The History of Folsom

Twelve miles north of Covington is the Village of Folsom, surrounded by thoroughbred horse farms and plant nurseries, a crossroads of commerce, and home to two spirited schools.

Though a relatively new St. Tammany town, its history is unique. It began as an end-of-the-line railroad town, where timber and lumber were the chief resource and product. As it grew, bricks and tung oil were added to its exports.

 

Aerial Photo of Folsom - 1975, by Ron Barthet
Click on images to make them larger.

I visited the town library branch earlier this week, and they were very gracious in sharing their scrapbooks full of information about the community, the issue files of its two newspapers, the numerous clippings from Covington newspapers over the years, and most of all, its comprehensive body of documents gathered during the village's Centennial Celebration 15 years ago in 2004.

The library offered so much information, in fact, that I would suggest that anyone interested in the history of Folsom should just clear their schedule for a few hours and go there to peruse the scrapbooks, picture albums, and history reports. 

They have a copy of the special section put out by the St. Tammany Farmer back in 2004 to help mark the 100 years anniversary of the town, as well as collections of the ongoing weekly columns by local writers chronicling the hopes and dreams, trials and tribulations, and family connections of prominent citizens from all walks of life.

Folsom has had its share of famous folks and local politicians, artists, librarians, and others. There was even a book written about the town to commemorate the Centennial, and a pictorial map of the village that I drew up to suggest what the town looked like 100 years before. 

The hard cover history book written by Davice Bice (2004). The Village of Folsom, Louisiana: A Centennial Celebration.Heritage Publishing Consultants, Inc, Clanton, AL

 

The pictorial map of Folsom as it was in 1903

An extensive history of the Village of Folsom was compiled for the community's "Comprehensive Master Plan: Vision 2030" published in 2010 by Villavaso & Associates, LLC

Here is the text of that document's history section:

Incorporation of Folsom

By 1880, the area that is now the Village of Folsom was occupied by several  families.    As  recorded  in the 1880  United  State  Census, adults  in  Folsom were  listed  either  as  farmers  or  a  housewives.  At the time St. Tammany continued to be mostly virgin forestland and land used for cultivating crops.  The parish was traversed by trading routes, including Holmesville Road, which were dirt roads that were maintained by the  St. Tammany Police  Jury. 

Police  Juries  were  the form  of  local  government at  the  time  and  semi-annual  meetings were  held  in  January  and  July.    Often,  the  Jury would wait  3-4 days before  a  quorum  was  present  to  begin  the  meetings,  and  meetings would last up to six days. 

Land in the area   was   available   for   homesteading under the Recovery and  Reclaims  Acts  of  1855 and  1857,  averaging  about $1.25  per  acre.  Between  1868  and  1886,  over  3,200  new  acres  of land  were  homesteaded,  in  1887  another  2,500  acres  of  land,  and between 1888 and 1897, another 4,000 acres of  land   was homesteaded  in the  Folsom  area.   

Amidst  this  growth  in  new landowners, Native American tribes still lived and traded.  It  was  in  1904,  when  George  M.  Fendlason  and  his  brother  Hines Norman  filed for  a  plat  of  survey,  that  Folsom  became  a  village, which became known for  its  towering pines  and  its  rolling  hills.    Folsom  earned  its  name  from  President Grover Cleveland’s wife, Frances Folsom Cleveland, an icon for working  women  at  the  time.    

One  of  the  first  lots  was  sold  in Folsom in November 1904.  In 1881, work began on the Northshore’s railroad.  Completed in 1887, this  railroad  connected  New  Orleans  to  St. Tammany Parish, including Slidell, Lacombe, Mandeville, and Abita Springs.  By 1888, Covington was connected and by 1905, the East Louisiana Railroad had laid  tracks  down  and  built  a  depot  on  what  is  now  Railroad Avenue in Folsom. 

During  this  time,  the  principle  crops of  the area were  cane, cotton, rice, and  corn,  but  through  the  railroad and  with  the  abundance  of local  pine,  Folsom  was  also  known  as  a  logging  community. 

  

 In 1885,  eggs  cost  20  cents  a  dozen,  coffee  20  cents  a  pound,  cheese 10 cents a pound, and haircuts 20 cents.

By 1908, as reported by the St.  Tammany  Farmer,  the  Village  had  grown  to  include  several prosperous merchants, including a general merchandise store, drug store,   a  barbershop,   a   meat   market,   a   brick   company,   a   gin company,  and  what  was  said  to  be  one  of  the  best  hotels  in the area.

 In  1915,  the  Village  of  Folsom  was  incorporated,  however  Folsom did  not  have  enough  revenue  to operate  as  an incorporated  village between 1928 and 1947. 

Folsom was re-incorporated in 1947, and it was then that Folsom’s municipal government was established with William P. Dyess becoming the first mayor and Hayden Lavinghouse the first policeman. 

The Louisiana State Tobacco Tax of 1947 provided the much needed tax revenue for the Village. 

By  1938,  the  New  Orleans  Great  Northern  Railroad,  successor  to the   East   Louisiana   Railroad,   had   ceased  operating   the   railway through  Folsom.    Although the  right  of  way had  been dedicated  to public use in 1904, the rail company sold its land in the right of way.  

