BELCHER MARKER SIGN-COMPLETE HISTORY

_{RRCHCA Team: Alan Thompson, David McCullough, Kristi Jones, Deb McKinney and Jennifer Fant, Mayor of Belcher.}

Early Beginnings – INDIANS — SIGN 1

Caddo native Americans were the first to settle in this area. They called it home, leaving many artifacts buried in the ground around homesites in this area as well as around and in the mounds that they built. The chief tribe that lived here around the 1400's was called the Caddoahache. There were advantages here that made living comfortable - the Red River with fish for food, rich soil deposited by overflows, many trees such as the Cypress to make dugout canoes, and many animals for food. The Caddo people were great cultivators of corn, which is a main crop grown today

Several early Indian archeological sites have been found around Belcher - the main site being the Belcher Mound Site (AD 1450 to AD 1650) that was discovered in 1912 on the Briarfield Plantation northeast of Belcher. There is no current evidence remaining of these Mounds but in 1936-1950, extensive archeological investigation and documentation took place by Dr. Clarence Webb which provide the most complete picture of a prehistoric mound and pottery from the Caddo area. The mound consisted of a series of platforms that contained houses or meeting places for the village leaders. The houses were burned and capped with earth periodically. Human burials were placed in deep pits dug from several of the platforms. The site probably was occupied when the DeSoto Expedition crossed Caddo lands in 1542. Belcher pottery was superior to that of the Bossier people and, indeed, is some of the best in the entire Caddoan area. The late Belcher people were dispersed widely, and their way of life gave rise to the generalized cultural base that existed at the time of European intrusion in the 1500-1600's.

In the late 1700's, the English had begun supplying the Osage with firearms and their raids upon the Caddo began to take toll. As the English moved west, their interactions with the Caddo spread diseases among them that killed hundreds. In 1803, the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France.

In the 1800's, settlers began moving across Louisiana. The Red River land was low and susceptible to flooding so early travelers settled on higher ground farther away from the river. In 1812, George Grey, the Caddo Indian Agent, established the Sulphur Fork Factory at the Sulphur/Red River Confluence in order to attempt to thwart white settlement onto Indian lands. In 1825, Grey established the Caddo Prairie Indian Agency along Red Bayou between the present-day Gilliam and Belcher. In 1831 it was moved to Bayou Pierre south of Shreveport where it remained until 1835, when the Caddo Indians agreed to sell their lands to the United States through a Cession Agreement. The Caddo then moved to the Kiamichi River country in Oklahoma. (from "Caddo Indians of Louisiana" by Webb and Gregory).

When Henry Miller Shreve was hired by the U.S. Government in the 1830's to clear the "Great Raft" of the hundred-mile-long log jam, the water slowly began to go down. At that time, the Red River was only cleared up to the point where 12 Mile Bayou took off towards Jefferson, TX which enabled boat traffic Shreveport to Jefferson. Belcher, Dixie and Gilliam were still surrounded by water and logs continued to be jammed in the river between Belcher and 12 Mile Bayou. The upper raft did not get cleared until 1873 by Lt. Eugene Woodruff, at which time river navigation shifted to the Red River and this area began to be developed.

More information on the Indian history is available at the Red River Crossroads Museum in Gilliam, and/or the book "The Caddos and Their Ancestors" by Jeffry S. Girard.

SETTLERS — SIGN 2

Early Settlements

After 1873, after the Red River Raft was finally cleared, settlers from Bossier Parish used the Cedar Bluff Ferry to come across Red River to cultivate the narrow strips of land along the western river banks. Cotton was the principal crop. Two popular boat landings that were developed were "Rush Point" and "Briarfield". "Rush Point" was north of present-day Belcher and was known for its cotton seed oil mill, store, school, post office and dance hall. "Briarfield", owned by John Glassell, was located south and had a school, commissary and was known for horse shows.

Horseshoe

When the TS&N (Texarkana, Shreveport & Natchez) Railroad was extended from Ida to Shreveport in 1899, a new community of "Horseshoe" was settled closer to the railroad, causing Rush Point and Briarfield to be abandoned. Horseshoe was called this because it was situated on a bayou by this name and shape. Later, probably when the post office was established there, the community chose a new name. The majority of the land on which the railroad got its right of way in that area belonged to James Clinton Belcher. In recognition of that, the people at first named their village "Belcher Town" and later shortened it to "Belcher". The Belcher train depot was built a few years later around 1904 after a dispute with U.N.I. was settled.

