Duncan Family, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Feb. 2005
Special thanks to Jim Perrin for donating it to the archives.

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DUNCAN: LOCAL CIVIC LEADER

(The following historical sketch of a Ponchatoula family name was submitted by Jim 
Perrin, former school principal and local historian. The subject of this article 
is the Duncan family.)

BY JIM PERRIN

Robert Duncan, Ponchatoula pioneer and civic leader, was born about 1832 in 
Louisiana.

In 1850, when he was 17, Robert was living in the Springfield area with attorney 
George Watterson. Robert moved to the Ponchatoula area by 1860 where he had 
established his home and begun his family after his marriage to Arizona Turnage.

Arizona was born March 9, 1838, in Livingston Parish and was the daughter of Thomas 
and Mary "Polly" Turnage. Arizona died Jan. 16, 1917, in Ponchatoula and was buried 
in the Wetmore Cemetery.

Robert enlisted in Co. D, 9th Louisiana infantry Battalion in Ponchatoula in April, 
1862, and served as a sergeant in his company. After the war, he returned to 
Ponchatoula and resumed his occupation as a carpenter.  

He became increasingly active in the welfare of his community, serving as a justice 
of the peace in 1868 and as an alderman in 1872-73, and in 1882.

Robert was living in Ponchatoula when the census was conducted in 1900 and is 
believed to have died between 1900 and 1910. Arizona continued to live in 
Ponchatoula with her children until her death in 1917. Robert and Arizona had 
several children.

Emma Duncan -- born about 1853, she married Robert J. Arnold (1850-1923) in 1878. 
Robert was the son of Levi Arnold and Ann Caldwell. Emma died shortly after her 
marriage to Robert.

Ella Olivia Duncan -- Born about 1855, she married Edwin Rush Wells (1858-1922) and 
they had four children, Hilda, Laurence, Juanita, and Minnie Wells. Ella moved to 
California after Edwin's death. She died March 3, 1943, and was buried in Wetmore 
Cemetery.

Louisa "Lou" Duncan -- Born June 5, 1860, at Springfield, and died Feb. 5, 1931, in 
Ponchatoula.  She was working as a seamstress in Ponchatoula in 1910 and was living 
with her mother and brother, William. She is buried in Wetmore Cemetery. 

William Duncan -- Born March 7, 1864, in Ponchatoula and died in Jaunuary, 1950. He 
was a retired steamboat captain and carpenter.  He never married, and is buried in 
Wetmore Cemetery.

Robert Duncan Jr. -- Born about 1867 and was living in Ponchatoula in 1931.

Thomas A. Duncan -- Born about 1869 and is buried in Wetmore Cemetery.

Anna Duncan -- Born about 1871 and married Octave S. Broussard (1868-1954). They 
had a son and four daughters. The family was living in New Orleans in 1930.

May L. Duncan -- Born May 1, 1877.  Married Charles W. Sims in 1897. She died on 
Dec. 20, 1902, and was buried in Wetmore Cemetery.  May and Charles had two sons, 
Donald W. Sims (1899-1971) and Herbert Clyde Sims (1900-1980).

William Duncan was born about 1834 in Louisiana and is believed to be a brother of 
the Robert Duncan discussed above.  William is listed as living alone, and was a 
neighbor of the John Yokum family near Ponchatoula in 1860. 

During the War Between the Staes, he enlisted in Co. D, 9th Louisiana Infantry 
Battalion in Ponchatoula, and served as a sergeant in that unit.