Excerpted from H. Ted Woods' Caldwell Parish in Slices:
Biography of Martin Leander MECOM
Few residents of Caldwell Parish have been more widely known than Martin Lee Mecom, who filled public
office in eastern Louisiana for an extended period, serving as clerk of court for Caldwell Parish for 32
years, and in later days was engaged in mercantile pursuits and in the insurance business. His life story
cannot fail to prove of interest to many readers even at this time, for he was widely known in adjoining
parishes, and wherever known, was held in high esteem.
A very interesting history of Mr. Mecom appeared in Fred Williamson's History of Interesting
Personalities of Northeast Louisiana, which was published in 1935, which stated that Mr. Mecom was born in
Winn Parish on August 5, 1869, and belongs to one of the pioneer families of the State, a family that has
been here represented for more than a century. His grandfather, William Hardy Mecom, who probably came from
Pennsylvania, settled in Catahoula Parish, which is now LaSalle, near Little River, when a young man and
became a landowner and continued his residence there until after the Civil War, when he removed to Texas,
where he again devoted his attention to agricultural pursuits as well as rearing family No. 2. He was also
a minister of the Baptist church. He died in 1875 and was laid to rest in Belton, Texas. About 1835 he was
married to a daughter of the Hawthorne family of Catahoula Parish, where she was born and reared, and her
death occurred when William H. Mecom, their only child, was quite young.
On the 16th of January, 1869, W. H. Mecom married Eliza C. Arledge of Winn Parish, who was born October
25, 1848, a daughter of Martin and Sarah J. Arledge of that Parish, where her father was engaged in the
cattle business. He was a native of Wilcox County, Alabama, and to him and his wife were born two sons and
five daughters, including Mrs. Mecom.
The family of W. H. and Eliza C. (Arledge) Mecom numbered ten children, of whom Martin Leander Mecom was
the oldest. The other children were Virgil H. Mecom, born March 26, 1871, who became a practicing physician
at Wisner, marrying and having one daughter; William A. Mecom, born March 5, 1872, also a representative of
the medical profession at Wisner, being married and had two sons; Reubin E. Mecom, who was born April 29,
1874, died at the age of thirteen, being buried along with his parents in the Fellowship Cemetery in Ward 5,
Caldwell Parish; Clara Mecom, who became the wife of Sam S. Gregory, a farmer of the Fellowship Community,
and they had eleven children; Fred H. Mecom, who was born April 18, 1878, who became a doctor and practiced
medicine in Clarks for many years and at the time of his death June 3, 1947, was Director of the Caldwell
Parish Health Unit; he was married to Minnie Brown, daughter of John R. Brown, prominent business man here,
on August 5, 1906; Harry S. Mecom, who was born May 19, 1882, married Mable Morris, and later went into
business in Shreveport; Maude L. Mecom, who was born August 5, 1884, who married W. S. Culpepper and moved
to Monroe and is buried in a cemetery in that city; Lonnie Mecom, who also became a doctor, practicing in
Columbia and later in Wisner; and Philip H. Mecom, the youngest, who was born May 13, 1889, becoming a
lawyer and at one time was associated with the late Huey P. Long in a law office in Shreveport.
Although born in Winn Parish, M. L. Mecom was still an infant when he was brought to Caldwell Parish
with his parents to live in the western section of the parish. He pursued his education in the public
schools of Caldwell Parish until he was seventeen years of age, after which he attended the commercial
department of the University of Kentucky at Lexington, and when his text books were put aside, he became an
accountant at Columbia, and was thus busily engaged until 1892, when he was elected clerk of court of
Caldwell Parish, filling the office altogether for thirty-two years. Following his retirement from public
office, he gave his attention to the mercantile business under the name of M. L. Mecom & Co., although he
was the sole owner. He also conducted an insurance business.
On the 5th of June, 1895, Mr. Mecom married Miss Julia Reitzell, daughter of Robert R. and Margaret
Reitzell, who were members of two prominent parish families, he having served as parish assessor for one
term; Margaret was a daughter of Joseph D. Blanks, who served as sheriff here during 1860 and 1864. The
Mecoms became the parents of four children, Martin L. Jr. who was born in 1898, and died June 13, 1899;
William H. Mecom, who was born February 17, 1901, and became a lawyer to practice here for a while, later to
move to Baton Rouge where he was employed with the State. He lost his life in February, 1970, in a fire
which destroyed the house he was sleeping in. The third child was Margaret Lynn Mecom, who married Guy H.
Alford, local druggist, who also served one term in the State Legislature. She gained state recognition
when she was elected mayor of the town of Columbia in 1952 and served four years, being the first woman to
ever be elected to that position in the State. They have one child, Mecom Alford, who lives in Monroe
with his wife and one child, a daughter, Kathy. The fourth child of the Mecoms was also a daugter, Julia
Sherman, who was born February 20, 1912, in Columbia, and is now living in Baton Rouge, being married to Dr.
Ralph Phillips.
During the World War I period, Mr. Mecom was a member of the draft board, and served on all war stamps
and bond sales committees. His record of official service is a most commendable one. In 1892 he was first
elected clerk of the court of Caldwell Parish and continued in the office for twelve years, after which he
was engaged in the fire insurance busines in Monroe where his oldest daugher was born. In 1908 he returned
to Columbia. In 1912 he was again elected clerk of court, remaining as the incumbent in that office until
1920, when he again retired. The young man who succeeded him, Sam P. Walker, died a short time after his
election and a little later Mr. Mecom was once again returned to the office through popular suffrage, again
serving for twelve years or until 1932, thus closing a record in that office that covered 32 years, a record
scarcely equalled in length of time in the history of the State and a record unexcelled in faithfulness and
capability in the performance of duty. It was then that he established his mercantile business. His wife
died April 4, 1932, and was laid to rest in Columbia Hill Cemetery. He followed her in death in 1944, on
June 15, and is at rest beside his wife and a son.
Biographies, Continuing a Brief History of Caldwell Parish, La. 1838-1971,
pp. 316-318.