Sharp, Simpson H.

Simpson H. Sharp; Livingston Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller

Simpson H. Sharp, who has long been prominent in the business life of Livingston Parish as an insurance man and farm owner, has likewise been honored with some of the chief official responsibilities of the parish, including the office of sheriff and that of clerk of court.He was born in Livingston Parish, April 8, 1879. His grandfather, Isaac Sharp, was born in New Jersey, of Scotch-Irish ancestors, and about 1866 settled in Louisiana, in Livingston Parish. He was an all-round skillful mechanic, for many years was a locomotive engineer, and had the honor of running the first locomotive out of New Orleans over the old Jackson Railroad. He died during the yellow fever epidemic at New Orleans in 1878. His wife was Elizabeth Harvey, a native of Livingston Parish, where she died in 1879. Walter Sharp, father of Simpson H., was born in Livingston Parish, February 5, 1850, and has spent his life within the parish boundaries as a farmer. Since 1918 he has been retired and makes his home with his son at Springville.

 He is a democrat and a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. Walter Sharp married Martha Rownd, who was born in Livingston Parish December 30, 1855, and died at the old home farm at Clio August 2, 1919. Of her children, Simpson H. is the oldest. Julia E. married Mansfield Drumright, a farmer and merchant at Holden, Livingston Parish; Leonard W. died in December 11, 1920, at the age of thirty-six while clerking in store at Clio; Samuel P., the youngest, is a of the world, having spent eleven years in tropical countries and is now a railroad bridge, tractor in Venezuela, South America. He is a veteran of the World war, having been a serviceman in the Engineering Corps, and during twenty months in France participated in some of the great campaigns, including, Chateau-Thierry, St. Mihiel and Argonne Forest.

Simpson H. Sharp grew up on his father's farm, attending public schools, and has always kept in more or less close touch with the rural interests of this section. He is owner of about 2,000 acres of valuable land in the parish. He was married at the age of twenty-three, and soon afterward took up the insurance business as a representative of the New York Life Insurance Company, continuing until 1904. From 1904 to 1908 he was deputy clerk of the Court of Livingston Parish, and then for a time was general manager of the Enterprise Grocery Company at Madisonville. In 1909 he became cashier of the Bank of Denham Springs, Livingston Parish. In 1911 he was appointed sheriff of Livingston Parish, and by re-election in 1915 held that office from 1912 to 1920. In 1919 he was elected clerk of the Court of Livingston Parish, beginning his official term June 15, 1920. His term expired in June, 1924, and he was not a candidate for re-election.Mr.

Sharp is a democrat, is a member of Denham Springs Lodge No. 297, F. and A. M.; Holly Grove Camp No. 498, Woodmen of the World, at Springville, of which he is a past council commander, and is a member of Maurepas Lodge No. 154, Knights of Pythias. He served as a director of the Livingston Bank of Denham Springs until 1923, when he resigned. He owns the best residence at Springville and has a very prosperous insurance business there.Mr. Sharp's term as sheriff coincided with the period of the World war, and he had many additional duties when in that office and also acted as chairman of the draft board of Livingston Parish.

He married at Springville February 1, 1903, Miss Nannie Kate Carter, daughter of Ralph and Nannie (Watts) Carter, now deceased. Her father was a farmer. Mrs. Sharp finished her education in the high school at French Settlement, Louisiana. To their marriage have been born five children: Wiley, who graduated from the Denham Springs High School in 1922 and is now associated with his father in the insurance business, with home and office at Denham Springs; Delmas D., a graduate of the Denham Springs High School and now in the store of Sheppard Brothers, Killin, Louisiana; Claiborne Walter, in high school; Simpson Harvey, Jr., attending the Springville grammar schools; and Nannie Julia.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 192-193, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.