Biographies: C. M. "Pete" Bevill, 1932, Winn Parish, LA Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** From: July 29, 1932 Winn Parish Enterprise or Winnfield News-American Passing In Review This Week We Have C. M. "Pete" Bevill by R. W. Oglesby When I came to Winnfield in 1903, the town had a suave, gentle, handsome young man by the name of C. M. Bevill, whose nickname was Pete. He presided over the council meetings with dignity and seriousness and when it came to sitting as judge of the city court his judicial demeanor was not exceeded by those occupying places on the highest tribunals. The violators of town ordinances appeared before him with fear and trembling. He was not afraid to hand out heavy fines frequently accompanied by sentences in the town jail. He was progressive and wanted to see Winnfield improve along all lines. It was during his administration that the City Hall was constructed without the aid of a bond issue. It still stands as one of his monuments in Winnfield and was considered fine building. He also built most of the sidewalks we have today. Pete was born and reared in Winnfield. He served his apprenticeship clerking for Morris Bernstein, as deputy clerk, as justice of the peace and no doubt many other places of importance in Parish affairs. He wrote a clear and legible hand and his recording in the Clerk's office is a model for all time. Book E of the conveyances was written, I think, entirely by him, and it's a real pleasure to abstract after him especially after having tried to decipher some of the recordings done by former deputies. I think it was about 1906 he ordered the first automobile that ever came to Winnfield, from Sears, Roebuck, & Co. I am sorry that it was not kept as a souvenir, fir it would have been a quaint looking affair to the present generation. It was mounted on buggy wheels, propelled by a one-cylinder motor connected with the rear by a bicycle chain. Sometimes it would run, but most times it would not budge an inch. If perchance he got the motor going it was not strong enough to pull through the sandy streets. His tryouts were usually accompanied by the entire uptown population, the most of whom offered suggestions about how to make it go, such as tying tin cans on the rear, tail-twisting, turpentining, etc. Pete soon got tired of trying to accomplish the impossible and dismantled the outfit, trying to save as much of the outlay as possible. Tom Drewett got the wheels which he used on his delivery wagon, the market man got the motor with which he propelled his sausage mill and I am not so certain that it is not still doing duty in the city hall market house to this day. I believe that this was Pete's first and last automobile. Anyway, he was a pioneer in the business and started something which bids fair to overwhelm the country. Aside from his other attainments, Pete was a first class carpenter and builder. He prided himself on doing fancy work, a sample of which may be seen in the basement of the Methodist Church in the form of a pulpit which was built for the old church and when the new one was built this pulpit was placed in the basement for use there. He was likewise an architect. He designed the octagon end on the old church, the only one of its kind I ever saw, the picture of which stands out vividly in the minds of us all and commented on by all the visitor to Winnfield. He lived right across the street from the church where the Swansons live now and took an active interest in all of its affairs. He was not very talkative, but informed on all subjects, once you got him strung out. His appearance was striking. Tall and erect with piercing grey eyes with a heavy suite of dark hair turning grey. He went neatly dressed and although polite and well mannered, he did not carry his politeness to the extreme as he was not an extremist about anything. His aloofness gave him the appearance of being severe and autocratic to those who did not know him, but once you became acquainted with him, these appearances faded away. He had as much poise as any person I ever saw, just such a person to make a lasting impression. He rarely ever smiled much less laugh aloud, yet with all his apparent gloominess, he was pleasant and affable. His mother was his only chum. He lived with her until she passed away at a ripe old age. He then sold out and left Winnfield and a few years ago passed away at Monroe where he had a responsible position under his friend and former boyhood chum, Mayor Arnold Bernstein.