Towns & Cities: Dodson, 1951, Winn Parish, LA
Submitted by Greggory E. Davies, 120 Ted Price Lane, Winnfield, LA 71483


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From: April 26, 1951 Winn Parish Enterprise

Dodson Old Settlers Recall Days When Town Was Booming Sawmill Site

by Betty Jean Vines

(This paper was written by Betty Jean Vines, a senior student in Dodson High
School, after she contacted several of the older settlers of the community,
including Morgan Stovall, C. L. Shell, and L. E. Vines, Sr.)

Dodson, now a mere shadow of what it once was, has made quite a history for
itself through the years of its rise and decline.  The older citizens here
like to recall the "good old days" and through them we have been able to get a
fairly accurate history.

"Reeks Deadening", the first name given to a settlement out in a great patch
of woods is now called Dodson.  Mr. Reeks deadened the trees on a plot of
ground for homesteading, thus the settlement got its name.

This settlement died out, and a new one sprang up on its old site.  When the
railroad came through, a contractor, J. M. Dodson, and his beautiful, talented
daughter settled here.  She made quite a hit, and the town was named "Lena" in
her honor.

Alas!  Louisiana already had one town named Lena, so the name was changed to
Dodson.

Dodson was originally a sawmill town-site of the largest sawmill in the United
States in 1900, the Kelly Lumber Company.

To transport the lumber turned out by this sawmill, the Arkansas Southern
Railroad was built through Dodson.  In 1914 it sold out to the Rock Island
Railroad.

The first church dates to 1853, when a crude one was built, serving also as a
school.  It was a plank structure, located on the present site of the Dodson
Baptist Church.  Reverend Sam Dean was pastor.

In 1901, a small school building was erected on the plot occupied today by the
H. J. Waters home, Mr. C. L. Shell served as principal of the school.

A high school was opened in a new brick building, the first in Winn in 1906,
with Mr. Chase as principal.

Three years later a class graduated from the high school.  Lawson Peters was
one of the first graduates.  In 1909 the Agricultural department was
established and in 1912 a two-room frame building was erected for a Home
Economics Department.

Parish fairs were held in Dodson in 1910 through 1913.  "The displays have not
been equaled yet," said B. M. Stovall.  A pig was once exhibited in one of
these fairs that weighed 1400 pounds.  Horse races were held that attracted
many people.

Speaking of news, Dodson at one time published its own newspapers.  One of
these papers, "The Dodson Times", was edited by Joel Payne.

The highway passing through the central part of Dodson was built and graveled
in 1921.  Six years later concreting was begun by the A. C. Campbell
Construction Company.  The first work on the streets was done by two colored
residents of rural Dodson, Berry Caesar and Gabe Hollingsworth.

The cotton industry in and around loomed so high as to require establishment
of two gin companies in Dodson, the Dodson Gin Company and the Jonesboro Gin
Company.

In 1907, six years after the post office was opened, Jack Taylor began the
first rural mail route.  He made the route three times a week.

Dr. Horace Tolbert and Dr. Smith held offices here as medical doctors, with
Dr. A. W. Radescich and Dr. Roberts as dentists.

Among the business establishments which did thriving businesses in the good
old days were butcher and blacksmith shops.  Godfrey's Tin Smith Shop, Dodson
State Bank, dry good stores owned by T. L. Jones, J. J. Stovall, D. M. Pyburn,
and J. B. Milam, Sr., and Whitley Drug Store.

Turning back trough the pages of Dodson history, we find several outstanding
and interesting items.  A great salt lick was once located at the present site
of the depot.  Deer flocked here from all parts.  The first high school in
Winn Parish was located at Dodson.  Luther Stovall made "All Southern" center
in 1908.  Margaret Stovall won the title "Miss Winn Parish in a beauty contest
in 1931.

Just as a matter of comparison, we mention the fact that the 1903 population
of Dodson was over 1,000 and in 1940 it was 442.  The decline came when the
sawmill left due to taxation brought on by incorporation.

Dodson business center is now composed of five stores, a caf‚, barbershop,
post office and three sawmills.  We have three churches for the whites and two
for the colored.  The school plant, composed of five buildings, has recently
been renovated and is one for which the people are proud.  A grammar school
for the colored is located in the west side of town.

Although Dodson has fallen from the heights it once knew, it is still a
thriving community of which its citizens are proud.