 Between  1938  and  1967,  Railroad  Avenue  was  occupied  by  various single-family homes.  It was not until 1964, when the Village filed a lawsuit  to determine  rightful  ownership  of  this  right  of  way  that Railroad  Avenue  returned  to  the  Village.    It  is  now  home  to  the police station and library. 

 In  1950,  St.  Tammany  Parish  had  a  total  population  of  26,988.  

Click here for Folsom Aerial View - 1954

Regional Growth and Folsom, 1950s –2000

It was in the 1960's that St. Tammany Parish began to see moderate growth  from  NewOrleans  residents  moving  to  the Northshore.  Until  that time,  the  parish  had  been  largely  sheltered  from  rapid growth, allowing its municipalities the ability to maintain their ways of  life  and  regional  cultures  well  into  the  20th century.    Growth  in the western and northern areas of the parish in the 1960s, including in Folsom, was less dominated by commuters from the Southshore. 

In  the  1970s,  growth  on  the  Northshore  really  took  hold.    Despite this growth in the southern and eastern areas, Folsom has remained a quaint and small town.  Folsom  established  its  first  Zoning  Commission  in  the  mid-1970s.  The  commission,  whose  purpose  it  was  to  protect  property values, created  a  300-foot  commercial  zone  along  both  sides  of  Highways 25 and 40.

History of the Local Economy

Climate  and  soil  have  always  been  the  backbone  of  Folsom’s economy  and  it  is  from  these  local  virtues  that   the people  of Folsom  have  found  established  their  high  quality  of  life  and  small town  atmosphere.    The  land  in  Folsom  was  first  farmed. 

With  the arrival  of  railroad,  lumber,  tar,  and  turpentine  became  the  locally exported products.  This was then replaced by tung nut farming and finally,   the   growth   of   the   local   plant   nurseries.  Horse   farms compliment   the   nursery   economy   in   Folsom   and   these two industries are what Folsom is known for today.

The virgin forests surrounding Folsom originally initiated interest in the timber industry in the early 20th century.  In 1902, the Greenlaw Lumber Company, Ltd. was established in Covington and operated as  a  mill,  manufacturer,  and  distributer  of  lumber,  with  business connections   to   operating   mercantile   and   shipping   businesses.  Other  local  lumber  mills,  turpentine,  and  tar  companies  included Jones  and  Picket,  Ltd.  (est.  1903),  Frederick  and  Joseph  Salmen’s lumber   company,   Holliday   and   Ray,   Covington   Naval   Stores Company,   the   Frederick   and   Singletary   Company,   and   Great Southern Lumber.  

 

Koepp Lumber Mill

In  the  early  1900s,  many  of  the  local  residents were  subsistence farmers, growing what they needed to clothe and feed themselves, including  crops  such  as  cotton,  corn,  cane,  strawberries,  grapes, and  tomatoes. Local  families  helped  each  other  in  their  fields picking cotton and strawberries and cane was processed into syrup.  

Turpentine,  made  from  the  sap  of  the  pine  trees  that  were  so abundant  in  the  area,  also  created  the  need  for  local  turpentine mills  to  be  developed,  with  this  industry  dying  down  in  the  1930s.

 In  the  1940s,  the  pine  tree  limbs  left  by  lumber  companies  were gathered and used to make tar in the local tar kilns.  Some  sought  work  in  other  nearby  towns  and  in  the  City  of  New Orleans.    Domestic  work  and  sewing  jobs  were   often  held  by women to supplement the family income.  Land cleared for lumber around Folsom provided grazing land for cattle and sheep.

A  short,  but  important  industry  in  the  history  of  Folsom  was  the tung oil industry, a key ingredient in lacquer, paints, and varnishes.  This industry  came to Folsom via  the US government in anticipation of WWII, because the oil was used in the paints used on naval  ships.    In  the  local  climate,  the  nuts  thrived  and  tung  oil became  a  short, but  major business between  1945 and  1965.   Tung farms  in  Folsom  spurred  the  development  of  processing  plants  in nearby   towns,   including   Bogalusa   and   Franklinton.     

Although relatively   short   lived,   this   industry   was   important   enough   for Folsom’s economy that it inspired a Tung Oil Festival and Beatrice “Sally” Core was the first Tung Oil Queen.  Winter freezes from 1955   to   1959,   lower   cost   imports   from   Argentina,   and   the development   of   acrylics   delivered   a   blow   to   this   economy   in Folsom.  One  of  the  largest  tung  oil  land  holders,  Louis  Chenel  of Normandy  Farms, converted his  1,000   acres   to  housing development, foreshadowing the influx of retirees to the area. 

Landscape Nurseries

  Folsom Area Nurseries in 1975

(Photo by Ron Barthet)

Throughout  this  varied  economic  history  tied  to  the  land,  there have always been nursery businesses in Folsom.  Magee’s Folsom Nursery,  Evergreen  Nursery,  Midway  Nursery,  Mizell  Nursery,  and Holly Point  Nursery,  all  owned  by brothers  Dallas  and  Price  Magee and  various  family  members,  were  the  first  nurseries  in  Folsom. 

The  heritage  of nurseries has been passed down since.  Jim’s Nursery,  Hillside  Nursery,  Yates  Nursery,  Brumfield  Nursery,  Burris Nursery, McKee’s Nursery, and Green Thumb Nursery are just some of  the  nurseries  that  have  contributed  to  the  heritage.

