Neutral Strip | A New Parish | Lumber is King |
Army Training Grounds | Vernon Parish Today | History Links
Vernon Parish
Neutral Strip
Early settlement of the land that was to become Vernon Parish, Louisiana was slow.
Only a few French and Spanish settlers lived in the area when the
Louisiana Purchase was made in 1803. There were several reasons for this.
Primarily, the soil
was considered to be too poor for farming, especially when compared with the rich alluvial
soils along the larger rivers, and besides, travel to the area was very difficult.
Other problems arose after the Louisiana Purchase documents failed to specify absolute boundaries.
America had purchased the territory from France with the
understanding that the Sabine River was the western border. Spain
disagreed and said their border extended all the way to the
Arroyo Hondo (Calcasieu River). While their governments argued, military leaders
on both sides made an agreement that neither side would
allow settlers or military expeditions into the disputed land which lay between those streams
until a settlement had been made. The area came to be known
as the "Neutral Strip", the "Neutral Territory", the "Bad Lands", or "No Man's Land" because of
this informal pact.
Criminals came in large numbers,
finding the ungoverned territory to be a haven from the law. Throngs of highwaymen made travel
through the area dangerous. For these reasons, most travelers and settlers avoided the area .
After 16 years, the 1819 Adams-Onis Treaty finally settled the matter, placing the
border at the Sabine River, and settlements sprang up quickly.
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A New Parish
In 1871, John R. Smart, who had served in the Louisiana House and Senate
both before and after the Civil War introduced the act to create
Vernon Parish from parts of Natchitoches, Rapides, and Sabine Parishes.
For his efforts, he became known
as the "Father of Vernon Parish".
Four stories surround the
naming of the parish, although none can be proven. The first is that it was
in honor of Mt. Vernon, the home of George Washington. The second claims
to be in honor of a race horse owned by Joe Moore. The third theory is that
because each of the founding fathers wanted to name it after themselves,
they all agreed to name it after a popular teacher, "Mr. Vernon",
instead. The final story is that after the committee had been drinking in a store and
arguing over the name for some while, they spotted a local man and his mule pulling a cart.
They agreed to name the new parish whatever the man said. The man answered them "I calls
him Vernon, 'cause he's the fastes' mule in de country".
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Lumber is King
After the Kansas City Railroad arrived in 1896, lumber merchants flocked to Vernon Parish.
They bought thousands of acres of prime virgin timberland at rock-bottom prices and built
their own company towns where their employees could live. These towns usually had
commissaries, hotels, movie theaters, train depots and sometimes even electricity and ice houses.
To facilitate getting the timber to the mill, lumber companies built their own railroad spurs
that ran into the forest. Railroad cars would transport workers to the cutting site every
morning, haul trees to the mill all day, then carry the men home in the
evening. But the trees couldn't last forever, and one by one
the mills, and the towns attached to them, disappeared, leaving behind
only cut-over lands.
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Army Training Grounds
In 1939, with war looming on the horizon, US military leaders searched for a place where they
could hold large-scale maneuvers to test their new weapons. They secured the rights to conduct
maneuvers in more than 3400 square miles of sparsely populated rural
areas in north and west central Louisiana, as well as a large section of east Texas.
Camp Polk was established during these Great Louisiana Maneuvers and continued
to be used for training throughout the war. When the war ended, the camp closed, but was re-opened
from time to time, whenever the military wanted to use it for training. In 1962,
Fort Polk was re-opened and has remained in continuous operation ever since. Today it is home
to the Joint Readiness Training Center.
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Vernon Parish Today
Vernon Parish today, continues to be a haven for those who love the outdoors. Large tracts of
both developed and primitive forests are available for hiking, biking, birding, hunting, fishing,
camping, and so much more.
History buffs will enjoy the many historical sites scattered throughout the parish, the Museum of
West Louisiana, and the Fort Polk Military Museum.
In Leesville you'll find luxurious accommodations, fantastic
restaurants, and unique shopping opportunities, as well as a variety of
entertainment options.
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Additional Vernon Parish History Links
African-American Heritage
Local folklore shows that present day Vernon Parish was a part of the early underground railroads.
Historic Places and Sites
Historical sites abound in Vernon Parish. History buffs will love the historic downtown area. Make
our office, located in the historic Leesville courthouse your first stop. We'd love to see you.
Gateway to the Pineys: A Glimpse of Leesville, Louisiana Between 1905 and 1908
© By W. T. Block
A fascinating glimpse into the past with many quotes taken directly from the pages of the Beaumont
Enterprise, circa 1905 - 1908.
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