Bios: Loy L. Beene, Webster Par., Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Date: Aug. 2001



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Loy L. Beene.  In the two parishes of Webster and Claiborne, the
Beene family has been marked by its noteworthy activities in many
lines of business.  Since pioneer times the family have been planter
sand land owners, and for a number of years an important center of
their business operations has been at Haynesville, in Claiborne 
Parish,where the several brothers comprising the Haynesville 
MercantileCompany have represented a large share of the productive
commercial enterprise of that community.The father of the Haynesville 
business man was the late William L.Beene, a native of Claiborne Parish.  
He had five sons, and all ofthem were reared and trained in commercial 
lines and becamesuccessful and prosperous business men.In 1904 the 
older sons removed to Haynesville and formed theHaynesville Mercantile 
Company of which the oldest son, S. L.Beene, is president, while Loy 
L. Beene is the secretary andtreasurer.  The firm erected and owns 
the handsome and moderncommercial building now occupied by the Dixie 
Store and havesupplied capital for a number of other buildings in the 
town.  Foryears they have been extensive land owners in this section.  
On muchof this land there is oil production, since the discovery well 
on theTaylor property was brought in March, 1921.  While oil production
has added greatly to the resources of the Beene family, it is only
justice to state that these young men, long before the discovery 
ofoil, had through their sagacity and enterprise made a comfortable
fortune in the mercantile, land and financial department of their
business.All of the Beene interests were departmentalized, each 
departmentbeing under the direction of one of the brothers who 
specialized inthat particular line of work exclusively.  This 
intelligent cooperationhas brought about an organization that 
in point of successfuloperation has few equals anywhere.  In recent 
years they have retiredfrom the active mercantile business, though 
they still continue theirvarious enterprises under the old name of 
the Haynesville MercantileCompany.Mr. Loy L. Beene was born in Webster 
Parish in 1883, and he andhis brothers are all comparatively young men.  
Besides S. L. Beene,previously mentioned, the other brothers are 
L. A., S. J. and ClaudeBeene.  There are also two sisters, Mrs. 
L. T. Waller and Mrs.Clarence E. Miller.A History of Louisiana, 
(vol. 2), p.340 , by Henry E. Chambers. 
Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., 
Chicago andNew York, 1925.