Towns, Schools, Churches

To the left you will find information we have on the towns, cities, schools and churches. If you have further information to add, please contact the parish coordinator.

Cotton Valley, a village in the northwestern part of Webster parish, is a station on the Louisiana & Arkansas R. R., about 16 miles northwest of Minden, the parish seat. It is the shipping point and supply town for a rich agricultural district, has a money order post office, an express office, telephone and telegraph facilities, and in 1900 had a population of 40.

Doyline, a money order post-village in the southwestern part of Webster parish, is a station on the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific R. R., about 9 miles southwest of Minden, the parish seat. The population in 1900 was 52.

Dubberly, a village in the southeastern part of Webster parish, is on the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific R. R., 9 miles by rail southeast of Minden, the parish seat. It has a money order post office, express office and telegraph station, and in 1900 reported a population of 125.

Ford, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Webster parish, is on Bayou Dorcheat, about 5 miles east of Cotton Valley, the nearest railroad station, and 15 miles north of Minden, the parish seat.

Grove, a post-village inn the central part of Webster parish, is about 4 miles southeast of Hortman, the nearest railroad station, and 10 miles north of Minden, the parish seat.

Heflin, a village in the southern part of Webster parish, is a station on the Louisiana & Arkansas R. R., about 10 miles south of Minden, the parish seat. It has a money order post office and telegraph station, and supplies the southeastern part of the parish. In 1900 it had a population of 37.

Lanesville (R. R. name Sibley), a village of Webster parish, is located at the junction of the Louisiana & Arkansas, the Vicksburg, Shreveport & Pacific, and the Sibley, Lake Bistineau & Southern railroads, about 5 miles south of Minden, the parish seat. It has a money order post office, express and telegraph offices, telephone facilities, and is the shipping and trading town for a large district. Its population in 1900 was 220.

Leton, a post-hamlet of Webster parish, situated near the eastern boundary and 3 miles east of Dorcheat, the nearest railroad station. It had a population of 43 in 1900.

Minden, the capital of Webster parish, is located at the junction of the Louisiana & Arkansas, the Minden East & West, and the Shreveport & Northeastern railroads. The pioneer settler of Minden was a locksmith named Deck, who located in the vicinity in 1822. Shortly after that Adam L. Stewart located near the present town site, but it was practically an unbroken wilderness until 1837, when Charles H. Veeder, a native of Schenectady, N. Y., who had served in the war of 1812, came into Claiborne parish, and settled at Minden with the determination of making it a town and center of trade. He succeeded in obtaining an appropriation from the state for an academy at Minden, and later aided in organizing the Minden academy. While the seat of justice of Claiborne parish was at Overton he endeavoured to have it changed to Minden, but without success. In 1837 Veeder and a man named Drake had some difficulties about their lands, and the former, fearing that any action on Drake's part might injure the town of Minden, made concessions in the interest of the town. Several stores had been erected there, donations had been made for school purposes and the village had begun to prosper. Minden was incorporated on March 13, 1850, while still in Claiburne parish. Col. Lewis and his wife donated the cemetery to the town. The Minden Iris was the first newspaper printed within the bounds of what is now known as Webster parish. The Minden Herald was the second, and the town clerk was ordered to keep a complete file of this paper. The loan of the seminary bell was obtained by the town and anyone was to ring it in case of fire. Under the act of March 9, 1855, the old town of Warsaw was embraced within the limits of Minden. Three years later W. A. Drake donated to the city the Male seminary property and trees were ordered planted in the grounds. During the first year of the war business seems to have been carried on as usual. On April 25, 1861, the town authorities appropriated $250 for ammunition and captains of patrol were appointed as a measure of protection. From March, 1863, to July 14, 1864, there are no town records. In 1869 a sum of money was appropriated to buy a lot and build a town jail. After the parish of Webster was organized the town council was asked to donate the town hall for the use of the parish, but the request was declined, though the first meeting of the parish police jury was held there.

In 1872 a large portion of the business center of the town was destroyed by fire. Minden has a number of fraternal lodges; the Methodist circuit was established in 1856; the Baptist society was organized in 1844; the Cumberland Presbyterian congregation was formed in 1849; the Catholic church was opened in 1879, and the Episcopal Society existed without organization as far back as 1853. Minden is located in a fine cotton district and is an important shipping point, as 10,000 bales of cotton pass through the town to Shreveport and other markets each year. After the railroads were built through Minden it took new life, cotton compresses were erected, and the cotton industry is one of the most important. Today it is the supply and shipping town for all the surrounding country; it is one of the growing towns of northwestern Louisiana, has 2 banks, telephone, telegraph and express offices, a money order post office, and a large retail trade. In 1900 the population was 1,561, and in 1908 the estimated population was over 2,000.

Ogilvie, a post-hamlet near the western boundary of Webster parish, is about 8 miles northwest of Minden, the parish seat and nearest railroad town.

Sarepta, a money order post office and station in the northwestern part of Webster parish, on the Louisiana & Arkansas R. R.; about 25 miles northwest of Minden, the parish seat. It is one of the shipping and supply towns of the northern part of the parish and in 1900 had a population of 74.

Shongaloo, a money order post-village of Webster parish, is situated near the northeastern boundary on Indian bayou, about 10 miles west of Haynesville, the nearest railroad station, and in 1900 had a population of 85.

Timothey, a post-hamlet in the northwestern part of Webster parish, is situated on the Bodeau bayou, 4 miles west of Springhill, the nearest railroad town and about 30 miles northwest of Minden, the parish seat.

Yellow Pine, a village in the southern part of Webster parish, is a station on the Sibley, Lake Bistineau & Southern R. R., 10 miles south of Minden, the parish seat. It has a money order post office, an express office, and though the population was but 57 in 1900, it is a trading and shipping point for the rich agricultural district by which it is surrounded.

Extracted 13 Nov 2019 by Norma Hass from Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, edited by Alcee Fortier, published in 1909, volumes 1 & 2.