East Feliciana Parish
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There were two tidal waves of Southern immigration, each
bearing on its foremest crest explorers into the wilds of East Feliciana
adjacent to the line of demarkation between the United States and the King of
Spain's Province of West Florida.
The Chickasaw lands, called the Yazoo
Purchase, included for the most part within the borders of what is now the State
of Mississippi, being opened for settlement attracted roving bands of home
seekers from all parts of the old original thirteen States, in the closing years
of the last century, and the treaty made with Spain, October 27th, 1795, fixing
the boundary line on the 31st parallel of latitude, which boundary line was run
by Capt. Ellicott and Spanish commissioners, according to treaty, as early as
1797, and which commencing in the middle of Bayou Tunica where it empties in the
Mississippi river came due east, dividing the fourth ward from Wilkinson County,
Miss., and likewise the seventh and eighth wards of East Feliciana parish from
Amite County, Miss.
The second tidal wave of immigration was set in
motion by Mr. Jefferson's announcement in October, 1803, that all Louisiana had
been bought by the United States, brought home seekers by battalions, whole
families and neighborhoods.
On the foremost crest of the first of these
tidal waves, and therefore in advance of either column, came into the
undisturbed canebrakes and forests adjacent to Keller Town — now a small hamlet
right on the line of demarkation, taking its name from the ancestor of the old
influential Keller family of East Feliciana, who founded there a new home to
replace the one he abandoned in South Carolina — was old Mr. John Palmer, an
Irish gentleman of education and refinement, who, like Blannerhasset and Thomas
Addis Emmett, after the Irish rebellion, fled from the storms of his own country
to find quiet in ours.
Having coasted through the Carolinas and the
Chickasaw purchase, he found the quiet he sought in the solitudes of the forests
and canebrakes of the wilds of "Possum Corner," a solitude which was unbroken
unless the Irish ex-rebel had a turn towards the sentimental which could find
"tongues in trees, . books in the running brooks, and sermons in stones;" unless
the old fellow, provoked by the growling bears, the screaming panthers, or the
sneaking pilferings of the multitudes of possums — for which oleaginous animals
the corner is, and always was, renowned — resorted to use of his trusty rifle.
Amid these lonesome environments the benevolent old Irish recluse and alcalde
administered Spanish law and justice, and trained his three sons Archilbald,
Adam and Nechemiah, who were all prominent workers in the advancement of a pure
christian civilization. And side by side with the old Irish rebel, the first to
penetrate the canebrakes in which he was lying perdue came the ancestor of Drury
and Isaac Smith. Attracted by the noises of civilization made by these two
earliest explorers, came early in the present century, the ancestors of the
Kellers, Whitakers, Gauldens, Nolands, Jeters, Higginbothams, McKneelys and
Boatners, some with a permit and grant of land from the King of Spain, most of
them uninvited squatters building their homes close to the line, equally
prepared for a monarchical or republican denoucment, retaining the right of
choice for either destiny.
Early and conspicuous in the Keller Town
community was the tall, straight figure old Ben Graves, who was not old then,
but a handsome single gentleman from South Carolina, who brought with him the
family cow and diminitive pony, and founded his home where the fourth and
seventh wards meet on the line of demarkation, and where Wilkinson and Amite
counties, corner on the line. His rifle kept him abundantly supplied with
panther steaks, saddles of venison and haunches of bear and the ubiquitous,
oleaginous possum. When sugar, coffee, salt or flour was needed, the pony was
saddled with an empty sack and as many dry skins of deer, bears and panthers as
could be strapped on, and thus equipped Mr. Graves would strike into a bridle
path leading to St. Francisville where he would exchange his peltries for
supplies — which was better than giving a lien on the crop. On his return from
one of these annual pilgrimages Ben and the pony received the hospitalities of a
settler who had cut down an acre or so of canes and started a clearing close to
the line of the bridle path, and in that settlers log cabin was a lovely little
barefoot beauty of the canebrakes, the settler being like Jeptha, Judge in
Israel, who had one fair daughter and no more. Tradition pleasantly relates that
the heart of the tall, handsome Carolinian was not only smitten but completely
subjugated, and on blushingly making his doleful dilemma known to his canebrake
Dulcinea, she surrendered, not at discretion, but with one important
reservation: "She must have a pair of wedding slippers to stand up in."
Most men would have opened negotiations with Paris, New York or New Orleans for
a small shipment of dainty wedding slippers the more speedly to raise the
embargo on the nuptial ceremony, but Ben trudged home with light heart and
elastic step, and visiting his tan yard to give the finishing touch to his
hides, commenced to model two lasts, one for the bride's dainty slippers and a
larger one for the bridegroom's boots. When the slippers and boots were finished
the old Irish Alcalde was invited to accompany him to the cabin which enshrined
Ben's heart and sheltered his unexpectant bride. The annals of Amite and
Wilkinson Counties and the Fourth and Seventh Wards of East Feliciana attest
lovingly that none have done more to develope a pure civilization, than old
Ben's blushing bride of the canebreaks although her trousseau was nothing more
sparkling than a pair of home made buck skin slippers.
