O'Neal, Mitchel

Verda Pioneers Built Spacious Home
Source: Colfax Chronicle Dec 12, 1983
Submitted By: Kay Thompson - Brown

Several families came to the area of Verda, Grant Parish (then Winn Parish),in 1862. They were part of one of the longest wagon trains ever recorded, and it stopped in Lincoln Parish with several like John C Calhouns and Mitchel ("Mitch") O'Neal eventually moving on down to Winnfield and ultimately to their settling place on the Shell Paint Road. These folks became lifelong friends. Besides, they tended to mix their families in marriage. This is evident as the story of the O'Neals is unfolded.

Mitch began his married life with a lady named Sarah Sholars. Her brother was the sheriff over at Winnfield for many years; and John C Calhoun's sister, Francis had married Moody O'Neal, Mitch's brother; then, too, Calhoun was married to Louisa Carolini Sholars who had been on the same wagon train from South Carolina. This doubling up family connections made for good neighbors, all living near in this rolling, pine - covered country.

Mitch built himself, or had built, his hewned log house on a hill just out of Verda. It was reworked some later by family member owners. The original was put together with pegs and square nails in the 1870's. The timbers were cut on the place. "Miss Bertie" Pratt whose father was second cousin to Bertha DeWitt (her mother Emma was one on Mitch's and Sarah's daughters), tells with Mabel Fletcher Harrison and present occupant and owner Maxine O'Neal Moody of the large stairway leading up to the second floor. At first it seemed the upstairs contained a single large room but sometime later three bedrooms appeared. A chimney is at each end of the house with downstairs fireplaces and huge one in the kitchen. The back porch was closed in with steps leading to the yard and also to a deep cellar.

Emma O'Neal married, sometime in the latter part of the nineteenth century, Uriah E. DeWitt. Their children were; Verda Osborn, Bertha, Edna, and Aubrey. Verda is the one who died young and the father had the post office named after her. He was the postmaster for years.

It's said that Mr. Uriah DeWitt purchased land after Mitchel's's death for one dollar per acre as the house passed to Emma from the O'Neals. There was some reworking of the house as it further passed to Bertha, one of the DeWitt daughters who was the only one of the children living near at the time. "Take care of your daddy as long as he lives", said Mama Emma, so Bertha was willed the home and watched over Mr. Uriah. He was somewhat frail but continued his work as Notary Public as long as he could. It was Bertha and husband Frank Fletcher who did the house over some while they owned it. He was from Ohio but no relation to Mr. Uriah DeWitt whose mother was from the local Fletchers.

In addition to being a notary, Mr. DeWitt served as Secretary Treasurer of the Verda Baptist church. Mrs. Harrison tells of his record books. Here is found some interesting notations concerning the disciplinary tendencies of the institutions of that period. It was recorded that "Some boys and girls were dismissed from church for dancing, fighting, using language unbefitting to

Christian ladies and gentlemen." Some divorces were not granted "for biblical reasons acceptable." The leadership chastised the "young people" and gave them opportunities to be accepted again by making public apologies for this conduct. There are no DeWitt children left, but their father had made history.

Then, in 1967 there was some more renovation by the present owners, Maxine O'Neal Moody and husband Malcolm Moody whom she had met when he served with the C.C.C. camp in the area. He was not from Louisiana.

Maxine helped continue the O'Neal tie since she is the daughter of Luther O'Neal, a nephew of old Mitchel, the one who built the home .. on the same hill, in the same rolling country .. not torn down, just "fixed up" several times.