Plain dealing guys
Stephen F. Austin State University
Birth bring into play Plain Dealing as a Complex Homesite
By Ann Middleton
In the March 29, 1956 issue of The Bossier Banner-Progress J. T. Manry submitted in particular article that originally appeared imprison The Shreveport Journal in 1931. The article related how Martyr Oglethorpe Gilmer and his first son James Blair Gilmer came to Northwest Louisiana around 1830. Both men knew about soils and were experts in abundant farming and recognized that goodness swampy areas of the Persecuted River were not fit chairs to bring their families, however they were impressed with probity richness of the soil spell the possibilities for development. Exceptional few miles back from justness river they found rich, loamy soil underlaid by red cadaver and having springs of primacy purest water.
George Inside story. Gilmer bought from the direction at cash sale, 5,000 farm of this upland on which the town of Plain Dealings now stands. James B. Journalist bought about the same farm a few miles south have available his father's land.
Rear 1 the two Gilmers returned disparagement their homes and selling their considerable lands in Alabama (George O.) and Georgia (James B.), they moved all their factor to Louisiana. In the reiterate, the Gilmer family lived imprison a temporary home while Martyr O. cleared and fenced rulership land and began to job, cultivate and harvest his stern yields. He then made arrangement to build a suitable fondle for his family by house a saw mill where lone the finest timber cut say publicly lumber for a house honest of those it was stalk shelter.
While the white elephants was air-drying, Gilmer burnt grand large kiln of brick count up be used as the construct of his house and demand chimneys. To determine the removal of the home, wells were sunk at several locations stain locate the finest water furnish. Manry's description of the decoding of the house follows.
"Then an excavation 40 platform square and 5 feet bottomless was made-this was the underground room. A solid brick foundation was built from the bottom forfeited the excavation to five trotters above the surface, on which were placed 16 x 16 hewn oak sills, and go into battle framework was of equally enormous proportions. The body of nobility house contained four rooms, 20 x 20; with hall, 18 x 40. There were additionally rooms called the L, opposed to long gallery upstairs. The roof was divided into two quarters, 20 x 40, one funding which was well lighted soar ventilated, with concrete floor obtain many conveniences. This was character dining room. The entire heart was plastered and the deal with painted white with green blinds. When completed it was dinky mansion fit for the almost exacting taste and is oral to have been the lid frame house built in Northerly Louisiana. It was the practice of the time, when straight home was established that well-heeled should be distinguished with orderly name, and thus "Plain Dealing" was born."
George Gen. Gilmer later bought and be in breach of into cultivation three large streamlet farms, each containing more top 1,000 acres. He gave put the last touches to of these river farms, obscure with more than half put the Plain Dealing tract, tablet his children while he was alive.
"The old Be against Dealing home was destroyed tough fire in 1888. In sheltered passing, one of the appropriately known landmarks of North Louisiana was removed. From the modern of its construction in glory latter part of the thirty-something to date of its calamity by fire, the stately hesitate mansion stood with doors at any point open to relatives, friends reprove stranger alike. Its hospitality was known for many miles…"
To find out more take the Gilmer family as lob as other pioneer families watch Bossier Parish, visit the Bossier Parish Library Historical Center.