The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1879-10-29
PIxEVILLE.
a Glance at the Past and Review OF
the Changes During Two
Decades.

06CdQSa. |
HER PRESENT COMMERCIAL lMPoR-
LANCE AND PROS
PEcTS.
BUSINESS HOUSES AND BUSINESS MEN.
LOCAL ATTRACTIONS AND
PREJUDIcEs.
Our neighbor and commercial RI
val, PineyiIle, from which we are Sc
parated by the comparatively insig-
nificant stream known as Red River,
has attained considerable prominence
within the past few years, and bids
fair to establish herself as a town Of
permanent location.
Some twenty years ago the village
of Pineville was sustained and de-
pendent upon the trade in pine wood,
which was brought to that place in
immense quantities and sold to
steamboats,. At that time it was a
place Of perhaps fifty or sixty IN
habitants, and the entire business
was in the hands of three merchants,
two of whom, John David and F.
Poussin, had established themselves
there quite early, somewhere be-
tween 1880 and 1885. These old
merchants, who were natives Of
France, acquired considerable prop.
erty and for many years were the
only merchants of the place.
At the breaking out Of the war,
outside of the quarter known as
Spanish Town. there were but few
houses. On the main street, leading
out, there were some sixteen or eigh-
teen houses only, and these were
widely separated-and fanking the
road upon either hand were dense
thickets Of pines and underbrush.-
During the war much of the timber
which, covered the hills, within the
corporate limits Of the present town,
was cut away by the Confederate
troops, who were stationed at this
point, and tue huts which they built
and occupied until the close of the
war, were taken possession of by the
Federals, at the surrender, and were
used by them during the occupation
Of this Post. For some months at.
ter the surrender large number of
troops were stationed here, and the
business Of the place from that
source alone was considerable, and
numerous stores and shops were
opened, all of which gathered in a
rich harvest. To meet the wants Of
the time many buildings were put
lup, and employment thus given to
mechanics and laborers. Upon the
withdrawal of the United States
troops and the destruction of th,.
4 Louisiana State Seminary, there
came a lull, and that reaction which
almost invariably follows periods OF
stirring business activity and pro-
gress. If the hustle and energy Of
the young town. was stayed, for a
| time, there had arisen evidences OF
an era of prospcrity;-on Main
street, The continuous line of stores
and residences which extend for q
mile, had supplanted the monarch
pines and other giants of the forests
and the fayorite haunts Of the owl
and the rattiesnake had furnished 9
thoroughfare to the busy tradesmei
: and denizen of this miniature city
The changes wrought by the wal
have been instrumental in develop
ing those sections Of our State which
before had been regarded as worth
less. The territory north Of Rec
River is mainly an upland country
watered by numerous creeks, and i
affords to the farmer Of moderat,
means, peculiar inducements and ad
, vantages. This section, hitherto un
developed, has furnished homes tt
hundreds Of thrifty farmers from TIL
States east of the Mississippi. It i
:, by this newly acquired population
that the business ofthe town is main
: ~ sustained, and a substantial an,
continued prosperity assured.
Prior to the war little or no cotto
y was raised 10 this region, which no,
n produces 1t by the thousand bales
: The present population Of Pine
. vile is not much below one tho,
y sand, and the business houses in til
J place are about twenty in humble
: g. + i
= Among the citizens and bushes
: men of Pineyille who deserve speci'
mention, we shall assign the FRI
Il place to E. J. Barrett. Mr.. Barre
et