Sunday, September 20, 2009

Politicians & Judges of E. C., La.

POLITICAL PEOPLE OF LAKE PROVIDENCE, LOUISIANA

John W. Cook, of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1900. Burial location unknown.

Vail M. Delony was born in Lake Providence, E. C. Parish, La. on Jan. 5, 1901. His parents were Helen Montgomery Delony and Tobias Stephens Delony. He grew up and lived in L. P. all of his life. On Dec. 26, 1926, he married Elizabeth Louise Miller of Greenville, Mississippi. They had two daughters, Elizabeth Delony Ree and Vil Delony Baldridge. Democrat. Member of Louisiana state house of representatives, 1950; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1956. He passed away on Nov. 18, 1967.
On March 25, 1968, Governor John J. McKeithen dedicated the Vail M. Delony Data Processing Center of the LA. Dept of Public Safety in Baton Rouge. Mrs. Delony and her daughters attended the ceremonies.

S. W. Green of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Republican. Delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1896, 1908, 1920. Burial location unknown.

John Martian Hamley, was the 2nd son of Edward J. Hamley, who was a native of St. Louis, prominent in local politics and civil affairs. The Hamleys moved to E. C. Parish in 1878. His father was mayor of L. P. for 12 years, His mother was born in Bavaria and came to this country in 1860.
He was born in 1883. He was a partner with his father for many years in the real estate business. He was elected parish tax assessor in 1933 and also served as a member of the La. Flood Control Committee.
Martian Hamley married Miss Kate Ransell in 1914. She was the daughter of the Judge F. X. Ransdell. They children attended the St. Patricks parochial school, and later the girls went to Maryville College in St. Louis.
He was a member of the State Legislature from 1912 - 1924, where he authored many significant legislative acts. He served as Clerk of the House for a total of 20 years. John Martian Hamley passed away in 1942.

William Jennings Jefferson of New Orleans, Orleans Parish, La. Born at Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La., on March 14, 1947. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Louisiana state senate, 1979-90; candidate for mayor of New Orleans, La., 1982, 1986; U.S. Representative from Louisiana 2nd District, 1991-; candidate for Governor of Louisiana, 1999; delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 2000, 2004, 2008; named as unindicted co-conspirator by prosecutors in connection with Brent Pfeffer's guilty plea to bribery charges. He is of the Baptist faith. William J. Jefferson is still living as of Oct. 2009.

Willard Kilpatrick is from Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Democrat. Alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1948. Still living as of 1948.

John Edwards Leonard was born in Fairville, Chester County, Pa., February 22, 1845. The Benhams sold Oakland Plantation to J. Edward Leonard of Westchester, PA., a parish resident and law partner of Judge Joseph Mordeci Kennedy. He served as District Attorney at Lake Providence, La. Grandnephew of John Edwards. Republican. Justice of Louisiana State Supreme Court, 1876; U.S. Representative from Louisiana 5th District, 1877-78. The Watchman, parish newspaper of those days carried an 1875 article: "Col. J. E. Leonard's Law Book has been published. It contains a digest of the decisions of the Supreme Court of the U. S. in all Louisiana cases. It will be invaluable to Louisiana lawyers. We believe the price is $8.00."
He died in office 1878, at Havana (La Habana), Cuba, March 15, 1878. Interment at Friends Cemetery, Middletown Township, Delaware County, Pa.

J. S. Millikin of Millikin, East Carroll Parish, La. Republican. Born Jan. 08, 1847. He was Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1920. James S. died Sept. 11, 1928 and burial was at the Lake Providence Cemetery.

Honoré Morancy became a state senator and is responsible for the formation and naming of Carroll Parish.

