The Story of Louisiana

Illustrated

Volume IV

Biographical

J. F. Hyer Publishing Co.

Historical Publishers

New Orleans, Louisiana

1963

            The story of the career of P. W. West, as he is familiarly called, is one of hard work, thrift, determination and success. In the field of merchandising, banking, real estate and elsewhere, he is respected and admired for his achievements. A long-time resident of DeRidder, his name is largely known throughout Louisiana and Southeast Texas, but it is here that his interests and activities have always centered.

            Pleasant Wilburn West was born November 16, 1876, near Newton, Texas, the son of Mahlon H. West and Lucinda (Collins) West. The family of Mahlon H. West was among the early settlers of Natchez, Mississippi, in the Colonial Period before statehood, and in the ante-bellum era settled near Natchitoches, Louisiana, on of the oldest settlements in the United States.

            Mahlon H. West, the father of P. W. West of this review, was born March 28, 1834, and died at DeRidder, Louisiana, April 20, 1907. He was a man of unusual ability and attainment and played a prominent part in the early development of DeRidder. In his early career, he was engaged in logging operations, living part of the time in Texas and the rest of the time in Louisiana, depending on whether he was cutting timber on the east or west side of the Sabine River. In 1880, Mahlon H. West moved his family to Vernon Parish, Louisiana, settling on a farm eight mile east of Leesville, where they lived for six years. Next, the Mahlon H. West family lived on a farm six miles northwest of DeRidder for three years.

            It was in the late 1880's that Mahlon H. West and his son, Mahlon Jefferson West, started a water mill, cotton gin and general-mercantile store about three miles east of the present town of DeRidder on the Lake Charles Highway. In 1896, when the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad (now the Kansas City and Southern Railroad) built through this area of virgin forests, Mahlon H. West rode horseback throughout this thinly settled community, securing some two hundred signers to a petition asking the railroad company to build a siding and depot here at DeRidder, which was then known as the Calvin Shirley Homestead. The nucleus of the little town was established in 1897, and was first called Scovell in honor of a railroad official. Later it was named DeKidder and then DeRidder, which names were presumably variations of the name of one of the heaviest stockholders of the railroad, who resided in Holland.

            With the establishment of the siding and depot and the founding of the town of DeRidder, Mahlon H. West and his son, Mahlon Jefferson West, moved their store to where Mahlon Street (named for them) is now located. Mahlon H. West continued to play a prominent part in the early development of DeRidder until his death on April 20, 1907. He was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church and is buried in the Lewis Cemetery near DeRidder.

            On January 7, 1862, Mahlon H. West married Lucinda Collins, daughter of John and Mary Collins, who were both born in Georgia. Lucinda (Collins) West was down in Alabama in 1840 and died near DeRidder in 1894. She was also a member of the Primitive Baptist Church.

            Pleasant Wilburn West, the youngest son of Mahlon H. West and Lucinda (Collins) West, grew up during the stormy reconstruction years when educational opportunities were limited to attending private schools in the locality where he lived. Only an elementary education was acquired during his early years, and he was forced to learn self-reliance in order to make a place for himself in the world.

            His business career began as a clerk in the general-mercantile establishment owned by his father and brother, M. J. West, which was located in DeRidder when the railroad was built through the area. His starting salary was ten dollars a month and after working there about a year and a half, he moved to Leesville in 1902, where he formed a partnership with his brother, S. R. West, and C. C. Davis, in the mercantile firm of Davis and West Brothers. P. W. West continued as the managing partner of the business 18 months, when he sold his interest in the firm to his partners.

            His next business venture was in Zwolle, Louisiana, where he established the P. W. West Department Store, and after continuing there 17 months, he sold the business and returned to DeRidder, where he bought out the original store, where he begun his business career at ten dollars a month. He conducted this store under the title of West Department Store for a number of years, until selling the business to his nephew, W. D. West, who learned the mercantile business under the guidance of his uncle, P. W. West, in the years following World War I, and is now Chairman of the Board of West Brothers, operating a chain of department stores in Louisiana and Mississippi.

