Parish History: S. J. Harper, 1942, 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: June 18, 1942 Winn Parish Enterprise Former Senator S. J. Harper Relates Early Days In Winn by Earl D. Mercer Former State Senator S. J. Harper of Winnfield, who will be 82 years old on October 14, 1942, remembers in the early days when Winn Parish was a scarcely settled territory. Mr. Harper was born in Simpson County, Mississippi, in 1860 and moved to this parish with his father in 1867. He has resided in Winn for the past 75 years. When the Harpers moved to Winn Parish they settled at Flat Creek. There were no bridges here then. Mr. Harper's father, the late S. J. Harper, Sr., constructed the first bridge in Winn. It was pinned together by wooden pegs. In 1872 a bridge was built over Dugdemonia at the Gorham crossing. There were three roads running through the parish which intersected and went to Columbia. (Note: Mr. Harper failed to refer to the southern portion of Winn Parish which included Montgomery and St. Maurice, much older settlements than Winnfield. No doubt there were bridges of some sort in these areas). According to the stories told Mr. Harper by early settlers, the churches over the parish were few and scattered. He was told that just before the Civil War broke out, a Primitive Baptist Church was built on land donated by Christian Riser near the parish line east of here. Primitive Baptist Churches were located at Gaars Mill, Gansville, Curry, and Jerusalem. The first Methodist Church in the parish was built at Ebenezer in 1872 and was the first church that Mr. Harper ever attended. A Methodist Church was constructed in Winnfield in 1875 and was used for a school. (Note: Hebron Baptist Church, est. 1845, is possibly the church referred to here). At the time the Harpers moved to Winn Parish, Winnfield was its only town. One of its two stores was owned by Morris Bernstein and was established here in 1852. Milling and Bolton was the name of the other firm. Adam Riser owned a store at Flat Creek. (Note: Montgomery and St. Maurice were established before Winnfield and there was a settlement at Gansville as well. The Bernstein store at Winnfield has long been credited as being the oldest business in Winnfield, but it is possible that R. C. Simms had established a store prior to that time or at about the same time). The settlers at Flat Creek had to go to Columbia to get their mail until Mr. Harper's father got a petition for mail service and was named postmaster there. Mail arrived twice weekly. Early settlers told Mr. Harper that the first Winn Parish sawmill was erected near the home of Oscar Lattier on the Atlanta road. John Dickerson operated the second one which was constructed on Dugdemonia. W. H. Holmes was in charge of the third mill. (Note: The infamous outlaw John West operated a stave mill at Worsham's Crossing on the Harrisonburg Rd. following the War For Southern Independence. At Saline Mills, on Dugdemona near old Pine Ridge in Ward 10, at the Salt Works, several mills operated, but I'm not sure if any were classified as 'sawmills'). All the cotton gins were pulled by horses and mules. Two bales of cotton were considered a good days work while between 25 and 30 bushels of corn could be ground in a day at the mill. Mr. Harper learned from other people that quite a few persons were settled at Atlanta before the Civil War because of the school there. After the war ended, many of those settlers moved to Texas. (Note: Mr. Harper is possibly referring to the Atlanta Institute, formed around 1870, after the war). A school was established at Flat Creek in 1872 by Mr. Harper's father. Here he went to school for five months. That was all the schooling he had until after he was 20 years old at which time he attended on three months school and two schools of four months duration. He acquired most of his education by home study. After receiving it, he taught school for six years at a salary of $30 per month. When Mr. Harper moved to Winnfield in 1902, he established a general merchandise store which he operated until 1932 when he sold his firm to Shaw- Carter. In 1908, Mr. Harper was elected to the city council of Winnfield for a two year term. He aided in establishing the city's waterworks. Mr. Harper entered the race for State Senator from the Winn, Grant, and Caldwell District in 1912 and won. In Caldwell, only 88 votes were cast against him. He secured the position again in 1916. He learned never to talk against his opponent but to tell the voters exactly what he represented. Mr. Harper married Miss Josephine Shumake in March, 1888. His three living children are S. Blanchard Harper, Winnfield; Miss Maude Harper, Winnfield; and Mrs. E. E. Harkrider, Greenwood, La. At the present time he is confined to his home on Center Street because of ill health.