Claiborne guardian. [volume] (Homer, La.) 1877-188?, 1879-03-26
THE EARLY SETTLERS.
How They Worked, Voted, Married, Lived and
Prospered, near Half q Century Ago.
Webster Tribunc.1

The following very interesting
history was written by Mr.. Isaac
Murrell, who died in lS1G-iull OF
wears. honored and beloved 10y his
many friends:
Natchitoches parish was eStab
lished by the General Assembly OF.
the Territory in 1902, aud its boun'
diaries were not then well defined.
They extended Oh the south to Ra'
pides, on the east to OuaChita, on
the north 10 Arkansas Territory,
and on the west To the so called
spanish country" The parish site
was AT Natchitoches, AMI there were
no civilized settlements north Of
Camptc.
/ IL was said that Isaac Alden was
the first to make his way into what
/ is now known aS Webster parish.
He settled the "Boles place, eiGit
miles east of Minden, about the year
that General Jacks issued his or
der for all able bodied men to report
for duty in defending New Orleans
against the British, ISL And 1t
is also said enrolling officers never
found his cabin. He was from New
York State. He died since the re-
bellion. at very advanced age
The next was Il half Indian, who
followed hunting. He settled near
Germantown in the same year. and
until 1918 they had no civilized
ncighbors.
In the Winter of 1917. Col. Clark
who had prospccted the Arkansas
territory and the Valley of Upper
Red River. gave the people about
Lebanon. Tennessee, the most glow
ing descriptions about the Lion;
Prairie" country and the Great Rec
River Raft, that the following Sprin;
ten families fitted ont ten keel-boai
and embaik cd for the newly descrlh
cd country in the Territory of AN
ansaS. In those days there were u
steamboats, in Red River.
+, These families were the heads
the familiar family names nov
among us-as the Duties, Wards
70 Mournens, Murrells. Doolies.
In their frail feet they descended
the Cumberland and the great Ml'
:, sissippi rivers. Passing round tn
u Great Raft through Loggy Bayou
Red. and the Willow Chutes, the
reached the beautifully describe
Long Prairie early in April, ISL
l. without any remarkable incident
or mishaps. They were Well satl
fed with the country, and foun
that Col. Clark did not everest
mate it.
These settlers Immediately wei
ID to work, and in a day or two J"f
Murrell was sheltered in a boar
}. camp with his family. Most OF I'll
others followed his example, thu
a making the first improvements n
in civilized appearance IN the countr
Cabius were built, stock prOcul,
from the settlements abont Mattel
- toches, Indian paths were made in
roads, and corn planted. Ever
d. thing seemed to run as smooth
lie glass until the June and July f
m lowing put in their accustomed he'
ne when the miasmatic Red River
b vers produced great dissatistacti
ew among the "Pilgrins.7 A me
in healthy location was sought, a
al their new homes were abandoned
i've John Murrell at once soue
. Natchirocbes parish. and in Augn
- 1918, with his wife, six children
pack horse, his rife, aud a dog
two, he found cooling spring u!
> the plantation now occupied By W
II. Maxey, near G germantown. III
as. ard Fields, the halflndian, ii'
and near, bat Isaac Alden lived tive
va miles away.