John H. Eastman
Encyclopedia
John H. Eastman was a business
man who served from 1910-1914 as the mayor of Shreveport
, the third largest city in Louisiana
and the largest in the northwestern section of the state.
Eastman was born in Mansfield
, the seat of DeSoto Parish and the site of the Battle of Mansfield
in 1864 during the American Civil War
. Eastman earned his living as a tinsmith
(or "tinner"). In 1898, he established the Vordenbauman-Eastman Hardware Company.
Eastman's mayoral term was the first under Shreveport's city commission government
, in effect from 1910 to 1978, when it was replaced by the mayor-council format
. Under his administration changes were made in street paving policies to improve the outcome at less cost. Eastman, a Democrat
, worked to acquire the Cross Lake
area (11,000 acres) at $1.00 per acre. Cross Lake is now the principal Shreveport municipal water source. Eastman also oversaw the enlargement of the Louisiana State Fair grounds and the construction of the grandstand. The fairgrounds are now located along Interstate 20
. Eastman also worked to secure the construction of the traffic bridge over the Red River, which connects Shreveport with neighboring Bossier City
. It opened in January 1915.
Eastman married the former Nellie Mayo of Lake Charles
, and the couple had four children, of whom only one survived, William M. Eastman.
Several pieces of new automotive firefighting equipment were named in Eastman's honor, but the City of Shreveport continued during his administration to utilize horse-drawn vehicle
s too.
Business
A business is an organization engaged in the trade of goods, services, or both to consumers. Businesses are predominant in capitalist economies, where most of them are privately owned and administered to earn profit to increase the wealth of their owners. Businesses may also be not-for-profit...
man who served from 1910-1914 as the mayor of Shreveport
Shreveport, Louisiana
Shreveport is the third largest city in Louisiana. It is the principal city of the fourth largest metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana and is the 109th-largest city in the United States....
, the third largest city in Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and the largest in the northwestern section of the state.
Eastman was born in Mansfield
Mansfield, Louisiana
Mansfield is a city in and the parish seat of DeSoto Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,001 at the 2010 census. Mansfield is part of the Shreveport–Bossier City Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, the seat of DeSoto Parish and the site of the Battle of Mansfield
Battle of Mansfield
The Battle of Mansfield, also known as the Battle of Sabine Crossroads, occurred on April 8, 1864, in De Soto Parish, Louisiana. Confederate forces commanded by Richard Taylor attacked a Union army commanded by Nathaniel Banks a few miles outside the town of Mansfield, near Sabine Crossroads...
in 1864 during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
. Eastman earned his living as a tinsmith
Tinsmith
A tinsmith, or tinner or tinker or tinplate worker, is a person who makes and repairs things made of light-coloured metal, particularly tinware...
(or "tinner"). In 1898, he established the Vordenbauman-Eastman Hardware Company.
Eastman's mayoral term was the first under Shreveport's city commission government
City commission government
City commission government is a form of municipal government which once was common in the United States, but many cities which were formerly governed by commission have since switched to the council-manager form of government...
, in effect from 1910 to 1978, when it was replaced by the mayor-council format
Mayor-council government
The mayor–council government system, sometimes called the mayor–commission government system, is one of the two most common forms of local government for municipalities...
. Under his administration changes were made in street paving policies to improve the outcome at less cost. Eastman, a Democrat
Democratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, worked to acquire the Cross Lake
Cross Lake (Shreveport, Louisiana)
Cross Lake is an lake located near Shreveport, Louisiana. The waterway provides the water supply for the City of Shreveport. Moss covered cypress trees line the banks of this open lake popular for fishing and recreational boating. Supporting waterfowl, alligators and an abundance of wildlife...
area (11,000 acres) at $1.00 per acre. Cross Lake is now the principal Shreveport municipal water source. Eastman also oversaw the enlargement of the Louisiana State Fair grounds and the construction of the grandstand. The fairgrounds are now located along Interstate 20
Interstate 20
Interstate 20 is a major east–west Interstate Highway in the Southern United States. I‑20 runs 1,535 miles from near Kent, Texas, at Interstate 10 to Florence, South Carolina, at Interstate 95...
. Eastman also worked to secure the construction of the traffic bridge over the Red River, which connects Shreveport with neighboring Bossier City
Bossier City, Louisiana
Bossier City is a city in Bossier Parish, Louisiana, United States.As of the 2010 Census, the city had a total population of 61,315. Bossier City is closely tied to its larger sister city Shreveport, located on the western bank of the Red River. The Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area is the...
. It opened in January 1915.
Eastman married the former Nellie Mayo of Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, and the couple had four children, of whom only one survived, William M. Eastman.
Several pieces of new automotive firefighting equipment were named in Eastman's honor, but the City of Shreveport continued during his administration to utilize horse-drawn vehicle
Horse-drawn vehicle
A horse-drawn vehicle is a mechanized piece of equipment pulled by one horse or by a team of horses. These vehicles typically had two or four wheels and were used to carry passengers and/or a load...
s too.