In 1974 a group of nursery owners from New Zealand heard about Folsom's success and came half way around the world to tour the area's most notable nursery landscape providers. 

 “The industry had two major advantages in the Folsom area" according to Clarence  Mizell.  "Soil  and  faithful  workers  made  the  business successful.”

Local   resident   and   owner   of   Savannah Spring Nursery in the 1980s, Robert “Buddy” Lee developed the “Encore Azalea” which is sold worldwide.   Folsom’s nurseries have had an impact nationwide.  Floyd Magee, the  son  of  Dallas  Magee,  first  sold  nursery  products  by  mail  order and provided Montgomery Ward with all of its catalogue sales.  The “Weeping Yupon” tree was also developed in Folsom. 

Local nursery owners Jack and Doris Yates Magee sold plants to Sears for resale and to Phillips Petroleum for landscaping around gas stations.   Folsom   continues   to   be   the   center   of the   nursery businesses in Louisiana.  In October 2003, Folsom hosted the South East Louisiana Nursery Association meetings for the second time. 

Young Thoroughbreds

In addition, thoroughbred  racehorses  and  equestrian  activities play  another critical role  in Folsom’s economy.  According to local resident Jimmy  Erwin,  good  local  drainage,  north  of  Bennett  Bridge  Road, provides solid footing for training horses.  

It was Jimmy Erwin’s father Andrew “Red” Erwin, the first president of the  Louisiana Thoroughbred  Association,  who  was  instrumental  in  bringing  the horse business to Folsom by developing the first horse farm on land defunct  from  the  tung  oil  industry. 

 

The Broken R Ranch
(Photo by Ron Barthet)

In  1958,  he  opened  Broken  R Ranch. Erwin,  with  State  Senator  B.B.  “Sixty”  Rayburn  was influential  in  getting  the  Louisiana  Legislature  to  create  incentives through  the Louisiana agricultural  program  for  breeding thoroughbreds in Louisiana.  Races at the New Orleans Fairgrounds and  at  Louisiana  Downs  in  Lafayette  have  supplemental  purses for Louisiana   bred   horses   and   each   racetrack   must   have   three Louisiana bred horse races each day.

Local horse farms have contributed greatly to Folsom’s economy, employing   local   residents   and   becoming   known   for   their   fine training.    A  stable  fire  in  1966 caused  the  Broken  R.  Ranch  to rebuild  and  upgrade  their  stables  to  ones  with  open  sides  to  allow breezes  in  to  lessen  the  summer  heat.    

Other  ideas  brought to Folsom  and  cultivated  as  part  of  the  local  horse  culture  included rehabilitation  pools  and  horse  training  centers  where  horses  could be housed over longer periods of time and thus be able to get used to  other  horses  and  the  track  on  which  they  trained.    

Each  owner who bought shares in the training center was allowed to build their own  twenty-stall  barn  and  local  trainers  and  jockeys  are  readily available.  The  largest  horse  training  facility  in  Folsom  and  the  largest  full service  thoroughbred farm in  Louisiana  is  the  300-acre  Clear  Creek Stud  Farm.  Owner  of  the  farm  Val  Murrell’s  granddaughter expressed that life on the farm was “like a picture postcard and I’m in it.”

Clear Creek also serves as a rehabilitation center for injured thoroughbreds, with numerous full and part time employees taking care of injured horses.   As  with  the  nurseries  influence  and  exportation  across  the  United States, Folsom’s horse industry play an important role nationwide in  thoroughbred  culture.   

In  addition  to  the  thoroughbred  culture, Folsom  is  known  for  its  equestrian  industry,  with  show  horses  and jumpers raised locally.  

Click here for information about horse farms in St. Tammany Parish. 

The New Orleans Polo Club is active in the area. Click here for a link to its website. 

Folsom Today

Folsom  today  is  dotted  with  small  businesses  along  Hwy  25.  J.C. Pittman’s  store  and  gas  station  is  no  longer  there,  but  Gus’ Restaurant  and  a  New  Orleans  style  bakery  have  become  local staples. 

Most  residents in  Folsom  have  long  family  roots  here.    Today, continuing in its tradition of valuing open space and a connection to the   land,  Folsom  is   known  for  its   thriving   plant  nurseries   and beautiful  horse  farms.   

The  countryside  outside  of  Folsom  is  home to  exotic animal  farms,  including  emu  and  ostrich,  and  reserves, including  the  Global  Wildlife  Center  in  Tangipahoa  Parish,  which sits on  land once  used  by the  lumber  industry. The  Global  Wildlife Center is a major educational facility and critical in the preservation of various species.  

 This was the end of the Comprehensive Plan: Vision 2030 history narrative.

-----------------------------------------------------

In an April, 1986,  history class report entitled "The Founding Fathers of Folsom," Pat Carr wrote that while the Folsom area is "not very densely populated,  but is presently showing a great increase." She attributed that growth in population to an increase of influence by New Orleans landowners. At that time, the village had a new "supermarket" and even a few subdivisions.

"Hopefully, this will not destroy the friendly country atmosphere that Folsom has always had," she said.

Here is an excerpt from her account:

Norman Feldlason was one of the homesteaders of the area around Folsom.   His family was one of many that came to the Florida Parishes in the 19th century from the Carolinas and Georgia. His parents, John Fendlason and Katie McLain, were married in South Carolina in 1830. Five years later, in 1835, they moved west with their children, Daniel,  Margaret and John Jr.,  and with Katie expecting her fourth child, Flora.