Judge Francis Xavier Ransdell was born on February 11, 1861 on Elmwood Plantation in Rapides Parish. During the Civil War a skirmish broke out between the Union and Confederate soldiers in their yard and his father sent his mother and the children in a covered wagon to refugee in Texas until the end of the war. Their father was killed in an accident in the sugar mill on his plantation soon after the war ended and the family had a hard time during the Recontruction time. Joseph helped F. X. through college, and then came to L. P. where he also studied law in the office of Judge F. F. Montgomery.
He was first elected to the post of District Judge for Madison and East Carroll Parishes in 1899, and later Tensas Parish. He was married to Katie Blackburn Davis on Nov. 1, 1892 at her home on Belle Meade Plantation. They 1st lived in Chattanooga, TN, but returned to L. P. in 1897 to live.
Judge Ransdell was a member of the St. Patrick's Church in L. P.. He died on May 23, 1939 at a hospital in Baltimore, MD. He was survived by his wife and 4 of his 6 daughters.
He served continuously in that office until his retirement December 31, 1936.
Headstone Inscription:
Ransdell, F. X. 1861 - 1939 "Judge"

Joseph E. Ransdell was born Oct. 7, 1858 in Rapides Parish on his father's plantation named Elmwood. (Later an acquired land in Ward 5, he named Elmwood after his boyhood home). He was a graduate of Union Callege in Schenectady, N. Y. He came to East Carroll Parish in June, 1882 to live with his sister, Mrs. Tom Montgomery. He read law in the office of Judge Montgomery and was admitted to the bar. He was first parish surveyor and then District Attorney - from 1884 to 1896. He served as a delegate in the Constitutional Convention of 1898. He married Miss Olive Irene Powell in 1885. He was a devoted husband, and named the plantation Olivdell, for his wife.
He served in Crongress for 32 years. US Congress 1899 - 1913, US Senate 1913 -1931
During Joseph and Felix Ransdell owned much of the land in Elmwood, La., a farming community just southwest of Lake Providence.
Died on July 21, 1954 at 95 years old.
The Roman Catholic Church, in 1976, is housed in a new building on a lot willed to the church by the late Senator J. E. Ransdell, located directly across the street from the earlier structure.

J. B. Robinson of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from LA., 1900. Burial location unknown.

James J. Schneider from Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Louisiana, 1988. Still living as of 1988.

Frank Voelker of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Democrat. Alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1944.
Headstone Inscription:
Voelker, Frank 08/30/1892 - 07/02/1963 LA 1st Lt Air SVC Air PDN ~ WWI

N. C. Williamson of Lake Providence, East Carroll Parish, La. Democrat. Alternate delegate to Democratic National Convention from Louisiana, 1940. Still living as of 1940.

BURIED AT LAKE PROVIDENCE CEMETERY:
Tilghman Mayfield Tucker (1802-1859) — of Mississippi. Born in North Carolina, February 5, 1802. Son of John Tucker and Margaret (Mayfield) Tucker. Democrat. Lawyer; member of Mississippi state house of representatives, 1831-36; member of Mississippi state senate, 1838-42; Governor of Mississippi, 1842-44; U.S. Representative from Mississippi at-large, 1843-45. Died near Bexar, Marion County, Ala., April 3, 1859. Interment at Lake Providence Cemetery.

JUDGES OF EAST CARROLL PARISH, LOUISIANA


From "A Place to Remember", by Mrs. Georgia Pinkston
PARISH JUDGES
1832 Felix Bosworth
1845-46 Eli Harris
1868 George C. Benham
1871 Charles a. DeFrance
1874 C. E. Moss
1879 Sterling Austin
1879-80 Malachi DuBose
DISTRICT JUDGES
1832 4th District Thomas J. Cooley
1838 9th District Frederick H. Davis
1841 9th District Barnabas G. Tenney
1842 9th District Thomas Curry
1846 10th District Louis Selby
1849 10th District James Naper Tandy Richardson
1852 10th District John Perkins, Jr.
1854 10th District Alonzo Snyder
1855 10th District E. D. Farrar
1869 13th District Wade H. Hough
1877 8th District Edward J. Delony (Jan. 14, ‘88)Foreman: P. B. Woods
1889 8th District Field Farrar Montgomery
1900 (Feb.) 7th District Clifton F. Davis
1900(June) 9th District Francis X. Ransdell
1935 9th District Frank Voelker, Sr.
1963 9th District Clifton C. Adams
1974 9th District Alwine M. Smith

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