            In 1928, Mr. P.W. West entered the banking field when he organized and became the first president of the City Savings Band and Trust Company of DeRidder. As President of this financial institution from its founding in 1928 until selling his interests in 1944. Mr. P. W. West contributed much to its growth and development. As an exceptionally good judge of commercial papers, he was recognized as one of the most capable bankers in this region of Louisiana. During the 16 years he was the directing head of City Savings Bank and Trust Company, the institution loaned and reloaned some 16 million dollars and at the time he sold his stock in the bank, he personally wrote a check of $470.00 to pay off the only outstanding loan that was termed uncollectible. His integrity and soundness of judgement readily brought him into a place of leadership, and throughout all his active years, both as a banker and businessman, he has always displayed faith and vision in the growth and development of DeRidder and the surrounding areas.

            He came to DeRidder during the formative period of its development and, with vision and faith in the future of the community, with vision and faith in the future of the community, he invested in commercial property and today owns considerable valuable real estate and heads West Reality Company, organized in 1936. He built several commercial buildings in DeRidder, in addition to acquiring other commercial property holdings. He has been active over the years in subdivision development, both in DeRidder and Lake Charles, and for a number of years, real estate continued as his major business activity.

            Of all his many and varied business activities, he has enjoyed most the merchandising business, which he had always centered in DeRidder. Back in 1934, Mr. P. W. West bought back the department store he formerly owned in Leesville. Now operated as the West Department Store, it has prospered through the years and expanded to include the West Department Store in Jasper, Texas, established in 1945, and the West Department Stores in Oakdale, and Pineville, Louisiana, established in recent years.

            With headquarters in DeRidder, Louisiana, the West Department Stores, Inc., is now owned and managed by Mr. P.W. West’s son-in-law, Harry P. Thompson, who heads the store in Jasper, Texas, and Teddy L. Berry, Sr., who heads the stores in Leesville, Pineville, and Oakdale, Louisiana. Another son-in-law, Robert B. Nichols, Clerk of Court of Beauregard Parish, is also an official in the business.

            In other activities, Mr. P. W. West helped to organize the First National Bank of DeRidder and served as Vice President and a director of the bank for ten years. He owns the original place on Lake Charles Highway, where his father first started a water mill and general store before the founding of DeRidder. He has added considerable acreage to the original old place, where he raises Polled Hereford cattle, has a fine pecan grove and is also engaged in tree farming.

            Mr. P. W. West, although never a politician or a joiner, has never lost interest in his community, and through the years he has been a liberal contributor to many worthwhile projects for civic betterment. He has matched his business success with many philanthropies, among them West City Park near DeRidder, comprising forty-five acres, just north of the city limits. In 1958, Mr. P. W. West erected a memorial at the entrance of West City Park, in honor of his father, Mahlon H. West, who, as previously noted, was instrumental in the founding of DeRidder. He recently gave the site for the Little Boys Baseball Park in DeRidder.

            Mr. P. W. West was reared in the Primitive Baptist faith. His favorite sport, through the years since his boyhood, has been fox and deer hunting and to enjoy the sport at its best, he maintains a fine kennel of hounds. At this writing the amazing career of this truly amazing businessman continues almost at full force, despite his long years of intense activity.

            P. W. West married (first) on May 20, 1907, Arthemise Cole of DeRidder, who passed away in 1941. To this union were born three daughters:

            (1) Denise West, married Teddy L. Berry, Sr., of DeRidder. They have four sons, Teddy L. Berry, Jr., Richard West Berry, Sr., Robert Donald Berry, and William Randall Berry.

            (2) Madeline D. West, married Harry P. Thompson, Sr., a native of Wisconsin. They are the parents of three children: Harry P. Thompson, Jr., Mathilda Thompson, and Suzie Thompson.

            (3) Lucille M. West, married Robert B. Nichols of DeRidder and they are the parents of three children: Robert B. Nichols, Jr., Ronald L. Nichols and John Randall Nichols.

            Mr. P. W. West, in 1943, married (second) Edna Thomas of DeRidder. She is a member of the Presbyterian Church and is active in community affairs.

            Mr. And Mrs. P. W. West reside at 107 South Royal Street and also maintain the country-estate home on Lake Charles Highway, near DeRidder.