The Arnold Family, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Oct 2006 Special thanks to Jim Perrin for donating it to the archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ THE ARNOLD FAMILY AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF WEST PINE STREET BY JIM PERRIN, Local Historian In the first half century of Ponchatoula's existence in the days before postal addresses, business locations in town were identified by the owners name, especially on the town's prominent business corners. These locations such as Arnold's Corner, Pierce's Corner, Tucker's Corner, Axtman's Corner, etc., identified to the average resident the businesses which were located nearby. One such location was called Arnold's Corner after the Levi Arnold family that owned the business site on the corner of West Pine Street and Northwest Railroad Avenue {Lot 8, Square 35}. Levi Arnold was born about 1822 in Louisiana and married in the 1840's to Martha Ann Caldwell. Martha Ann Caldwell, who usually went by the name Ann, was born about 1823 in South Carolina, and was a the daughter of Abraham Caldwell (b. ca. 1789 in Ireland, d. 4 Dec. 1851) and Jane _____ (b. ca. 1799 in SC, d. 20 July 1877). Levi and Ann Arnold raised a large family including: Margaret Jane Arnold, m. Hiram Turnage; Robert J. Arnold (1850-1923), m. Emma Duncan; Eliza A. "Dollie" Arnold, b. 1854, m. William D. Dowling; Martha Rebecca Arnold, m. James Bounds; William H. Arnold (1862-1944), m. Elizabeth Tucker; and Johanna Arnold, b. ca. 1868. Levi and Ann were living in the Wadesboro community in 1850 with their two year old daughter Margaret J. Arnold when the census was conducted. Levi was then working as a teamster. In January 1857, Levi purchased Lot 8 in Square 35 from James Clarke in the new settlement of Ponchatoula for $500. This lot on the corner of what Clarke had named West Pine Street and Northwest Railroad Avenue faced the railroad depot and had obvious commercial possibilities. For reasons that are not explained in existing court records, Levi and Ann Arnold sold this lot to Ann's brother Clemens "Clem" Caldwell in February 1859, and then in September of the same year Clem sold an undivided half of the same lot back to Levi Arnold. Since the lot was sold in 1859 with all buildings and improvements thereon, it seems that Levi had erected some kind of store or store/home on the corner of that lot. Levi Arnold and Clem Caldwell jointly conducted a business on that corner before the War Between the States but there is some indication that the business was not a financial success. During the war Ponchatoula was occupied and looted by United States army troops and Levi left the business. He owned a large stock of cattle and during the war he drove the cattle across the Natalbany River and kept them south of Springfield to keep them out of the hands of the Confederate Army. The Confederate Army, habitually short of food would often issue almost worthless vouchers for animals they needed. Levi and his growing family lived near Springfield at this time on Judge George Watterston's place. Just after the war, Levi Arnold approached Clem Caldwell and said as joint owners of the commercial property in Ponchatoula; one of them should reoccupy the store and dwelling to keep it from going to destruction. Clem had a nice home and farm and he said that since Levi was "running around from pillow to post" it would be better if Levi took over the business in Ponchatoula. Clem told Levi to take care of the place and pay the taxes. Levi and his family therefore moved back to Ponchatoula and thereafter worked and resided on "Arnold's Corner." Perhaps because of their continued financial problems Levi and Ann separated their properties in October 1865, and in June 1869 Levi sold his undivided half of the commercial lot in Ponchatoula to Ann. When the census was again conducted in 1870, Levi, Ann, and their six children were listed in Ponchatoula and Levi listed his occupation as that of a bar tender. Levi served his fellow citizens in Ponchatoula being elected to several terms on the town council during the 1870's. In spite of Ponchatoula physician, Dr. William T. Richmond's best efforts, Levi Arnold died in May 1879 at the age of 58. Ann continued to live on the corner and with the help of her sons operated the family business. In 1881, Ann purchased Lot 8, "Arnold's Corner" from the parish for $15 in money due for back taxes that apparently were not paid following Levi's death. She paid all the taxes on the property for the following years. Clem Caldwell was apparently unaware that his sister had purchased the lot for back taxes since he made no legal objection to that fact at the time. The Arnold Building on the corner of Lot 8 was described as being a two story frame structure with galleries fronting Pine Street and Railroad Avenue. Ann's son Robert Arnold renovated the building about 1897, replacing rotten sills, siding, shingles, and had some brickwork done. Helping with the work that year was a local carpenter, E. C. Worthington, who boarded with the Arnold family during the renovation of the building. As was the custom of that less hectic time, visitors to the Arnold Building would often "sit a spell" on the chairs and benches on the galleries and discuss the issues of the day. The Arnold Building was on the corner of Lot 8 but the lot ran 200 feet down West Pine Street, which was half-way down the block, leaving additional space for development. Ann told her son William Arnold that he could place additional buildings on her lot and so about 1893 he erected a small but well-equipped butcher shop toward the western end of the lot, and also a cider shop that was open only on Sundays. The following year he built two other small stores on the lot. In 1900, Ann was living on the corner with her son Robert Arnold, her daughter Rebecca, and her grandson Ernest Dowling. Clem Caldwell filed suit in September 1901 against his sister Ann, seeking to reclaim possession of his undivided half interest in Lot 8, and asking that the property be sold as the property could not otherwise be partitioned. After extended litigation the courts ordered the sale of the lot and the buildings thereon so that a partition between Clem and Ann could be affected. The property was offered at auction by the parish sheriff in February 1902 and purchased by local businessman Frank J. Campbell for $825 to Mrs. Arnold and $1,000 to Mr. Caldwell. Campbell had the Arnold Building torn down and went forward with his plans for the development of the lot. He owned a local brickyard and soon constructed Ponchatoula's first brick building on the western end of Lot 8 where Mrs. Arnold's barn and cow lot had previously been located. Mr. Meyer G. Prince operated a gentlemen's clothing store on the first floor of this new building and lived on the second floor. Mr. Campbell's completion of this brick building in late 1902 preceded the completion of Jacob Abel's brick store on the south side of West Pine Street later in 1902. Then in 1904, Mr. Campbell had a massive two story brick building erected on the eastern corner of Lot 8 which graces that site today. Ann Caldwell Arnold and her children moved to another home and the name "Arnold's Corner," which had been attached to Lot 8 for the previous forty-five years began to fade from memory. The corner would thereafter be referenced as the Campbell Building, and for a generation after that as the Mitchell Building, and is today the regional corporate headquarters for the Jani-King Cooperation. Although "Arnold's Corner" is no more the contribution of this pioneer family to the economic development of our community should be remembered. Anyone with questions, comments or suggestions for future articles, may contact Jim Perrin at 386-4476.