Tucker Family & the Packwood Hotel, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Jan. 2000
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
************************************************

By JIM PERRIN

James Tucker was born Oct. 14, 1814, in Ohio, and moved to Louisiana as a child with his 
family.  He grew to manhood in the Ponchatoula-Springfield area, and married Rachel Rheams 
Packwood on March 12, 1837, at Springfield.

Rachel Rheams, apparently the daughter of Jacob Rheams of old St. Helena Parish, was born 
April 2, 1814, in Louisiana and had been married first to William H. Packwood (1808-1836).

Rachel and William Packwood had a son, George H. Packwood, who served as an officer in the 
Rebel army during the War Between the States.

James Tucker and Rachel Rheams had three children: Alphus G. Tucker (b. 1828); William 
Harrison Tucker (b. 1840), married Miss Willie W. Dabney; and Spencer Walter Tucker.

James was listed as a merchant in the newly formed town of Ponchatoula in 1860 as a hotel 
keeper and retail dealer in an 1865 federal document.  He was also listed as a merchant in the 
town when the 1870 and 1880 census were conducted.

Rachel died Jan 13, 1879, and was buried in the Wells-Tucker burying Ground, now called 
Sandhill Cemetery.  James continued to operate the store and hotel following Rachel's death. 
He died Dec 3, 1890, and was buried beside Rachel among the live oak trees atop Sandhill.

At the time of his death, James owned Lots 1-4 in square 42 in Ponchatoula, which contained 
a dwelling, out buildings, and stables, and was valued at $1,500 when inventoried in 1895.

Today, this is one-fourth of the block on the south side of East Pine Street where a number of 
antique shops, an attorney's office, and a medical clinic are located.

James also owned Lot 16, and half of Lot 15, in the same square, which was the other half of 
the block facing East Pine Street and included his store, valued at $800 in 1895.

An inventory of the store taken upon Rachel's death in 1879 by local citizens John W. Overier 
and Thomas M. Terry indicated an assortment of general merchandise such as groceries (flour, 
vinegar, molasses), shoes, hats, cloth, etc.  The inventory of the hotel showed assorted 
furniture in the kitchen, parlor, and nine bedrooms.

The Tuckers had extended credit to many of the people in Ponchatoula over the years and had 
notes worth $2,443 in their favor in 1879.

The Packwood Hotel

James and Rachel Tucker established a hotel in Ponchatoula in 1857.  This hotel was called 
the Packwood House, probably to honor Rachel's deceased first husband and their son.

The hotel survived the War Between the States, although it was damaged in March, 1863, as 
retreating Yankee troops attempted to burn the structure.

The Tuckers continued to operate the hotel after the war.  Following James' death in 1890, the 
Packwood Hotel passed into the hands of new owners.  The hotel was greatly enlarged and 
renamed the New Packwood House.  

In January, 1905, much of the former James Tucker property, including the hotel, was 
purchased by Mrs. Frank J. Campbell. Her husband, Frank Campbell, was a local merchant and 
brickyard owner who died in 1906 at the age of 42.

During the evening of Valentine's Day, 1907, the hotel was totally destroyed by fire.  As the 
flames spread, residents and area citizens were able to remove most of their personal and 
household effects from the doomed structure.  It would be many years before Ponchatoula had 
a fire department, and although the Hammand fire unit was sometimes sent south by train to 
Ponchatoula, it rarely arrived in time to be effective.

Mrs. Campbell, the former Mary E. Mulins, suffered a financial loss from the hotel's 
destruction as the property was only partially insured.  The destruction of the Packwood 
House in 1907, which was referred to as a historic structure at that time, marked a sharp 
decline in Ponchatoula's accommodations for visitors.

The old Biegal Hotel across the railroad tracks facing the depot was also in a decline, being 
vacant for some time prior to its destruction in the early 1920's. Although there were other 
hotels in Poncatoula, the grand wooden hotels were lost.

Anyone having information, photographs, or documents on the people, places and 
events that have shaped our community are invited to communicate with the 
author, Jim Perrin, at 14187 Randall Ave., Hammond, LA 70403