SOME HISTORY OF THE GANSVILLE COMMUNITY , Winn Pr. LA Contributed by Greggory E. Davies. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Greggory E. Davies 120 Ted Price Lane Winnfield, LA 71483 SOME HISTORY OF THE GANSVILLE COMMUNITY (by J. D. Puckitt) Following are a few facts about Ward 4 and some of the people in it. I am sorry I failed to get this in the Centennial Edition but failed to see the notice. The Church at Gansville celebrated its 100th anniversary this year and I am sure the Post Office is older than the Church. The Post Office was first named Lewisville*, after Captain John T. Lewis who was killed at the Battle of Mansfield. A. L. McDonald's grandfather owned the first store and sold it to Isaac Gans, whom Gansville is named for. Mr. Mose Moffett opened a business there in 1881 and later D. M. Pyburn, H. P. Pyburn, N. N. Moffett, and the Grange Store were all general stores. Isaac Gans had moved away by this time and there was a Drug Store in the building he was in. I believe this was the largest town in the Parish at that time. I am sure we had the best farming section in the parish. It consisted mainly of two types of land. There was a large body of level Red Land and Black Land from Wyatt down to Big Creek and on down Big Creek to the lower part of the ward. Our best farmers in those days, in that section, were J. M. Wasson, Tom Moffett, Tom Sims, Tom Smith, Gus McDaonald, John Milam, The Stones, Oliver Morris, the Stinsons, and E. K. McGinty. Mr. McGinty ran a steam gin and bought cotton seed for 5 cents a bushel to use as fertilize for his corn. His crib held 1400 bushels and he was not satisfied unless he filled it. He and Uncle Oliver Morris acted as bankers for that part of the country. Uncle Oliver Morris entered his place in 1852. He had slaves at that time and ran a large farm. At one time he had a very large orchard and a large vineyard. Operated a Cider Mill and Wine Press. Some of us thought that the people around Gansville were the first to get New things that came along in those days such as Organs, Pianos, Wagons, Buggies, Good Mules and Horses. Mr. W.W. Barnes was the first man to get a New Wagon in our community. At one time there were four Horse Gins in the ward. Later there were five Steam Gins. At Old Union Springs there was a building that served as a School House, as a Church where all Denominations held preaching service, and as a Voting Booth. Very early they had four Baptist, one Methodist and one Colored Church. Some of the earlier Preachers were Bro. Billy McBride, M. Borden, and Spencer Ray. Some of the earlier Doctors were Dr. Wilkerson, Wilcox, and Dr. J. S. McBride. I have known Dr. McBride to walk six miles to see a sick patient. Some of the earlier School Teachers were M. John Stinson, Sr., Johnnie DeWare, Mr. Davies, J. W. Wasson, Miss Maggie McBride, and Miss Ophelia Wallace. Miss McBride was the first to finish college in the ward and perhaps the parish. I appreciate what Mrs. Mixon said, in her article, about their friends. My Father, Tom B. Puckitt, lived near them and considered Mr. Mixon one of his very best friends. She spoke of her father owning a good deal of land. Quite a bit of this was bought for 10 cents a forty. The government wanted the people to get ownership of the land so they could collect taxes on it. There were not many who were able to pay taxes on their small farms. Mrs. Minnie Lewis Stone, who lives in Winnfield, is the oldest person raised in Ward 4. She is now 93 years old and works her own garden. Her late husband, D. M. Stone, was born, lived, and died in the same house. The house was never moved but he lived in four different parishes in his lifetime. My Father was a poor man and at one time there were 17 in the family. It took two bushels of corn a week to furnish us bread. We only had biscuit Sunday for breakfast. Father's Church days were first Sunday and Saturday before. I always looked forward to the preacher coming to our house on Friday night before the First Sunday, then we would have biscuits on Saturday morning. We raised and harvested first, and maybe the only, rice in the parish. It was cut with an oat cradle and thrashed over a flour barrel. It had to behauled to Columbia in an Ox wagon to be cleaned. We got as our part a sugar barrel full of cleaned rice-we had rice several mornings for breakfast. In 1895 the Primitive Baptist, of which my Father and Mother were members, held an Associational meeting near our home. We took care of and fed 87 Friday night, 75 Saturday night, and 50 Sunday night and carried dinner to the church three days. We also fed about 40 head of horses three nights. We did not pay out in money over seven or eight dollars as we raised everything at home except flour and coffee. I sold my first bale of cotton in Ruston. It brought me $ 18.25. I bought a nice suit of clothes, a good overcoat, a pair of shoes, and a hat. I had enough left to pay up two accounts I had in Gansville. I have known eggs to sell for five cents a dozen but we never had any to spare as it took..............for our breakfast. My grandfather moved from Mississippi and settled about six miles South of Arcadia in 1841. Father was born in 1842. When the War broke out between the States he volunteered and fought through four years and was discharged at Mansfield. He had two brothers, one was killed and the other died while in service. In 1896 my Father was elected School Board Member from Ward 4. He served 8 years riding a mule 18 miles to Winnfield and received $ 2.00 a day. Later he was elected member of the Police Jury. He served this office two terms and received $ 3.00 a day. Mr. A. J. Taylor carried the U. S. Mail from Gansville to Winnfield for a number of years, three trips a week, for less than a dollar a day. One time Mr. John Milam rode his mule to Gansville, did his trading and walked six miles home, forgetting his mule hitched at the store. I claim we had the largest oak tree in Winn Parish. When it was worked up it made more than 1600 fence rails. It was on Mr. John Sholar's place. I have deadened an oak tree on our place that would bring at present prices $ 100. Also a pine tree that would bring $ 250. I have seen a complete house built without nails. We had steps to go over the rail fence and bars to go from the lot to the field. The reason for this was that we did not have the money to buy nails to make gates. Among the Firsts for Ward 4 was a fishing camp at Birdo Springs. Some cabins were built by Mr. A. B. Gentry for some people from Ruston who would come down every summer and spend a few weeks fishing and hunting. The first Grange Store with a dance hall over. The first Automobile. My wife's father, George L. Stinson, was Postmaster at Gansville several years. He was also elected State Representative for two terms. We failed to raise any big politicians in Ward 4 but did produce some moneyed men such as Hershell McGinty, Hasson Morris and Matt Milam. Mose Moffett borrowed a thousand dollars to start in business. Ten or twelve years later he sold out and moved to Cane River with $ 85,000 cash. I am sure there are many more interesting facts that could be told about Ward 4. My knowledge is limited. My Father's family and a few others because in those days you just didn't know as much about your neighbors, much less about all in the community, as you do now a days. Respectfully submitted, Joel D. Puckitt 604 Cooper Avenue Jonesboro, La. (The above article/letter appeared in a 1952 edition of the Winn Parish Enterprise. It was apparently printed just as it was written as one can observe by some of the errors, certainly which should be forgiven considering that Mr. Puckitt was an elderly gentleman. Submitted by Greggory Ellis Davies, Winnfield, LA.)