Taken from the Lake Charles American Press, Sunday, Feb. 4, 1990

Imperial Calcasieu

Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, Jeff Davis, and Vernon Parishes

The Hancheys: Pioneers, Patriots

By Nola Mae Ross

American Press Writer

Members of the fiercely patriotic Hanchey family fought in the Revolutionary War; the

Alabama Creek War, in which four Hancheys served; the Civil War, in which at least one Hanchey was killed ; and all the wars of this century.

            The first Hanchey to arrive in America was Jacob, a German from the Palantinate area west of the Rhine river near the Swiss border. He settled first in North Carolina, then moved to South Carolina.

            By 1820, some of the Hancheys had reached Alabama, where four of them fought in the Indian Creek War in 1836 and received bounty land for their service.

            In 1859, William Hanchey and his brother, James, brought their families to Mobile where they boarded the boat, Lizzie Simmons, which was later used by the Confederate Navy, and began a journey up the Mississippi.

            The two Hancheys separated, with James going to North Louisiana and William to Marsh Bayou. William later moved to Dry Creek.

            William Hanchey married Frances Letlow, and they had 11 children - Eliza (who married John Jinright and settled in Alabama), William (who died while young), Lucinda Pate, Nancy Ann Bradford, Bishop, John Washington, James M., Frances Thielemann, Jefferson, Meredith, Sarah Heard, and Joseph Milton “Tobe” Hanchey.

            Of William’s 68 grandchildren, 27 boys carry the name of Hanchey. Most of their descendants live in Beauregard, Allen and Calcasieu parishes.

            When the Hancheys arrived, according to Frank Miller’s Beauregard Parish History, “dry Creek was an overnight camping stop for travelers on the most direct route from Lake Charles to Alexandria and LeCompte.

            “It was said that a dry spell his the area and the creek which runs through the town was nearly dry, thus resulting in the naming of both the creek and the community,” Miller wrote.

            Civil War clouds were hovering, and shortly after the Hancheys arrived at Dry Creek their sons John Washington and his twin brother, James, enlisted in the Confederate Army at Camp Pratt, New Iberia in 1862. John was later wounded in the Battle of Pleasant Hill.

            Meanwhile, the Hancheys built their home and carved out gardens in the tall virgin pine forest. They built syrup mills and huge barns to store their hay, corn, cotton, peanuts and peanut hay.

            Hungry young hands often reached into the peanut bin, bringing out enough peanuts to roast on a chilly December evening.

            Today, Clyde Hanchey, a great-grandson of the first Hanchey, lives in DeRidder with his wife, Anita Hughes Hanchey. He was born in Dry Creek in 1903 and is retired postal clerk.

            “We lived about one-half mile east of the Dry Creek School,” says Clyde Hanchey. “One of my first teachers was Dora Iles, and the principal was Allen Melton. The first Dry Creek School was build in early 1860.

            “My dad had a syrup mill, complete with mules and an open cooking pot. Syrup-making was a memorable event. I still remember the good syrup cakes and the syrup and biscuits we ate.

            “Our syrup was the best I’ve ever tasted. We made about 200 gallons a year. Until World War I, syrup sold for about a dollar and fifty cents per gallon.”

            Clyde and his first wife, Jewell Howell, who died in 1977, had Clydell Elliot of DeRidder, Chyrel Marie Lewis of Baton Rouge, and Jerald and Bert Hanchey of Lafayette. Mrs. Lois Welborn, who lived in the Welborn Settlement east of DeRidder, is Clyde’s sister.

When Clyde was young, the creek meanders through the little community of Dry Creek was a vital part of their lives. The had picnics, fished, had fish frys, swam, and were even baptized there. Many of them also went to Whiskey Chitto Creek for recreation. It was a beautiful creek, but deep holes and undercurrents made it treacherous, and it claimed the life of at least one young Hanchey.

            The second child of the pioneer Hancheys was Lucinda, who married Samuel Pate and settled on a farm near Dry Creek.

            Lucinda’s great-grandson, Lewis Pater, became owner and operator of Pate’s Auto Parts in Lake Charles, Sulphur, and Westlake.

            Nancy Hanchey married Lemuel Bradford first, and later married Mansel Bishop. One of Nancy’s descendants was married to Wheeler Fuselier, a mayor of Oakdale.

            Roy Hanchey, descendant of James M. Hanchey and his wife, Dorothy Hamilton Hanchey, also live in DeRidder today. Roy was supervisor of Beauregard schools for many years.

            When Roy was young, the children walked to school on paths through pine forests. Mostly, these walks were an enjoyable time when siblings, cousins, and friends could socialize.

            They sometimes met peddlers and tinkers passing through, with buggies and wagons carrying piece goods, ribbons and lace, pots and pans, hoes, shovels and other hardware.

