A (Very) Brief History of the Beginning of Caldwell Parish, Louisiana
Caldwell Parish was established March 6, 1838, from parts of
Catahoula and Ouachita Parishes. On March 30, 1838, Caldwell Parish
was divided into 5 wards at
a meeting of the Justices of the Peace,
who were James Gray, Jacob Humble, Fleming Noble, Thomas Rutland, and
James Woolridge, with the assistance of Judge William P. Snow.
On May 22, 1838, Columbia, settled about 1823 after years as a Ouachita River landing, was named the parish seat by the first Police Jury whose members were John Ewing, James Gray, James Woolridge, and Judge Snow. A court was set up to be presided over by Judge Henry W. Boyce and to be held at the home of Fleming Noble until a courthouse was built.
The first courthouse, a log structure, was completed and opened in 1838. The land was donated by Henry Hyman, Richard King, James McCoy, and Fleming Noble. In 1848 the log courthouse was replaced by a brick building, which was rebuilt in 1894. The third courthouse was demolished in 1937 to make way for a new one. The present courthouse was completed and dedicated in 1938. There has never been a fire at the Caldwell Parish courthouse and it still holds records from the beginning of the parish to the present.
Reference:
Caldwell Parish in Slices: Beginning a Brief History
of Caldwell Parish, La., 1838-1971.
H. Ted Woods. Baton Rouge:
Claitor's Publishing, 1972.
Submitted by J. Solomon 10/1/99
Delegates to the Convention of 1861, Caldwell Parish,
Louisiana
Source: The History of Louisiana From the Earliest
Period by Francis
Xavier-Martin, To Which Is Appended Annals
of Louisiana: From the
Close of Martin's History 1815; To
the Commencement of the Civil War,
1861.
by John F. Condon; New Orleans: Jamea A. Gresham, Publisher
and
Bookseller, 1882. Submitted by J. Solomon 10 June 2004
On the 23rd day of January 1861, in pursuance of an Act of the Legislature, passed at its Special session of 1860, the Convention of the people of the State of Louisiana, met at Baton Rouge, one-hundred and twenty-eight of one-hundred and thirty delegates answering roll call at the opening session.
Hough, W.H. Caldwell, Catahoula, and Winn
Meredith, C.C.
Caldwell
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