Changes

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of $2,082, or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

In 1950, Thomas and Culbertson, who had returned to Minden from military service, were opposing lawyers in a legal dispute over a $196 debt deemed collectible to the [[plaintiff]] by City Judge R. Harmon Drew, Sr. The case was appealed unsuccessfully to Louisiana Court of Appeal for the Second Circuit in [[Shreveport]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://casetext.com/case/brown-v-harvey|title=''Brown v. Harvey''|publisher=casetext.com|date=April 5, 1950|accessdate=March 7, 2015}}</ref><ref>The $196 debt dispute seems like a small claim today, but in 1950, it would have been the equivalent of $2,082, or four house payments for a middle-class family.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race", ''Minden Herald'', July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>

Thomas remained active in local Democratic politics. From 1948 until his death, he served as the Webster Parish attorney for the inheritance collector and maintained his own law practice.<ref name=agan/> In 1954, Thomas ran a weak third in the race for Minden city judge, a position vacated by the incumbent R. Harmon Drew, Sr. Cecil C. Lowe defeated Alton Eugene Frazier (1922-2001) in a runoff election for the judgeship.<ref>"Lowe Leads in Judge Race," ''Minden Herald,'' July 30, 1954, p. 1.</ref>

Thomas was not the first Minden mayor to have a background in journalism; so did W. Jasper Blackburn, who served as a Democrat from 1855 to 1856. Blackburn became a [[Republican Party|Republican]] during the [[American Civil War]] and served briefly in the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>John A. Agan, "Profile 2007: MPH story goes back more than 150 years," ''Minden Press-Herald'', undated 2007.</ref>J. Frank Colbert, a former state representative who served as mayor from 1944 to 1946, also had newspaper experience. Arthur Thomas "Tom" Colten, became the city's first of thus far four Republican mayors.

Thomas was not the first Minden mayor to have a background in journalism; so did W. Jasper Blackburn, who served as a Democrat from 1855 to 1856. Blackburn became a [[Republican Party|Republican]] during the [[American Civil War]] and served briefly in the [[United States House of Representatives]] and the Louisiana State Senate.<ref>John A. Agan, "Profile 2007: MPH story goes back more than 150 years," ''Minden Press-Herald'', undated 2007.</ref>J. Frank Colbert, a former state representative who served as mayor from 1944 to 1946, also had newspaper experience. [[Tom Colten]] became the city's first of thus far four Republican mayors of Minden.

==Personal life and death==

==Personal life and death==