Wading through some family history
I had heard the story, sort of, about how the town of Waterproof got its name, but I never knew that it had anything to do with me.
What I recently uncovered about the beginning of the once thriving Tensas Parish town—thriving many, many years ago—on the west bank of the Mississippi River in a perfect example why genealogy research is such a fun hobby to have.
If you've never searched into your family history, there is no telling what you might dig up.
In the early days of the 19th Century, settlers made their homes near present-day Waterproof, a place that flooded a lot.
During one particularly bad flood, a man named Abner Smalley found himself stranded by water on all sides as he waited for a steamboat to deliver cordwood.
When the steamboat arrived, the captain, who knew Smalley, thought it was pretty funny sight and shouted something like, "Hey, Abner, I see at least YOU are waterproof."For the full story, subscribe to the The Franklin Sun's NEW E-Edition! |
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