The Gazette
October 5, 1939

Many Listed Who Later Became Prominent in Affairs of Louisiana

The following is a list of public officials of Union Parish, and the Town of Farmerville, since their organization, as shown by the records on file in the archives of the Parish and the Town.

The list includes those appointed by the Governor to serve during his pleasure wit no specified term under Constitution of 1812. Those elected for two year-terms under the Constitutions of 1845, 1852, 1864  and 1868. Those elected for four-year terms since the Constitutions of 1879, 1898, 1913 and 1921.

SHERIFFS:

• 1839-1843, William C. Carr
• 1843-1846, James H. Seale
• 1846-1848, Avery Breed
• 1848-1850, Allen Carr, Sr.
• 1850-1852, Thomas M. Hand
• 1852-1854, David B. Trousdale
• 1854-1856, Jordan G. Taylor, (Afterward Captain of Co “C”, 17th Louisiana Regiment Confederate States Army)
• 1856-1862, Allen M. Calloway, (Raised Company and went to Civil War, killed in action)
• 1862-1866, William Dean
• 1866-1870, Wesley W. Guthrie
• 1870-1874, John M. Lee Sr. (Under him, J. A. Lee, H.C. Ham, John M. Lee, Jr., George A. Killgore, Sr., H. M. Lee, Jasper Holloway, John M. Young, J. C. Montgomery, W. B. H. Poer served as deputies).
• 1874-1877, M. L. McFarland, with T. F. Gilbert, William Turnage and other deputies).
• 1877-1879, B. F. Pleasant, with J. C. Montgomery, M. L. McFarland deputies.
• 1879-1880, James Edwards, with S. L. Haile, son-in-law, deputy.
• 1880-1892, B. F. Pleasant, with J. C. Montgomery and J. B. Covington, deputies.
• 1892-1895, E. L. Daniel, with Aylmer Flenniken, deputy. (Died in office).
• 1895-1896, Aylmer Flenniken, for unexpired term, with John W. Taylor, deputy.
• 1896-1900, B. F. Pleasant, with John W. Taylor and R. G. Pleasant, deputies..
• 1900-1904, C. H. Murphy, with John W. Taylor, deputy.
• 1904-1912, John W. Taylor, with J. M. Underwood, Jr., and Herbert S. Simmons, deputies.
• 1912-1920, John D. Miller, with A. L. Stancil, deputy.
• 1920-1924, A. L. Stancil, with F. W. Murphy, deputy.
• 1924-March, 1939, F. W. Murphy, with A. L. Stancil (died in office), George M. Edwards, Joe Ramsey (died in office), Jack C. Terral, Cloyd Edwards, Lilla B. Turnage, deputies. Mr. Murphy died in office.
• March, 1939 to date, Mrs. F. W. Murphy with George M. Edwards, Cloyd Edwards, Jack C. Terral and Lilla B. Turnage, deputies.

CLERKS OF COURT:

Appointed under Constitution of 1812; elected for terms of four years since Constitution of 1845.

• 1840, L. E. Pratt (no proof of his having been Clerk of Union Parish. Name found in records as Clerk of Court).
• 1841-1849, Thomas Van Hook.
• 1849-1856, C. T. Barton, with S. O. Larche, deputy in 1853.
• 1856-1860, Savery O. Larche.
• 1860-1866, Thomas C. Lewis, referred to as former clerk in Police Jury proceedings of Jan. 6, 1863, page 408. James L. Guthrie appears as deputy clerk, but Police Jury proceedings of Jan. 5, 1863 page 407 refer to him as Clerk. He was allowed Clerk’s fees for 1862 and 1863, page 445, Police Jury Proceedings.
• 1866-1877, J. W. Reid, with W. W. Heard (afterward Governor of Louisiana), deputy 1872, C. D. Payne deputy, 1868, J.  W. Heard deputy 1871. J. C. Stokes deputy, 1867.
• 1877-1880, W. W. Heard.
• 1880-1900, James M. Smith, with W. W. Heard deputy, 1880-1892; B. F. Pleasant, deputy 1892; Edward Everett, deputy 1896-1900. James M. Smith was the first ex-officio recorder, the offices of Clerk and Recorder having been separats prior to the Constitution of 1870.
• 1900-1908, Edward Everett.
• 1908-1912, E. L. Ramsey.
• 1912-1914, A. J. Hammons.
• 1914-1916, J. M. Dawkins, (unexpired term).
• 1916–1920, Emmett J. Lee.
• 1920-1925, J. M. Dawkins, (died in office).
• 1925, W. B. Dawkins, acting Clerk for a few months.
• 1925 to date, Zollie C. Rabun, with Mrs. Mary Miller, Mrs. Cecil L. Taylor, Mrs. Hazel N. Albritton, Mrs. W. B. Dawkins and Poincaire Rabun, deputies–all are now deputies, except Mrs. Mary Miller.

