1925 Biography - Herbert Atkins

Herbert Atkins, who made a record of distinction as an American officer of the World war, is a comparatively young business man, has made a fortune on his own account, and represents a family of great power and influence in the modern history of Shreveport. He is a son of J. W. Atkins, and a nephew of the late John B. Atkins, both of whom were identified with the very foundation activities of the modern industrial City of Shreveport.

J. W. Atkins, whose home is at Shreveport, was born in Mississippi, and from Canton of that state moved to Shreveport in 1881. For a number of years he was regarded as the largest cotton grower in the world, having plantations along the Red River for six miles below Shreveport, owning a steamboat line, warehouses, telephone lines and nine big country stores, employed thousands of negroes and raised 17,000 bales of cotton per year. In this business he was associated with his brother, John B. Atkins. Later he engaged in the oil business, constructing both of the natural gas and light lines in Shreveport and the first oil pipe line into the city and built the first refinery, the Caddo Oil and Refining Company at Cedar Grove, the industrial suburb of Shreveport. He and associates bought individually the townsite of Cedar Grove, and in association with his brother, John B., brought all of the great industries into that locality, principally the glass manufacturers, all amounting to an investment of about ten million dollars. He built the Highland Street Car Line, and he and his brother caused the removal of Centenary College from the home community in Mississippi to Shreveport al gave it property valued at half a million dollars.

Herbert Atkins, son of J. W. Atkins, was at the Village of Atkins in Bossier Parish, Louisiana in 1893. He was educated in Centenary college, Culver Military Academy of Indiana and the University of Chicago and in Soule's Business College at New Orleans. Herbert Atkins has the distinction of being the first man to volunteer at Shreveport for service in the World war. He was commissioned a lieutenant at the first training camp at Fort Logan H. Roots, and during the first six months was the instructor. Going overseas, he was assigned to observation duty with the British Heavy Artillery, and also was with the Royal British Air Service, and was connected with the Intelligence Bureau of the First Army in France. He was shelf shocked at France, and was with the colors altogether for about two years.

Since the war he has been identified with the real estate and oil business, and has offices in the Merchants Building at Shreveport. He married Miss Maxine Walker.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, Volume 2, pages 126-127.