Webster Parish, Louisiana

History and Culture

German settlers envisioned Webster Parish as the New Jerusalem. Many of its homes date back to the middle 1800's. Country music stars Gene Austin and Joe Stampley sang their ways to stardom while calling it home. Professional athletes in all sports first wowed hometown crowds here. And some of the world's record-setting largemouth bass have been pulled from its bayous and lakes.

Welcome to Webster Parish... one of the north Louisiana's most picturesque gems.

MINDEN, the parish seat, is conveniently situated just north of Interstate 20. A story-teller's paradise, the city's history is brimming with narratives of inventors, political intrigue, and romance, many of which can be found in the historic Webster Parish Library. The library is one of seventy-one properties located virtually within walking distance of one another in Minden's Residential Historic District, adjacent to downtown. Many of the structures are on the National Register of Historic Places. Styles range from Greek revival to early Georgian. Also within walking distance is the Old Minden Cemetery, which is definitely worth a stroll. A few short blocks away is the shady Fuller Cemetery, where the first pioneer child born in the parish is buried, alongside many of the city's early settlers.

Springhill - A typical farming community until 1894 the community had informally adopted the name "Piney Woods". Mrs. Maxwell, wife of one of the construction workers, was given the honor of naming the town.  Since there were so many men working in bare feet, she selected Barefoot as a suitable name. In November of 1896 the Pine Woods Lumber Company named the town "Springhill" and this was adopted as the official name upon incorporation in 1902. Starting out as a mill town, Springhill has grown to become a leading industrial center for North Louisiana.

--Information Courtesy of Webster Parish Historian John Agan

Webster Parish History

Webster Parish is located in the beautiful pine hills of Northwest Louisiana. The area that is today Webster Parish was first settled in about 1818. Dorcheat Bayou, which bisects the parish from north to south, was the transportation artery that brought the first settlers to the area, and it remained the main connection to the outside world until the coming of the railroads in the years after the Civil War. Today, the bayou, which ceased to be a commercial artery in the early 20th century, is a lovely reminder of the source of settlement and is enjoyed today for fishing, boating and for its scenic value. When the first settlers arrived they were living in Natchitoches Parish, which covered all of Northwest Louisiana in those days of early statehood. Webster Parish was formally created on February 28, 1871, with lands taken from Claiborne, Bossier, and Bienville parishes. The parish seat was located at Minden, the largest town in the parish, which is located in the south central part of the parish.

In its early years, the economy of Webster Parish was based largely on farming, with cotton as an important but not dominant crop. The rolling hills that cover the eastern part of the parish were not conducive to the crop, although in the areas along the bayou the land did allow for some large cotton growers to prosper. In fact, one community in the parish, Cotton Valley, drew its name from the principal product grown in that section of the parish.

By the late 19th century, timber was already becoming a primary industrial product and it remains so today. Springhill -- the second largest town in the parish -- located at the far northern end of the parish, abutting the Arkansas border, owes its existence to the logging industry. Although today it is enjoying a rebirth with a growing economy and friendly people sparking a boom in tourism. The discovery of the Cotton Valley Oil Field in the 1920s transformed the economy of Webster Parish, as later discoveries of oil and natural gas were made all over the parish. Today, oil and gas remains a major economic factor in the parish,

Today, Webster Parish is economically prosperous, and offers the visitor the opportunity to take part in all of the various recreational opportunities that make Louisiana the Sportsman's Paradise. For those coming to reside, Webster Parish is a place with friendly hardworking people. It is close enough to the city but retains the charm of country living. It is a wonderful place to call home.

Important Years for Webster Parish:

1818 - The first settlers arrive in what will become Webster Parish.

1822 - Newitt Drew establishes a saw and grist mill at Overton, the junction of Cooley Creek and Bayou Dorcheat. Over the next few years commercial traffic picks up on the stream and steamboat trade through the Red River, Loggy Bayou and Lake Bistineau reaches Overton six months of the year.

