1878 - 1879 Articles from the "Union Record", newspaper published in Union Parish Louisiana Submitted by: T. D. Hudson Date of Submission: 12/2008 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ ================================================================================== ================================================================================== 1878 - 1879 Articles from the "Union Record", newspaper published in Union Parish Louisiana ================================================================================== ================================================================================== BACKGROUND NOTES: The "Union Record" served as the only newspaper in Union Parish during the Reconstruction period. Founded in February 1866, the publication of the "Record" was closely associated with Thomas Charles Lewis, III, a Farmerville lawyer and judge. While he served as parish judge from 1872 until early 1877, Lewis turned over control of the "Record" to others. It is unclear whether he worked on the paper after stepping down from the bench in 1877. The articles below come from newspaper published in both New Orleans and Monroe. They describe the severe winter of 1878-1879, as well as the disastrous fire that destroyed the majority of Farmerville's business district in May 1879. This fire burned the offices of the "Union Record", and only a few days later the New Orleans paper indicated that the "Record" had ceased publication due to "hard times". It is not known whether this meant the difficult economic times or the destruction of the newspaper office and equipment in the fire. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the New Orleans "Times Picayune", issue of 28 November 1878 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== The Farmerville Record says the Parish Court is dispatching business as fast as the lawyers will let it. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the "Ouachita Telegraph", issue of 31 January 1879, page 2 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== THE PARISHES. Union. There is much sickness prevailing in the parish at this time, and some of it of a dangerous type. Many deaths have occurred since our last issue. Special reports of some are in this issue. The bad weather of the past month made the roads almost impassable and cotton was slow getting to market, but the few dry days of the early part of this week dried them off so that we see a great many wagons loaded with cotton from a distance, and trade has greatly improved in consequence. ------- "Record" ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the New Orleans "Times Picayune", issue of 1 February 1879 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== The editor of the Farmerville Record has a large panther's foot in his office. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the "Ouachita Telegraph", issue of 7 February 1879, page 2 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== THE PARISHES. Union. Sickness of a serious nature has prevailed to an alarming extent in our parish for the past three weeks. We feel assured that more deaths have occurred in that time in this parish than within the same length of time in 25 years previously. Death with its destructive hand has again visited us and has taken from our midst Mr. R. C. Webb, one of Union's best citizens. Mr. Webb only a few days ago was taken with a severe attack of pneumonia, and on Wednesday evening, the 29th inst., fell a corpse. ------- "Record" ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the "Ouachita Telegraph", issue of 14 February 1879, page 2 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== THE PARISHES. Union. We are in the midst of the most trying weather that it has ever been our misfortune to record; cold, disagreeable, sloppy and rain, and it is not strange that the mortality is so excessive, when we take into consideration the many vicissitudes of the weather. The burials in our little town have been unprecedented in their number; not a week having passed since the advent of the new year without one or more interments, until last Monday evening it culminated in the burial of three persons on the same day - one in the person of the lamented and esteemed wife of Dr. F. C. Manning, and the others of two colored persons. ------- "Record" ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the New Orleans "Times Picayune", issue of 19 March 1879 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== The Union Record says starting a school in Farmerville is an uphill business. Wolves near Farmerville have destroyed all of the sheep belonging to Mr. Jas. M. Underwood. A big hunt has been arranged for killing the pests. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the "Ouachita Telegraph", issue of 21 March 1879, page 2 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== THE PARISHES. Union. Wolves have become quite numerous and troublesome in this vicinity lately. Mr. James M. Underwood, who lives only one mile from town, has lost all his sheep by their depredations, we understand, and we learn that others have been visited by them. A big hunt was arranged for yesterday, which has not been reported up to going to press. We hope, however, that they were all killed. ------- "Record" ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the New Orleans "Times Picayune", issue of 22 March 1879 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Among other resolutions adopted by a convention held in Union parish, according to proceedings published in the Farmerville Record, was one:"To have bi-annual sessions of the Legislature." ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the "Ouachita Telegraph", issue of 16 May 1879, page 3 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== Fire at Farmerville. There was a destructive fire at Farmerville Wednesday night, consuming all the business houses in the place except that of D. Stein. The fire broke out about 12 o'clock, and in one hour and a half the fire was over. Mr. J. Arent, of Farmerville, who gives us this intelligence just as we go to press, furnishes us with the names of those who suffered by the fire: J. Arents's saloon, store and warehouse. H. C. Glasson's saloon and livery stable. Wm. P. Smith's store, cotton shed and warehouse. A. W. Scott's saddlery shop. J. Marx's store. J. Apfel's saloon and barbershop. Dr. Manning's drug store. Gazette and Union Record offices. Gazette job printing company's office. Atkinson & Phillips' tinshop. Dozier & Post's drug store. John M. Defee's livery stable. M. Guhring's shoe shop. L. O. B. B. Lodge room. R. Goldberg's quarters containing goods. The loss, Mr. Arent estimates at between fifty and seventy thousand dollars, partially insured, but the amount of insurance Mr. Arent was unable to ascertain before leaving Farmerville. He is satisfied the fire was the work of an incendiary. ================================================================================== ================================================================================== From the New Orleans "Times Picayune", issue of 17 May 1879 ================================================================================== ================================================================================== The Union Record has succumbed to the pressure of hard times. ############################################################# File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/la/union/newspapers/articles/1879union-record.txt