The Claiborne & Polk M-RR and Leesville

This is a 2013 editing of a 2009 ride report. Being such, please accept the early writing funkyness.

Identifying it from the present funkyness may be a problem.

I'll keep  most of it as a reminder to do better.

Also: there have been additions and a correction.

It begins:

In lieu of an exercise program, I've talked myself into believing that riding my bike will keep me tuned up. I've even let that slide recently, so..... yesterday I decided to do a full workout, impending body and soul frying heat or not.

I've become more invigorated with the old trains that ran the woods between the US 165 and US 171. That has been possible due to the voluminous amounts of information Everett (Southern Forest Heritage Museum, Long Leaf, La.) has given me, Mark's contributions and enthusiasm, and the fact that part of Louisiana is about as prime as it gets for motorcycle riding whether your interest lies in the history, scenery, the road or somewhere in between.

And, I'm not talking just paved roads. The area is webbed with great gravel roads, courtesy of the National Forest Service. A sweet spot lies bordered by those 2 major US highways, La.10 to the south and La.28 to the north. There are others in the state for sure. That's my self-imposed limits for this area. If you bite off too much, you choke. (Yes, I realize that the J&E fell bellow La.10, and others are widely spread, so please don't write)

This is going to be a general description of the ride which will not include the in depth shots of believed Claiborne and Polk Military Railroad right of ways though some will be shown which capture more than that facet. I told Al I was cutting his previously slandered "woodsy" shots and he fired back that he now wanted them, so, well, you pick your fights with Al and that will not be one of them.

First, some old business. I found this shot in my camera. I'd either taken it on purpose or the camera auto fired. I find it poignant, but I don't know why. The spike was in my pocket as I sat down to review the Cottonport Depot Ride shots. It is from the Mansura KCS/L&A/LN&R depot property. I also find its presence self-reflective and questioning. How could I be walking around with a spike in my pocket? I guess you adjust. I did feel a bit lighter and more comfortable with its absence.

Here we go:

I was fairly efficient in getting to west Opelousas. Exiting town on US 190 I saw this  mundane old building on the north side. What got my attention was its old styled facade. I think I've seen a similar one over on Bayou LaFourche, on the east side of the Basin. I asked a local contributor if he remembered the place. He mentioned meeting his first wife there. I further quizzed him on the names of the band that played there and evidently that was not his focus of the times as he remembered none. He just wrote back that he remembered Johnny Allen. I think one of his bands was band was "Johnny Allen and the Memories", a great Swamp Pop artist. Record List Click Here Biography Click Here

Update: And this is a happy one. Someone or an organization is taking over the building.

Its exact use has not been decided.

You may be able to see the remaining fluorescent lights, "Southern Club". South Louisiana and East Texas, especially Beaumont, were dotted with such Swamp Pop venues. Often these places doubled as cock fighting arenas, a truly fowl addiction. Jay's Lounge in Cankton was one that doubled up. Bless Jay's, but it had a dark side.

He did add these notes for posterity with a time frame (his bar hopping era) . It follows:

"Bea's [a bar he'd mentioned] was catty- corner from that boudin place [old Southern Pacific crossing on what is now La.182, just south of Opelousas], and what is now Teche electric supply.

There was also a who-- house across from the airport, it was hidden in the trees, maybe that was the 2 story brick one?" [I had mentioned a two story building I thought was a big restaurant or bar or......]

I had to dash that word, who--. In doing so I presented a question. I'm sure we'd be surprised, or not, at the answers to "who" among our notables who frequented who-- houses here in Southwest Louisiana.

[Cat Doucet, the long ago sheriff of St.Landry parish was linked to a house of ill repute, if my memory serves me. The mention of a who-- house should not link the mentioner to actually being associated with the mentioned establishment, he or I. So, take us off your who ... house visitor list.]

The mentioner goes on:

"There was also Raphaels across from Soileau's Restaurant on the Washington Road. I really didn't barhop much in those days".

[Maybe late 80's to mid 90's which seems late in the century for those places to still be open, but I guess they were? Tradition dies slowly here in SWLA.]