Early Settlers

Land from Belcher southward had previously been covered by the waters of Soto Lake. As the area attracted more planters, sharecroppers and others, levees were built by the Policy Jury, land was cleared and swamp lands drained. This created rich farmland of the Red River alluvial soil, which is fifty feet deep in places and the best type of soil there is for cotton and corn. Some of the earliest settlers of Belcher included three members of the Glassell family (John, Ruben, and their nephew Andrew Glassell Yarbrough), Drs. George and Earnest Watters, Mr. B. L. Nash, Mr. L. J. Pitts, Dr. Elisha Jones Hall, Jim and Hattie Hall Dixon, Mr. Robert Adger, James C. Belcher, and E.A. Connell. In 1920, William Elias McDade established the McDade Farm and the Belcher Gin Company. Many of these early settlers were buried across the river in Rocky Mount Cemetery and Cottage Grove Cemetery where they had originated from.

Several homes were moved from Rush Point and Briarfield to Belcher by being rolled on logs and pulled by mules - the home of Mrs. Margie Wyche, home of Dr. A.B. Bugg and the William Butler home. The Wyche home was demolished in 2017.

In 1910, several roads were built - US Highway 71, the Curry Road and the Self Road – that greatly enabled travel and town expansion. The Self Road was first named the "Whiskey Road" because when whiskey was voted out of Shreveport in 1911, all the whiskey sellers came to Belcher, built a camp and built the road with whiskey labor. In 1939, the name was changed to Self Road because Silas Mercer Self, who came from Alabama in a wagon, was the first person to settle on that road.

An oil boom in 1910 helped the surrounding area prosper. In 1920, part of Belcher was destroyed by fire. The fire was believed to have started in one of the stores on the north side of town and all the buildings from the curve to the bridge just above the Glassell home were destroyed.

A map of Belcher, from Sanborn Map Company, shows a population of 500 in 1921. During the early 1900's, Belcher had three cotton gins, eight stores, a bank, and a mechanic shop, among others.

The railroad also facilitated freight and travel from Texarkana to Shreveport for many years. The train made two runs a day – in the morning to Shreveport and returned north to Texarkana each evening. In 1901 George Gould of the T&P had purchased the T,S&N railroad, upgraded the line and continued service for the next sixty years. The north T&P railroad line from Texarkana to Hosston was abandoned in 1966, the south line from Hosston to Shreveport in the early 1980's after the Hosston oil refinery closed. The rail lines were all torn out but at many locations, the former berms can still be seen.

The picture below shows the RR DEPOT when it was relocated to the East side of RR Street after 1966.

Belcher, a small quiet southern farming community, has one main street beautifully bordered by elms, sycamores, live oaks and magnolia trees. In the spring, hyacinth and yellow jonquils are in bloom. It has been described as timeless, with the land holding the community together as families hold onto their heritage and traditions. In 2022, the population is listed at 241. There is one gin (Caddo Farmers Gin), one store (D&I Grocery), one business (Dixie Weld Fab), a post office and a fire station. The Belcher Village Hall, which used to be a doctor's office, now houses a branch of the Shreve Memorial Library.

SCHOOLS – CHURCHES – BUSINESSES — SIGN 3

Early Settlers

Mr. Robert Adger and Mr. Jim Dixon donated the first piece of land for a community church, led by a Presbyterian preacher. The church was also used as a school – Miss Minnie Mae Nowell was the first teacher and there were only nine pupils in school. In 1902 the first real school was built, a two-story frame building with a one-room school downstairs and a dance hall upstairs. People from Plain Dealing and Benton would come over on hayrides to the dances, dance all night and go home early. Mrs. Elizabeth Adger was usually the chaperone at such affairs.

In 1911 the larger school was constructed to house the elementary, junior high and high school grade levels. More classrooms and the auditorium were built later. Interestingly, 60% of the teachers resided in Belcher. Starting in 1939, the Village of Belcher and High School hosted annual Belcher Horse Shows at Briarfield Plantation that were well attended.

In 1954, the Belcher High School was consolidated to the North Caddo High School in Vivian in 1954, and the lower grades in 1969. From 1971 to 1976, Trinity Heights Baptist Church conducted a high school in the old building.

