While we're in the midst of Mt. Hermon with the CCC camp, it's an opportune time to consider the history of the village. Having published a series on the subject about this same time last year, I soon learned from local resident Carolyn McKinney that an important family - the Porters, who were educated at the Mt. Hermon School - were inadvertently omitted (and also absent from my resource materials).
The daughter of John Henry and Vivian Porter McGehee, Carolyn was born in 1938 and raised in Mt. Hermon. Porter's Curve, the community situated approximately one mile west of Mt. Hermon, was named for Carolyn's grandparents Willie E. and Mary Nina Spurlock Porter. As it turns out, according to Carolyn, Willie E. Porter's mother was Emma America Ott, a sister to John and Sam Ott. She married Joe Porter, and they had three children - Willie "W. E.," Ella, and Jim. While it is impossible in this space to cover all the descendants of either the Porters or the Otts, I can't help but hone in on Porter's Curve, an iconic place in the Mt. Hermon community.
According to an interesting article published in "The Era-Leader" in 1946, shared with me by friend Calvin Simmons, Porter's Curve started out with a solitary store. But it soon grew into a thriving community with what were described as "seven lively business establishments." They included Porter's store (which Carolyn McKinney's Uncle Howard Porter operated), Breland's store, Schilling's garage/service station, Talee theater, Johnson's store, J. O. Johnson's blacksmith shop, and J. E. Riles sawmill. As of 1946, business was booming, with growth on the horizon. A contest, coordinated by "The Era-Leader," to name the community took place. It has been Porter's Curve, as long as I can remember.
And in my memory, Mt. Hermon has always been Mt. Hermon. But my research revealed references to it, as early as 1902, as Mt. Herman. An intriguing article published by Mary Abarr in "The Times-Picayune" in the early 1900s, and shared with me by Calvin Simmons, who is a veritable expert on Mt. Hermon, addressed and clarified the controversy. Apparently, conflict over the progressive settlement's name arose between the old timers in the area and the United States Post Office department. Looking into it, my copy of the publication "Louisiana Post Offices" by John J. Germann, with Alan H. Patera and John S. Gallagher, revealed that the post office name was Mount Herman from June 12, 1888, to September 30, 1912, when on October 1, 1912, it became Mount Hermon.
But before that, the painter who painted the name on the railroad station - the Kentwood and Eastern Railway - spelled it "Mt. Herman." And the locals weren't having it. T. J. Tymes was one of those old-timers who spoke out against the spelling. The correct name was "Mount Hermon," exactly as it is in the Bible. This was the spelling the area churches used and how it is spelled today. Yet, Ms. Abarr noted that the name at that time was Mount Herman and such was the name of the post office. What difference a letter made, said the article, to the burgeoning town. A world of difference.
I noticed reference was made in the article to the Mount Hermon Public School and the Mount Hermon Manufacturing Company, which is worth noting invented, patented, and manufactured "Booty's Anti-clog" plows, apparently a God-send to the Southern farmers. Ms. Abarr was quite impressed by their ingenuity.
Ms. Abarr also praised the perfect position of the village of Mt. Hermon, "surrounded by some of the richest territory in the State of Louisiana." And cotton was king. The Kentwood and Eastern Railway was key to the growth of the community, and the agent appointed for the railway was J. B. Colley, shipping an abundance of cotton and much freight to and from area merchants. Abarr went into great detail about the then Mount Herman Station:
"Mount Herman Station now has a ticket office, and baggage may be checked as in all regulation offices. The building is to be enlarged soon and will have two waiting-rooms, a ticket office, baggage and express office, besides the spacious frieght [sic] houses that will also be enlarged. The grounds will be ornamented with shade trees and blooming plants. Mr. Colley is a man of artistic taste and keeps everything in order about the station and will beautify the surroundings until this will be the most attractive station on the line."
And Mt. Hermon wasn't short on successful merchants. Abarr's article mentioned E. W. Ott and his expansion with new warerooms; Brock & Co. and their new warehouse and doubled capacity; and J. T. Miller and his relocation, as a cotton buyer and general merchandise dealer, to town.
Stay tuned in the New Year for more on the CCC camp - Camp Sanders - at Mt. Hermon which made the most of the area's agriculture.
