Welp. Got a ticket in Dodson

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From: April 26, 1951 Winn Parish Enterprise Dodson Old Settlers Recall Days When Town Was Booming Sawmill Site by Betty Jean Vines (This paper was written by Betty Jean Vines, a senior student in Dodson High School, after she contacted several of the older settlers of the community, including Morgan Stovall, C. L. Shell, and L. E. Vines, Sr.) Dodson, now a mere shadow of what it once was, has made quite a history for itself through the years of its rise and decline. The older citizens here like to recall the "good old days" and through them we have been able to get a fairly accurate history. "Reeks Deadening", the first name given to a settlement out in a great patch of woods is now called Dodson. Mr. Reeks deadened the trees on a plot of ground for homesteading, thus the settlement got its name. This settlement died out, and a new one sprang up on its old site. When the railroad came through, a contractor, J. M. Dodson, and his beautiful, talented daughter settled here. She made quite a hit, and the town was named "Lena" in her honor. Alas! Louisiana already had one town named Lena, so the name was changed to Dodson. Dodson was originally a sawmill town-site of the largest sawmill in the United States in 1900, the Kelly Lumber Company. To transport the lumber turned out by this sawmill, the Arkansas Southern Railroad was built through Dodson. In 1914 it sold out to the Rock Island Railroad. The first church dates to 1853, when a crude one was built, serving also as a school. It was a plank structure, located on the present site of the Dodson Baptist Church. Reverend Sam Dean was pastor. In 1901, a small school building was erected on the plot occupied today by the H. J. Waters home, Mr. C. L. Shell served as principal of the school. A high school was opened in a new brick building, the first in Winn in 1906, with Mr. Chase as principal. Three years later a class graduated from the high school. Lawson Peters was one of the first graduates. In 1909 the Agricultural department was established and in 1912 a two-room frame building was erected for a Home Economics Department. Parish fairs were held in Dodson in 1910 through 1913. "The displays have not been equaled yet," said B. M. Stovall. A pig was once exhibited in one of these fairs that weighed 1400 pounds. Horse races were held that attracted many people. Speaking of news, Dodson at one time published its own newspapers. One of these papers, "The Dodson Times", was edited by Joel Payne. The highway passing through the central part of Dodson was built and graveled in 1921. Six years later concreting was begun by the A. C. Campbell Construction Company. The first work on the streets was done by two colored residents of rural Dodson, Berry Caesar and Gabe Hollingsworth. The cotton industry in and around loomed so high as to require establishment of two gin companies in Dodson, the Dodson Gin Company and the Jonesboro Gin Company. In 1907, six years after the post office was opened, Jack Taylor began the first rural mail route. He made the route three times a week. Dr. Horace Tolbert and Dr. Smith held offices here as medical doctors, with Dr. A. W. Radescich and Dr. Roberts as dentists. Among the business establishments which did thriving businesses in the good old days were butcher and blacksmith shops. Godfrey's Tin Smith Shop, Dodson State Bank, dry good stores owned by T. L. Jones, J. J. Stovall, D. M. Pyburn, and J. B. Milam, Sr., and Whitley Drug Store. Turning back trough the pages of Dodson history, we find several outstanding and interesting items. A great salt lick was once located at the present site of the depot. Deer flocked here from all parts. The first high school in Winn Parish was located at Dodson. Luther Stovall made "All Southern" center in 1908. Margaret Stovall won the title "Miss Winn Parish in a beauty contest in 1931. Just as a matter of comparison, we mention the fact that the 1903 population of Dodson was over 1,000 and in 1940 it was 442. The decline came when the sawmill left due to taxation brought on by incorporation. Dodson business center is now composed of five stores, a caf‚, barbershop, post office and three sawmills. We have three churches for the whites and two for the colored. The school plant, composed of five buildings, has recently been renovated and is one for which the people are proud. A grammar school for the colored is located in the west side of town. Although Dodson has fallen from the heights it once knew, it is still a thriving community of which its citizens are proud

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Where TF is dodson

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