Railroad Arrives in Farmerville - October 1904 Union Parish Louisiana

Submitted for the Union Parish Louisiana USGenWeb Archives by T. D. Hudson, 12/2004


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Railroad Arrives in Farmerville - October 1904 Union Parish Louisiana
      from the Farmerville "Gazette" issue of 2 November 1904
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                              The Opening of Farmerville.

     On last Thursday and Friday Farmerville celebrated the arrival of the first 
passenger train into her limits over the Farmerville & Southren R.R. with a big 
barbecue. The affair was a grand success with nothing happening to mar the pleasure 
of the day at all. The weather was ideal, being neither too hot nor too cold and, 
excepting the dust, which was rather disagreeable there was nothing to grumble at.

     The crowd present on Thursday has been estimated at all the way from 5,000 to 
7,000 people, and a better behaved crowd was never seen. The crowd on Friday was 
considerably smaller than on Thursday being about 2000 to 2500.

     Hon W. P. Chandler was master of ceremonies of the culinary department and he 
deserves a great deal of credit for the masterly way in which he managed things, 
putting himself to no little trouble to see that everything was properly arrainged 
[sic] and that everyone got plenty to eat.

     The sale of town lots was very large, a great many of the lots being purchased 
by people in various parts of the state and other states and we learn that many of 
them purpose [sic] to commence building at once.

     Right here we wish to compliment Hon. James M. Smith for th earnest efforts he 
has made and is making toward the upbuilding of Farmerville and the advancement of 
our town. While Mr. Smith is at present a state official and is located at Baton 
Rouge he still claims Farmerville as his home and we claim him as one of [our] 
citizens, and a more public spirited one would be hard to find.

     Governor Blanchard was present and delivered two masterly addresses in favor 
of the School Bond Issue, which is to be voted on in the coming election, one 
Thursday night in the court house and one Friday afternoon out on the grounds.

     The Ruston Brass Band furnished music for the occasion.

     Everybody present expressed themselves as being highly pleased. Those who 
came for pleasure had a good time and those who came for business are all well 
pleased with their purchases. We heard one gentleman say that he was offered 
three times what he gave for his lot in two hours after he bought it. In fact 
the great crowd of homeseekers and men looking for business advantages who were 
here last Thursday and Friday were but the forerunners of the many more who will 
come, for Farmerville is destined to be, at a very early date, one of the 
best - if not the very best town in North Louisiana. Her resources are great 
and there is no reason why she should not become a leading business town. She is 
the only town between the Ouachita and Red rivers which has the advantage of both 
railway and river freight rates and this item alone will spell a great deal with 
a business man on account of the low freight rates which it insures, besides the 
town of well located, its inhabitants enjoying the very best of health, good 
schools, good society, and in fact it is an ideal place in which to live, any one 
looking for a good business place, a good investment in real estate and who wants 
to get in the coming town of North Louisiana should come to Farmerville at once, 
for she has literally been opened up and her future prosperity is assured.



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