            The Roy Hancheys are the parents of Dale, who lives in Oklahoma, who lives in Oklahoma, Roy of New Orleans, Myrna Crow of Mandeville and Dianne Smith of Baton Rouge.

            Roy’s sisters are Mrs. Alma Corkran of Kinder, Mrs Beulah Grice of Arizona and Mrs. Irma Simmons Brown.

            Frances Mary, seventh child of William Hanchey, married George Thielmann. They lived first in Sugartown, and later moved to Lake Charles, where he operated a livery stable.

            A granddaughter, Gladys Monroe, married H. A. Norton who was a teacher, principal and long-time school superintendent for Calcasieu Parish.

            Louis Hanchey, a descendant of James Hanchey, today lives in DeRidder, with his wife, Goldie Holiday. He was born in 1906 in Sugartown, and was a timberman in his younger days and later a truck driver.

            “I started to school at Bon Ami,” Louis says. “It was a Long Bell Lumber Company town and the houses and stores were built by the company. “The great pine forests around us were cut down by 1924. Then Crosby Chemical bought the stumps, leaving the land bare. It was not until Boise Cascade came along that it was re-seeded.”

            Children of the Louis Hancheys are Willene Marsalise of DeRidder, Arlen Wayne of Iota, W. J. of Lake Charles, Reginald of Ruston, and Eldene (Mrs. John A. Niel) and Elaine (Mrs. Will Cox) of Lake Charles.

            Louis Hanchey has one sister, Mrs. Thelma Teague of Conroe, Texas.

            A daughter of James Hanchey also married Walter Bishop, a businessman in DeQuincy for nearly 40 years. Their daughter, Jimmy Lee Bishop, married Sam Puckett of Lake Charles.

            Kinney Reid Hanchey, a great-grandson of the pioneer Hanchey, was well-known as a teacher, principal and school superintendent of Beauregard Parish for 38 years. His widow, Alice Jones Hanchey, lives in DeRidder.

            “Kinney Reid Hanchey went to Dry Creek schools and then to Louisiana Normal School (Northwestern University), graduating when he was 19,” wrote his daughter-in-law, Mrs. K. R. Hanchey, Jr., who is a janitor in the Beauregard school system. “He was an outstanding athlete who won membership in the “N” Athletic Club at Normal. He taught at Trout-Godpine and Hyatt, then went back to college for his bachelor’s degree. Then he was principal at Shiloh and Longstreet before going to LSU for his master’s degree.”

            At the age of 25, Hanchey was elected parish school superintendent, a job he held for 38 years. His beginning salary was $250 per month, and when he visited schools around the parish he furnished his own transportation, paid his own expenses and brought his own lunch because there were no school cafeterias.

            The K. R. Hanchey Elementary School was built and dedicated in 1981. His two children, Mrs. Mildred Ford and Kinney Reid Hanchey, Jr., both live in DeRidder.

            Another school superintendent in Beauregard was Karlos Hanchey, son of Sereno and the youngest son of the first Hancheys. Karlos married Geraldin Young and they have four children - Corliss Ann LaBue, Elizabeth Moses, and Mark Hanchey.

            Another son, Meredith, married Mary Frances Fairchild, and they had nine children. The late Norwell Harper, a Lake Charles attorney, was a member of this family.

            A daughter, Sarah, married James Heard, who built a home on the banks of Dry Creek and later moved and remodeled it. It is still in use today and is considered a place of historic interest in Beauregard Parish. The Heards had six children - Mary Frances, Lucinda McCoy, Jesse, William, Malcolm and Joseph.

            Jefferson married Nancy Naomi Ford and they had eight children - James, Joseph, John Robert, Jefferson Hanchey, Gracie Miller, Sarah Perkins and Lucinda Green.

            The family operated a cotton gin and grist mill at Dry Creek. During those days, snakes were a real threat to everyone but particularly to the barefoot children walking to and from school. The often encountered pigmy rattlers, copperhead moccasins, hoop snakes, adders, coral and joint snakes.

            Some children were bitten by snakes in the pine forests, and parents always kept a razor, kerosene and drawing salve handy.

            Tobe had nine brothers and sisters - John Cannon, Al, Jim, William, Kate Nixon, David, Elair, Ben and Frances Bishop.

            Among the Calcasieu Hancheys, Theron became a teacher and superintendent in Clairborne Parish. Clint was superintendent of Calcasieu and was in the school system for 43 years. Glenn was principal and state director of secondary education. Pat lives in Lake Charles after retiring from Conoco Chemicals and Mrs. Gladys Simmons, Mrs. Belle Morris and Ethel Hanchey are retired teachers.

            It has been 130 years since William Hanchey settled in Dry Creek, while his family’s name will always be associated with education, many of his descendants have been successful in other fields as well. The Hancheys have made great contributions to both Beauregard and Calcasieu parishes.