234 The wagon train moved slowly, but smoothly until it reached Farmerville, Louisiana. There the road stopped and to go further was impossible. The woods loomed before them in all of its virgin splendor, broken only by dim paths that could have been made by Indians, wild animals or lone huntsmen, but never had a wagon been over that route. The train stopped; slaves rapidly built cabins; and the group made temporary homes. It was early in the year, perhaps not later than the first of April, there was plenty of land, many slaves and still time to make a crop. What did the delay of one year mean to these pioneers? During the summer months when the crop was laid by Robert Johnson Black with the men and their slaves cut the wagon road from Farmerville through the place that was later known as Oakland, Union Parish, Louisiana, on the Arkansas-Louisiana line, across Big Lapile Creek in Arkansas to the land that he had selected about three miles East of the place that was later known as New London. Since 1830 efforts had been made to get this road cut and laid out "nearest to Monroe." Each year the county court had appointed persons to cut this road and after Jonathan Black, Jr., reported that the route had been marked, the marks could not be found a short time later (52). The road that Robert Johnson Black built was shown on the early maps as "Black's Road," and it led to his house. Later it was cut to Beeson's Landing on the Ouachita River (53). They spent almost a year in Farmerville which was a small settlement with few families. Friendships formed during that year endured and were passed on and today there are ties of friendships that date back to that time. Dr. Williams fell in love and later married Jane Underwood whom he met in Farmerville (54). She died of tuberculosis soon after coming to Union County and he later married Mary Connor and reared a large family (55). ___________________________ 52. Ibid., pp. 24, 90. 53. Ibid., p. 171 54. Union Parish Marriage Book "A" p. 39, Farmerville, La., 1940. 55. Miscellaneous Book "A" p. 14, Union County, El , Ark. 1940           Contents  Words  Study Questions  Related Sites Next