1925 Biography - Millard W. Atkins

Millard Winfield Atkins, a retired resident at Shreveport is well known not only in that city, but particularly in Claiborne Parish, where his business life was spent and where he was known for man years as an extensive planter and a leader in public affairs.

He was born at Athens, in Claiborne Parish, July 16, 1857, son of W. B. and Martha (Atkins) Atkins, both natives of Giles County, Tennessee. His father was reared in Alabama, also lived in Mississippi for a time, and in 1844 established his home near Athens in Claiborne Parish, being one of the pioneers and constructive factors in the development of that historic community. He acquired a large amount of land and negro slaves, and with this labor he cleared and developed his plantation. He became the father of eight children, three of whom still survive: Rebecca, now Mrs. John Walker, of Arcadia; William A., also a resident of Arcadia; and Millard W.

Millard Winfield Atkins grew up on the plantation, and his chief business from early youth has been planting and farming. He still owns the home place where he was born, a splendid property near Athens, on a model road extending through the Parish, and also another plantation in the same vicinity. Those acquainted with agricultural conditions in Claiborne Parish acknowledged him for some years as the largest and most prominent planter in the parish. Mr. Atkins has been retired from the personal supervision of his plantation for the past five years, and has been a resident of Shreveport since 1919, but will resume active management of plantation interests. During his residence in Shreveport Mr. Atkins was actively engaged in the buying and selling of city property.

His participation in public affairs as an official and interested citizen covered a period of about a quarter of a century. He was a member of the Town Council and mayor of Athens, member of the Parish School Board, member of the parish police jury, and for four years represented that parish in the State Legislature.

Mr. Atkins is a ruling elder in the Dunlap Memorial Presbyterian Church at Shreveport. His first wife was Miss Eva L. Knox, now deceased. By this union there are six living children, all of whom were liberally educated in school and college, and Mr. Atkins has taken proper pride in what he was able to do for his children as they were growing up. These children are: Dr. W. L. Atkins, a physician at Arcadia; A. B. Atkins, lawyer at Homer; Grover T. Atkins, farmer living near Athens; Mrs. Lena Griffis, of Rayville, Louisiana; Mrs. A. H. Wallace, of Shreveport; and Mrs. Lulu May Rhodes, of Shreveport.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from A History of Louisiana, by Henry E. Chambers, published in 1925, volume 2, page 37.