A Georgia Emigrant, His Recollections

Chapter VI

On the 28th of November, 1847, my father and step­mother, with eight boys, left Troup County, Georgia, for a home somewhere west of the Mississippi River. On the 8th day of January, 1848, we landed in the little village of Athens, which was situated on a deep sandy ridge about ten miles south of today's Homer and fourteen miles north of Minden. Minden was then a small but active trading point at the head of navigation on Lake Bistenau. This I hope will enable you to know where Athens is. We found in Athens, when we stopped there, a beautiful flowing spring, a court house, which was then considered a creditable building, and about a dozen dwellings, here and there.

The court house remained at Athens until 1849 when on the night of Nov. 27th, it was fired and burned down with all the parish records. How it took fire has never been found out. The post office was in charge of Arthur McFarland, who was a Baptist preacher. There was a little tavern also kept by one Saunders P. Day; also a small stock of goods in a little log house, managed by a man named Kiser. Right here was concentrated the business part of town. We had a good camping ground just above the spring I have referred to. Shortly after we had got our camp pitched, who should ride up but Mr. John Kimball, and to father's great surprise he at once recognized him. He and father, when boys, were play mates. Well, you can imagine how pleasant was the meeting between these two men in the wilds of Louisiana, who separated when boys in old Georgia. Mr. Kimball at that time was living on the John Frazier place, now known as the Keener place. Mr. Kimball was anxious for all new comers to do well, so he told father of a good place about three and a half miles southeast of Athens, known as the Nelson place, and which he thought could be bought cheap and on good terms. Nelson had moved to Arkansas, leaving this place in charge of Col. Lang Lewis, as agent.

On agreement, early next morning, Col. Kimball was back at our camp, and in a little while he and father went off together to look at the Nelson place. On examination father was so well pleased that he and the Colonel went direct to Col. Lewises, and, behold, here came together three old Georgian boys, now men with families in the far West. Father did not hesitate to make known his business to Col. Lewis; a trade was soon made, a good dinner partaken of, and a long old Georgia talk indulged in all round. Then father and Col. Kimball set out for our camp in Athens, to bring the good tidings that we had a home now, and would next day be under our own shelter. I tell you that was a happy camp that night.

The next morning, January 10th, we rolled out of camp for home where father lived until September 30, 1867, on which day he died, aged seventy-four years. When we settled down in our Louisiana home, the country was new, open and full of game, such as turkey, deer, coon, etc. We could have venison or a turkey just any day. Often we would have as many as a dozen dried venison hams at a time. Wolves were numerous and very troublesome. They were very fond of pigs, and many a night have I heard a pig squeal as Mr. Wolf was flying off with him to the thicket. They disappeared in 1852, and the last bear killed in our neighborhood was in 1850 by Thomas Berry and A. J. Durant, near the old Windfall race track. Lands were cheap, $2.50 per acre on an average up to 1848. It was very productive often making as much as forty bushels of corn per acre. There were only a few common watermills in the country then, and when the summer came the winter and spring supply of water in the ponds would become exhausted, and of course the mills would stop grinding. Two were on the Murrell creek and one just below old Russellville, on the Berry Creek. There were a few horse mills and gins here and there.

Densmore Cargile and Sam Leatherman had mills attached to their gin machinery and made very good meal. The tole then was only one fourth of the grist. Wonderful changes and improvements have taken the place of those early day makeshifts. But we all thought nothing of it then, satisfied in believing we had the best times could afford. Now I am in hearing of eight steam mill whistles where lumber of all kind is made corn ground and cotton ginned, and even pressed by steam at some of them.

As for churches and schools, very little interest was taken in them when we first landed in this country. But in 1850, when the Georgians and Alabamians began to crowd into the country, a great interest in both church and school was soon manifested, and this interest has been making more or less progress up to this date, as is proven by the numerous schools and churches throughout the parish. Perhaps it may be well to name the families living in this part of the parish when we came their descendants or many of them are here yet. We will name the McFarlands, Brinsons, Nelsons, related families; Albert Ashbrook, Jessie Long, Luther and Dave Pratt, Esquire Russell, the Butlers, Browns, Isaac Alden, Peter Franks, Berry Wilson, Jim Lee, R. L. Killgore, James Dial, Madden, Sr., Thompson, Tom Berry, Martin and Jimmy Crow, Bob Henderson, Wright, Sam Williams, Leathermans, Pruits, Taylors, Cargile, John Wilson, Parker and Barfield, Mullens and Charley Hays, father of C. L. Hays. Some of these families were in the Russellville and others in the Athens neighborhood.

Near Athens you will find Thomas Leatherman, who has ever proved himself a worthy citizen, and C. L. Hays, who has as few enemies and Isaac Butler, who yet loves the fun of beaver, rapping, and Tom Crow, who can makes dollar and has sense enough to save it. Among the old ladies ye, among us, who were young and in their prime when they came here, let me mention Aunt Charity Berry; she is about eighty-five years old and is still living on the place where she first settled, fifty years ago. My old step mother also, who came to this land of promise with father thirty six years ago, is still living, and is seventy-eight years old. Russellville being the parish cite of Claiborne Parish, perhaps a few words as to its history may not be out of place here.

Its settlement began, if I mistake not, about 1825. B.L. Killgore deposited the money in the Land Office at Natchitoches to enter the land on which the Village was built. This deposit of the purchase money was made at the request of many citizens in order to secure that particular locality for the town as the land in that part of the parish had not yet been surveyed. The courthouse and jail, both of wood, were promptly erected, also several small business houses and grog shops. It was a wild place inhabited in part and visited by a number of hard cases to be found in all new countries, Russellville had the honor of the first man tried, convicted and hung as the law directs. The miserable man, Halthouser, was hung about half a mile east of the courthouse.

R. L. Killgore, one of the early merchants of Claiborne, first sold goods, etc., near the Murrell place and next at Russellville. Lee and Berry Wilson were with him. Soon after commencing business in Russellville he married Miss Maxia A. Miller, whose father was the first white man buried in the Murrell graveyard. Killgore was a popular and worthy citizen, and the people showed their appreciation of him by electing him parish judge, which office he filled eight years. He was next elected by the Democratic party to represent Claiborne Parish in the State legislature, defeating his Whig opponent, James Dial, by a large majority. Killgore, after serving his term in the legislature, retired to private life, esteemed by all. He raised a large family of children five boys and six girls. He lost two gallant sons in the late war, and his youngest son was the first person buried at Salem church. Judge Killgore died in 1871 and his wife in 1883. Both were buried by the side of their son.

A parting word about Russellville. We have referred to her when she was in all her pride and prosperity. When the courthouse was moved her glory departed. The village ground is now an old worn out field, and the only house that was a part of the village stands solitary and alone, just above the spring. This was the house of Judge Killgore, and is the oldest house in this part of the parish. Having referred to Athens as she was thirty-six years ago, let me refer to her as she is now. Athens is situated in the midst of a good and religious people. There are none better, taken all in all in the parish. She has two first rate Baptist and Methodist, each blessed with a large membership. She has the parsonage of the Tulip circuit-has a good school--a good doctor-two commodious storehouses--a good steam gin and gristmill--a blacksmith and woodshop and a post office with four mails a week. Four public roads lead to and from the village, and on each are several beautiful residences. And now let me close this little narrative by advising all men to obey the laws; keep God's commandments, and then we will dwell in peace and harmony.

Claiborne Parish History | AHGP Louisiana