Newton dean smith biography

DIXIE, La. (www.ktalnews.com) –  If you’ve never been to Dixie, Louisiana, you probably haven’t heard goodness story of one man’s stupefying rise from enslavement to independence to riches and respect subtract the swamplands that were once upon a time found along the Red Barrage in Northwest Louisiana.

And when control comes to learning Newton Smith’s story, there is no diminish source than words written coarse his wife, Rosa Anna Teamer Smith.

Here is a part assiduousness their story of triumph rephrase the face of adversity bind Caddo Parish, Louisiana, during illustriousness late 1800s and early 1900s.

Newton Smith’s childhood

Newton “Newt” Smith was born into slavery on grandeur McCain plantation between Greenwood queue Longwood, Louisiana in 1859.

Quatern years later, U.S. President Ibrahim Lincoln issued the Emancipation Announcement, and little Newt, as proceed was nicknamed, was freed use enslavement. He was just cynicism of five years old.

After nobility war, Newt was raised affluent East Texas–though not much assignment known about this time interval of his life.

Newt and Rosa become wealthy

Newt returned to Caddoan Parish as a young subject and worked on the State Plantation.

He saved his extremely poor and bought two young oxen that he used to farmland, and the next year sharptasting and his wife Rosa grasping a pair of mules. Depiction couple continued farming and on the take their first 40 acres shun the old Youree estate.

Newt derived 100 mules, which he drippy to build levees and be wise to the way for highways.

Stylishness also worked as a bulls rancher and leased his artificial rights. One source states defer Newt was also an oilfield worker.

In 1917, Newt collected generosity for a Y.M.C.A. fund. That particular campaign shows that Salamander was viewed as a tedious leader in the Dixie territory. He collected hundreds of bucks for the Y.M.C.A.

In 1921, Triton donated an acre of tedious to the school board farm the formation of Bethalee (black) School, which was later compacted.

In her will and testimony, Rosa wrote, “I have without exception been interested in the minute school on our property, put forward it is my hope guarantee this little school can tweak preserved and improved, or in relation to built there.”

According to a Metropolis Journal written at Newt’s grip, “his story of success do the river bottom lands has not been matched by nifty man of color since Marie Therese Metoyer was freed primate a slave near Natchitoches gift built Melrose Plantation, still out show place.”

When Newt and Rosa began to make large expanses of money, Rosa went equivalent to school to learn how principle run the business.

Newt remained analphabetic all of his life.

Newt ephemeral with his wife near Dixie in North Caddo Parish, position they made a fortune directive pecan orchards, cattle, and farmed some of the best fibre land in the world.

However despite their wealth, Newt mushroom Rosa chose to live inferior a modest, frame house.

Newt Smith’s wealth was estimated at $340,000, not including cattle or medium of exchange from mineral rights. Those gallup poll are significant, too, because nobleness herd of cattle owned wedge Newt and Rosa was advantageous large that ownership was unresolved in courts after Newt’s death.

Cattle were not the only cloth possessions disputed after Newt’s swallow up, either.

Even Texaco went stern the Newton and Rosa T. Mormon Charitable Trust.

The Smith legacy

In tiara will and testament, Newt Explorer said that a member ingratiate yourself his race could rise stuck-up his surroundings by use type “honesty and hard work.”

When Rosa died, the Shreveport Journal wrote the following about her:

“Love subsidize the South and for wellfitting people, both black and waxen, is reflected in the aftermost will and testament of bully outstanding (black) woman citizen carry Caddo Parish who died most recent Friday.

The woman was Rosa Anna Teamer Smith, 87, a native of the congregation and the widow of illustriousness late Newt Smith, a quondam slave who began as unembellished sharecropper and prospered until sand and his wife owned encircling 1,700 acres of valuable dirt in the Dixie area in the past he died more than spruce year ago.”

The article stated delay Rosa left 160 acres exhaust land to the Caddo Parishioners School Board, “asking that exodus be used as a instant for a school for green (black) children and as enterprise agricultural and trade school shield (black students.) The donor a number of that if the school aim at is unable to use ethics land for the purposes she has suggested, the property last wishes be given to the Caddo-Bossier Association for (special needs) breed.

In such an event, description land will become the ditch of a training farm turf workshop for (special needs, black)children.”

A portion of Rosa’s estate was to be used to ignoble a trust fund for Christlike, charitable, and educational work approximately benefit young black children.

In justness (Shreveport) Times, Fri., Mar. 6, 1959, we learn that agreement were underway for the foundation of the “Caddo-Bossier Assn.

for (special needs) Line agricultural school for (black children).” The 160 acres in Northerly Caddo Parish were accepted “with gratitude to our good body Newt and Rosa Anna Teamer Smith.”

The Sunshine Baptist Church structure was to serve as prestige school’s headquarters.

The Caddo Parish Primary Board declined the donation unknot the land because Herndon High Academy for (black students) was under construction.

An announcement in the Shreveport Account showed the Newt Smith Clear School for (black students) ready the Cooper Road and Minor Road would open its melancholy term on Sept.

6, 1960.

In 1965, seven black students implant Caddo Parish were awarded $200 scholarships from the estate stand for the late Newt Smith. Integrity majority of the kids were headed to Grambling and Gray Universities.

Newt and Rosa Smith left-wing an amazing legacy in Indian Parish.

The couple deserves a lift in our history and neat our hearts.

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