PARISH JUDGES:

• 1839-1868, John Taylor.
• 1868-1872, T. B. Tomkins.
• 1872-1877. Thomas C. Lewis
• 1877, William R. Roberts
• 1878, George A. Killgore, Jr., last Parish Judge, now residing in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, at the age of 85. He is a grandson of John Taylor, first Parish Judge Office dispensed with the Constitution of 1879.

MAYORS, TOWN OF FARMERVILLE, 1879 TO 1939:

Note — No record prior to 1879. Mayor was called “President of the Board of Trustees of the Town of Farmerville” when town first incorporated in 1842.

• 1874-1879, David Arent
• 1879-1881, William A. Darby
• 1881-1883, W. B. H. Poer
• 1883-1884, R. Hunt Odom
• 1884, T. F. Gilbert
• 1885, W. B. H. Poet (died in office)
• 1885, John M. Rabun (unexpired term)
• 1886-1888, A. J. Mashaw
• 1888-1889, R. B. Dawkins
• 1889-1892, W. d. Munholland
• 1892-1895, F. F. Preaus
• 1895-1899, W. P. Chandler
• 1899-1903, Henry Archer, F. F. Preaus and Robert Roberts (dates unknown)
• 1904-1905, W. f. Jackson
• 1905-1906, Clifton Mathews
• 1906. O. Baughman, Mayor Pro Tem
• 1907, J. W. Elder, Mayor Pro Tem
• 1906-1912, Dr. C. H. Jameson
• 1912-1913, A. L. Pace
• 1913-1917, W. P. Chadler
• 1915, Dr. R. L. Love, Mayor Pro Tem
• 1918, G. E. Murphy
• 1920, R. E. Pace
• 1921, T. E. Griffin, Mayor Pro Tem
• 1921-1933, J. W. Stancil, Jr.
• 1933-1937, J. R. Dawkins
• 1937 to date, W. E. Odom

PARTIAL LIST OF ASSESSORS:

• 1839, Thomas J. Greer, David Ward and James Roan
• 1841-1842, James H. Seale
• 1843, John N. Farmer
• 1844, S. H. Easterlain
• 1854, R. G. Pleasant
• 1856, R. G. Pleasant, first assessor elected by Police Jury
• 1858, Charles Heard
• 1861, Benjamin P. Cook
• 1863, J. F. McAdams
• 1863, D. K. McLaurin, made out roll
• 1867-1871, R. P. Bruton
• 1872, John Tom Covington, dy
• 1877-1878, Benjamin Ford
• 1880, J. R. Shultz
• 1883, O. C. Dawkins
• 1885-1886, John M. Lee, Jr.
• 1889-1890, R. W. Goyne
• 1893, M. L. Cherry
• 1897, C. H. Murphy

Since 1897, among the assessors have been J. M. Underwood, Jr., G.  E. Murphy, Capt. M. W. Wilson, Mrs. J. M. Underwood, S. R. Terral, J. E. W. Pickel and W. B. Taylor, the present incumbent.

TAX COLLECTORS – Partial List

This office was separate from the Sheriff’s office until the Constitution of 1879, when the two offices were combined. The first tax collectors were elected by the Police Jury.

• 1839, William c. Carr
• 1842, W. M. Laurence
• 1843, James H. Seale
• 1848-1849, E. B. Whitson
• 1854, H.  W. Ramsey
• 1856, Allen Calloway
• 1860, Allen Calloway
• 1861 James Pearson
• 1863 George A. Stenson
• 1864, R. M. Gilbert, also referred to as sheriff in Police Jury proceedings of June 8, 1864, page 129.
• 1862, William Dean
• 1866-1867, W. W. Guthrie
• 1870 to June 1872, R. P. Bruton
• 1872, ? Gilbert with John Tom Covington, deputy
• 1873-1875, J. R. Goyne
• 1876, J. M. Lee, Sr. deputy
• 1877-1879, John R. Shultz