Milltown

Article by Vicki Carney
    If you can get hold of a new map of Central (I found one at Central Perks), you will see an area just outside of Central called Milldale. Guess how it was named?  There was a saw mill. But wait a minute, it was also a community there in the early 1900’s. It contained a post office, a railroad stop and several stores during the years. Now, it is a beautiful drive with beautiful homes and three churches.  
    Jesse Crawford operated a saw mill in Milldale at the turn of the century. The first name was Milltown. The school founded in 1900 by Jesse Crawford was called Milltown.  In 1906 Willie Browning established his brother, Marion “Ed” Browning, in a store at Milltown. In 1907, Browning applied for Milldale Post Office and also changed the name of the school to the same name. The post office was housed in the Milldale store at the northwest corner of Milldale Road and Reames (then known as Sullivan Road) Road. The first postmaster was Beulah Cashion and the population was listed as 250. The store was later run by Aubrey and Lee Noble and became the hub of the community.
    Jesse Crawford and his wife, Caroline Kirby, owned a great deal of land in the area. Jesse operated a saw mill, grist mill and a blacksmith shop directly across from the Milldale store. There was a railroad at that time which transported lumber products to the saw mill. Residents were also able to receive large shipments and get transportation to the bigger railway systems. Minerva Crawford, daughter of Jesse and Caroline, received a piano sent by rail. 
    In applying for the Milldale Post Office, Ed Browning located his post office at 50 feet to the north of Zachary and Northwestern Railroad. A Railroad commission map of 1910 shows the railroad going as far as Pride. Other sawmills during the 1900’s were owned by Cooper, Drehr, Jackson and Mahoney. 
    Prominent families of Milldale were Kirby, Crawford, Kelly, Stubbs and Noble. Nelson Kirby (also known as DaDa) had a large cotton operation in the Beaver Bayou area with a large number of tenants and share-hands who lived on his property. Some quotes of the residents are:
    (Edna Kelly Crawford): We moved to town that winter, when I was 16 years old (1920). After that we moved back to Milldale, on the Peairs Road. My brother worked at the saw mill. I didn’t go back to school. I lived there until I married. When I was 19, I married Jesse Crawford, then I lived over on Milldale Road, near the saw mill. Grandpa Kirby was running the saw mill. The railroad ran to the saw mill…..We went down Liberty Road to go to church. The boys would ride horses. We had a surrey, a buggy with two seats.”
    (Margie Austin Roppolo) Wilson and Mercedes were married and the neighbors all spent the first night giving them a chivalry-marching around the house making noise. 
    (John Louis Austin) Dewitt Stubbs played the fiddle at gatherings. Dewitt carried Grandpa and Grandma Kirby into the pond for their baptism. Joe and John Russell picked cotton for 3 cents a pound.
    (John Louis Austin) Willie J. had bad eyes and was treated with cod liver oil. Cough syrup was made from turpentine, coal oil and a little whiskey and sugar)    
    (Dot Kirby Cedotal Robertson) Leonard and Tina Kirby had the first radio in Milldale. Everyone would go to their house to listen to the fights. They would listen to certain programs because of the need to save the battery power.
    Crawford family members write that Jesse Crawford was born on November 10, 1904 in Milldale, Louisiana. He was one of six brothers and sisters. He married Edna Kelly at Istrouma Baptist Church in 1923.
    Edna was born in 1904 at Olive Branch. She was also one of six brothers and sisters. After living in Baton Rouge for a short time they settled in Milldale. Jessie worked for Standard Oil during WWII. The following was based on the Jesse and Edna Kelly Crawford Family History:
    Jesse was known for hauling cattle to the stockyards for all the farmers. He ‘handled’ fresh meat on the weekends which led to the opening of a grocery store in 1947. The feed came in sacks that were used by women to make clothing. In 1955 they build a new store with living quarters attached. Jesse butchered calves for the local landowners and this event was a special day for many families working together at the meat counter. Jesse was known widely for his hunting ability and raising dogs to track the bobcats of the area. Much time was spent “listening” to the dogs by Jesse and his hunting buddies. Edna was known as the work force behind the store and was always willing to allow the young children of the family to help stock groceries. The store offered the community a place to socialize and the men often accompanied the women to the store just to visit with others. Gasoline pumps were added as automobiles came into fashion. Cola machines and ice cream machines were added later and many a child experienced the treat of a cold cola or ice cream novelty from this store. Neighbors were allowed to charge groceries to an account and a stack of pads were kept behind the counter to keep track of these transactions. In about 1960 Jesse and Edna decided to retire and the store was sold to Dot Kirby Cedotal and her husband Ervin Cedotal. Jesse and Edna moved to a brick home next door to the store and remained there for many years. Jesse invested in large trucks and built a fleet of 18 wheeler trucks with drivers hired to do the hauling of commerce. This venture was not profitable. Edna was known in the community as a lady of love and patience. She hauled children to Sunday school at Sandy Creek Baptist Church for years and was a member of the Church for over 75 years. Jesse passed away in 1981 and Edna passed away in 1998. References: Essay: History of the Deerford, Milldale and Pride Settlements. Copy found at Central and Pride/Chaneyville Libraries.
Essay: Jesse and Kelly Crawford Family History. Copy found at Pride/Chaneyville Library 
Lorraine Hawkins Dissertation. Copies found at Hill Memorial Library (LSU) and Pride/Chaneyville Library. 

Top Photo: The Noble Red and White Store at Milldale, Middle Photo: Ruby Danna, Louise James, Rose Verbois, Beverly Phillips, and Grace Allen, Bottom Photo: Above: WWII soldiers got off of the ships briefly in Baton Rouge.  Doris Stubbs, Margie Austin, and Eudel Pulliam are pictured with two of the soldiers on the steps of the Louisiana State Capitol.