On October 15th, 1841, she bore twins, Elizabeth and Norman. In the winter of 1845-46 the Fendlasons moved to Taylor Creek, a tributary of the Tchefuncte River and in present day Tangipahoa Parish above Louisiana Highway 16. The family farmed here that year and in 1847 John got a job working at Harper's Saw Mill. 

In 1881 Faye Carr, Norman's great granddaughter,  found the old Fendlason cemetery where John and Katie are buried. Located deep in the woods along Taylor Creek, it is small and has only a couple of graves.

Norman married Mary Core on November 15,  1860.   She was from the Covington area, and they built a house in Alma a few miles west of what is today Folsom.   He was very active in the community.   He served in the War of the Confederacy, was a member of the Police Jury, as well as a member of the Parish School Board. From 1894 to 1898 he was Superintendent of Education for St. Tammany Parish.

Norman and Mary had four children. The last two were Hines Norman, born November 12, 1872, and George Martin, born September 1,  1875.    George married Nettie Rogers on January 17,  1895, and Hines married Neva Rogers,  Nettie's sister,  on March 6, 1898.

These two brothers were very influencial in the area. George and Hines did a lot of buying and selling of land and timber rights.    They were also involved in many other business ventures, including being partners in a turpentine business in the late 1800's. The Naval stores industry was an important part of the economy of St. Tammany Parish as far back as the 1730's. The abundance of pine trees provided sap needed to make tar, pitch and resin.    These products were used on the hulls of wooden ships to keep them from leaking.

End Of The Line Right-of-Way

In 1901 the Fendlason brothers sold all of their interests in their turpentine business to a larger company, Holiday and Ray. The Fendlasons had realized that the Greenlaw Lumber Company was planning a railroad and had bought land where the tracks would terminate. They sold a right-of-way for the railroad to Greenlaw in 1902.

Norman Fendlason in 1902 built a heart of pine home near this right-of-way. It still stands today and is owned by Mr. and Mrs. Cyril Wilde, who planned to completely restore the home.

Seeing that the railroad could unify the community, the Fendlason brothers had an area surveyed for streets and lots and on June 8, 1904, they dedicated the new town of Folsom at the Covington courthouse.   Grover Cleveland was President of the Untied States at that time, and George Fendlason admired him greatly.   Cleveland had married Francis Folsom, at 21 the youngest first lady in the White House.    George is said to have named the town after her.

George sold lots in the town and the population grew very rapidly. Paul Verger had established a Post Office in 1892 at the 11 mile house. When the railroad came through it was combined with the Alma Post Office.   Mr. Verger went in a partnership with the Fendlason brothers.    George ran the general store and Paul ran the Post Office out of the same building.   

Fendlason and Verger became the largest mercantile business in Folsom, selling dry goods, groceries, hardware, all kinds of furniture, saddlery, farming and hunting supplies and many other necessities. There were several other businesses including a drug store,  a barber shop and other retail stores.  George built a hotel and livery stable and was mayor of the town for a long time.

With access to the railroad the new lumber companies opened up.    Folsom Export Lumber Company,  Inc. specialized in exporting high quality lumber to the German and British markets overseas. Other new industries were the brick and cotton market of New Orleans.   The Fendlason and Son Brick Company and the Folsom Gin Company were shipping out bricks and cotton to New Orleans in 1908.

This was a form of reciprocal trade comparable to other big cities and rural areas.    St. Tammany supplied food and raw materials, and New Orleans industries built furniture and fashioned clothing, some of which was shipped back to the north shore.

The deep pine forests were finally cleared to a point where the lumber companies began to fail, and the spur to Folsom was eventually abandoned and the tracks taken up.   Tung nut trees we grown on the cleared areas for the oil but did not last after the petroleum industry got going. Today Folsom is the center of a growing plant nursery industry.

The Fendlason family believed in hard work and totally abstaining from all intoxicants.   There are no Fendlasons left in Folsom but old folks in the town still remember them.    Norman Fendlason died October 8, 1937, at the age of 95 years, outliving his wife and all of his children.    George had gone to work for the state Highway Commission in Amite and died September 27, 1934.    Hines died January 19, 1930.    They are buried in the Fendlason Cemetery at Alma,  a few miles west of Folsom.

All of the other descendants no matter where they are, hold a special place in their heart for Folsom. I know because I am one of them. Hines Norman Fendlason was my mother's grandfather.

And thus ended Pat Carr's 1986 history report on the Founding Fathers of Folsom. 

 

Folsom's Original Library Building

 

A Plaque Honoring the Founder of the Folsom Branch Library

Ella Odetha Pittman

"Aunt Decie" 

 

The library branch today

See also:

Parish Library's History of Folsom

A map of Folsom in the 1920's

Village of Folsom Master Plan, 2010

Village of Folsom Website, About Us  

Folsom Oath of Office

 Folsom School Photos

 Folsom Village Officials Group Portraits

Other Folsom Pictorial Maps

Folsom in 1987

 

Folsom in 1995

Folsom Map in 2022

See also:

The History of St. John The Baptist Catholic Church

History of Folsom Research Paper

On March 4, 1973, Gary B. Jenkins produced a history of Folsom in a term paper for Dr. Dudley S. Johnson, SLU History Department in Hammond. It was entitled "Folsom, Louisiana, A Wilderness Town."