Back to me: So you thought this was going to be about choo choos and wandering the woods? Well, it is, but I like to get your attention first. By the way, the hook for reading all of this is a pretty intense look at Leesville at the end of the ride, but you'll need to completely ingest the first pages to find the key to opening that one. That's just my way of sharing the suspense and or drudgery that accompanies these things.

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Explanatory Update:

Magically, in this ride report,  I transported you to somewhere northwest of Glenmora. The Red River and Gulf  Railroad  operated on either side of  the axis which US 165 creates between Forrest Hill and Glenmora. But this is not about that railroad or the mill. It is about the army's RR's route. I almost wandered off. Back to where I was.

Can't you see it? I didn't think so. If you can see it, tell me in the guest book and I'll send you all the shots only an illusioner can appreciate. I won't stress you again in this one. It's the former rail bearing right of way that crosses 113 west of Glenmora.

Further update: It seems that I was really off base with this military railroad report.

Possibly if I look at a map I'll understand what I was doing. Otherwise, with the passage of time, I have joined you in the chin scratching audience.

I think this is the answer. I often do favors for contributors. One was an old woods railroad disciple. Possibly the company which contributed much of the C&PMRR right of way had tracks here (at "Crossing) and  I was displaying what I found.  People work with me, I try to work with people.  On these maps the brown dash lines are old railroads.

In the next one, up from there, you can see the same railroad heading off to the right. The following shots will be only to display the countryside....... and there will be a few mentions of the hidden history most possess. This is beautiful country and if only to smell the pines, it is worth the visit. (sorry hay fever victims)

Update: I'm reading this thing for the first time in a long time. It seems I jumped the gun on the previous map. It seems I did try to cover your immediate disorientation.

Back to the ride:

I'm going to throw in a little map of my immediate wanderings in the forest west of 165. The green area is the Kisatchie National Forest. The little dash lines are old railroad routes, some call them trams, but there were many true "through" railroads there, also. The lumber company holdings got so widespread they needed railroads to bring in the harvest and in some cases, the finished and semi-finished products. So you see these little lines running everywhere. The key to finding the through lines is finding longer dash line continuations that may go somewhere today in the form of roads and connecting them.

Update. It beats playing Monopoly with arrogant children.

In these woods, back during WWII, the army built a railroad, some of it on the bed of a previous lumber company route. It was the Claiborne and Polk Military RR, named for the two camps (Polk was not a fort at the time) at either end of its route. It was built for training and transportation purposes. The weighpoints on the map, marked with S's and a number and P's with a number, as well as "Big Cut", mark the C&P's route, or so I believe. I have not completelely varified that with a contributor's maps, though it does girate in the same manner in what I've seen. I can only guess that the rest is true. These disclaimers really wear me out. Lieing or making unsubstantuated statements seem an easier alternative. My pay scale grants me that option.

The story goes like this, the green dashes, those depicting the probable route of the Glenmoara and Western (yes, I could have just made that up. They are the "d" weighpoints) come from the south, seen in the previous two pictures. I'll tighten this up later or EL will come screaming. The Army used some of their route, as I said, or rather Everett said, to go west. The yellow dotted line is the C&P. The white dotted line is me. Sometimes we are the same. The red dashes are the Red River and Gulf  RR out of Long Leaf as it heads off to the west on tour. The weighpoints (numbers) mark the roads where the C&P  crossed.

Update: This is a WTP, "wasted time project". It is a rainy early morning and as I actually got  a few notes thanking me for yesterday's WTP which was really a boring test for most readers, I am doing anohter.

Now the disclaimer. This hunt got lost and the route is not exact. The Agent, previously known as Agent 00-L, but now I've shortened his "handle", has sent me the exact route  of the C&P which I may post or not when I'm done. Otherwise consider this a fairytale which is suitable for reading to children of all ages if  you remove the part about the who... houses.

I was just zooming in a little and found "Germany Creek". Had there been war games here involving the railroad trainees who were, in many cases, seasoned railroad men?

Near D9 is the Sunset Fire tower. I could have climbed it. The gate was open, there was no one around and the steps were to the ground. What kept me? FEAR. Fear is a double edged sword. One side protects and the other inhibits.

