Thomas Davis Berry, “Ruston, Lincoln Parish Louisiana,” Times Picayune, July 1, 1926, A4.
Splendid cutover lands for the homeseeker. Ruston is home to four large lumber companies. The Hodge-Hunt Lumber Copany, the Wyatt Lumber company, Davis Brothers Lumber Company, and the company headed by TL James, which I have mentioned before. Now let us see what this means to the investor and settler.
The Hodge-Hunt Lumber company has 40,000 acres of good cut-over land; the Wyatt has 40,000 acres which they will develop into high grade agricultural land. Davis Bros. Lumber Co also offered 40,000 acres of excellent land. One hundred and twenty thousand acres of cutover land located in Lincoln, Franklin, Richland, Winn, Jackson, Bienville, Natchitoches parishes. Ample farms and homesteads for thousands of energetic, ambitious farmers in the North, the East, West (and yes, the South too!). Im’ not going to recite prices here as I’m not in the real estate business, but I will state that I had acreage quoted to me at a price of what two boxes of god cigars would cost! It’s good land, too. Later on in this artile I will tell you what this land can do.
One very interesting thing: Mr O.E. Hodge, of the Hodge-Hunt Lumber Company, informed me of a vast reforestation project his company is undertaking. He and his partner, JS Hunt, who by the way is president f the firm, operate sawmills, and dry kilns at Hodge, La, about twelve miles from Ruston. The daily capacity of this firm is over 100,000 feet of lumber. This is one of the very few lumber firms in the entire South that can furnish a carload of mixed lumber, pine, hardwood, etc. Lumber people will appreciate this. They buy as much lumber as the prduce. The capacity of the hardwood lumber plant alone is 1,000,000 a month. They employ 750 men and own their own railroad, which is a common carrier, running from Hodge to Bienville, La, where it makes connection with the Rock Island. Both Mr. Hodge and Mr. Hunt are actively in charge of the plant.
Ten miles south of Ruston is located the immense plant of Davis Brothers Lumber Company, Ltd. Mr. VM Davis, of this firm, tells me that his company has a program for developing cutover land that will prove very attractive to the prospective homeseeker. Forty thousand acres, some of it cleared, some of it in cultivation; surrounded by good roads – the Pershing Highway runs right through it, as does the Rock Island railroad. It might interest you to know that their cutover land is surrounded by developed oil country; some of it is located near the Urania fields. The plant of this firm at Ansley produces 100,000 feet of lumber every day.
Mr. AH Henderson is the president of the Wyatt Lumber Company. He says that his company offers forty thousand acres of cutover land located in Franklin and Richland parishes. The sawmill operations of this firm are in Sabine parish, where they have about 40,000 acres. Of Mr Henderson I will speak later; I want to tell you of a hobby of his that has grown into a real business and has set a great example to the outside world what Lincoln Parish can do.
“Yes sir, Ruston has the money!”
Ruston has three banks. Its financial resources are over $4,600,000 (remember, it’s only a city of 6,000 population). The Ruston State Bank was organized in 1890, the First National Bank was organized, or should I say re-organized in 1916. Both banks have withstood the test of time; have weathered all financial panics, and both have helped build this thriving little city. And then there is the new bank, the Citizens’ Bank and Trust Company, that is assuredly playing a part in building the community.
The Ruston State Bank began with a capital stock of $50,000; in 1910 this bank increased its capital stock to $100,000. Its list of past presidents includes such substantial name as JJ Booles, its first president; OM Wright, HW Smith, DM Atkins, who recently died. Captain EL Kidd vice-president, has associated with him John Graham, cashier; Sanders Raskin, assistant cashier, and FE Monroe, asst cashier. Board of directors: Wj Lewis, AH Henderson, Dk brown, Dr. WS Harrel, JD Holland, Judge SD Pearce, FS Price, FE Morgan, John P Graham.
The newly elected president of Ruston State Bank is Mr. Frank H Tarver, formerly connected with the Bank of Commerce and Trust of Mansfield, La as active vice-president for over six years. Mr tarver comes to the head of this great institution with a fund of valuable experience and is one of the best known bankers in Northern Louisiana. The writer feels that both the bank and the town of Ruston are to be congratulated on obtaining not only a good banker but a fine citizen as well.
In 1907, this bank weathered the great financial panic with never a limited payment. They ave deposites of over $1,500,000.
The First National Bank, as before stated, was reorganized in 1916, with O.E. Hodge of the Hodge-Hunt Lumber Company, as president; Add Thompson, vice-president and in active charge of the bank, and AE Stimson, cashier. Their growth has been steady and they are today one of the financial bulwarks of the city and parish. Its capital stock is $50,000: its deposits aggregate over $1,135,645.47.
Its directorship is likewise a directory of the leading businessmen of this community, being composed of such men as TL James, lumberman and capitalist SJ Heard, wholesale grocer and president of Citizens’ Bank and Trust Co; JE Keeny, for the last nineteen years, and until recently, president of the state school: D James, manufacturer; N. McDonald, prominent merchant, and OE Hodge, lumberman and capitalist. Under the leadership of these men this bank has prospered and likewise helped Ruston and Lincoln parish to prosper.
The Citizens’ Bank and Trust Company has a capital stock of $50,000, resources of $350,000 and deposits of $250,000. Mr SJ Heard is president, RW Davis, vice-president, and WS May, cashier. It occupies a handsome building and is the baby bank of Ruston, but growing every day. T is the third answer of YES! RUSTON HAS THE MONEY!