Biographies: William "Bill" (Jess) Phillips, 2000, 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: Research of Mr. Stafford Davis, descendant William "Bill" (Jess) Phillips, Sr. William "Bill" (Jess) Phillips was born in Charleston, South Carolina to Ms. Eliza (Jess) Phillips. He remembered their last name being "Jess" during slavery. Shortly after the abolishment of slavery, Bill and his mother joined a group of people named Phillips that were moving from South Carolina to Louisiana. During this period they changed their names from Jess to Phillips. Bill's sisters Laura Goff and Edith moved to Emden, Louisiana with him and his mother. There his mother married Mr. Jack Sapp; six children were born to this union, Louis, Kitty, Ben, Eli, Rose Ann, and Elvy. In 1874 Bill married Ms. Francis (Brown) Peats in Winn Parish, Louisiana. To this union nine children were born: twins, General Lee "Dad" and Eliza "Liza", Isabella "Isa", Arlevia "Levia",, Emanual "Sam", William "Bill" Jr., Napoleon Alexander "Coot", Raymond, and Lisbon "Shorty". Bill was a blacksmith, carpenter, farmer, and deacon as well as a dentist. Several blacksmith items and a pair of tooth pulling pliers he made are still in the family. The state accredited one-room Phillips School, Bethlehem Baptist Church and cemetery near Atlanta, Louisiana, were constructed with Bill's leadership and land donation. On February 10, 2000 this school was placed on the National Register of Historic Places. The records of this school can be found in the Winn Parish Board Office, Winnfield, Louisiana. The dedication and unveiling of the historic marker at this site was held Saturday, May, 6, 2000.