Jim W. Richardson; Washington Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Jim W. Richardson. An old and prominent Washington Parish, Louisiana, family, is worthily represented by Jim W. Richardson, a member of the Bogalusa bar, a factor in local democratic politics and an overseas veteran of the World war. In the main, the family has been an agricultural one, although the professions have not been neglected, and its military valor has been demonstrated in more than one great conflict. Mr. Richardson was born at Sheridan, Louisiana, February 25, 1895, and is a son of Marshall and Lona (Rester) Richardson. His paternal grandfather, Daniel Warren Richardson, was born in 1847, on the estate of his father in Washington Parish, a son of Stephen E. Richardson, who was born on his father's plantation in Washington Parish and spent his life there. During the war between the states he was clerk of the court of Washington Parish, and his brother, Capt. Hardy Richardson, commanded Troop I, Eighth Louisiana Cavalry, in General Lee's army at Gettysburg. Daniel Warren Richardson has practically spent his entire life in the vicinity of Bogalusa, and still owns his magnificent estate of 3,000 acres, for many years being one of the most extensive farmers and stockraisers in Washington Parish. He is a Confederate veteran of the war between the states, becoming a soldier when too young to be utilized in any way except as a guard for prisoners. He married Rose Thomas, who spent her life in Washington Parish, dying at Lees Creek in 1896. Marshall Richardson, who has been a resident of Bogalusa all his life, was born here November 7, 1874. After his school period was over he engaged in the logging business for the H. Weston Lumber Company and Portwant-Fasse Lumber Company and later he became identified with the Great Southern Lumber Company, with which organization he has continued ever since. In political sentiment he is a democrat. He is a thirty-second degree Mason, a member of the Grand Consistory of Louisiana, and belongs to Jerusalem Temple, Mystic Shrine, at New Orleans. He has been married twice, first to Lona Rester, who was born at Sheridan, Louisiana, in 1869, and died at Bogalusa May 31, 1907, leaving four children: Jim W.; Jewel, who is sales manager for the Rester Motor Company at Bogalusa; L. Denver, collector for the Rester Motor Company; and Lacey, who is a student in the Bogalusa High School. His second marriage was with Maggie Ard Boyles, who was born at Varnado, Louisiana, and they have one daughter, Candace, who is a student in high school. The public schools of Bogalusa gave Jim W. Richardson his early educational training, but he had not yet made a definite choice of profession when the welfare of his country became, with him, a paramount issue, and with the memory of a brave grandfather for an example, on April 5, 1917, he volunteered for service in the World war. For two months afterward he was trained at Camp Nicholas, New Orleans, was then transferred to Camp Beauregard, Alexandria, Louisiana, where he was in training for one year, a member of the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth Infantry, a sergeant in rank, and with the One Hundred and Fifty-fourth, Thirty- ninth Division, went overseas and landed at Brest, France, August 18, 1918. During the year that Mr. Richardson spent in France he was always at the post of duty with his command, which was stationed a part of the time at Bourges and a part at St. Nazarre. He returned to his own country on August 1, 1919, and was honorably discharged at Camp Shelby. He is past commander of American Legion Post No. 24 of Bogalusa and is first lieutenant of cavalry, Officers Reserve Service, and is attached to the One Hundred and Eighth Cavalry. Shortly after his discharge Mr. Richardson entered Tulane University. New Orleans, and was graduated from its law school on June 7, 1922, with the degree of Bachelor of Laws, leaving many friends in the Greek letter fraternities to which he belonged, the Kappa Beta Phi, the Omicron Tan Alpha, and the Phi Alpha Delta. He was admitted to the bar June 7, 1923, and immediately entered into practice at Bogalusa, with his law offices in the Washington Bank Building. He is a member of the Washington Parish Bar Association and the Louisiana Bar Association. He also belongs to the alumni of the Bogalusa High School, Tulane University and the University of Chicago. Taking an intelligent interest in the various questions that face the professional young man of today, Mr. Richardson has concerned himself considerably in politics and at present is a member and secretary of the Washington Parish Democratic Executive Committee. In Masonry he is a member of Center Lodge No. 244, Free and Accepted Masons, and of Bogalusa Chapter No. 61, Royal Arch Masons; and is a past patron of Jessemine Chapter No. 82, Order of the Eastern Star; a member also of Bogalusa Lodge No. 1338, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks. He is a director of the Bogalusa Young Men's Christian Association, and is a member of the Second Baptist Church. NOTE: The referenced source contains a black and white photograph of the subject with his/her autograph. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 193-194, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.