish.  When the town of Franklin was incorporated, in 1834, Mr.
Allen was elected the first mayor of the municipality.  At one time he
occupied the office of coroner of the parish.  Albert C. was the 8th of 9
children born to his parents, only 3 now living.  At the beginning of the
Civil war there were four brothers in the family.  Benton E. enlisted in
Company G, 13th La. infantry.  He attained the rank of lieutenant, was
mortally wounded at the Battle of Shiloh, and died in the enemy's hands. 
David enlisted in the same company and regiment, served to the close of the
war, and died in 1884.  Robert W. enlisted in the same company as the other
brothers, but was afterward honorably discharged because of physical
disability.  He later recovered, and enlisted as a member of Vinson's Scouts,
serving to the close of the war.  Albert C. enlisted in April, 1864, previous
to his 17th birthday, as a member of Vinson's Scouts, Gen. Brent's brigade,
and served until the surrender of his command, on June 10, 1865, 2 months
after Gen. Lee 's surrender.  This was due to the fact that the command had
been sent to Southern Louisiana, and until notified by the commander of a
gunboat that had been sent to that locality, did not know of the surrender of
Gen. Kirby Smith's army.  Previous to his enlistment in the army, the young
man had attended private schools at Franklin, and in April, 1866, he entered
White Creek Springs academy, completing a 2-year course at that institution. 
Following this, he returned to St. Mary parish, and there taught in private
and public schools for a time to secure means with which to prosecute his
further studies.  When this had been accomplished, he entered the law
department of the University of Louisiana (now Tulane), from which he
graduated in 1871, in the same class with Sen. Murphy J. Foster of Franklin. 
Following his graduation, he at once returned to Franklin and began the
practice of his profession.  In April, 1882, Mr. Allen was elected mayor of
the City of Franklin, and reelected in 1884.  While yet mayor, in 1886, he was
elected district judge to fill the unexpired term of Judge Goode, and
following this, was successively reelected to that station five times, three
times without opposition.  Judge Allen occupied this position longer than has
any other man in the history of the court--22 consecutive years, his last term
expiring in 1908.  In 1909, Judge Allen was appointed by Gov. Sanders as a
member of the state Board of Pension Commissioners for Confederate soldiers,
and remains incumbent of that position at this time.  He has been a life-long
democrat, is a member of the Episcopal church, and of the Masonic fraternity,
having filled the exalted station of Grand Master of the Masonic Grand Lodge
of the State of Louisiana from 1898 to 1900, inclusive.  At the time of the
first agitation toward building the beautiful new courthouse that now adorns
the central square of the City of Franklin, Judge Allen was one of the most
active workers for the construction of the building.  He served as a member of
a committee appointed to go before the police jury of St. Mary parish and
request the passage of an ordinance authorizing the expenditure of the
necessary sum of money.  The handsome structure cost $125,000, and Judge Allen
was the first jurist to preside in the new building.  His term as judge of the
district court expired shortly after the completion of the new courthouse.  He
is now engaged in the practice of law in the City of Franklin.  Dec. 3, 1874,
Judge Allen was married to Miss Katie E. Johnson, of Franklin, a daughter of
Cheney Johnson, one of the pioneers of St. Mary parish.  Mr. Johnson removed
from Maryland and located in St. Mary parish at a time when that region was
very far from its present state of development.  He owned and operated a line
of boats between Franklin and New Orleans before and after the Civil war. 
During the war he operated his boats in the transport service of the
Confederate government.  To Judge and Mrs. Allen 6 children have been born,
namely: Gracie Katie, Herbert G., Edna, Louise, William P., and A. C., Jr. 
The latter died in infancy.

Source:  Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 28-29. 
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical
Association.