By Wesley Harris
In the 19th century, Louisiana communities often touted their attributes and economic opportunities in newspapers elsewhere in the state, not unlike many chambers of commerce and visitor bureaus do today. The November 17, 1883 issue of the New Orleans Times-Picayune gives an overview of the status of Lincoln Parish just over ten years after it was created from portions of surrounding parishes.
The article begins with a physical description of Lincoln Parish: “This parish measures nearly thirty miles east and west and about twenty-five miles north and south, with the east and west corners of the northern side notched by Claiborne Parish on the west, and Union Parish on the east. On the south it joins Jackson Parish, on the east by Union and Ouachita, on the north by Union and Claiborne, and on the west by Claiborne and Bienville Parishes. It is only about ten years of age, being made several years after the [Civil] war by borrowing a little strip of territory from all the surrounding parishes.”
Although described as “slightly hilly,” the writer notes the parish has “considerable bottomland of good quality to be found in several parts of the parish, as the Bayous D’Arbonne, Dugdemona and Chaudrant [Choudrant], all good sized streams, cross the parish at several points. The streams have tolerable wide and productive bottoms which yield very handsome crops.”
The parish’s population was given as about 12,000 based on the 1880 census but the writer estimated it had increased 15 to 20 per cent since then. “The last Democratic ticket received 1,400 votes, though there are 1,810 to poll tax.”
Voting anything but Democratic was practically unheard of in early Lincoln Parish. Some U.S. state and local jurisdictions imposed a poll tax; paying it was a requirement before one could exercise one’s right to vote.
The parish’s finances were announced to be in good shape with no public debt and reserves in the parish treasury, despite having to rebuild the courthouse in Vienna after a July 1882 fire that destroyed about eight businesses. Only a favorable wind blowing the flames away from other buildings and a light rain saved the rest of the town.
Parish assessment rolls showed an increase of $158,440 for 1883 with a total property assessment of $978,110. “At twelve mills on the dollar, the tax levied by the state and parish together,” the writer claimed, the revenue to be collected for the year would be about $11,737, coupled with the $1,810 poll tax, for total collections of $13,547.
Life sounded good in Lincoln Parish, according to the article. “The people generally are in good condition, not much in debt, with plenty of corn, potatoes, meat and some homemade syrup. The stock is being improved by getting a better class of breeding stock; particularly is this the case with Mr. J. S. Roane, who has a very fine selection of Jersey cattle and other fancy breeding stock. He has one of the handsomest places in this part of Louisiana, adorned by a beautiful residence and lawn, five miles northeast of Vienna, where he has one of the largest country stores in the State.”
Roane was the owner and developer of the new town of Chaudrant on the Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad. As of the article’s writing, the proposed town had just been laid out in 24 blocks over 80 acres and subdivided into lots of different sizes to suit dwelling and store house. Roane advertised extensively in north Louisiana newspapers to recruit residents to the new town.
The article lists eight “towns” with mercantile establishments in the parish—Vienna, Simsboro, Woodville, Bonner, Greensboro, Douglas, Bell’s Post Office, and Wood & Roane’s store. Only two, Vienna and Simsboro, remain today with any visible presence as centers of commerce. Woodville, Bonner, and Douglas were thriving but very small communities for a time. Dozens of post offices have served Lincoln Parish over the past 150 years, including these locations. Of the sites mentioned in the article, only Simsboro and Choudrant retain a post office.
At the time of the article, Vienna was the parish seat, “the largest and most important place in the parish,” boasting ten or twelve stores, hotels, and livery stables. Founded in the 1830s, Vienna was incorporated as a town in 1848 but in 1883 the seat of government was on the verge of a devastating blow. The east-west railroad across north Louisiana, after decades of delays, was nearing completion. It was destined to miss Vienna a few miles to the south leading to a massive exodus to a new town on land formerly owned by Robert Russ.
Listed as “prominent merchants” of Vienna were Dr. R. G. Jackson. W. S. Johnson, B. C. Slaton, L. D. Sealy, J. J. Neilson, Mays & Holland, Dr. Griffin, J. G Huey, Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Jones. Attorneys named were Barksdale and Van Hook, G. T. Gaskins, Max Feazel, and J. B. Holstead. Nearly all those men would move to the new town of Ruston within a year and play significant roles in the growth of the community. Neilson served as Ruston’s first mayor and Huey was an early police chief.
The Vienna Academy, under the management of Professor C. E. Joes, was described as a “large and flourishing school.” However, like many enterprises in Vienna it met its demise as most of the town fled to newly created Ruston and the economic fortunes brought by the new railroad.
