Harvell, William C.

Submitted by Sherry Sanford, Oct. 1998
"Biographical And Historical Memoirs Of Louisiana", Vol. I, The Goodspeed Publishing Company, 1892

William C. Harvell, farmer, miller and merchant, Harvell Mills, La. In any worthy history of St. Helena parish, La., the name that heads this sketch will always be given an enviable place among the leading citizens of the county and its enterprising, wealthy business men. His experience in life has been quite a varied one, but at the same time reflects only credit upon him as a man. He was born in Choctaw county, Miss., May 14, 1835, and his parents, Daniel and Catherine (Castle) Harvell, were natives of North Carolina, where they were married and resided until 1833. They then moved to Mississippi, settled on a farm in Choctaw county, and there the father died in 1840. The mother received her final summons ten years later. Both were exemplary members of the Methodist church.

They were the parents of three children: William C., Susan and Sallie. William C. received the greater portion of his education in the common schools of Mississippi, and followed farming in his native state until November, 1857, when he came to St. Helena parish, where he has since resided. He was married December 2, 1858, to Miss Mary E. Self, a native of St. Helena parish, La., and daughter of Reuben and Thursey (James) Self, natives of Louisiana also.

Mrs. Harvell was the eldest of six children born to her parents. They were: Martha M. (deceased), William B. (deceased), Louisa (deceased), James P. (deceased), and Raliegh C. After the death of Mr. Self his widow married Josiah Moore, and by this union became the mother of three children: Gabriella, Malona and Ella. Mrs. Moore died in 1867, but her husband the year previous.

To Mr. and Mrs. Harvell were born eleven children: James P., born September 12, 1859, and died January 11, 1860; Deborah H., born November 16, 1860; Idos U., born October 30, 1862, and died July 3, 1865; Catherine F., born June 12, 1866; Eupora R., born July 12, 1867; William R., born April 20, 1870; Ola, born April 8, 1872; Lizzie, born March 16, 1874; Castle, born December 27, 1875; Leslie S., born April 13, 1878, and Thissa, born January 6, 1881.

Three of the children are married: Katie F. married Reace Warren, and became the mother of three children, one deceased; Eupora R. married Joseph E. Chaney, and has three children, and D.H. married Miss Fannie Womack, and is the father of two children, one deceased.

Mr. Harvell's sympathies were with the confederate states during the late struggle between the North and South, and in 1862 he enlisted in Company H, Sixteenth Louisiana infantry regiment, under Capt. John T. Spencer. He was in service but a short time when he was taken sick and returned home. He was in no battles.

While in Greensburg he was captured by the Union soldiers, taken to Baton Rouge, thence to New Orleans, where he was in prison a short time, from there to Ship island, then by way of sea to New York, and thence to Elmira prison, where he arrived October 15, 1864. He left there March 20, 1865, and went to Richmond, Va., where he was paroled.

He returned home April 21 of that year, settled on his farm, but was sick and unable to work. To make it still worse he was without means, and when he came home found his wife trying to plow. She hired a negro girl to assist her, and when they would start off for the field Mr. Harvell and his two little children would ride the horse (he being ill). They would take a quilt along, spread it under the shade of a tree, and Mr. Harvell would stay there and take care of the children while his wife and the negro girl put in the crops.

At that time he owned no land. In 1867 Mr. Harvell rented a farm, and as his health improved, was able to labor himself. During that year he had saved enough means to buy a place, and kept adding to his land until at the present time he is the owner of 6,000 acres of land, and is the largest taxpayer in the parish, all the result of determination and energy.

He has on his farm a sawmill, cotton-gin, gristmill and planer combined. He also owns a store at Harvell Mills postoffice, and a steam cotton-gin and gristmill on the Amite river at Grangeville. Mr. Harvell has about 800 acres of land under cultivation, worked by tenants and renters, mostly blacks, and is one of the most thoroughgoing, progressive citizens of the parish.

He is a master Mason, and in politics is strictly democratic. He and his wife are members of the Methodist church, and are well known for their generosity and sympathy toward all enterprises for the advancement of educational and kindred interests. They are among the most popular residents of St. Helena parish, and people who are held in the highest esteem.