Golson, Joseph Lindsay

Autauga Cty., AL; now West Feliciana Parish, LA
Submitted by Mike Miller

Golsan, Joseph Lindsay, district judge of the 24th judicial district and resident of West Feliciana parish, La., has an unusual record as a public servant. In Oct. of 1877, being then a young lawyer, he located at St. Francisville for the purpose of practicing his profession, and within an ususually short time had received just recognition as an able lawyer and a public-spirited citizen. As early as 1882 his fellow citizens gave him his first call to public service by electing him to the lower house of the Louisiana state legislature, where he served acceptably 1 term. Following this he was honored with an election to the office of district attorney, of which office he remained incumbent during 12 consecutive years, during which time he firmly established a reputation for able and conscientious service. He was then elevated to the higher office of district judge for 1 term, this being followed by an interim of 4 years, during which he held no position of public trust. He was then again elected district attorney, served 1 term as such, and was then again elected to the office of district judge and after serving 1 term on the bench was yet again elected district attorney, and following this term in that office was finally elected to the office of district judge and has remained incumbent of the latter office to this time. It has previously been observed that his career in public office is unusual and his repeated reelection back and forth between these two offices would seem to indicate that his constituents were fully decided that they desired him to occupy one or the other of the offices permanently, and only experienced some difficulty in deciding which of the 2 they desired to have him fill regularly. It is indeed a high tribute to the personality and character of the man, coming as it does from the people who are his neighbors, and who know him well. Judge Golsan is a native of the state of Alabama, having been born in Autauga county, that state, Aug. 21, 1854. His parents were Jacob H. and Mary Belle (Broadnax) Golsan, the former of whom was born in South Carolina and the latter in Arkansas. Their marriage occurred in Alabama, in which state they passed the remainder of their lives. The father combined the avocations of a planter and general merchant, residing at Autaugaville, in which locality the lives of both parents ended. Five sons were born to their union, only 2 of whom survive at this time, one of the survivors being now a resident of the state of Virginia and the other the subject of this sketch. The father's death occurred in 1872, and in the same year the son, Joseph Lindsay Golsan, graduated from Auburn college, Ala., at the age of 18 years. Following this the young man took a course in international law and medical jurisprudence, at the University of Virginia, afterward continuing his legal studies in the office of Hays & New, at New Orleans. He was admitted to practice law in the State of Louisiana by the supreme court in 1877, and located at St. Francisville, as previously stated, in the autumn of that same year. In 1881 Judge Golsan was married to Miss Emma Bakewell of New Orleans, and 6 children have been born to their union. The family is numbered among the most highly-esteemed residents of the parish, and enjoys an unusually wide circle of loyal friends and acquaintances. Judge Golsan is a communicant of the Episcopal church and a member of the order of the Knights of Pythias. In politics he has been affiliatedwith the Democratic party since he first began to exercise the elective franchise, and is an unfailing advocate of the principles of the party with which he is aligned. In public office his record is without blemish, and among the best-known lawyers and jurists of Louisiana he is worthy of favorable mention.

Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 180-181. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.
Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.