Tensas Parish History
Submitted to the USGENWEB Archives Project by 
Edith Ziegler JAN 2002

**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************

Elkridge Plantation Fire by Josiah P Scott
Extracted from a Tensas Gazette of 1938

Elkridge Residence Destroyed By Fire

    The fire demon has again invaded Tensas parish and this time took 
as its prey another of the few remaining ante-bellum homes bequeathed 
to us of today by a past and gone generation.

    On Wednesday morning, about 8:30 o'clock, the residence of Mr. C.V. 
Ratcliff, on Elkridge plantation, to the east of Lake St. Joseph, was 
discovered on fire, flames shooting from the roof.  It is believed the 
fire was caused by a defective flue, leading from the hallway through a 
double roof.  The fire was so well underway when discovered that 
extinction was impossible and saving of household effects was the one 
objective.  About one-half the furniture and clothing and bedding and 
cut-glass and silverware, much of which latter was family heirloom, on 
both sides, was saved, but all more or less damaged. It is understood 
there was some insurance carried on the building but none on household 
contents.  Mr. Ratcliff's loss will be heavy.  He has acquired the 
property within the past year and the loss of this elegant home will be 
a blow to him.

    Mr. and Mrs. W.D. Ratcliff, recently married, were also living in 
this house and all of their lovely wedding presents were lost.

    Neighbors, rallying to their aid, helped the Ratcliff family to 
located in the home owned by their daughter, Mrs. Thomas on Sunflower 
Plantation, where they are now comfortably housed.  Much sympathy from 
friends far and near is extended Mr. and Mrs. Ratcliff in their loss.

    Elkridge Plantation was owned before the Civil War by Mrs. Sarah 
Ann Dorsey and by her willed, along with all of her property in several 
states, to President Jefferson Davis.  A full story of this transaction 
appeared in this paper in its Christmas issue, 1936.  As stated, the 
plantation is now owned by Mr. Ratcliff.

    The Elkridge residence was originally built many years before the 
civil war but has been remodeled quite a bit, two roofs being extended 
over the original, making for greater comfort in both summer and winter.
The residence was originally of log construction and was one of the 
sturdiest and most strongly built houses in the parish, as well as one 
of the most comfortable.  It has been occupied by Mr. Ratcliff for a 
number of years and he has kept the property in best repair and 
improved it greatly.  It was one of the show places in the parish and 
its destruction is keenly felt by our entire people.  Consisting of 
some ten or twelve rooms it happily united the architecture of ante-
bellum times with the more modern idea.  We have but few such houses 
left in Tensas.  As each gradually disappears a link in the golden 
chain uniting the romantic and historic past with the realistic present 
is broken!  May those remaining be carefully preserved is our hope.