Corbin, Livingston and Tangipahoa Parishes, LA.  
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Deandra Lee Norred, Sep, 1998

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>From the book entitled "The Free State - A History and Place-Names Study

of Livingston Parish" by the members of the Livingston Parish American
Revolution Bicentennial Committee in cooperation with the Livingston
Parish Police Jury and the Louisiana American Revolution Bicentennial
Commission, 1976.  Reprinted by permission.  Dedicated to the memory of
Reuben Cooper and Raymond Riggs.

CORBIN is a square mile area (Section 30, T6S-R4E) east of Walker that

was incorporated as a separate community in 1964, but merged with Walker

on July 1, 1973 as a result of a municipal merger election held in 1971.

     Originally homesteaded by Ezra Hill, the Corbin area was owned by

Robert A. Corbin of Hammond at the time the Baton Rouge, Hammond &
Eastern

Railroad, now the Illinois Central Gulf, began building a line from
Hammond

to Baton Rouge.  The railroad was completed in 1908, and since Corbin

owned the land, the railroad depot was named for him.  The railroad
company

drilled a water well which had a large water tank and a steam pump
house,

and Corbin was the only water stop for trains between Baton Rouge and

Hammond.

     In 1913 the land was divided into lots with designated street,
according

to the original town map, and most of it was sold to J.E. Smoot, who
built

a large sawmill and commissary which attracted many workers to the town.

Smoot later sold the sawmill to W.L. Mitchell, who operated it until the

Great Depression hit.  During this period, Corbin had a one-room school

house which served as a combination school and church.

     During the pre-World War II period and for a short while after war

was declared, Corbin was a center of shipping for truck farming crops

because of its accessibility to rail as well as truck shipment.

     Although the community has merged with Walker, it has yet to lose

its identity. --- C.D.L.

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