History/photos/docs: How Cotton Valley got it's name!; Webster Par., Louisiana
Submitted by: Pat Foster-King
Date: Sept. 2000


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FIRST TO CALL IT COTTON VALLEY

Benton, La.

COTTON VALLEY--The name of this town has always been taken for granted, but just who first gave it this hame has recently been cleared up to some extent.

R. A. Flaherty, one of this town's oldest inhabitants, now 82, has an abstract of title that covers a portion of the town, which goes back to the time the U. S. Government, through President Millard Fillmore, hgave title to Christian Wallesen or Wallerson in 1851. Wallerson had been a private in the Third Battalion of Louisiana Volunteers in the War With Mexico, and was being rewarded with title to the land.

Records show that Wallerson sold that land to Ferdinand Lee.

This part of Webster Parish was at the time in Bossier Parish.  A search of recofs in the courthouse in Benton, that parish, show that Lee had also bought up a dozen or more such warrants of certificates of title to more than 2,300 acres in and around this town. They named thier home Cotten Valley.

Records kept by the Lee family show tht they moved from Barbour County, Alabama, in 1851 for the purpose of engaging in planting cotton.  It is stated a tower was erected over (looking) the rich farm land so that the overseer could observe the condition of the crops.

The Lee family remained here for seven years, selling their land to Edward W. Hodges for $15,000, which now consisted of 2,3000 acres. The Lee family then moved further west on Red River on Long Prairie in Lafayette County, Arkansas, where Ferdinand Lee died in 1874.

JOHN A. MANRY
Plain Dealing, La. 71064