Editing Vernon Parish, Louisiana (section)

==History==
The area comprising Vernon was a part of a tract of land whose control was disputed in the late 18th century between the United States and Spain. They called this land the "[[Neutral Strip (Louisiana)|Neutral Strip]]" and refrained from posting police or military personnel there. As a result, the area became a haven for outlaws. Prior to the United States acquisition of this territory through the [[Louisiana Purchase]] from France in 1803, the primary settlers who came to the area were ethnic French and Spanish.

During this period, Dr. Timothy Burr, a Massachusetts native who had migrated to Louisiana from Mt. Vernon, Ohio, established the community of Burr Ferry at his landing on the Sabine River. This community became known as the "Gateway to [[Louisiana]]" from the west. For decades this area was part of the [[Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana|Natchitoches]], [[Rapides Parish, Louisiana|Rapides]], and [[Sabine Parish, Louisiana|Sabine]] parishes, which were established soon after the US acquired this territory in the early nineteenth century. The timber industry was most important to the local economy, with both pines of the hills and bottomland hardwoods being harvested. Some landowners had their land cleared by slaves to establish plantations for cotton cultivation.

During the American Civil War, an artillery site was constructed nearby. Now called the "Confederate Breast Works", it was manned by the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] to guard against Union movements along the Nolan Trace.<ref>[https://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Historic+Nolan+Trace%22&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=&gs_rfai= The Nolan Trace]</ref><ref name="chambervernonparish.com">Information in the History section may be found on the [http://www.chambervernonparish.com/custom2.asp?pageid=847 Greater Vernon Parish Chamber of Commerce Website] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070928114812/http://www.chambervernonparish.com/custom2.asp?pageid=847 |date=September 28, 2007 }}.</ref>

On March 30. 1871, the [[Louisiana]] [[Louisiana State Legislature|General Assembly]] passed an act to create Vernon Parish, by taking territory from the three parishes noted above, as population had increased in the area. There are four versions of how the parish was named; the only official State version is that it was named in honor of [[Mount Vernon (plantation)|Mt. Vernon]], the home of [[George Washington]].<ref>The State of Louisiana maintains an official website for each of the State's 64 parishes at [http://www.louisiana.gov/Government/Parish_Vernon/ Louisiana.gov].</ref>

[[Leesville, Louisiana|Leesville]] was designated as the [[parish seat]] of Vernon from the start. It was incorporated February 15, 1900. The city was founded by Dr. Edmund E. Smart, who donated land from his plantation for the development of the parish seat. It was named by Senator John Rowell Smart, his father, in honor of General [[Robert E Lee|Robert E. Lee]]. The Big House from the Smart plantation still stands, where the city has grown up around it. It is located at what today is the corner of Lula and First streets.<ref name="chambervernonparish.com"/>

In folklore there are different claims about who it was named for, including:

* A race horse owned by Joe Moore, one of the members of the committee chosen to name the parish, who said that by naming the parish after his fast horse the committee would insure the growth of the parish.
* A popular teacher who had been an officer in the [[Royal Navy]], only mentioned as "Mr. Vernon". The decision was made to avoid disputes among the parish founders, each of whom wanted to name it after himself.
* A mule pulling a cart past a store in which the committee was arguing over the name while drinking. To preserve his whiskey the storekeeper suggested they ask a man driving a cart his mule's name, which the man said was Vernon.<ref>All three are found in: {{cite book|title=Tall Pines II: A History of Vernon Parish, Louisiana and its People|last=Wise|first=Erbon|lccn=87-51644|oclc=18715154}}</ref>

[[File:1895 Vernon Parish.jpg|thumb|Vernon Parish map, 1895.<ref>The map may be found at [https://web.archive.org/web/20070927005507/http://www.livgenmi.com/1895/LA/Parish/vernon.htm this website]; it was researched and posted by Pam Rietsch.</ref>]]
[[File:VernonParishCHAnnex-01.jpg|right|thumb|Old First National Bank Building in downtown [[Leesville, Louisiana|Leesville]], LA, now the Courthouse Annex building.]]

In the late 1890s the timber industry, which was the dominant industry in the parish from its creation, began to boom with the construction of the [[Kansas City Southern Railway]] in 1897. It increased access to markets. The railway continues to operate in the early 21st century.<ref name="chambervernonparish.com"/>

===20th century to present===
In the period after World War I, Vernon Parish became the site of two socialist-based communities. The Llano del Rio Cooperative Colony<ref>Not to be confused with the [[Llano del Rio]] established in [[Antelope Valley]], California in 1915 and abandoned in 1917.</ref> developed as [[New Llano, Louisiana|New Llano]], established in 1917. The second was the Christian Commonwealth Colony. These colonies attempted to attract economists and sociologists to conduct an experiment in communal membership and the sharing of labor duties. Llano del Rio was the larger community, with more than 10,000 people, and was also the longest-surviving. Both colonies failed in the 1930s during the economic stress of the [[Great Depression]].<ref name="chambervernonparish.com"/><!-- Needs more explanation -->

In 1941, the [[United States Army]] opened [[Fort Johnson|Camp Polk]], shortly after the outbreak of war in Europe, with the German invasion of Poland and other actions. Camp Polk quickly surpassed the timber industry as the dominant force in the parish's economy. After the camp opened, the population of the parish seat of [[Leesville, Louisiana|Leesville]] rapidly climbed from 3,500 to 18,000. Named after [[Leonidas Polk]], the first Episcopal Bishop in [[Louisiana]] and known as the "Fighting Bishop of the Confederacy", it served as one of the major Army training camps during [[World War II]].

In the 21st century, [[Fort Johnson]] is the 5th-largest military installation in the nation. The facility covers approximately {{convert|200,000|acre|km2}}. It has stimulated the development of associated businesses in the area and related populations. With the regular reassignment of soldiers, accompanied by dependents, to and from the fort, Vernon Parish has a more varied culture than might be expected from its location. Its residents come from all over the country.<ref name="chambervernonparish.com"/>