Let's give Surry some props. As some of you knew, and those that didn't know now, the present Oil City is comprised of three former communities: Ananias, Caddo (sometimes referred to as Caddo City), and Surry. Actually you could say four as Ferry Lake has always been something of a separate community, but that's for another story.
Some sources state that the name came from the fact that surries (carriages) met wealthy oil men getting off of the train there to take them to the oil fields. However, given that the community and name predate the discovery of oil and gas by several years, that is unlikely. It appears that it was though the focal community of the area in the pre-boom days as it was the site of the nearest post office and school.
Map of Caddo Bossier in 1904 listing Ananias and Surry separately.
Note the latter misspelled with one "r." The abbreviation below is not clear, but could be "P.O." for post office as the map makes similar designations of local landmarks (post offices, schools, stores, etc.) outside larger communities (e.g., Mooringsport, Vivian) of the day.
Source: 1904 Map of Caddo & Bossier Parish
Some Surry-specific information:
Mrs. Hattie E. Murray was appointed postmaster on 26-May-1898. She had been previously named to that post for Ananias on 30-Apr, however the appointment was placed on hold.
Source: Appointments of U.S. Postmasters (1832-1971)
A 1901 government list of postmasters nationwide lists Surry, served by Mrs. Murray as the only post office in the current OC area.
Source: U.S. Register of Civil, Naval, and Military Service (1863-1959)
The 1900 U.S. Census lists her along with husband John and sons Will and Ray (spelled as Murry) as residents of Ward 2, Caddo Parish, which encompasses most of north Caddo Parish above Caddo Lake and west of Black Bayou; including the current Oil City area.
She served until 21-Mar-1906 and was replaced by Alfred E. Martin. In 1907, the post office moved to Ananias, now named Oil City, with future oil tool magnate Howard R. Hughes as postmaster. Later at various times there would others located at Caddo, and even briefly in Ferry Lake, before Oil City eventually became the sole location serving the area.
The picture below is described as Murray's store and post office, Where Land Avenue crosses the railroad tracks south of Oil City to intersect with Old Mooringsport Road (La St Hwy 538) has long been referred to as Murray's Crossing, Based on the map above, this store and Surry community were likely in that vicinity.
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| Murray's Post Office and Store (date unknown) |
C.C. Phillips was named teacher at Surry in 1903 as part of upcoming school year appointments for Caddo Parish.
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Source: The (Shreveport) Caucasian 04-Jun-1903, Page 1
A. Ragan is identified as representing Surry (spelled here Surrey) in a 1905 newspaper article about area teachers attending summer school conducted at the Central High School in Shreveport.
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Various professors and other educators taught sessions covering:
- Arithmetic
- Art
- Geography
- Grammar
- History
- Language
- Literature
- Music
- Nature Study
- Pedagogy (teaching methodology)
- Physiology
- Reading
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Note other area teachers listed as attending including:
J. D. Barber, Ida
W. Barnes, Blanchard
B. Currie, Latex
T. Humphries, Mooringsport
M. Newton, Blanchard
I. Thomason, Vivian
A. Thompson, Belcher
B. Tillinghast, Mooringsport
Surry residents T. Allen and G. Vaughn were named as witnesses in a homestead claim (str = 8-20-16) filed with the U.S. Department of the Interior.
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Source: The (Shreveport) Caucasian 05-Jan-1909, Page 2
Murray v. Barnhart, a lawsuit heard on appeal in 1906 by the Louisiana Supreme Court regarding mineral rights, notes one of those involved as Edward J. Pitts of Surry.
Genealogical records show Liona Taylor Angell Shepard Heard (1898-1972) to have been born in Surry.
So note Surry should not be viewed as an afterthought when considering area history. Huzzah, Surry! Huzzah!
Amazing finds, John! So interesting. We lived just south of Murray's Crossing when I was a kid - going south from the crossing was a little rent house, an oil well lot, our house, an empty lot sometimes a parking lot for a mobile home, Nancy & Edward White's house, and another little "shotgun" house where my parents lived when I was a baby. My young mother once lost control of the old car she was driving and ran into the water tank for that house. Then, going down the hill was another rent house then Mr. and Mrs. Pickle's house. Mrs. Pickle was a school teacher and the mother of June Pickle Owens, who was a professional fashion model. A gush of memories.
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