1836 - Overton becomes the seat of government for Claiborne Parish and a new town; Minden is founded just north of Overton on the hill over Bayou Dorcheat

1848 - After being hit by two Yellow Fever epidemics, Overton loses the title as Claiborne Parish seat to Athens. By the mid-1850s, the town at Overton will be abandoned, with only the commercial structure at the bayou landing left in operation.

1864-65 - During this winter, more than 10,000 Confederate troops are quartered at Camp Magruder in the hills above Cooley Creek east of Minden. A large Confederate Quartermaster's depot is also located in Minden.

1865 - From June through December, the Minden area is occupied by soldiers from the 61st United States Colored Troops.

1871 - Webster Parish is created on February 28, out of portions of Claiborne, Bossier and Bienville parishes. It is named for Senator Daniel Webster. Minden is named as the parish seat.

1882 - The Vicksburg, Shreveport and Pacific Railroad begins construction of the first east to west rail line across the parish as part of its line across North Louisiana. The Webster Parish station on the line is at Lanesville, today known as Sibley.

1898 - The Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad begins construction of the first north to south rail line through the parish.

1901 - Springhill is founded, supported by the timber industry.

 

1923 - The shops and offices of the L&A Railroad relocate to Minden from Stamps, Arkansas.

1937 - International Paper opens a huge mill at Cullen near Springhill.

1941 - The Louisiana Ordnance Plant, a large shell-loading facility, opens near Minden.

1955 - The operations of the L&A Railroad are moved from Minden to Shreveport.

1979 - The Cullen plant of the International Paper Company closes, although smaller industries owned by the company remain in the Springhill area.

1991 - The Louisiana Army Ammunition Plant, successor to the Louisiana Ordnance Plant, closes permanently.

--Information Courtesy of Webster Parish Historian John Agan

Germantown Colony History

Located seven miles north of Minden on the Germantown Road is the Germantown Colony Museum, on the original site of the Germantown Colony. This museum was established in 1975 and operates under the auspices of the Webster Parish Police Jury. Founded in 1835, the colony has a unique place in American history.

The following account of its history was written by the late Rita Moore Krouse, who championed the preservation of the colony and the establishment of the museum:

"A man of uncertain parentage, a hermit, a vagabond, a dabbler in alchemy and metaphysical esoterica. All of these terms could be used to describe one Bernhard Mueller, a native of Kostheim, Germany, who called himself Count Leon. He was a man who had visions and claimed the power to cast out evil spirits and heal the sick.

"Leon designated himself the anointed of God, out of the tribe of Judah, and the root of David, and announced a grand plan under which the faithful of all nations should be united under a single shepherd. This shepherd could act as lawgiver and a sanctifier in anticipation of the second coming of Christ. The shepherd, of course, to be himself, Count Leon.

"Leon developed a devoted group of followers, among them Dr. Johan George Goentgen, the son of a pastor, who was prevented from becoming a preacher by an unspecified affliction of the throat. Dr. Goentgen was educated as a theologian, but was working as a librarian in Frankfurt. He became Leon's secretary and probably contributed to the thinking and writing which has been attributed to Leon.

"Through Goentgen, Leon had corresponded with George Rapp and had been invited to come to the colony which Rapp had established at Economy, Pennsylvania. The move to Economy came in 1831.

"Conflict over positions of leadership, Rapp's treatment of his followers and Leon's opposition to celibacy resulted in the removal of Leon, his followers, and some of Rapp's people who had broken away, to Philipsburg in 1832. Here, they established another colony. Disappointment in the slow growth of this community prompted the move to the ill-fated settlement at Grand Ecore, Louisiana, where Count Leon died of Yellow Fever in August 1834.

"The remaining immigrants left Grand Ecore and came to the present site in North Louisiana in 1835, where they remained for the next 36 years. The colony at Germantown was unique in North Louisiana, but was one of dozens of similar communities in the United States at that time. However, few, if any, enjoyed as long an existence as Germantown.

"All property was owned in common and strict observance of religious principles was required. Every person in the colony was assigned a specific task, according to his talents, and they all led quite ordinary lives.