I can hear a little voice in the back of the room, "Well, was there any sign of the railroad at D9"?

Yes, there was. This is just to illustrate the thick woods and to placate woodsy picture wanting  Al. I have to keep reminding him he asked for these. These ROW pictures are amazing, I must admit,. Most people are blind to the wealth of history notched into these woods.

This one's for the biker crowd at the Biker Barn. Here I am at D9. In the absence of any further evidence, I tried to be as economical as I could and got the required bike shot taken.

Update: I've recently  lost that audience when I posted a rant against "Losers and Loud Pipes".

Mine are so quiet I can leave the house and my wife never knows it so she doesn't know when to start the rejoicing.

At S21, near the base of Potato Shed Rd, the C&P had joined the whatever RR and both headed west through here.

At this point in the ride I needed to go east and start from Big Cut, where the C&P and Red River & Gulf  crossed (on the map) That is all documented in another write to be linked to at the end of this one. I don't want you scurrying off to read it and leave me here with no one to lie to.

I was on a roll. Next was the Spring Creek crossing. This was the route to the river.

The next few are river shots. I couldn't swear that I actually saw the opposite bank receiving the rails. I keep forgetting that the 1940's were a long time ago and Lord knows, I have enough reminders.

There was the sound of a small rapid and gurgling stream.

If you are into small rapids and gurgling, this place would be your Nurvana.

 I just got a little zap. There were stairs down to the water. Had this been the location of an old Baptist church? I've seen this same scene in East Louisiana.

The current had straightened out the river plants.

I've got chores to do or I'm going to be "straightened out".

Page 3

We are now going to hunker down and getter done.

Spring Creek crossing is off of Richmond Road. Richmond Rd. runs east into Richmond Cutoff Rd. I feel sure that Richmond Cutoff Rd is the C&P. Look at this road and imagine it as rails. I know I'm dead on with this one. Don't fuss about the road sign, I could have named it "Steve Road". I obviously have the power to do so.

At the end of Richmond Cutoff is Boy Scout Rd. Right across BS is 259.

Great memories of the Claiborne Multipurpose Trails came crashing back.

The operative word there is "crashing".

The old C&P runs directly into National Forest Road 259. The tracks crossed Boy Scout Rd and continue on 259 until it arcs south. There is a 2 rut road that continues. Take it and you'll be at Big Cut. The route continues after the C&P jumps the Red River and Gulf at Big Cut. That fill on the east side is extremely interesting. It is high above the surroundings. I have taken my RV through there. That is not suggested as the embankment is eroding. From there the line proceeds into the bowels of Camp Claiborne. I turned north on Boy Scout and made a loop north and then west back to Richmond Rd, ready to continue west on the C&P.

"50" and "49" are RR&G crossings. I headed back to S 21 on East River Road. I went north. I turned west off East River onto Glass, which had been named Clarence Edwards.

I had a chance to intersect the right of way.

I found it. But, there was a gate. I would have traveled on but you never know how reactive people can be. The guy that lives down there might have been robbed recently. He may have shinny mean dogs. The possibilities can have an end, Yours.

By the way, I found the other end of this section. The gate was down on the other end and I could have ridden it. I might one day. It would offer a woo woo opportunity. That's when you can ride a right of way and pretend you are a train and go woo woo. Don't knock it until you try it.

Glass Road was gorgeous. Look, I use these various rabbits, old railroads, bayous, and road numbers as a way to explore places I'd never think to go. It works. Choose your rabbits.

I returned to E. River and pulled into the settlement of Calcasieu.

The old store marks the crossroads.

Next, I left down Strothers Crossing Rd.

The crossing location is a neighborhood beach. Local women with their kids showed up while I was shooting. They were neutral and ignored me. I, not having Al with me to handle social amenities, remained neutral, also. Reflecting, possibly it was best. If they were Fontenots we could have been there for a while.

Could this have been left from the '40s?

This is an arm of the Calcacieu River. There are many.

I also like bridges, another rabbit. Could it have been the C&P crossing?

