Madison Journal - 1940 Chicago Mill To Start Land Development
Date submitted: January 12, 2014

Submitted by: Richard P. Sevier

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					Chicago Mill To Start Land Development Here
	Estimated That Acreage To Be Put On Market Will Support 30,000 Additional People In Parish
						From July 12, 1940 Madison Journal

The Chicago Mill & Lumber Company announces this week through a page advertisement in this issue of 
the Journal that they are now ready to start their land development in this territory, and that 
arrangements have been completed to place on the market a large acreage of their land from which the 
timber has been removed.

Major R. N. Ware, manager of the Tallulah Mill, in commenting on this program, stated that it will 
be very similar to the one which this company put on in Arkansas near Blytheville, and which caused 
that town to greatly increase in population over a period of about seven years. Major Ware said that 
the situation here is practically the same as it was at Blytheville which he himself saw grow enormously. 
He said that as the land offered for sale was purchased, cleaned up and planted by the small owners, 
the town grew in order to meet the demands of this increased population.

Historic Background

The area in this parish which will be offered has a historic background. A part of this area was in 
a high state of cultivation prior to the Civil War, and evidence of this can be seen by ditches which 
were put in by slave labor, young growths of timber and old underground brick cisterns out in the 
middle of the woods. Up until about three years ago at one place there were the ruins of a three-story 
brick house standing on the banks of Tensas River. It was said that this house was started but not 
completed before the war, and trees had grown up inside the building. It was also claimed that it was 
located in the midst of a large area which was cultivated by slave labor, and that the brick used in 
the house were burned on the ground.

Physical Features

The Tensas River, Bayou Macon and Fool River all wind through this area. During the summer months it 
is some thirty to forty feet from the top of the banks of these streams to the water level, which means 
that adequate natural drainage is available. It will be necessary to provide only shallow surface drainage 
to take care of the low spots.

Nature of Soil

The soil in this area is the same delta soil as found in other parts of the parish. The greater portion 
of the area, especially that along the banks of the streams which run through it, is said to be what is 
known as sandy loam.

Improvements Necessary

The people living near this area now are so situated that they have closer contact with towns west of 
Bayou Macon in adjoining parishes. As the territory is developed and new roads are constructed with a 
more direct route to Tallulah, the natural flow of the business of this section will be toward Tallulah. 
If such highways are constructed as the land is developed and they keep pace with the influx of settlers, 
it is estimated that business of local merchants will be increased some fifty percent over a few years. 
These people, being small owners, will have products to sell as well as having products to buy, and as 
Tallulah develops, it will be their natural market.

The area which is proposed to be developed by the Chicago Mill and other owners of cut-over areas in this 
locality is between 150,000 and 200,000 acres. It is estimated that this will support approximately 50,000 
people. The company claims that the land will be offered at a price which can economically be paid, and on 
terms which will extend over a long time. They also claim that there will be no interest charges or payments 
required for the first three years, and due to the fact that every owner of small, acreage will be entitled 
to homestead exemption, there will be no taxes to pay.

This land development, according to those in charge, is to be advertised in Mississippi and other states, 
and is expected that actual sales will start shortly. There are already a large number of people in this 
section who came here from Mississippi, and this development is expected to be attractive to others.