"Because they were a hard working and enduring people, they began several industries at Germantown. They operated a cotton gin, a blacksmith shop, a shoe-making shop and a carpentry shop, among other activities. They planted and cultivated mulberry trees, to serves as homes for silk worms, which were used to produce silk cloth. At a later date, when the Germantown store was opened, they subsidized home industries for other people. This may have been the only activity of its kind in North Louisiana at that time.

"The size of the colony was never very large, never more than 35 persons, but they worked together with the resources that they had and the colony prospered.

"The Civil War marked the beginning of the end for the Germantown Colony. Because there was nothing in their life or their religion to make the colony grow, and partially because of differences over the support of the war and the financial losses suffered during wartime, the colony disbanded in 1871. It was largely forgotten until interest was revived in the 1940s, leading to the establishment of the present museum at the site."
--Quoted Passages from the Webster Parish Centennial Booklet, Webster Parish Centennial, Inc., Minden, Louisiana, 1971.

For more information about the Germantown Colony and Museum, call (318) 377-6061.

Books

Several pictorial and written histories of Minden and Webster Parish are available, including:

Images of America: Minden by John Agan
A pictorial look at the history of Minden.

Images of America: Webster Parish by John Agan
A pictorial look at the history of Webster Parish.

Minden: Pride and Perseverance by John Agan
A written and pictorial history about the events and people that have shaped Minden.

Springhill, Louisiana; The City that Pine Trees Built by Garry Bonner
A history of Springhill and North Webster Parish, on sale at the North Webster Chamber of Commerce. for information call 318-539-4717

Transcriptions From the Gardens of Memory Cemetery by Earlene Mendenhall Lyle and Barbara Mendenhall McLemore. This 119-page book includes 3,000 burials with all information derived from the headstones and has a full alphabetical index by surname and by maiden names as could be determined. For order information, call (318) 377-3349.

Webster Parish Library

The Webster Parish Library's Main Branch includes a Louisiana and Genealogy Section featuring historical documents about Minden and Webster Parish. In addition, five library branches are located throughout the parish to better serve patrons:

Headquarters/Main Branch
521 East & West Street
Minden, LA 71055
Phone: (318) 371-3080
Fax: (318) 371-3081
(Ms) Eddie Hammontree, Director
Beverly Hammett, Assistant Director

Hours:
8:15 a.m.-8 p.m. - Mon. - Th.
8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. - Fri. & Sat.

Dr. John Pugh Branch
P.O. Box 727
256 Main Street
Cotton Valley, LA 71018
Phone: (318) 832-4290
Fax: (318) 832-5335
Nancy Windham, Branch Manager

Hours:
1-5 p.m. - Mon. - Fri.

Doyline Branch
P.O. Box 8
333 Main Street
Doyline, LA 71023
Phone: (318) 745-3800
Fax: (318) 745-2170
Joyce Cook, Branch Manager

Hours:
2-5 p.m. - Mon., Tues., Th., Fri.
9 a.m.-noon - Sat.

Willie & Mary Mack Memorial
217 N. Main Street
Springhill, LA 71075
Phone: (318) 539-4117
Fax: (318) 539-3718
Evelyn Simmons, Branch Manager

Hours:
8:15 a.m.-8 p.m. - Mon., Tues., & Thurs.
8:15 a.m.-5 p.m. - Wed. & Fri.
9 a.m.-noon - Sat.

Sarepta Branch
P.O. Box 127
24522 Hwy. 371
Sarepta, LA 71071
Phone: (318) 847-4992
Fax: (318) 847-4826
Renee Andrews, Branch Manager

Hours:
2-5 p.m. - Mon., Wed., Fri.

Heflin Branch
P.O. Box 177
7041 Hwy. 531
Heflin, La 71039
Phone: (318) 371-1027
Fax: (318) 382-9613
Ella Rodriguez, Branch Manager

Hours:
2-5 p.m. - Mon., Wed., Fri.