Jack Sibley has donated a copy of his map “Plantations on the Red River from Arkansas to Shreveport 1839 to 2014” to the Genealogy Department of the Shreve Memorial Library. Mr. Sibley is a descendant of Larkin Edwards, a founder of Shreveport, and James R. Cavett, an early pioneer in this region.
Several dignitaries and well-wishers attended the unveiling of the map on August 25. Mr. Sibley spoke about the unique history of the region and the making of his map. He explained that although Henry Miller Shreve cleared the Red River raft up to the location of Shreveport, it was Lieutenant Eugene A. Woodruff who finished the work of clearing the raft above Shreveport in 1873.
He mentioned many of the pioneers who developed the upper Red, including Mary Bennett Cane and the Gilmer family.
Mr. Sibley modeled “Plantations on the Red” on Persac’s map, “The Plantations on the Mississippi from Natchez to New Orleans 1858,” and derived it from an original 1887 river survey by the United States government. Tracts of land on both sides of the river are labeled by the names of the plantations and in many cases by the owners’ name.
Diane Long colored the tracts of land and created a decorative border that incorporates bolls of cotton and ears of corn. Decorative features include portraits of Eugene Woodruff, a birds’ eye view of Shreveport in 1873, and depictions of a steamboat, sawmill, and cotton gin. Photographs of plantation homes give an extra documentary dimension to the map.
Mr. Sibley acknowledged the research assistance he had received from the Bossier History Center and the LSU-Shreveport Archives. He also thanked Joe Slattery of the Genealogy Department at Shreve Memorial Library for his help in researching the plantations. He mentioned that similar maps are being planned to cover the plantations on the Red River north and south of Natchitoches.
You can see the “Plantations on the Upper Red River” behind the service desk in the Genealogy Department. It is an attractive, educational addition to the collection.
(In the photo, from left to right: Genealogy Librarian Lise’ Taylor, Assistant Genealogy Department Head Joe Slattery, Broadmoor Branch Manager Jeff Impson, Area Manager Mary Canfield, map designer Jack Sibley, artist Diane Long, and Library Board member Neil Johnson.)
- written by Reed Matthews, Genealogy Department