He shared a copy of the final term paper with Mrs. Amos Neff, the St. Tammany Parish Archivist, and that copy was recently found among her papers. The history research project has been scanned and may be found at the following link.

CLICK HERE to see the term paper in PDF form.

 

 

 

An early map of Folsom included in the research paper

 Here are portions of the text from the first few pages of that research project.

"The story begins with the Indians and the Spanish. In the area of northwestern St. Tammany Parish, the few Indians that lived there hunted animals and did a little farming. The entire region was a part of West Florida under the Spanish. In 1803, the United States bought Louisiana from France. This did not include that section of Louisiana east of the Mississippi and north of Lake Pontchartrain.

"West Florida was rapidly becoming settled by Americans from Alabama, Tennessee, Georgia and the Carolinas. In 1810, they revolted against the Spanish and declared that they were a republic and that they would like to become a part of the United States.

"Folsom had its beginning with the homesteaders that moved into the area during the period 1870-1900. Land was readily available to those people that had a little money and a little desire to face a new life. These people who came to St. Tammany were of a hardy stock; coming from all walks of life, with different backgrounds, occupations, nationalities, religions, and colors.

Holmesville Road

"The vast area north of Covington, to the Mississippi state line, was one of virgin forests, practically untouched by the effects of civilization. The only road of any kind that penetrated the area was the Holmesville Road, connecting Covington with the Holmes settlement in Washington Parish.

"Forests grew so tall and so abundantly, that one could ride or walk from Covington to Franklinton, a distance of approximately 22 miles without ever seeing the sun.
By 1880, several families had become well established in the area. There were at least thirteen Cores located within the second ward, at least six Fendlasons, five Yates, and 12 Garretts.

"Prior to the founding of Folsom, with its railhead, there were two post offices in the area. One was at Alma, about four miles northwest of Folsom. The other one was at Verger, about one and one-third miles south of Folsom. Paul Verger, born in 1858, was post­master at Verger. His father had come to St. Tammany by way of New Orleans and Switzerland. By presidential proclamation, Paul Verger was made postmaster in 1892.

"The post-office and store at Verger was an important stopping place for travelers on the Holmesville Road. Having only a dirt road, it was important that the road be made accessible at all times. The St. Tammany Police Jury would appoint residents to serve as overseer of the road. In 1882 Hiram Hoeze was appointed to oversee the road from the seven mile post to the fourteen mile post, covering the second ward.

"New immigrants coming to the area used this road to reach their destinations. The St. Tammany Farmer ran an ad for years that stated that immigrants with a little industry and a little money could not possibly do better than settle in St. Tammany.

"By 1895, a number of prominent names appeared as land owners in the vicinity of present day Folsom. There were several Cores, Blackwells, Bahama, and Willies.

Lumber Industry

"The production of timber and timber products was a major industry during the period 1870-1920. Northern forests were quickly being depleted and the lumber industry looked toward the South for new forests to cut. In St. Tammany, the lumber industry began around the Slidell area and progressed northward and northwestward. Large lumber camps were located in Pearl River, St. Tammany, Florenville, and Abita Springs.

"The East Louisiana Railroad built northward from Slidell towards Bogalusa. Near Pearl River, a spur was built westward to Abita Springs. Later, it was continued into Covington. Plans were made to continue this track northward to the Mississippi line.

"History is full of moments of greatness. When the Louisiana railroad seemed to be enjoying its greatest growth, it developed financial troubles.

"The New Orleans Great Northern Railroad Company was incorporated on January 19, 1905, for the purpose of constructing a line from Jackson, Mississippi, to New Orleans, Louisiana. It was to also construct a branch line on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain from Slidell to Abita Springs via Mandeville. One week later, it organized in Louisiana and purchased the East Louisiana Railroad Company. The New Orleans Great Northern was merged and consolidated with the East Louisiana, the consolidated company retained the title, "New Orleans Great Northern Railroad Company."

Greenlaw Lumber Company

"Greenlaw Lumber Company, Ltd. played an important role in the development of the Parish. In 1902, it built a standard gauge logging line in a northeasterly direction from Covington. This line proved to be very profitable and the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad built tracks over this road to Folsom.

"Most of the people in the area, of Folsom were farmers; homesteaders who were etching a living from the wilderness. They raised sheep, cattle, hogs, corn, sweet potatoes, Irish potatoes, chickens, beans, and peas. These products were carried to Covington via mule, ox, or wagon.

"Dudley Weaver operated a steamboat from Covington to New Orleans. The farmers shipped their products on Weaver's boat and Weaver in return brought what they needed from New Orleans.

"As the new railroad slowly moved northward, a number of local men began working for the company. The only equipment that the crews had were mules, slides, turning plows, and sheer human strength. The mules pulled the slides and turning plows.

The Coming Boom

"Other men saw the "boom" that was coming and took steps to gain from it. George Fendlason moved from the area of Alma, about 3.8 miles west, to the area where the railroad line was to stop. He acquired land from the Great Southern Lumber Company and Mary Core. Fendlason employed J. M. Yates, the Parish surveyor, to lay out the town of Folsom.