Continuing my
portraiture of the growing Fourth Ward, which would not be complete if it should
stop before depicting its general adaptibility to pastoral and agricultural
purposes; its wonderful advantages as a productive home, where the home seeker
can chose to dwell amid fertile cultivated fields, on the crown of an elevated
plateau with miles of landscape of miraculous beauty, or down in the green
valleys in sight and hear-' ing of the rippling, joyous waters ; and in each
locality find a sweet happy home, with a good living annexed, without excessive
outlay of cash or sweat of brow.
Although not in sight of the cupolas
and domes of a great city or in hearing of its hum and noise, if the home seeker
be a man of gregarious inclinations he can indulge his tastes in two young and
growing centres of population, in which life and bustle give token of rapid
future growth. Norwood and Wilson lying along the line of the L. N. O. and T.
Railway are already rebuking old Keller town for its sleepy-headed ways; already
assuming the airs of big trade emporiums just as we have seen the lovely little
witches who promenade their streets, discard short dresses and come out, by
magical transformation, in long ones with regulation skirts and trains. Two
embryo cities, each striving for the crown of wealth and population and good
society.
From behind the green curtains which fringe its northern
boundary along the winding banks of Thompsons creek, and its eastern borders
which are curtained from the world beyond by the forests and cane breaks which
margin the banks of Comite river, the Fourth Ward points with pride to the
testimonials of moving and pure society which has developed behind its curtains,
and attracts the gaze of the passing streams of home seekers by pointing proudly
to her interior jewels.
Notwithstanding that the beautiful scenery along
the line of the railroad has already attracted many investments of capital and
labor from abroad there still remains within the borders of the Fourth Ward
twelve thousand acres of primeval forests and abandoned fields, lying idle, for
lack of labor. And while the Fourth Ward has received so many recruits from
abroad, it is a notable fact that the worship around the old altars to God, Home
and Country remain as pure to-day as when the Carolinians brought it across the
line of demarkation in 1804-'5 and '6, etc. Feeling sanguine and hopeful that
the waste places will soon be built up, I am yours, etc.
H. SKIPWITH.
Maj.
H. Skipwith,
Clinton, La.:
Esteemed old Friend — Having learned
of your design to advertise the Parish of East Feliciana in the form of a neat
readable and attractive pamphlet descriptive of its people, lands, social
characteristics, and its towns, etc , and feeling desirous that the thriving,
prosperous and fast-growing town Wilson should fill the place in the
advertisement, which its many attractive features entitle it to, I send you the
following portrait drawn from life of
THE TOWN OF WILSON.
which
is a town of one hundred houses and three hundred inhabitants, and is situated
on the main line of the great Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway, one
hundred and twenty-two miles north of New Orleans; thirty-two miles north of
Baton Rouge, the capital of the State of Louisiana; eight miles northwest of
Clinton, the seat of justice of the Parish of East Feliciana, and the same
distance from Jackson, La., the oldest center of population, commerce and
education in the parish. It is situated partly in the valley of Redwood Creek,
along which the railroad runs; out of which valley it rises tier upon tier of
handsome residences, stores, churches, schoolhouses, lodges, livery stables,
etc. On a rise of land from twenty five to fifty feet above the level of the
railroad it has already constructed several fine hotels, two livery stables, a
Methodist .and Presbyterian church, eleven general stores, good schools, etc.
Wilson is a relay station and on its site is much valuable property belonging to
the Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railway Company, viz: the Valley Hotel,
the depot building, repair shops, coal chute, and the large round houses, etc..
with a fair prospect of other public building, being erected in the near future.
It is said to be the best place for a cash business between Vicksburg and New
Orleans. The morals of the town, which may be pronounced without boasting,
exceptionably good, and it may be truly said to be one of the healthiest
localities in the State of Louisiana, with its pine, chalybeate waters, mild and
invigorating climate. There are considerable vacant lands lying north and east
of Wilson that can be bought at reasonable figures, that are susceptible of
being put in a high state of cultivation, producing forty and fifty bushels of
corn per acre and from one to one and a half bales of cotton per acre, and is
well adapted to truck and form gardens, orchards, etc. All of the smaller
cereals grow prolifically. On the southeast, Wilson is making a winning fight
with Clinton for the trade; on the north, Wilson is making a hard fight with the
enterprising and competitive town of Norwood, with its large capital, that is so
much needed to build up a town; and on the west by Jackson. I predict that, in
the course of fifty years, the four little towns will be blended in one large
city with Wilson as its great railroad center. Friends, look to your future
interest and with open arms invite capital and encourage immigration, that is so
much needed to build up and develop one of the finest countries on God's green
earth.
By giving insertion of the foregoing special sketch of the Town
of Wilson and contiguous country you will do a work that will be highly
appreciated by the good people of Wilson and your obedient servant and
well-wisher.
Truly and respectfully yours,
E. M. HOOPER, M. D.
Mayor of Wilson, East Feliciana Parish, La.
Extracted 09 Aug 2019 by Norma Hass from East Feliciana, Louisiana by Henry Skipwith, published in 1892.
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