There are five generations of living Harper descendants from Whick and Vida Harper.
Whick had a twin brother (Uncle Russ).
There are three sets of twins in the Harper family (all girls).
Papa Clem Simpson (Vida's father) was the first African American to own an automobile in Bienville Parish, Louisiana.
Mt. Lebanon was the first permanent town in Bienville Parish.
Whick trained hunting dogs as a business. People traveled from miles around for his services and were proud to be owners of the best hunting dogs in the area!
Springfield Baptist Church celebrated its 154th anniversary in 2018.
The infamous Bonnie & Clyde shoot-out took place in the Mt. Lebanon area. The ambush/monument site is still visited today!
Mt. Lebanon has more historical places on the national historical register than any town or city in Bienville Parish.
Whick was the town barber for 50 years!
Coleman College, which is now Gibsland-Coleman High School, was the first African-American institution of higher learning in northern Louisiana.
On January 30, 2019 Barbara Harper-Richardson and Charlie Richardson celebrated their 64 anniversary!
Vida's brother, our beloved Uncle Fletcher Simpson, born October 18, 1924 and deceased on August 9, 2014 at the age of 89 years old, was the last surviving child of Clem Simpson Sr. and Gussie Mae Simpson.
If you know of any "fun or historical" facts about the family or our hometown, please consider sharing them with us!