In 1975, Vannie and Bobbie Edwards purchased the Belcher school gymnasium and converted it into an Olympics Gymnastics Training Center called Olympia Manor. In its nine years of operation, it saw such gymnastic greats as Kathy Johnson (Centenary graduate) and Margot Todd Evans pass through its doors. In 1980, the girls dormitory house burned and in 1984, the manor closed its doors. Around 1987, the old brick school buildings were demolished and the new Fire Station built.

Businesses

The First State Bank of Belcher, organized in 1913, moved to the present brick building, designed by Architect Edward F. Neild of Shreveport and built in 1924. The First State Bank later became Caddo Trust & Savings Bank and had branches in surrounding communities. The Belcher Masonic Lodge #332 was chartered in 1909 with 22 members and met on the second floor. A part of the building also housed the office of Dr. T.B. Tooke at the time. The building now is owned by the McGowan family who started Dixie Weld Fab business in the 1970's.

Drawing of Railroad Street 1936(L to R - Ms Dixon; Mr Alan Bell; Barber (Hughes); Drug Store (Byrd); Store (Wisinger); Poole Connel & Pressing Shop; Poole Connell; Robert Connell)

The first library, established in 1938, was originally located in the Belcher School. The Belcher-Wyche branch later moved to Charles Street.

Horseshoe Bayou Bridge on LA 530 - Built in 1915, the one-lane bridge is one of the earliest examples in Louisiana of an all-concrete structure. Unique characteristics give it a coherent, monolithic appearance. The reinforced concrete superstructure consists of a concrete deck on two concrete girders per span. It appears to have been built without joints. The bridge was closed in 2002 after 87 years of service.

Churches

In 1880, the St. Paul C.M.E. Church and cemetery were founded and still active as of 2025.

In 1897, the Presbyterian Church was founded in a frame building on the NW side of Gray St and in 1925, the current brick English Tudor style church was built on the other side of the road with about 75 members. Since then, the preacher's study, other rooms and the huge pipe organ were added.

Belcher Presbyterian Church was organized on July 18, 1897, as the Red River Presbyterian Church. The congregation met in a vacant store building on Rush Point Plantation for a year. The congregation then moved to a school building on Briarfield Plantation where services were held until 1900. Then a one-room frame building was erected in Belcher one mile west of Red River. The present brick English Tudor building was completed and dedicated in May of 1925. The church contains the original pipe organ installed in 1929. (Marker pamphlet)

The Belcher Baptist Church organized in 1918, worshipped in the Briarfield school building, and by 1928, built a sanctuary on the former J.A. Tullus lot on Gray Street.

Baptist Church: A small group of Baptists in Belcher began collecting funds about 1918 in order to purchase a lot on which to build a sanctuary. The first pastor was Finley Tinnin. On May 23, 1919, a lot on Gray Street was purchased from J.A. Tullus. Six years later, in 1925, the Presbyterians were moving from their frame building sanctuary on Brierfield to their new brick sanctuary in Belcher. The Baptists bought the Presbyterians' older frame building along with its pews, the pulpit, and the Lord's Supper table. The Baptists worshipped in that sanctuary on Brierfield until they built a sanctuary on the former J.A. Tullus lot in 1928. The original pews, pulpit and Lord's Supper table are still in use at the Belcher Baptist Church.

The Belcher Methodist Church, founded in 1904, raised funds for a new building, and by 1955, membership growth required another larger building. The Belcher Methodist Church closed in 2003.

At the turn of the Century, in the year 1904, the Belcher Methodist Church was founded. The church services were held in a two-story building once a month. The first pastor was Robert W. Harp. During this time, many pastors traveled to Belcher by train. In 1906-1907, funds were raised for a new church building. The property was purchased from Mr. W.E. McDade for a total of $200 on May 24, 1916. This church was a wood structure housing three of the existing stained-glass windows. By the 1950s, due to the growth in membership, it became necessary to build a larger building. At that time, a fourth stained glass window was added. These windows were donated in memory of former members. The sanctuary of the old church was incorporated in the new building. On February 13, 1955, the first service was held in the new sanctuary. By the year 2003, the membership had declined and it was necessary to close the church. In October 2003, the building was sold to the Belcher Presbyterian Church. (Marker pamphlet)

PROMINATE PEOPLE & HOUSES — SIGN 4

The Hall-Dixon Home, which housed the first US post office for the community, was built by Dr. Elisha Jones Hall for his daughter Hattie Hall Dixon, who was the first postmaster. It was also the childhood home of Clyde Connell, an internationally exhibited artist. Her art – paintings and sculpture – seemed to have emerged from her natural surroundings on Lake Bistineau, but also from her memories of Belcher Plantation life. The original home no longer exists.

