ORIGINAL UNION PARISH LOUISIANA POLICE JURORS, ELECTED 13 MAY 1839

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by Dr. Max Williams, 3/2004



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ORIGINAL UNION PARISH LOUISIANA POLICE JURORS, ELECTED 13 MAY 1839
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Pursuant to an order by Judge JOHN TAYLOR, members-elect of the Union Parish Police Jury met at the 
house of WILLIAM WILKERSON, at the mouth of the Corney Bayou, and presented their certificates of 
election, the result of a special election held on May 13.

Members elected to seats on the first Police Jury were the following:

   Ward 1--JOHN N. FARMER. Election held at the house of SUSAN FARMER. W. W. FARMER, Justice of 
           Peace, signed the certificate. 

   Ward 2--JEPTHA COLVIN. Election held at JOHN STOW's. JEPTHA COLVIN signed certificate.

   Ward 3--PHILIP FEAZEL. JEPTHA COLVIN signed certificate.

   Ward 4--MATTHEW WOOD.

   Ward 5--NEEDHAM M. BRYAN. DANIEL PAYNE and NEEDHAM M. BRYAN, "Managers," signed certificate.

   Ward 6--BRIDGES HOWARD. JOHN H. GUICE and DAVID G. STEWART, "Commissioners," signed certificate.

   Ward 7--D. P. A. COOK. Justice of Peace  W. UNDERWOOD signed certificate.

On the first motion of the Police Jury, members elected MATTHEW WOOD president pro tempore and 
THOMAS VAN HOOK clerk of the first session. A following motion elected WOOD president of the Police 
Jury and authorized him to hold elections from among the Police Jury members for additional parish 
offices.

WILLIAM C. CARR was appointed tax collector (subject to $700 bond), THOMAS J. GREER, constable, and 
THOMAS J. SEAL, constable.

MATTHEW  WOOD authorized to purchase three books for the parish records.

Members voted to meet at 9:00 a.m. the following morning.
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Source: Union Parish Louisiana Police Jury Minutes, Book 1, 1839 - 1844, details from 
        the 15 May 1839 first meeting of the Union Parish Police Jury.

Note:   The first police jury meeting was held at the house of William Wilkerson. The site of 
        Wilkerson's house is now under the waters of Lake D'Arbonne. Before the inundation of 
        the site, it could be reached by travelling about a quarter of a mile down a dirt road to 
        a pen oak flat at the extreme west end of Bayou Street in Farmerville. In years past, that 
        site was known as Fork Ferry, a name derived from the ferry operations at the confluence, 
        or fork, of Bayous D'Arbonne and Corney. Wilkerson is not on the Census of 1840; it is not 
        known whether he was omitted from the census or perhaps had migrated or died. By the mid-1840's, 
        the German (perhaps Jarman) family ran the ferry at that point.


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