"Previously stated, the Greenlaw Lumber Company was very active in the area. As the railroad line moved north, Greenlaw built a spur from Ramsey, about five miles north of Covington, to Tangipahoa Parish. Greenlaw Lumber Company, Ltd. was founded by Edward A. Greenlaw of Greenlaw, a small village located northeast of Kentwood, Louisiana.

"The founder was president and James Ramsey, for whom Ramsey was named, was secretary. In November, 1.903, because of the great increase in lumber production, an amendment to the company's constitution increased the holding money from 70,000 to 100,000 dollars.

"Greenlaw Lumber Company, Ltd. was incorporated on December 4, 1902, in Covington before Joseph B. Lancaster, Notary Public. The deed read that the company was to have a ninety-nine year succession and that it was to operate a mill, manufacture and sell lumber, laths, shingles, molding, sash, doors, blinds, furniture, and wooden ware; lease, buy, and sell timber lands and other real estate; to manufacture and sell turpentine and charcoal; operate a mercantile business, build, lease, own and operate barges, lighters, sailing or steam vessels; and to construct, maintain or lease, and operate tramroads or railroads for the transportation of logs, timber, merchandise, and passengers.

"Another company that was closely connected with the lumber industry around Folsom was Jones and Pickett Limited. J. S. Jones, J. F. Pickett, Mrs. Emma Jones, and C. J. Williams chartered Jones and Pickett Limited on February 20, 1903. The company had the rights to manufacture and sale turpentine, rosin, pitch, and tar; to own naval stores and their supplies; and to be common carriers of freight
by schooners and other vessels from St. Tammany Parish to New Orleans.

"These two companies began purchasing land in the Folsom area long before the railroad was opened. On December 26, 1902, Greenlaw bought timber from John Carroll, who lived just below what was to become Folsom.   

"On February 20, 1903, the same company bought timber from James Blackwell who lived west of Folsom.    Right of ways were purchased from a number of people, several being Mary Core and Irvin Stevens in 1904.

"Jones and Pickett had operated in the area several years earlier than did Greenlaw. Land was purchased from J. S. Richardson in April, 1900, and from Irvin Stevens in early 1903.

"The products produced by the companies were carried to Covington via mule, ox, or by floating down the Bogue Falaya River during flood stage. Lands that the two companies purchased had been purchased years earlier by the sellers. Mary Core, the daughter of Jacob Core, transacted several land purchases before the turn of the century. On August 20, 1891, she purchased some land from John Carroll.

"Later, on May 3, 1895, she acquired a piece of land from Barney Brown.
Added to these lands were the lands previously purchased by her father. Jacob Core received lands, located on the Tchefuncte River, from John D. White and Elizabeth C. Carriere between 1861 and 1872.

"Still another company that was to play an important role in the development of the area was the Salmen Brick and Lumber Company, Ltd., owned by Frederick and Jacob Salmen of Slidell, Louisiana. The company had started as a mill and brickyard in Slidell, but prosperity caused it to expand northwestwardly through St. Tammany. 

The Turpentine Business

"Alexander B. Holliday and William D. Ray were dealers in the turpentine business also. They acquired rosin rights from Paul Verger; Jones and Pickett, who had purchased land from George Fendlason, Mary Core, and Willis T. Wallis. The terms usually ran fifteen dollars per 1,000 boxed for a period of two years.  Greenlaw Lumber Company sold 900 acres of turpentine timber to Holliday and Ray in 1903.

"They received one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre at the signing and were to receive another equal amount in installments. After the agreement expired, Holliday and Ray were to fill the turpentine boxes with dirt to prevent fire from killing the trees.

"Holliday and Ray had expanded on December 13, 1901, by purchasing the turpentine business of the Fendlason Brothers, George and Hines. This consisted of all equipment, land, and other real estate. The sale included four yoke of oxen, one wagon, fifty pounds of butter, 2100 pounds of corn, forty-nine barrels, forty-nine rinses, and one building. Also included in the same were 61,000 boxes already cut on lands leased from Ancil Baham, Ray McKee, William Wallis, and Alex Bennett. The total price was 3,750 dollars.

"During this time, Covington Naval Stores Company, Ltd. started large stills at Alma, Centerville, Hilton, and Folsom. They hired 225 men and controlled 12,000 acres.

"Also, Frederick and Singletary was another turpentine concern operating in the Folsom area. In 1902, it purchased land from Andrew, Eli, and Thomas Garrett. 

Prosperity Ahead

"Prosperity was coming to the area. The founders of Folsom, George and Hines Fendlason, were men with foresight. On September 25, 1902, Jones and Pickett sold their entire operation to Holliday and Ray. This consisted of hundred of acres of land that they had purchased from George Fendlason, George Millener, Beu Austory, William Core, George Cyprian, and land that they had bought from tax sales by sheriff John J. Stable.

"The equipment included all merchandise at Ten Miles Still and all of the shanties thereon. The commissary building was included along with the barn and fencing, a number of dip barrels, a large wagon, a glue shed, one dwelling house, one cooper shop, two wells, five yoke of oxen, one small commissary building, 46,000 virgin boxes, 32 yearlings, one pair of scales, one saddle, some corn, and the boxes already placed on the land of A. Baham, J. F. Pickett, A. J. Core, E. Baham, J. Baham, J. Penn, P. Richardson, George Millner, Anna Richardson, Beu Anthony, W. M. Core, John Seele, George Fendlason, and Joe Pea.33 The price was $5,319  and twenty-three cents.

