The Gazette
October 5, 1939

William Wilkerson’s Home Was Meeting Place of the Group

The men who formed Union Parish are worth remembering.

The group that gathered at the home of William Wilkerson on May 16, 1939 near the mouth of Bayou Cornie were seven men “tried and true”.

They were John N. Farmer, Ward 1, Jeptha Colvin, Ward 2, Phillip Feazel, Ward 3, Matthew Wood (first president of the body) Ward 4, Needham Bryan, Ward 5, Bridges Howard, Ward 6, D. P. A. Cook, Ward 7.

They selected Wood as their first president, and, after delving with the immediate business including the founding of Farmerville, they chose other officials from the voters of the parish.

Daniel Payne was named first parish treasurer, John N. Farmer, first administrator of public schools, William C. Carr, tax collector, R. J. Haney, tax collector, James M. Turner, surveyor that laid out Farmerville, William Culnerhouse, appointed physician to attend prisoners, S. S. Moses, tax collector, W. M. Laurence, tax collector.

W. C. Carr was the first sheriff and John Taylor the first judge.