1892 Biography - Isaiah D. Norwood

That portion of the state of Louisiana in which Isaiah Duncan Norwood has made his home the greater portion of his life (East Feliciana parish) has long been the seat of wealth, culture and refinement, and in this favored region young Norwood arrived at the age of manhood. He early imbibed those principles of honor, probity and candor so characteristic of Louisianians, and these qualities, taken in conjunction with the kindly nature and clear intellect of his father and the quick perception and earnest purpose of his mother, have tended to make him well and favorably known throughout the section in which he resides. His birth occurred in the state of Louisiana, December 1, 1856, being a son of Abel John Norwood Sr. and Amanda V. (Buckholts) Norwood, the former's birth occurring on a portion of the plantation which is now owned by the subject of this sketch, on May 15, 1818. His early education was acquired in the common schools of the parish, but he afterward entered the Louisiana State university, then at Jackson, and now known as Centenary college, being a member of the second class that graduated from the institution, which numbered three, in 1836. Upon returning to his home he was married to Miss Martha Stanley, a native of Alabama, who had been reared by her aunt, Martha Waddill. She was an orphan and died a few years after her marriage with Mr. Norwood, leaving him with two children to care for, one of whom is yet living, Mrs. Kate Street, wife of T. P. Street, a merchant and planter of Amite county, Miss.; Joseph was a graduate of Centenary college, and died at the age of thirty-five years, leaving besides his widow, who bore him a son three weeks after his death, the son, Joseph E. Norwood, who is now residing in Mississippi. His mother, who also resides in that state, took for her second husband a Methodist minister, Rev. Edgar. The second marriage of Abel John Norwood was to a Miss Nettles, by whom he became the father of two children, both of whom died when young. His third marriage was to Amanda V. Buckholts, the mother of the subject of this sketch. She was born in Amite county, Miss., and died in May, 1861, having become the mother of the following children: Ella, who died in September, 1881, was the wife of D. W. Pipes, a sketch of whom appears in this volume; Mary A., wife of T. B. Lyons, was educated in Silliman institute and graduated in music at New Orleans. She is a highly accomplished lady and is now residing at Charlotteville, Va. Mr. Lyons was at one time a leading attorney at Clinton, La., where he made a great deal of money, but is now doing a profitable business in Birmingham, Ala. He and his wife are the parents of six children: Mary, Ella, Carrie, Louvillie B., T. B. Jr., and Catherine, an infant; the next child born to Abel John Norwood and his wife was Isaiah Duncan, the subject of this sketch; following him comes Julia, the wife of J. A. Redheap, of Mississippi. She has a family of five children, two of whom are deceased: Joseph, John A. Jr. and Ella, living, and George McG. and Robert deceased, and Abel J. Jr., who first attended Centenary college and afterward Hanover academy, of Virginia, being in the latter institution for three years. He is now engaged in planting on the old home place. He has been married twice, first to Miss Ella Smith, from Crystal Springs, Miss., and afterward to Miss Eveline Jones, of Hanover, VA., the daughter of Major Jones, who now resides in Charlotteville, Va., where he is conducting a large school. To Abel John Norwood Jr. and his wife two daughters were born: Eveline and Mary. The father of the subject of this sketch has always resided near his present location and his labors as a husbandman were amply rewarded He was one of the leading commission merchants of New Orleans for many years, being a member of the firm of Norwood & Richards, which became extinct in 1885. Since that time the calling of planting and merchandising have received his attention at Norwood, La., the mercantile house of Norwood Bridges & Co. being a prosperous one. They are among the largest, if not the largest, cotton dealers in the parish. He is one of the wealthiest men of the parish, but has retired from the active duties of life and devotes much of his time to traveling. Although somewhat advanced in years, he retains to the fullest extent his vigor of mind and intellect, and has before him many years of usefulness to his fellowmen and of pleasure and profit to himself. He has taken no especial interest in politics, but usually supports the democratic party. He is a thirty-third degree Mason and is one of the leading members of that organization in the state and has ever taken great interest in the workings of the order, never missing a meeting of his lodge. He has held the honored position of grand master of the state. In his early manhood he was a member of the Baptist church, and while at the present time he is not a member of any church, he is a most generous contributor to the cause of Christianity, and aided materially in the erection of a church at Norwood. Isaiah Duncan Norwood, like thousands of others, received his initiatory training in the common schools of his native parish, after which he was given the advantages of Centenary college and commenced to fight life's battles for himself in 1877, taking charge of the home plantation. In 1884 he purchased a place of his own on which he resided until 1891, when he moved to his present plantation (called the Belhaven place), one of the oldest plantations in the parish. It is one of the most magnificent bodies of land in this section of the country and by perseverance and industry Mr. Norwood has succeeded in putting 1,500 acres under cultivation, the most of which is devoted to the culture of cotton. Mr. Nor wood was married to Miss Ellen Gayen, a daughter of I. G. Gayen, one of the prominent citizens of this state. She was educated at Clinton, La., at Silliman institute, and in the Clinton Female academy. She has borne her husband three children: Minerva, Thomas S. and Ellen Anaand. Mr. and Mrs. Norwood are members of the Presbyterian church, in which he is a deacon and one of the leading supporters. He is a member of Kellertown lodge A. F. & A. M. In regard to his occupation he has followed in the footsteps of his worthy father and is engaged in merchandising also, being a member of the firm of E. N. Perkins & Co. The residence in which he resides was built in the early part of 1840. It is a large, two-story frame house and is surrounded by a magnificent grove of magnolia, oak, beech, holly and gum trees. His social instincts are strong and in regard to his family, as well as his friends, he is kindness and generosity itself, and has exemplified the character of the true and good man. Amid the activities and duties of his life he has found time to cultivate the finer and gentler feelings, and has home is the abode of peace, happiness and refinement. Elias Norwood, the grandfather of this worthy gentleman, was one of the pioneer planters of the parish. In his boyhood he was taken from his native state of South Carolina to Wilkinson county, Miss., and was there brought up, and on December 10, 1815, was married to Catherine Chandler, a native of the "Palmetto state." After their marriage they removed to East Feliciana parish, La., and here became very extensive planters. The grandfather died on May 23, 1848, and the grandmother June 11, 1875, she being a member of the Baptist church at Clinton, an earnest Christian and a noble woman. She bore her husband seven children as follows: Samuel James, born October 25,1816, now of Pointe Coup e parish; Abel John, whose sketch appears above; Martha Elizabeth, born February 6, 1820, and died August 2, 1823; an infant born November 23, 1821, and died in January, 1822; Joseph Chandler, born February 25, 1823, and died November 25, 1833, and Isaiah Theophilus, who was born July 26, 1827, and died at Richmond, Va., May 23, 1864, from the effects of a wound received at the battle of Malvern Hill, at which time he was colonel of a Louisiana regiment.

Contributed 2021 Nov 04 by Mike Miller, from Biographical and Historical Memoirs of Louisiana, published in 1892, volume 2, pages 285-286.