The Briarfield Plantation Home was built by John Glassell Sr in 1918, after the original home, built in 1890, was destroyed by fire. The Greek Revival style home is of solid masonry construction. John Glassell Jr, and his wife, Lois, were the next family to live in the home. The current owners of the Briarfield home are Judy and Craig Storer who acquired it in 1990, from the Comegys brothers, owners of Briarfield Plantation and members of the Glassell family.

John's brother, Reuben Thom Glassell built his home next door in 1899 in the dogtrot style. It faced west and had a center hall in the dogtrot style. Around 1910 interior columns and porches on the south and east sides were added, and the south side became the front of the house. In 1953 the east porch was enclosed to form three additional rooms. In 1982 it became the home of Andrew and Linda Marino and their four children.

The Adger home, across the street from the Briarfield Plantation home, was built in 1902 by Dr. R.H. Gulledge and bought by Joe Adger December 1904. Originally it was one story, and expanded to two stories around 1920. The Adger family occupied this house into the 1960's. Larry McKinney purchased the house in 1980 and then, with Mary Ann McKinney, rebuilt it over the next 20 years.

McDade home: The former home site of William Elias and Maria McDade was established here in the early 1900's. During that time, he purchased land west of Belcher and developed the McDade Farms which is still in the family. W.E. McDade also founded and operated the Belcher Gin Co. for many years. After the Belcher Gin burned in 1964, the McDade's established the Quality Gin. The original house is gone, replaced by a home built by Mickey and Beth McDade in 1967.

The Connell home: The home was built by Elias Adrian and Rose Connell in 1901. Elias Connell farmed two plantations, Greenwood and U.N.I., named by the owners, the Marks brothers, who referred to the property as owned by you and me, which later became U.N.I. A few years later, Thomas Dixon Connell and his wife, Effie Poole, bought the home where they raised their seven children. In the 1950's Jared Dixon Connell and his wife, Mae Connell, lived in the home for several years with their family of five. The home remained in the family for 59 years before being sold to a succession of owners. The home is in the American Foursquare architectural style with a wrap-around porch and porte-cochere.

In September of 1941, General Patton came through Belcher to use the telephone. Patton was in Shreveport leading the largest military exercises that were held in the United States.

Slyly evading the exercise umpires, Major General George Patton and his "Blue" armored cavalry and tank corps surprised the "Red" army defending Shreveport by a westerly flanking movement through East Texas from the area of Beaumont on northward to Longview and Jefferson, Texas. From there, his forces crossed into North Caddo Parish, Louisiana on September 27 to the north of Caddo Lake and went south to Oil City and then to the east towards Belcher. Patton established his base of operation on the Belcher-Oil City Road just to the east of Gamm Road and I-49. Scouting operations were carried out in Belcher and Dixie and the climactic Battle of Shreveport began in the open fields of North Caddo Parish on September 28. The "Blue" forces then captured Shreveport's waterworks on Cross Bayou. Without water, the city – dubbed by the media the "Free City of Shrevezig" in tribute to the Polish port of Danzig, besieged by Germans - was forced to surrender. (There is a marker in the Veteran's Park on this.)

The Village of Belcher was incorporated Oct 1, 1968. Harry Byrd was the first mayor.

In August of 2002, the Belcher Veterans Memorial was dedicated. The memorial was established by Whayland H. Greene, a WWII veteran.

In 2006, the Cotton Boll parade started its first procession through Belcher. The Krewe of Cotton was started by Mike Glover and Barbara Douget.

Other Notable persons: Lloyd Hendrick, State Senator from 1940 to 1948; Gail Gleason was Miss Louisiana in 1955; Ansel M Stroud, Jr., Adjutant General of the Louisiana National Guard from 1980 to 1997; 1984 Olympic Bronze Medalist Kathy Johnson; James Morris was a Caddo Parish Commissioner 1996-2007 and State Representative 2007-2020; Cedric Glover - Shreveport Mayor 2006-2014; State Representative 2016-current; Bryan Stinson, Creator and Executive Producer of Dance Moms.