Agriculture
Cotton was the major crop when the area was first settled. Most of the bigger farms had their own cotton gins.Hoke Duncan has been working at the Cotton Gin in Gilliam for over 50 years. He is the descendant of some of the first African Americans who settled in the Gilliam area. While still common along the byway today, cotton has been replaced with corn and soybeans as the area's main crops.
Originally called "Whiskey Road", Self Road now runs between Highway's 3049 and 71. After whiskey was outlawed in Shreveport in 1911, distillers flocked to North Caddo Parish. Whiskey Road brought people, supplies and, of course, whiskey to and from their newly-constructed camp.
Two prominent plantations, located within a few miles of here, brought prosperity to the area. Cairo Plantation, owned and operated by the Sentell family for over one hundred years, is home to the region's White Dent Corn. The second, Wild Lucia Plantation, received its name from a hermit who lived in the woods nearby. These farms, and the families who have called them home, are part of a broader story of hard work and perseverance that has made this region
this page online
[Photo captions]
Above: The mechanical cotton pickets harvest
the cotton by pulling the fiber from the cotton
boll as they move through the field through a
system of rotating spindles located in drums on
the front of the machine.
Left: Caddo Farmers' Gin, Belcher, LA
ginning cotton.
Right: Harvested corn ready for transporting to
be processed.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Agriculture • Industry & Commerce • Roads & Vehicles.
Location. 32° 52.316′ N, 93° 59.127′ W. Marker is in Vivian, Louisiana, in Caddo Parish. Marker is on SW Front Street, half a mile north of East Arkansas Avenue, on the right when traveling north. Located under Gazebo outside of Chamber of Commerce building. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 100 NW Front St, Vivian LA 71082, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within 7 miles of this marker, measured as the crow flies. Transportation & Timber (here, next to this marker); Roughnecks & Roustabouts (here, next to this marker); Vivian Railroad Station (within shouting distance of this marker); The Adams-Fuller House (approx. 6.3 miles away); Hosston Methodist Church (approx. 6.4 miles away); Hosston Post Office
Credits. This page was last revised on April 9, 2021. It was originally submitted on April 8, 2021, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. This page has been viewed 161 times since then and 40 times this year. Photo 1. submitted on April 8, 2021, by Jason Armstrong of Talihina, Oklahoma. • Mark Hilton was the editor who published this page.
Editor’s want-list for this marker. A wide shot of the marker and its surroundings. • Can you help?