"The Fendlasons had moved from Alma to the area where the railhead would terminate. They bought the land owned by Mary Core and the Great Southern Lumber Company. On June 8, 1904, the Fendlason brothers dedicated the new town of Folsom in Covington, the parish seat.

The Street Plan

"We Fendlason brothers of the Parish of St. Tammany, State of Louisiana, sole owners of the plot of land hereon shown do hereby dedicate the annexed described on this plan the same to be and remain forever. Streets and Avenues of the dimensions herein and fully shown on said plan to be devoted to those purposes and for the purpose of beautifying the town and same to be used in perpetuity for no other purpose private or public the whole in accordance with an act of dedication and establishment of servitude."

"It was signed by George M. Fendlason and passed before H. R. Warren, clerk and ex-officio Notary Public for St. Tammany.

"The streets of this new town were seventy feet wide, with the main avenue being eighty feet in width. The main thoroughfare ran north and south with the railroad in the middle. Streets running east and west were Willow, St. John, Waco, Vermont, Camp, Cleveland, Broadway, Garfield, Gordon and Jackson. North and south streets were Sabine, St. Charles, St. Claude, June, Orange, Railroad, Olive and Magnolia.

"Several years would pass before the railroad would connect Folsom with the outside world. The proposed route down Railroad Avenue and a "Y" turn-a-round were sold to the New Orleans Great Northern Railroad by George M. Fendlason on February 27, 1908. The contract called for twelve and one half feet on either side of the track. It also stipulated that if the "Y" was not used for a five year period, it would go back to the grantor. 

High Hopes

"Hopes for the new town were great. Less than one year after the dedication ceremony, Folsom had three large mercantile establishments, three small stores, a wholesale warehouse, and plans for a train depot and telegraph office.

"The legend of how the new town was called Folsom is interesting, whether it is truth or fiction. Grover Cleveland was president at the time and George Fendlason was a great admirer of his. Cleveland had just married Frances Folsom, and Fendlason named the town after her.

"The Fendlason brothers began to sell lots in their new town. Many people bought these to build homes and businesses. The first house built in Folsom was the Wallis home and it still stands today, with a little modification. Some of the others to buy early lots were Warren J. Tycer, Alfred Bailey, Seana Gassoway, Jules Barrett, N. E. Core, Anese Anthony, Benjamin Brown, J. Y. Mapes, Paul Verger, Mrs. Tullie Springs, Phillip Reed, C& L. and J. C. Seal, Enios Rodriguze, James Rogers, Theodore Boutwell, A. Toney, J. 0. Varnado, Charles Cook, Warren Thomas, Louis Husser, J. L. Pittman, Mrs. L. D. Bernard, B. M. Stevens, Uriah Keating, Galatas Baham, Manson Corkern, Louis Jenkins, and J. D. McLain.

"Folsom was now growing very rapidly. George Fendlason built the George Fendlason Hotel and a livery stable. Preparations for a new school and church were started. Once the school started, John Carroll drove the bus and Minnie Robertson taught. It went through the eighth grade and after that the students had to go to Covington."

"Other businesses were soon to develop. Fendlason and Verger opened a store. The Cantrell brothers opened a sawmill and John P. Rauch opened a turpentine plant.

"The new railroad began shipping large quantities of cotton. It considered erecting a 30,000 gallon water tank. New enterprises that were being organized were a brickyard, another sawmill and a cotton gin. Plans were in the making to locate a bank in Folsom.

"Norman Fendlason and George Fendlason were the proprietors of the largest mercantile place in town. Norman was also a very successful farmer. George was the manager of the business. The store carried an extensive stock of general merchandise, dry goods, groceries, hardware, furniture, saddlery, wagons, and farming supplies. It had a forty-foot front and was 110 feet long.

"The Fendlason Hotel was the headquarters for all commercial travelers. It was known to have a fine table, clean rooms, and marvelous service. Galleries surrounded the entire building, up and down stairs. With over 900 lots to sale, other businesses were sure to establish themselves in Folsom. One was Mrs. S. M. Gassoway, who ran the principal millinery dry goods, fancy goods, and notion store in town.

"Her husband graduated from the New Orleans School of Medicine in 1861. He served throughout the Civil War in the Confederate Army as Assistant Surgeon under General W. Adams. He sold out his interests in cotton plantations in Mississippi to invest in the growing town of Folsom. His specialty was chronic cases. Dr. Gassoway also ran the drug store.

"Another doctor that located in Folsom was Charles J. May, who received his education at the Memphis Hospital and Medical College, Tulane University, and the Mississippi Hospital at Vicksburg. He conducted a drug store in Folsom and carried a line of quality drugs and druggist sundries. In the rear of his store, he had a very elaborate operating room. 

Saw Mill and Cotton Gin

"William T. Wallis and N. E. Core had a well equipped saw mill and cotton gin near Folsom. The saw mill had a capacity of 6,000 feet daily and the cotton gin, equipped with gullet gin and presses, turned out ten bales of cotton daily. Both of these men had large farms and were contractors for heavy piling, which was shipped to be creosoted. Their business was for the local and New Orleans Market.

"George Wallis had a store in Folsom, but it went out of business. He dedicated this store to the church and the school until the new ones were built. After they were built, this store became the community center.

"The community center became the focal point for Saturday dances. However, the town of Folsom did not allow liquor to be sold. The founding fathers considered liquor a bad influence upon a man's daily work.

