Parish History: Dodson, La., 1938, Winn Parish, LA.
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483
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From: April 14, 1938 Winn Parish Enterprise

Fertile Lands Attracted First Settlers at Dodson

by Mrs. Thomas Ware

It seems that the first people to settle in this community were attracted by
the cheap, fertile land for farming and the fine open range for cattle.

Most of the early settlers came here from Mississippi, Georgia, and Alabama. 
Among the names to be found early in this community are: Reeks, Welch,
Caldwell, Terral, Dean, Davis, and Stone.

Just at the close of the Civil War, the first school was taught in this
community.  Although several short term subscription schools were taught in
the intervening years, it was 1901 before the first school tax of this
district was voted and the first school house built.

In the year 1906 the present two-story brick building was erected and the
school moved into it January, 1907.  This was the first brick school building
in the parish.  At the end of the 1908-09 session the first graduation class
in Winn Parish was held.  In this class there was only one, Lawson Peters, now
residing in Natchitoches, La.

In 1937 the old high school building was remodeled, a new modern home
economics cottage and an auditorium and gymnatic building were erected,
greatly improving our school facilities.

We have three churches in our community, the Baptist, Methodist Episcopal, and
Methodist Protestant.

Our railroad, the Rock Island, first known as the Arkansas Southern, was built
in 1901.  Soon after the building of the railroad three large sawmills were
built here and a prosperous community of fifteen hundred to two thousand soon
came into existence.  However, as soon as the timber was cut the mills moved
away and mainly the farming class remained.  So we still find ours a farming
community today.