Historic Fillmore in Bossier Parish (June 2013)
HISTORIC FILLMORE IN BOSSIER PARISH
By Ann Middleton
In an unsigned article for the Bossier Planters' Press, a staff writer told the history of Fillmore in the paper's June 15, 1955 issue.
"Located midway between Shreveport and Minden, on what was once known as the 'Old Wire Road,' lies Fillmore, one of the outstanding historical spots of Bossier Parish. It nestles on a high plateau overlooking surrounding hills and valleys, reflecting the handiwork of God…"
"Most historians in North Louisiana credit Fillmore with being the oldest settlement in Bossier, ante-dating the Civil War period by many years."
"For a long period of years before the war it enjoyed great prosperity. Both wealth and culture were there, and it came to be the center for social intercourse which drew people from all the surrounding areas."
"The families that settled there left their impression on the area which they helped develop commercially, educationally, socially, spiritually and culturally."
"They were truly the 'salt of the earth.' Their homes always were open to the weary traveler; their smokehouses ever bulged with abundant food and their hospitality knew no bounds. They enjoyed life and they were always glad to share their enjoyment with their guests."
"Making up this community of good folks were the families of the McDades, the Platts, the Reeves, the Edwards, the Forts, the Connells, the Hillmans, the Murphys, Hickmans, McClanahans and other distinguished families."
"When there came a break between the North and South, the 'Robin Greys,' made up of Fillmore youth, went away to fight for a cause they believed to be right. They marched gaily away to the strains of martial music, some never again to see the red hills of their ancestral homes."
"But the steamboats, and later, the railroads, had their influence in the movements of the populace. Progress brought about continuing changes in the lives of the people, and finally the pristine glory that had been Fillmore's faded away, but not unsung, unforgotten or unwept for many, many years."
Today Bossier Parish has numerous quiet communities that once were thriving areas of business and culture. To find out more about the histories of these communities, visit the Bossier Parish Library Historical Center.