Ward 4 Old Communities, Vernon Parish Louisiana
Submitted by Chere Lee
Date: June 21, 2015

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Ward 4 has many old communities
Leesville Leader
undated news clipping

The area of Ward Four, in the south central part of the parish below 
Leesville, was settled by homesteaders before the War Between the States. 
Popular legends also relate that there were pirates in the area in the 
early days.

According to one of the most persistant stories there are hidden treasures 
in a small cave in the Whiskachitta area. Pirates supposedly came up the 
streams from the Gulf of Mexico to hide gold in an abandoned wolf liar. 
It is alleged akso that this same cave served as a hiding place for 
runaway slaves.

Since the time of the pirates and the runaway slaves, the cave has been 
visited by many treasure seekers. Some attempts have been made "to blow 
the top off the hill" so as to enter portions of the cave where the 
entrances are too small for men to enter. There may or may not be buried 
treasure, but there is a trickle of water continuously flowing from the 
cave, and probably this trickle will eventually block the entrance to 
the cave.

Whatever legends may be, actual early settlers of Ward Four were farmers.

Usually the center for each of the first small communities was either a 
church or school. Later the citizens gained their livelihood from the 
lumber industry, the center in Ward Four being a mill town of Pickering.

PICKERING
Pickering, was created in 1898, was named for its founder, W.R. Pickering 
of Kansas City, who established the Pickering Lumber Company in the 
vicinity.

The mill with a capacity of 100,000 board feet employed about five 
hundred employees. It operated until February 25, 1926, when it burned 
for the second time and the company then moved to California. During the 
time of the mill in Louisiana, its managers were Mr. Pickering, Lee 
Hastlin, Roy Austin, and Nixon Lee.

Pickering like any town had its good and its bad citizens, but the bad 
of Pickering were ostracized to the south end of town known as the 
"Bottom." Strangers were warned not to enter the "Bottom" if they 
valued their lives.

HUNT'S SPRING
Hunt's Spring, one of the early communities of the ward, was located north 
of the present Cooper community. A family by the name of Hunt settled near 
a spring which furnished water for several families. Later the name was 
given to a church which was established in 1898. The school by the same 
name was later consolidated with the Cooper School.

JACKSON'S CHAPEL
Jackson's Chapel, a sparsley settled community located on Highway 1211, 
is approximately five miles south of Leesville. The name was given to 
the church built in 1897 in honor of the minister serving the area at 
that time. 

Before the Jackson Chapel School was built across the road from the church, 
the children attended Hunt's Spring School. Later many of the same children 
attended the Davis New School.

In 1896, Bob Stephens and Bob James constructed a water mill and grist mill 
on Mill Creek just below the present Mill Creek bridge. Some of the old 
timbers forming the foundation for the mill can still be seen in the creek.

CLAY'S SPUR
Clay's Spur, located about four and one half miles south of Leesville and 
about two miles east of Highway 171, was sparsely settled by homesteaders 
before the War Between the States. The name came at a later date from a 
railroad spur which timbermen used to transport logs from the loading 
station in the area to the sawmill.

COOPER
The Cooper community took its name from the school in the area that was 
probably named for the Cooper family who were among the first settlers.

The first school was the usual one-room building with wood shutters. 
From twenty to twenty-five students attended the elementary grades taught 
by one teacher.

The building was used also for church services for the Hunts Spring Baptist 
Church organized in 1898. In 1903, the church moved to its present location 
and was renamed Cooper Baptist Church. Also in the area in the early 1900's
was Jordan and Miller's General Store located on present site of the Welcome
Club.

Early lumber companies at Cooper were Lockwood and Bass Lumber Company and the
Arbuthnot and McCain Lumber Company. From 1900 to 1907, the Lockwood and Ross
Company was located on bank of Bayou DeSurie just west of the point where
Highway 171 crosses the bayou.

DAVIS NEW (SAVAGE FORK)
The school, the center of this community, was located west of Highway 171
where Highway 1211 intersects Cooper Road. About eight or ten families lived
in an approximate two-mile radius. Some of the family names in the area in 
the early 1900's were Midkiff, Stephens, and Wilson. The first school, a 
one-room grammar school, burned and was replaced with a three-room school
and a house for teachers.

The name Savage Fork came as a result of the fearless and colorful activities
of the younger citizens.

ELMWOOD
Elmwood was the only community in the area to have a post office until the
Pickering Lumber Company located in the area. The mail was brought about
twice each week from Boyce to Elmwood by John Bartlett, the first post
rider. The post office was in a log building owned by Thed Craft who also
operated a general store in the same building.

Elmwood Baptist Church was established in 1885. The church and the school
used the same one-room building made of hued logs. Later the church was
renamed Enon.

The majority of the children attended the Davis New School when it was
later established.

GRANNISS
This community, located on Highway 10, approximately 4 miles east of
Pickering and Hwy 171, was started as a demonstration farm by the 
Pineland Mfg. Co. of Kansas City, Mo. The name was taken from the 
president of the company, G.E. Granniss.

A variety of crops and fruits were grown. Land was advertisied
throughout the north for sale to actual settlers only at a price of
$10.00 per acre payable, 1/4 cash at time of purchase and 1/4 in one,
two, three years from date of purchase. A discount of 10 percent was
allowed if all cash was paid at time of purchase. Total land was 
20,000 acres. William B. Kimbrough, whose son now lives in Anacoco,
was local agent and superintendent of the demonstration farm.

Owners of the plantation went bankrupt and in 1918, Harvey Oakes
bought the Granniss Plantation.

HUDDLETON or PETERSBURG
This community known by the two names was one of the first to be 
settled in Vernon Parish. Huddleton or Petersburg, along with Anacoco
and Walnut Hill were settled before there was a parish or a settlement
at the parish seat, Leesville.

It has been told that a star mail route was granted from Lake Charles
to Petersburg by the way of Sugartown (in Beauregard Parish) in 1841.
Since the trip from Lake Charles took three days, the mail arrived 
once each week.