Changes

{{Infobox officeholder

{{Infobox officeholder

| name=William Mackenzie Davidson​

| name=William Mackenzie Davidson​

| birth_date =December 1857​

| birth_date=December 1857​

| birth_place =[[New York City]], USA​

| birth_place=[[New York City]], USA​

| death_place=St. Joseph, Tensas Parish, [[Louisiana],  ​

| death_place=St. Joseph, Tensas Parish, [[Louisiana],  ​

| death_date=January 18, 1930 (aged 72)​

| death_date=January 18, 1930 (aged 72)​

==Background==​

==Background==​

​

​

Davidson was born to Scottish immigrants in [[New York City]]. As a child, he was brought to Natchez, [[Mississippi]], where he later attended nearby Jefferson Military Academy. He then relocated to Waterproof in southern Tensas Parish. Despite Davidson's northern birth, his father had fought for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] in the [[American Civil War]]. In 1878, Davidson himself was among the approximately one hundred white posse members who joined parish judge and later state Senator Charles C. Cordill in crushing by force a revolt of African American resistance to the [[Segregation|segregated]] order, imposed despite the Fifteenth Amendment to the [[United States Constitution]]. From this incident, Davidson was arrested and carried to [[New Orleans]] to stand trial on fraud charges, but the case was suspended.<ref name=eastla>Frederick W. Williamson and George T. Goodman, eds. ''Eastern Louisiana: A History of the Watershed of the Ouachita River and the Florida Parishes'', 3 vols. [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]: Historical Record Association, 1939, pp. 982-983, 985-986</ref>​

Davidson was born to [[Scotland|Scottish]] immigrants in [[New York City]]. As a child, he was brought to Natchez, [[Mississippi]], where he later attended nearby Jefferson Military Academy. He then relocated to Waterproof in southern Tensas Parish. Despite Davidson's northern birth, his father had fought for the [[Confederate States of America|Confederacy]] in the [[American Civil War]]. In 1878, Davidson himself was among the approximately one hundred white posse members who joined parish judge and later state Senator Charles C. Cordill in crushing by force a revolt of African American resistance to the [[Segregation|segregated]] order, imposed despite the Fifteenth Amendment to the [[United States Constitution]]. From this incident, Davidson was arrested and carried to [[New Orleans]] to stand trial on fraud charges, but the case was suspended.<ref name=eastla>Frederick W. Williamson and George T. Goodman, eds. ''Eastern Louisiana: A History of the Watershed of the Ouachita River and the Florida Parishes'', 3 vols. [[Monroe, Louisiana|Monroe]]: Historical Record Association, 1939, pp. 982-983, 985-986</ref>​

​

​

In 1880, at the age of twenty-four, Davidson moved the short distance north to St. Joseph and became a merchant and planter. He married Carrie Moore (1866-1957), daughter of Joseph Moore, one of the wealthiest men in Tensas Parish. He moved with comfort and ease into the circle of the Tensas elite.<ref name=bio>{{cite book|url=http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11082006-162523/unrestricted/jmreonasdiss.pdf|title=James Matthew Reonas, ''Once Proud Princes: Planters and Plantation Culture in Louisiana's Northeast Delta, From the First World War Through the Great Depression''|publisher=[[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]]: Louisiana State University Ph.D. dissertation, December 2006, pp. 24-25, 245-248, 274|accessdate=July 20, 2013}}</ref>​

In 1880, at the age of twenty-four, Davidson moved the short distance north to St. Joseph and became a merchant and planter. He married Carrie Moore (1866-1957), daughter of Joseph Moore, one of the wealthiest men in Tensas Parish. He moved with comfort and ease into the circle of the Tensas elite.<ref name=bio>{{cite book|url=http://etd.lsu.edu/docs/available/etd-11082006-162523/unrestricted/jmreonasdiss.pdf|title=James Matthew Reonas, ''Once Proud Princes: Planters and Plantation Culture in Louisiana's Northeast Delta, From the First World War Through the Great Depression''|publisher=[[Baton Rouge, Louisiana|Baton Rouge]]: Louisiana State University Ph.D. dissertation, December 2006, pp. 24-25, 245-248, 274|accessdate=July 20, 2013}}</ref>​

Decades later, after desegregation and reorganization, the former Joseph Moore Davidson High School is now known as Tensas High School, one of only three schools still operated by the parish school board,, which manages a decreasing pupil population in the smallest parish in Louisiana. Most of the minority of whites in the parish attend the private  Tensas Academy in St. Joseph.<ref>''Tensas Gazette'', May 12, 2010</ref> Nearly all African Americans of school age are enrolled in public schools, which have struggled financially and with weak pupil performance for many years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130713/NEWS01/307130026/Proficiency-slips-in-Tensas-Franklin-Parish-schools|title=Barbara Leader, "Proficiency slips in Tensas, Franklin Parish schools", July 13, 2013|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|accessdate=July 14, 2013}}</ref>​

Decades later, after desegregation and reorganization, the former Joseph Moore Davidson High School is now known as Tensas High School, one of only three schools still operated by the parish school board,, which manages a decreasing pupil population in the smallest parish in Louisiana. Most of the minority of whites in the parish attend the private  Tensas Academy in St. Joseph.<ref>''Tensas Gazette'', May 12, 2010</ref> Nearly all African Americans of school age are enrolled in public schools, which have struggled financially and with weak pupil performance for many years.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.thenewsstar.com/article/20130713/NEWS01/307130026/Proficiency-slips-in-Tensas-Franklin-Parish-schools|title=Barbara Leader, "Proficiency slips in Tensas, Franklin Parish schools", July 13, 2013|publisher=''The Monroe News-Star''|accessdate=July 14, 2013}}</ref>​

​

​

==Mayor Davidson's accidental death==​

==Accidental death==​

​

​

In January 1930, some eleven years after his son's death, Davidson died from an accidental fall. He slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk outside his office, fell, and fractured his skull. He was carried into his Bank of St. Joseph, of which he was the president, and there he lapsed into unconsciousness and died a few minutes later. Davidson's sudden demise brought an outpouring of emotion from all races and classes, "on every face of every color of every age," as the editor of the ''Tensas Gazette'' described the tragedy.<ref name=bio/>​

In January 1930, some eleven years after his son's death, Davidson died from an accidental fall. He slipped on an icy patch of sidewalk outside his office, fell, and fractured his skull. He was carried into his Bank of St. Joseph, of which he was the president, and there he lapsed into unconsciousness and died a few minutes later. Davidson's sudden demise brought an outpouring of emotion from all races and classes, "on every face of every color of every age," as the editor of the ''Tensas Gazette'' described the tragedy.<ref name=bio/>​