THE POLICE JURY, ELECTIONS, AND REPRESENTATIVES WINN PARISH, LOUISIANA Submitted by: Annette (Carpenter) Womack of Winnfield, Winn Parish, LA January 1998 (Spelling was retained as in document) BIOGRAPHICAL & HISTORICAL MEMOIRS OF NORTHWEST LOUISIANA COMPRISING A LARGE FUND OF BIOGRAPHY OF ACTUAL RESIDENTS, AND AN INTERESTING HISTORICAL SKETCH OF THIRTEEN COUNTIES --ILLUSTRATED-- Nashville and Chicago: The Southern Publishing Company (C) 1890 ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Policy Jury, Elections, and Representatives. Winn Parish was established under legislative authority in 1851, and organized in 1852. The first meeting of the police jury was held in a log building erected for courthouse purposes in 1851-52. Subsequently a more pretentious house was erected, and in it the sessions of the police jury and district court were held until 1868, when fire destroyed both building and records. Another public building was erected, but the same fate awaited it, for, on January 12, 1888, this house and the records of twenty years were destroyed. E. W. Edwards, the first clerk, served from 1852 to 1856, when John A. Dixon succeeded him. John L. Walker followed, and in 1865 was recomissioned, with R. B. Williams, recorder, and John C. Brown, sheriff. R. D. Wall was assessor from 1852 to the beginning of the war; R. C. Jones in 1866-67, and W. Shoemaker in 1868. Messrs. Simins, C. Riser, M. Jones and Stovall were among the early members of the police jury. R. B. Williams was parish treasurer up to 1870. James M. McCain filled the position of district clerk for a short time, and in April, 1868, R. C. Jones was commissioned. The last named has filled that position down to the present time.(1890) In 1870 he also held the position of treasurer until succeeded by J. T. Wallace. W. A. Little, R. E. Milling and J. C. Roberts have served as treasurers in the order named, and in 1888 J. M. Jennings was appointed. A. C. Banks followed W. Shoemaker as assessor. S. M. Brian was then chosen, then G. L. Stinson, next R. L. Jackson, who was succeeded by the present assessor, J. T. Wallace. In 1876 R. L. Tannehill was elected sheriff, and D. Dann recorder. The sheriff was re-elected in 1878. J. M. Jones was chosen representative; J. F. Kelly, senator, and W. J. Wilson, parish judge. The oldest record of the police jury in existence is dated October 4, 1880. S. M. Smith was then president; J. G. Whitehead, W. B. Everett, F. M. McCain, J. W. Jones, J. T. Wallace and John Stinson, jurors, and J. T. Wallace, clerk. In 1881 J. J. Peters and Jacob Rowe were members. Among old claims granted were those of J. J. Peters (1876), W. D. Smith (1879) and A. W. Pearre for services as police jurors. R. C. Jones was treasurer in 1881. In 1882 W. J. Sewers represented Ward 3, and J. T. Wallace was treasure. During the fall of 1883 the smallpox extended into this parish. Dr. J. P. Kelly was appointed executive officer of the board of health; quarantine was established, and $100 granted for the relief of sufferer, from the epidemic. W. A. Little was treasurer in 1883-84. S. M. Smith, J. M. Jones, J. G, Whitehead, W. J. Sowers, F. M. McCain, Jacob Rowe and J. J. Peters were jurors in 1884, and W. H. Morris succeeded John Stinson later that year, with S. M. Smith, J. I. Holmes, J. M. Jones, W. A, Strong, J. W. Jones, J. R. Bird and J. D. Williams. In 1878 the total assessment was $238,821, and in 1883, $472,475. In January, 1885, J. L. Durham was a member of the jury. The present (1890) police jury comprises Edward Eagles (president), J. M. Peters, R. D. Wall, I. Porter, A. J. Franks, J. G. Till, W. Y. McCain and John Stinson; Henry Bernstein is clerk. The parish tax levy is 4 mills, and State levy, 6 mills. (1890?) John Wamack was the last representative from Winn Parish; J. William Walker (1859) was elected before the war. David Pearson was delegate from Winn to the convention of January, 1861, and he voted against secession, and W. H. Hough represented Winn, Cataboula and Caldwell in the Senate. Messrs. Waddill, Dr. D. C. Fout, Alphonse Stinson, W. A. Strong, George A. Kelly (1876), J. M. Jones and J. M. McCain, who was elected in 1888. George A. Kelly served as senator for some time, until succeeded by Senator Boatner. In 1860 this parish recorded 354 votes for Breckinridge, 260 for Bell and 240 for Douglas. The vote for governor in 1876 was as follows: Francis T. Nicholls (D.) 556, S. B. Packard (R.) 78; in 1879, Louis A. Wiltz (D.) 720. Taylor Beattie, in 1884, S. D. McEnery (D.) 812, John A. Stevenson (R.) 12; Francis T. Nicholls (D.), Henry C. Warmoth (R.) 83. The voters registered in April, 1888, numbered 1,375. Of this number 1,194 were Caucasians. Of the Caucasians there were 338, and of the Africans, 146, that could not write their names. ...Continued with part 4: Criminal Operations