History of Rapides Parish Louisiana United States of America

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Biographies:

Newton Crain Blanchard, senator, was born in Rapides Parish, La., Jan. 29, 1849. He received an academic education, and was graduated from the law department of the University of Louisiana in 1870. He began practice at Shreveport, La., in 1871. In 1879 he was elected a delegate to the state constitutional convention. Subsequently he was appointed a state trustee of the University of the South at Sewanee, Tenn., and in 1880 was elected a representative from Louisiana to the 47th Congress, and to each succeeding Congress up to and including the 53d, from which he resigned to become United States senator, under appointment from Governor Foster to succeed Edward Douglass White, appointed associate justice of the U.S. supreme court, taking his seat March 12, 1894. On the meeting of the state legislature in May, 1894, he was duly elected for the remainder of the term. He was instrumental in procuring from Congress an appropriation for building the long line of levees on the lower Mississippi river; also for securing in the river and harbor act of 1892 the authorization of the expenditure of ten million dollars in four years' time on the lower river.

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor

Josiah Stoddard Johnston, editor, was born in Rapids parish, La., Feb. 10, 1833; son of John Harris and Eliza (Davidson) Johnston. His parents died when he was quite young and he was brought up in Kentucky, where he was prepared for college. He was graduated at Yale in 1853 and in law at the University of Louisville, 1854, and was a cotton planter in Arkansas, 1855-60. He was married, June 13, 1854, to Eliza, daughter of George W. Johnson, provisional governor of Kentucky, killed at Shiloh. He was a staff officer to Generals Bragg and Buckner, chief of staff of Gen. J. C. Breckinridge, and pall bearer of President Davis. He took part in twenty battles and skirmishes during the progress of the war, and was editor of the Kentucky Yeoman, Frankfort, Ky., 1867-86. He was secretary of the Democratic state central committee, 1866-86, and also served as its chairman; was adjutant-general of the state, 1870-71; was secretary of state of the commonwealth, 1875-79; president of the state press association, 1870-86; a candidate for the gubernatorial nomination, 1875, and was elected vice-president of the Filson Historical club. He became a writer of established reputation, and is the author of: Memorial History of Louisville (2 vols., 1896); First Explorations of Kentucky, with Journals of Dr. Thomas Walker, 1750, and Christopher Gist, 1751 (1898); Confederate History of Kentucky (1900).

From: Twentieth Century Biographical Dictionary of Notable Americans, Johnson, Rossiter, editor