By Wesley Harris
Lincoln Parish is commemorating the 150th anniversary of its founding in 1873. This is part of the LPJ’s examination of the early days of our parish.
The grave marker of the man credited with the creation of Lincoln Parish in 1873, and that of his wife, have been damaged through what appears to be forces of nature.
Allen Greene and his wife Mahala and members of their family are buried in Pecan Grove Cemetery on Louisiana Highway 822 just off the White Lightning Road where they ran a large farm, tannery, and shoe factory.
Both respected and despised, Greene was a savvy businessman and a generous, sociable neighbor. After the Civil War, he sided with the victors, developed relationships with newly freed black citizens, and created his own short-lived political dynasty in the heart of the Democrat majority.
Greene typified the Reconstruction-era “scalawag”—a local citizen who allied himself with the Radical Republicans who controlled national and state government to achieve personal political and financial aspirations.
The final resting place for the Greenes is marked by the largest monuments in the small community graveyard. Recently, both markers suffered significant damage and the Lincoln Parish Museum and the Lincoln Parish Sesquicentennial Committee want to do something about that.
It appears that the obelisk atop Mahala Greene’s monument fell off, possibly striking Allen’s marker and breaking it into two pieces. The history groups want to see the damage repaired because of the Greene’s integral role in Lincoln Parish’s early history.
The desire is to attain professionals to repair and remount the stones, restoring them to their original appearance as much as possible.
Greene exhibited conflicting traits. He engaged in politics to further his own quest for power and riches, but cared for his community. He employed many workers, including newly freed slaves and established a small train depot that later became Grambling.
With the escalating struggle for control of the state after the war, the fall elections of 1872 were destined to be plagued by controversy and conflict.
Judge Evander Graham, a respected attorney and former Confederate officer, seemed certain to win the state senate race for the district that included Jackson Parish and would later become much of present-day Lincoln Parish.
Greene waited until Election Day to add his name to the ballot, infuriating many in the local electorate. Greene’s three sons William, Charles, and Jackson accompanied him to the polls in Vernon. Jackson Greene was a commissioner of the election at the polls, keeping a tally sheet. Charles had been appointed a United States commissioner to monitor the election.
Since the supervisor was slow in tallying the vote, Allen Greene went home to Greensboro, his home west of Vienna, and returned the following day to examine the results. The count showed Graham garnering twice the votes of Greene and another candidate combined. However, Greene claimed victory to the outrage of the local white citizenry. Longtime friends took offense and battle lines were drawn.
Greene obtained affidavits from voters who claimed intimidation and election fraud. It was no longer a matter of how many ballots were in the box but if they got there by fraud or denying people the opportunity to vote. Based on these allegations, Greene claimed the election. The final decision lay with the state’s returning board.
The returning board examined the results of all Louisiana elections and in most cases ruled the Republican candidate the winner. The board approved and certified Allen Greene was the lawfully elected senator from the 19th District.
Greene’s first move as senator in collaboration with son Charles, a state representative, was to secure passage of an act creating a new parish from portions of Bienville, Claiborne, Jackson, and Union to be named after President Abraham Lincoln. For the new parish, Governor William Pitt Kellogg appointed a slate of officers submitted by Greene. The hand-chosen officials gave Greene complete control of every aspect of local government.
A few years of political battle ensued over the control of Lincoln Parish but without the massive bloodshed seen in some north Louisiana parishes. When federal troops withdrew from Louisiana and the Republicans lost power, Greene’s hold over the parish was lost. He lived quietly until his death in 1883.
Greene’s influence on north central Louisiana was significant despite the turmoil of the times. His appointment of freed slaves to political offices, the establishment of schools for their children, and creation of jobs through his industries improved life for many. His now broken tombstone reads, “He had a progressive mind and struggled hard to build up his country; but alas, his ideas were far in advance of the community in which he lived.”
Donations to a fund to restore the markers can be sent to “Greene Fund,” Lincoln Parish Museum, 609 N. Vienna, Ruston, LA 71270. The museum is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization.