If not a rail bridge, then I bet it was built by those guys.

I rode back up the road to take a picture of the other end of the road with the gate. This one had a gate also, no signs. I'll be back as this stretch crosses another arm of the Calcasieu.

I next tuned northwest on La.112, turning southwest on Padgette Road and then northwest on Farmer Cutoff Rd. Then Merchant Rd. This was a vague passage. Nevertheless, the railroad's path was still evident. S18, 17, 16, 15, 14 gave it up.

I reached La.121. Ahead was Army Stuff.

It looks the right era? I'd seen another one on the J&E route. Could the Army have had a garage sale?

Had Al attended?

Next was LaCamp. I saw the historical maker and thought it might commemorate the old railroad. The "Golden Spike" finishing the line was struck here.

But, this was about another historical happening.

The Hillery, Edwards and Fuller right of way was assumed by the C&P in part.

And that is the rest of the story. Below is local color. Dirt track racing in this area is big time.

It's for sale at the church. Ask for Darren.

I was off onto La. 489, north of LaCamp to try to find where this happened.

That's confusing?

Page 4

I've gotten to the point in the ride where I tucked in behind the  bike's wind screen and twisted it.

I was giving to much attention to detail and had to move on.

La.489 is a great little road. I found nothing but pine trees where I thought the last spike had been driven.

I did find a log cabin.

Twisting west.

I was starting to get worn out with the C&P. The road had supplanted the mission. I fell into what motorcyclist call rhythm. That doesn't mean fast or slow, I guess it's where everything is in sync and flowing along. Or, I was dehydrated nearing sun stroke status. I don't remember it being hot. Delusional dehydration can be your friend for a while. 

I reached La.465 south of La.28, the Alex to Leesville road.

I saw a farmhouse with a boxcar behind it.

It had no markings.

The Agent added this:

"You depicted a boxcar on a rural property.  There are tons of those scattered around central Louisiana.  Back around 1980 (roughly, give or take several), the Louisiana Midland had a world of stored boxcars on its embargoed line when it lost a bridge somewhere.  That stranded the boxcars, and drove the final nail in the LOAM coffin.  Somebody (perhaps an insurer) decided to sell the boxcar bodies cheap (or maybe even give them away) to anyone who would pay to have them hauled away.  The house movers did a brisk business as every farmer across central Louisiana who wanted an indestructible storage shed got him one.  If this one had no markings, it had been repainted by the owner".

I reached La. 28. I sat there pondering the situation. I usually turn a ride around at 3pm. Being that it was daylight savings time, wasn't it was really 2:00 sun time, I rationalized. I turned toward Leesville. La. 28 is being 4 laned. The state police are heavy along that route, so be cool. My next S mark would be the C&P's crossing as it went north over La.28. I would not pursue it as I wanted to use my time in Leesville. The final C&P picture would be stunning and a great way to end this stretch of research.

Update: From this point on I was probably not on any part of the C&P. It disappears  into the Army's property and if I'd entered I'd probably disappear, also. The rest will be great pictures of a pretty town and railroad stuff which I did not identify or maybe I did. Remember, this is a fresh reread of old material.

This was added from a benefactor:

"Now, I must call your attention to a mistake in your CPMRR commentary.  Your shot of its old right-of-way from LA 28 is just wrong.  The CPMRR never went that far north.  That is indeed a rail ROW, but it seems to be the Hillyer-Deutsch-Edwards line.  The CPMRR had used 14 miles of the HDE alignment, but turned off to the west on the south side of LA 121 between Leander and Lacamp".

S10 marks the spot. You can see how it turns west after crossing the main highway. The Calcasieu Basin is a tangle of riveretts. I'm sure crossing it was well planned to be the most efficient. Or maybe not? I know a lot of post had to be driven for those trestles. I sure would like to have  found one. The remainder of the C&P would have to wait. I was going to Leesville.

I saw this shortcut. I missed it, but found a way to it. I rode for 5 miles and came to a "Road Closed" sign.

From this point on it's all about Leesville. As seen above a benefactor clandestinely known as "The Agent"

has added a wealth of info that has brought many of the pictures "to life".  This is new as of 4/19/2013.