"Warren Willie and William Morgan would go to Washington Parish and to southern Mississippi to purchase cattle and drive them to Folsom. 

"Paul Verger, the postmaster at Verger was transferred to Folsom as soon as the railroad came. A new post office was opened at Folsom and the old one at Verger was closed. He met the boat in Covington once a week to pick up the mail. Once the railroad opened, his job was made a lot easier.

"In 1906, the Fendlason School and the First Baptist Church of Folsom were completed. In 1908, St. John's Catholic Church opened four miles west of Folsom.
South of Folsom, two and two-tenths miles, was the town of Onville. Union Naval Stores opened and the proprietor, one Mr. Hood from Georgia, had brought large numbers of Negroes with him to work in the turpentine still.

"His agent, L. T. Miles, bought boxing timber and ran the business when Hood had to go to Covington, which was quite frequent, since he was president of the St. Tammany Bank. Miles had joined Hood in Georgia after coming to the South from Pennsylvania after the Civil War.

"Just above Folsom, on the Franklinton road, the Great Southern Lumber Company opened its still. On the left of the road was the still and on the right of the road was the company's commissary.

The Trains Coming and Going

"The railroad depot and telegraph office were completed and the first train rolled into Folsom. Phillip M. Reed was the telegraph operator at the Southern Telegraph Company office.

"The freight train made one trip per day to Folsom. The passenger train made two trips per day. When the time for the train to pull in arrived, all of the town's young people rushed to the depot to see who would get off. Then, they ran to the post office to see who got mail.

"The flagman on the passenger train was Charlie Everett, who came from Maryland. A. Mr. Keys was the conductor and he was born in Cincinnati, Ohio. Jessie Ladner worked in the parlor car, seeing that all of the passengers were as comfortable as possible. Ed Fraser was the porter and the engineer of the train was Stephen Trasher.

"Tom Slocum, the porter on the freight train had a very unique job once the train rolled into Folsom. He would take the train around the "Y" and park it to build steam for the next morning. For miles through the thick forests, one could hear the wail of the whistle as Tom brought in the new year. He would also sound it for special occasions such as a new baby or Christmas.

"About every two weeks the train offered the citizens an excursion to New Orleans for only one dollar. It would pick its passengers up at Folsom and by the time it arrived in New Orleans, it was loaded with 300-500 people. There would be from six to twelve passenger cars making the journey."

Dry Town

"From its conception, Folsom did not have any lounges or bars. Liquor was not sold anywhere in the town. If a person wanted to legally drink, he had to go by train or horseback to Covington. The founders agreed that liquor would not allow each man to fulfill his working obligations.

"The local farmers grew their own food. Such crops as corn, cotton, sweet potatoes, beans, peas, and greens were cultivated.

"The chief method of doing business was bartering. The farmer had a nice crop of sweet potatoes and his wife needed some dress material; he would simply swap the potatoes to the store owner for the material.

"All livestock was allowed to roam the woods and raised itself. This proved to present problems when branding or market time arrived.

"The price of commodities was unbelievable. A yearling, dressing around 260 pounds, cost about six dollars. A sow with ten pigs, each weighing 40-60 pounds, was worth ten dollars. If a man had a two year old mare, he could expect two dollars in return for the animal. If the animal was three years old, regardless of weight, the going price was three dollars. Eggs were worth six to seven cents per dozen, while the chicken was worth only fifteen cents. A rooster, regardless of size or age, was worth a quarter.

"Folsom, during its rapid rise in growth, was a place of thriving businesses and booming forest industries. In spite of the brickyard, all buildings were built of heart pine, which burned very easily. This fact would later prove fatal to Folsom after the lumber industry phased out. "

More information about the history of Folsom can be found in the history file of the Folsom branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library System.

See also:

The History of St. John Catholic Church - Folsom 

The History of Folsom  Parish Library's History of Folsom

A map of Folsom in the 1920's

Village of Folsom Master Plan, 2010

Village of Folsom Website, About Us  

Folsom Oath of Office

 Folsom School Photos

 Folsom Village Officials Group Portraits 

J.C. Pittman Memorial Fire Station Dedicated 

Predictions About Folsom for the Year 2076 

Evelyn Pittman Visits Folsom Elementary 

Folsom Civic League 

On its webpage, the Village of Folsom says this about its history:

"Folsom was established in  1904 at the Alma Post Office which was located 12 miles north of Covington. George N. Fendlason, the founder, is said to have named the town after President Grover Cleveland's wife, Francis Folsom Cleveland. A depot was later built in  1905 and Folsom became a notable logging community. By 1908, the village had made such significant progress that a plan was set to begin its incorporation. Finally, on March 12, 1915, the Village of Folsom was incorporated into the State of Louisiana.
 
"In June of 1908 the St. Tammany Farmer, a local newspaper, reported that Folsom had several prosperous general merchandise stores, a drug store, a barbershop, a meat market, and what was said to be, "one of the best hotels you could find anywhere". Business was booming in this quiet and peaceful area. Soon, Folsom would mature into what is now referred to as "God's Country".
 
"Today, the town of Folsom is a community well known for its flourishing plant nurseries and beautiful horse farms. The countryside is dotted with exotic animal farms such as emu and ostrich. It's character and country charm is cherished and appreciated by residents and visitors alike."