Judge W.L. Richardson 1890

Submitted by Kay Thompson - Brown, Jan. 1998
Source: Biographical and historical memoirs of Northwest Louisiana, Nashville and Chicago: The Southern Publishing Company 1890

Judge W.L. Richardson, planter, Colfax, La. No name is justly entitled to a more enviable place in the history of Grant Parish than the one which heads this sketch for it is borne by a man who has been usefully and honorably identified with the interests of this parish and with its advancement in every worthy particular.

He was born in Livingston Parish, La on December 19, 1831 and is a son of Moses B and Asenath (Distmukes) Richardson, natives also of Louisiana. The paternal grandparents were among the early settlers of Louisiana and the grandfather was a successful planter. Some of the ancestors of the Richardson family were in the War of 1812. Moses B. Richardson was parish surveyor of St. Helena for about thirty years and was also a planter and mechanic. He died in Rapides and his wife in Grant Parish.

There were the parents of four children who lived to maturity: Sylvester E was a lieutenant in the Civil War and died at Baton Rouge during the war; he was captured at Port Hudson and died while on his way from prison. The others in order of birth are named as follows: W.L., W.B. and Lillie A.E.

Judge W.L. Richardson was reared in St. Helena received his education there and in 1855 removed to Rapides Parish where he made his home until the creation of Grant Parish in 1869. He was the first man to locate at Colfax after its organization and he has resided in this parish ever since.

He was judge of the same for some time, was also parish treasurer for about eight or ten years and was treasurer of the school board for the same time. He owns about 1,000 acres of land and has about 200 acres under cultivation.

In 1862 he enlisted in Company C. Twenty-seventh Louisiana Regiment and served until 1864 when he was elected recorder of Rapides Parish and so he was discharged returning home to take care of his office. He was captured at the fall of Vicksburg but was paroled and sent home.

The Judge was married in 1879 to Miss Elizabeth Christian by whom he has two children: Robert W and Zachariah A.

The Judge is a member of the Farmers' Union, is president of Colfax Union No. 104, and is one of the trustees and stockholders of the Commercial Association of Farmers. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity, having advanced as high as the Royal and Select Master degrees. He is also at present the parish superintendent of public schools and ex-officio secretary of the school board.

He and Mrs. Richardson are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church South and he has been president of the board of trustees in the church for a number of years.