Where I wanted to go was in sight.

I threw a tantrum in the middle of the road. I cursed Louisiana, Vernon Parish, the DOTD guys and my mother in law since I've been so restrained lately. Never let a good tantrum go unstoked. Didn't Obama's Chief of Staff say that? Rawn Somebody? After I'd blown my wistle and the pressure was down, I calmly reversed course and returned to La.28 for another try at getting to the  tracks I'd seen on the map in Leesville. My GPS wanted to take me back to the out bridge, I cursed her too. She's long known her name rhymes with "itch".

Nevertheless, I did find a neat way into Leesville. By the way, Leesville takes a bad rap. It is a very nice little town. I sensed I was near a historic lumber mill. I have that ability.

What did I tell you? I can feel these old ghost towns.

The "Ferguson" name will be mentioned later.

Page 5

I parked the bike at the crossing. I think I was getting a little woozy as my give a dam' was gone. I'd just parked in the middle of the road. What were they going to do, run over me? This was a great place for me to cop an attitude since there was no traffic. I think I was still hot over the "Road Out" experience. I'm getting one of those orange cones and put "Road Closed" on it and park anywhere. No traffic will be allowed to pass me. I know, that's brilliant.

 

The Agent added:

"Your first several shots in Leesville proper are at the Third Street crossing.  That crossing had the last wig-wag signal that I ever remember seeing anywhere.  There was back in my childhood, when it was the only signaled crossing in town".

Thank you, but this one is better. That's where I was headed.

I am glad I took this shot because the The Agent had this to add:

"Now, go back up to the top one of your grade crossing photos.  Through the trees at the right, you can see a white building with an industrial saw-tooth roof line.  That was the shop building behind the old Ford dealership.  This all-steel building was moved from Fullerton, where it had been part of the Gulf Lumber Company mill there.  That was some time after the mill cut out in 1927".

W.T Block's comments on the GLC can be read HERE  and more precisely about Fullerton, HERE.

If at all interested in the history of the area, these links are not to be passed.

Here's looking down 3rd Street which looks like the old "main drag".

The Agent added this:

Among the crossing photos, you have the "old main drag" picture with the American flags.  In this photo, the brown one-story building at the far right was Werner Motor Company, the original Ford dealership. Model T's and Model A's were sold there.  The taller and darker brown building beyond it was the Nona Mills Company's downtown office building.  Farther down is the original building of the downtown branch  of  The Vernon Bank.  It was built in 1906 as the Bank of Leesville, and it was the first masonry building downtown.  In 1910, it became the First State Bank, and it changed its name to "The Vernon Bank" in 1933.   The most distant building on the right (the light one past the dark green one) is the 1907 First National Bank Building.  That bank promptly fizzled, but it left behind this sturdy cast-concrete building, three stories tall and with a very large footprint as well.  (It doesn't look that tall on this photo, because it's down the hill.)  It is directly across Third Street from the "Historic 1910 Courthouse."  It is the current official Vernon Parish Courthouse, after being totally renovated circa 2000 into three large courtrooms, the Clerk of Court's facilities, and various offices.  Thus, the "new" courthouse is a building three years older than the historic 1910 Courthouse!   At http://www.flickr.com/photos/courthouselover/3103412833/lightbox/ is a photo of its modern main entrance on what was originally the back side.

Here's one more shot of railroad and the gateway to Leesville's old downtown, a treasure most

people passing through have no idea exists.

The next one is looking north.

A map would make things easier for me, so I'll put one up."Yard" is incorrect, It is explained later.

A brief explanation. The yellow line is an old railroad coming into Leesville.  The C&P ended at Camp Polk.

 Update: What followed was a bunch of incorrect speculation which I've erased. That is easier than going on and on about it when going on and on and on and on and on is not required.

The weigh points marked Y1 and Y2 represent where a wye met the present day KCS.

The following businesses were on that wye.

Update. I am sure The Agent  or some other has made contributions as to the nature of the mystery railroad.

A map will follow. Update: I'm getting a little winded on this rewrite, just to share.

