Black Diamond originated in the 1850s and ‘60s as a farming settlement. The community’s story is basically the same as that of other settlements of the township; people from eastern states were coming to find more and better land on which to have a better life.
Black Diamond was like other farming communities of the region until, in 1894, the logging and sawmilling interests came into the area with a railroad. Area historian, W. A. George, tells that in 1887, the Gate City Lumber Company of Texarkana began building a railroad southeast from Texarkana for the purpose of hauling the virgin sawtimber back to its sawmill. As the timber was cut, the railroad and sawmills progressed further into the southern part of the county.
By 1894, the railroad had reached the area now called Black Diamond. The railroad also had by this time come to be under new ownership; it was now called the Texarkana, Shreveport, and Natchitoches Railroad.
In creating a path for the railroad through Black Diamond, engineers had to make an unusually deep cut through a high land mass. This cut took a great deal of labor to accomplish, but once completed, it was the most spectacular aspect of Black Diamond. Even after ninety- eight years of existence, this deep ravine-like cut in the landscape, spanned by an arched wooden bridge, makes an impressive landmark and reminder of where Black Diamond once existed.
The railroad also built a spur (a branch track) westward from Black Diamond as far as the Waldroup farm, two to three miles west, to haul logs from the forests to a large sawmill established at Ft. Lynn, two miles north across Sulphur River.
Once the railroad arrived and all of the logging and milling operations began to take place, Black Diamond became a boom area for a period of several years. Many workers were employed in the cutting and hauling of logs and operating the sawmill, and there were several railroad workers. A depot for passengers and freight came to be built, and also a logging camp commissary or store. According to Mrs. Beulah Evers McKelvy, a native of Black Diamond, her parents, Mr., and Mrs. J. E. Evers owned a store in the area in partnership with Coquette Bigby. Col Bigby also ran the post office in the store, and at that time the place was called Bigby.
The name of the place changed, however, when a surprising discovery was made on the John A. Kennedy place. One of the early farmers was John A. Kennedy, who arrived from Mississippi in 1859 with his wife, Mattie Ward Kennedy, and their two sons, J. P., and L. D. Through land patents, Kennedy managed to acquire a sizeable amount of land. It was on his property several years later that coal was discovered quite by accident. Ricky Kennedy of Bradley, the great grandson of John A. Kennedy, tells us that John’s son, J. P. was walking down a steep hill in the Kennedy woods one frosty morning. The ground was covered with frost, and as a consequence, J. P. slipped and fell, then began sliding down the hill. After digging his heels into the ground to stop himself, J. P. noticed some chunks of black material that his heels had unearthed. Later on, his father got confirmation that this material was coal.
This discovery probably caused a stir of excitement in the area because of the industrial potential that it implied. The black nuggets came to be referred to as “black diamonds” and later, the community itself began to be called “Black Diamond.”
According to William Kelley Blanton, Sr., the owner of Spring Bank Ferry, and James MaGee Poole, who was a Kennedy neighbor, John Kennedy turned to the experts to get a coal mining operation underway on his property.
By happenstance, there were two brothers, Uriah, and R. Moore, who operated a farm across the Red River, and who were originally from Wales. There was also a relative named Tom Moore. All of these men had been coal miners in their native country. Consequently, they were called upon by Kennedy to supervise the exploration for coal. Shafts were dug and some coal was extracted, but to the dismay of all concerned, the coal was of an inferior quality and not even marketable. It was tried in some of the blacksmith shops and found to burn, but it didn’t burn hot enough. Therefore, the coal had no practical use. Someone at the time suggested that “it needed another million years to cure.” After mining shafts had been dug on the Kennedy property, sparkling clear water began dripping in large quantities from the ceilings of the shafts. Upon viewing this phenomenon, the Kennedys conceived the notion that this was healthful mineral water, and so they hit upon the idea of selling it in bottles to the public. It isn’t known how the bottled water was advertised or brought to the public’s attention, but according to the John A. Kennedy descendants, the water did sell very well for a time. It is also said that the Kennedys received testimonials from their customers around the country in which they described the beneficial effects the mineral water had on their health. Thus the coal mines of Black Diamond had a short history. Local people say that one might still see evidence of the old mine shafts if he is willing to brave the hazards of rattlesnakes/ ticks/ chiggers/ thorns, and rough terrain.
In 1894, the Texarkana, Shreveport, Natchitoches Railroad had a temporary termination point about a mile and a half south of Black Diamond. Also, at this location, the railroad company had built a locomotive turnaround. A turnaround was a large circular platform with rails upon which a locomotive could be driven. The platform, which was mounted on rollers, was then turned 180 degrees so that the locomotive could go off the platform in the opposite direction. The platform enabled the locomotive to go forward to Texarkana rather than to back up all the way.
According to Marshall L. Greene, a native of Doddridge, there was a store at this turnaround location at the time: There was a Yarber store there. People gathered there for a barbecue. There were cold drinks but no ice. The drinks were cooled off in a well. Our grandpa, John Wesley Blunt, and his son, cut wood for the store and for the train. Our mother, Tressa Lee Blunt Greene, would carry their lunch to them each day.
Also, at this location there was the Jesse J. Dodd family who were early settlers, and who lived just to the west on a high ridge. This fact makes one of the two theories of how Doddridge got its name. It has been said that over a period of time (possibly even before the railroad arrived), that this ridge came to be referred to as “Dodd ridge.” Later, the two words came to be spoken as one word and associated with the whole general area. The second theory is as follows: In 1893 or 1894, there was a high official of a large railway company visiting the turnaround location, perhaps conducting inspection and planning.
His name was William B. Doddridge. It isn’t known how long he was in the area. His grandson. Dykes C. Doddridge, of Rancho Cordova, California, visited Cortez Sexton (Mrs. Mark Sexton), and Vera George (Mrs. W. A. George), several years ago, and he was convinced that Doddridge was named after his grandfather. However, historians raise an important question: How do we know that William B. Doddridge was ever at this location? His biography (to follow) makes no mention of his coming to the area, nor of his having any connection with the TS&N Railroad. Concerning the latter, however, the TS&N could have been a subsidiary of the larger railroad in which Doddridge was an official.
Admittedly, it is an interesting coincidence that William B. Doddridge visited the location which came to be called “Doddridge.” It would be reasonable to think that the place was named after him except that there is also the Dodds-and they lived on a ridge!
Dyck C. Doddridge (the grandson who visited Cortez Sexton and Vera George) is now deceased. Vera George is also deceased. Cortez Sexton has no material from Dyck’s research, and therefore cannot recall the details of what he said about the matter.
Two daughters of Dyck Doddridge likewise have no research information left by him. They have, however, furnished a biographical sketch of William B. Doddridge which is printed in the National Cyclopedia of American Biography, Volume 6.
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