Here's a map. That yellow line is the red one here. Those rails came in from Slagle. At one time the mention of that place would have set off bells and whistle. Sorry, those days are gone.  Another railroad, purple, crossed the Slagle line. The blue green is the present day KCS.  I just read something about another woods railroad that visited Pickering. I'm wondering if one of these is it.  I have to fight it. I can't get involved with woods railroads again.

Indeed, The Agent has checked in and added an explanation:

"Your yellow/red railroad to Slagle was the Leesville, Slagle & Eastern.  It belonged to White Grandin Lumber Company, which owned the mill at Slagle.  Your purple one was the Leesville, East & West, which belonged to Nona Mills.  The Nona mill stretched from the historical marker all the way to Belview Road (the one you came into town on) and encompassed all of what is now the junior high, high, and elementary school properties in between and then some.  Except for the brick ice plant, all of the mill was gone by my time".

 

I couldn't resist punching in "View in Google Earth".

 In red is the Slagle Line.

  Entering Leesville

 Some of the following buildings can be seen below.

The Agent had this to add about my building shots:

"I don't think that the several buildings that you depict below the Google Earth views were exactly railroad buildings, but rather warehouses of various kinds served by rail.  The dark green one has what I think was a Holsum bread advertisement  {yellow paint} showing through the paint on its end.  I remember it from before the green paint...." He continues below the next shot.

Me: To be clear, in this and other ride reports you may see the term, "rail related" or

"RR related".  That is a wide ranging term that encompasses  I use to explain structures

which were suspected by me of being served by a railroad or possibly owned by one.

Then I saw this building. I didn't know if I could uncover it enough for a shot.

Then I wanted to go inside, but it had "signs" and I decided not to.

The Agent continues:

"The buildings in the bushes were always in the bushes in my memory.  Neither the LS&E nor the LE&W had a proper depot at Leesville.  The former's facilities were at Slagle, and whatever the LE&W had was at the Nona mill."

It seemed the real deal railroad building, maybe a railroad warehouse.

I think it was connected to the railroad that left Leesville going east.

This is the tank that was next to it. Was it for water or oil?

I don't think it was high enough for what I wanted it for.

I returned to the main line and surveyed the depot and nearby buildings from the east side.

Was that a dogtrot?

Yes, it's all a part of the museum that is the depot property now.

The next building is another old depot. I didn't see it as such then, being delierious.

The Agent  had this to say about the display of old buildings at the depot/museum.

"You found the old buildings just north of the KCS depot.  The one that looks like a depot is

actually the ex-Santa Fe (Jasper & Eastern) section house from Cravens.  That means that it

was a residence for he section foreman who oversaw maintenance of a stretch of track.

It had been moved locally at Cravens long ago but was re-moved to Leesville by the museum".

Next was the Leesville Depot / Museum:

As I rode south, I saw this huge old warehouse.

The Agent:

"The huge long green warehouse east of the depot housed a Lake Charles-based wholesale

grocery distributor in my young memory".

I can't quite figure the rail set up here. There is this very large open space which says "yard" or "business" or something to me. I think you can say for sure the green building had a siding next to those doors.

The Agent:

"The large grassy area was never a rail yard {marked "yard" on the map above}, but there were once some random spurs to the various warehouses, etc.  Also, KCS kept the wye {labelled "wye"}to the long-gone LS&E in service into maybe the mid 1970s to turn locomotives after the Leesville roundhouse was out of service.  After all those tracks and the wye were taken out, First Street was completely rebuilt and greatly straightened through that area.  It used to curve all around as it crossed several tracks as I indicate in red on this map:

Past it was this little building, still moving south, paralleling the tracks. It had great roof vents.

The Agent could not add to the pipe or the building.

Then a real surprise, engines with KCS on their sides. I thought the Kansas City Southern had been eaten.

 UPDATE: This was 2009 and I knew nothing about present day railroads having been a Woodsy guy for most of my RR daze.

The Agent said that he had remembered  that CSX engines often came in on military trains

when he lived there.

I was now on the west side of the tracks. Here's the south end of the Leesville Depot.

Backing off a bit:

And, at the north end of the station was this cracked bell surely a copy of the Liberty Bell, but I couldn't be sure. There's the museum's sign and you can barely see "Leesville" on the station sign. My framing was getting sloppy. I'm sure that's not all.

The Agent's explanation:

" That reduced-size replica of the Liberty Bell that's at the depot used to belong to Liberty Federal Savings and Loan, which occupied the building that now houses the Vernon Parish Police Jury (depicted lower on your page).  Liberty Federal went belly-up when all of the S&Ls did, and the FSLIC sold the building to the parish.  The bell ended up at the museum".

Here's the other side of the Craven's section house.

Here is the Dogtrot: that was seen from across the tracks.

And adjoining facilities:

Possibly this little house housed rail workers? (no)

Agent's comments:

The little board-and-batten house that you depict below the picture of the "facilities" is a sawmill-town shotgun house that was moved in from Redtown (where all such houses were once painted barn red).  Redtown was along Redtown Road (PR 106) a short way south.  It was part of the original "Negro quarters" of the Gulf Lumber Company's mill at Stables (now New Llano) .  The Gulf company also had "Dago quarters" for Mexican laborers".

Read Block's article on the "Gulf Co." linked up the page.

Then there was the China Grove Church and School:

"China Grove" seems to be a common name in the woods. Why?

There is one I know of in southwest Mississippi which is a turn of the century building.

The Agent:

" 'China Grove' is a common place name across the South due to the occurrence of groves of china-berry trees.  There was an .... old man over at Hineston who built a miniature sham village out of scrap lumber in his back yard.  (Notice how the boards are painted different colors.)  He called it "China Grove."  When he died, it was about to be trashed, but the .... old woman who ran the depot museum thought it was Williamsburg and got tourist promotion money to move it to Leesville.  All of the little shacks other than this one lacked the structural integrity to be moved, but this one was added to the growing ... town at the Leesville depot.

Across the street was Fertitta Brothers, 1915.

Agent:

"Fertitta Brothers was a hardware store that survived until about the 1980s."

"The southern third of the same building is actually a separate building with slightly darker brick.  On the façade it says "D & K Sliman 1915."  That was originally a grocery store.  By my times, Fertitta Brothers had spread into that building too, through a hole cut in the dividing wall.  There was also a slope up or down in the floor.  The buildings are now occupied by medical offices.  These buildings were built eight years before the depot museum.  The previous depot was wooden.

Oops, got too many pictures on this page, a sign I'm wearing out.

Page 6

I went west to the old main drag and got the obligatory Vernon Parish Courthouse, 1910, picture.

Leesville is not a recent happening.

The Agent:

"Now, to the Historic 1910 Courthouse, the pride of downtown Leesville:  I'm glad that you were impressed.  It was the third courthouse for the parish.  The first was a two-story wooden building on this site circa 1870s.  The second was ... {the} ill-fated red brick Romanesque Revival structure built on the same site in 1907:

 "Within two years, huge cracks had appeared, and it was in danger of collapse.  It was hastily demolished and replaced by the third (1910) courthouse.  The tan brick for this 1910 Beaux-Arts masterpiece (under white stucco for all my life) was made locally.  The pit where the clay was dug is still visible about 1,500 feet west".

The Police Jury building was down the way.

The Agent:

"Next, you show us the Police Jury building (former Liberty Federal).  Note that it is, very appropriately, a reasonable replica of George Washington's home, Mount Vernon".

I was and am so proud of myself. I was headed out of town and I was really tired. Then I remembered seeing an old railroad structure on the north side of town on one of my trips. I needed to investigate. I u-turned and headed back through town. Leesville is not so bad when you get use to the 15 un-timed lights on US 171.

It seems that I had bad timing and not the lights or my memory ranged back into history.

The Agent:

"The last time I was there, the "15 untimed lights" on US 171 had all been replaced with new lights on fixed arms with sensor cameras to provide on-demand service to the cross streets, but otherwise to remain green for US 171.  It's a system of which TxDOT could be proud!  It works very well at moving the heavy traffic on 171".

So, don't shy away from Leesville because of my slur.  It is a treasure.

I went under the train overpass and blew off that shot since I have one.

I was right.

I had to stop, pull out the water and Dr. Pepper and stoke my box before pushing on. After I'd replaced my helmet I crammed 2 granola bars in past the front bar into my mouth. Feeling physically rejuvenated, I went on down to the station across the grass on the bike. Was I getting wild and crazy!!! The heat will set you free. The station was from Benson, DeSoto Parish, La.

This was evidently going to be a little tourist area.

I had to pull the vine away from the name to make it out.

Here's the little store. I don't know if it's old or a replica?

I got gas at the adjoining Shell station, then headed south on 171 back through town.

The Agent:

 "When the Benson depot was first moved to Leesville, it was located near the golf course to house  a gift shop run by two little old ladies.  They called it "Benson Station."  After they died, it was moved to where you saw it, to serve as a year-round Christmas décor store called 'Prancer's Place'. That didn't last long, and it's been for sale.  It belongs to the same man (the new Republican Mayor) who has the adjoining Shell station.  The little red storefront is fake and was added to serve as an entrance to the store".

Seeing the old house, I had to get a picture. It was huge and it was being restored.

The Agent had this to add on the house:

"The huge old house being restored was the home of George Rose Ferguson, who was the local boss and one of the owners of Nona Mills.  (He's mentioned on the Nona Mills historical marker.)  He was also one of the principals of The Vernon Bank in its early years--the modern main branch of which is located right across southbound US 171 from the house, on land that it bought from the Fergusons.  Mr. Ferguson had identical-triplet daughters who appeared in national magazine ads for Ivory soap during the WWII era".

I cleared town and was on the south 4 lane when I saw the old store. Not yet having enough "old", I u-turned at New Llano. I was overcome by stuff and had to leave.

And yes, the Agent had more to add:

"Your last two photos are in New Llano.  When the Gulf Lumber Company sawmill at Stables cut out in 1916, the whole company town closed down and was put up for sale.  It was bought by The Llano del Rio Company of Nevada (doing business as the "Llano Co-Operative Colony"), a socialist utopian commune then located on the edge of the Mojave Desert in far northern Los Angeles County.  (See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Llano_Del_Rio .)  
The colony was moved to Stables, which was renamed New Llano.  
It struggled along there until its final bankruptcy in 1938.

The building in your first New Llano photo was the commissary of the Gulf Lumber Company and later of the colony.  The words "Llano Co-Operative Colony" in black were visible showing through white paint on the parapet until the current owner repainted it.  The smaller building with the rusty hipped roof to the left in your second photo was the office building for both the Gulf company and the colony.  Those premises are now occupied by a junk dealer, as you can see.  KCS's Newllano depot stood a bit out of your photo to the left (between the railroad and highway) until circa 1960, although it was long since closed.  KCS always called it "Newllano," which used to be a common alternate spelling.  The modern municipality is incorporated as the "Town of New Llano," and that's also the name of the post office".

And he signed off:

"So, I've told you more than anybody ever wanted to know about greater Leesville, but I hope that you found parts of it interesting".

Me: 

I know I did and I suspect that many others did also. As far as "more than anybody wanted to know", I'm sure that in this case "more" is better.

Thanks Agent 00-L. 

I turned east on La.10 which runs on the side of For Polk. The traffic was heavy as it was 5 pm, but it was all coming at me and I had an open road ahead. It got cold and the sky darkened. It stayed that way until Ville Platte and never rained. I threaded the needle the whole way enjoying all the benefits of the weather but none of the rock and roll which is associated with severe temperature changes in summer. Not a drop. It never got over 75 degrees. The bank clock in VP registered 75, and VP felt warm to me. I'm still shaking my head over that one. That's it. Bye.

A Mr.Clark left a nice note in the Guest Book. He remarked that he liked the history aspect of my rides. That reminded me to put a link to the old C&P ride to Camp Claiborne. Those places I mentioned in this one are in that write.

THE PROMISED LINK TO MORE OF CAMP CLAIBORNE AND THE RAILROAD IS HERE.