Cliff Ammons
Encyclopedia
Clifton R. Ammons known as Cliff Ammons, was an educator and businessman from Many
, Louisiana
, who served from 1960-1964 as a Democrat
from Sabine Parish
in the Louisiana House of Representatives
. He is principally remembered as "the father of Toledo Bend Reservoir
", a large recreational and power complex on the Louisiana/Texas
border.Toledo Bend encompasses parts of four counties in Texas as well as Sabine and De Soto
parishes in Louisiana. It is the largest lake in Texas and the largest waterway of its kind on the borders of Texas.Lake Pontchartrain
in southeastern Louisiana is much larger in area, but it is a brackish estuary
and not a true lake
.
in Sabine Parish, a son of Oriel Lee Ammons (1896–1968) and the former Velma Alford (1900–1992). After graduation from Negreet High School in 1935, he procured a Bachelor of Science
degree from Louisiana State University
at Baton Rouge
. He also obtained a master's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University
in Nacogdoches
in east Texas. In 1940, he married the former Ethel Jeanne Matherne (1916–2002). She was originally from the Bayou Blue community near Houma
in Terrebonne Parish
, the daughter of Ellis Thomas and Ada E. Matherne. Their children are Dr. Dianna Drew Johnson of Memphis
, Tennessee
, formerly Dr. Dianna D. Redburn of Houston
, Texas, and Suzanne Jeanne Ammons, Robert Dale Ammons, and Kenneth Ellis Ammons, all of Many. The youngest son, Larry Wayne Ammons (1953–1993), died at the age of thirty-nine of heart complications in Lafayette
.
From 1940-1944, Ammons operated a dairy. From 1945-1947, he worked for the Veterans Farm Assistance Program. From 1947-1948, he was the principal of Fisher High School in Fisher
in Sabine Parish. From 1948-1967, he was an agriculture teacher at Many High School, with service there corresponding with his term in the state legislature. As an agriculture instructor, he was also the advisor to Future Farmers of America. During summers he organized two-week trips, many out-of-state, for the FFA members. He taught his classes with a "learn-by-doing" approach.
In the late 1950s, Ammons developed an interest in building Toledo Bend Reservoir. He visited Lake Texoma
on the Texas
/Oklahoma
border to study how a reservoir could produce an economic boom in a local area. He returned to Many so committed to the project that he ran for the legislature despite his lack of political experience. His motto was "Let's Build Toledo Bend Dam."
When Ammons went to Baton Rouge to introduce his bill for reservoir funding, he met immediate hesitation or outright opposition from state officials in the new Jimmie Davis
administration who complained about the lack of funds available for expensive new projects. At the close of a strategy session, Ammons said, "Gentlemen, I called the meeting for you to tell me what could be done to build Toledo Bend, but all you have told me is what not to do.” The head of the state public works department, Lorris M. Wimberly
, a former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, "shook his finger" at Ammons and warned the new legislator that he did "not have the slightest idea what it would take to get this type of legislation passed. If you do introduce such a bill, you are going to hang yourself on the highest tree around this Capitol
, and furthermore you are going to be the laughingstock of the whole Legislature." Wimberly was soon replaced by Claude Kirkpatrick
, formerly a legislator from Jennings
, who worked on the administrative end to bring the project to reality.
Voters approved Amendment 8 to tap income from a pension-fund tax established in 1890 for Louisiana veterans of the Confederate Army. At the time, there was only one remaining Civil War
widow still living. Norman L. Richardson
, then the state editor of Shreveport Times, questioned the project from an historic perspective: the Sabine Breastworks from the Civil War would yield to the water of the reservoir.
In time, Ammons got his project approved and funded. He picked up support from the plethora of Garden clubs then prevalent in Louisiana, whose members, mostly women, sent chain letters to legislators in support of the reservoir. However, Ammons paid a price for his success with Toiedo Bend. He was defeated for reelection to a second term, as many local residents still opposed the project. In time, Toledo Bend became synonymous with bass
fishing in Louisiana and Texas.
In 1969, Ammons established the Merritt Mountain Church Park, located on the banks of Toledo Bend Lake The non-profit organization
is open to all religious denominations. The Tom Sawyer
Chapel atop the hill is regularly used for services He was active in the creation of the Sabine Parish Housing Authority, of which Mrs. Ammons once served as director. Ammons built several subdivisions on Toledo Bend Lake, including Sportsman Paradise, Peaceful Valley, Terra II, Lakeland, and Beaver Village. He was a charter member of the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce
, having served as president from 1966-1967. He established the general aviation
facility known as Ammons Airport on Toledo Bend Lake. During his legislative career he worked for passage of the constitutional amendment providing the funds to build Toledo Bend.
, also died.
Many, Louisiana
Many is a town in and the parish seat of Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,889 at the 2000 census. The town was named for John B. Many, the commander of nearby Fort Jesup.-History:...
, 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...
, who served from 1960-1964 as 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...
from Sabine Parish
Sabine Parish, Louisiana
Sabine Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The seat of the parish is Many. In 2010, the parish's population was 24,233....
in the Louisiana House of Representatives
Louisiana State Legislature
The Louisiana State Legislature is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is bicameral body, comprising the lower house, the Louisiana House of Representatives with 105 representatives, and the upper house, the Louisiana Senate with 39 senators...
. He is principally remembered as "the father of Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir
Toledo Bend Reservoir is a reservoir on the Sabine River between Texas and Louisiana. The lake has an area of 185,000 acres , the largest man-made body of water in Texas, the largest in the South, and the fifth largest in the United States. The dam is capable of generating 92 megawatts of...
", a large recreational and power complex on the Louisiana/Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
border.Toledo Bend encompasses parts of four counties in Texas as well as Sabine and De Soto
De Soto Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 26,656 people, 9,691 households, and 6,967 families residing in the parish. The population density was 29 people per square mile . There were 11,204 housing units at an average density of 13 per square mile...
parishes in Louisiana. It is the largest lake in Texas and the largest waterway of its kind on the borders of Texas.Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
in southeastern Louisiana is much larger in area, but it is a brackish estuary
Estuary
An estuary is a partly enclosed coastal body of water with one or more rivers or streams flowing into it, and with a free connection to the open sea....
and not a true lake
Lake
A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...
.
Background
Ammons was born in NegreetNegreet, Louisiana
Negreet is an unincorporated community in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is located near the intersection of Louisiana Highway 191 and Louisiana Highway 476, just east of the Toledo Bend Reservoir.-History:...
in Sabine Parish, a son of Oriel Lee Ammons (1896–1968) and the former Velma Alford (1900–1992). After graduation from Negreet High School in 1935, he procured a Bachelor of Science
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
degree from Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
at Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
. He also obtained a master's degree from Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University
Stephen F. Austin State University is a public university located in Nacogdoches, Texas, United States. Founded as a teachers' college in 1923, the university was named after one of Texas' founding fathers, Stephen F. Austin. Its campus resides on part of the homestead of another Texas founding...
in Nacogdoches
Nacogdoches, Texas
Nacogdoches is a city in Nacogdoches County, Texas, in the United States. The 2010 census recorded the city's population to be 32,996. It is the county seat of Nacogdoches County and is situated in East Texas. Nacogdoches is a sister city of Natchitoches, Louisiana.Nacogdoches is the home of...
in east Texas. In 1940, he married the former Ethel Jeanne Matherne (1916–2002). She was originally from the Bayou Blue community near Houma
Houma, Louisiana
Houma is a city in and the parish seat of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, and the largest principal city of the Houma–Bayou Cane–Thibodaux Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's powers of government have been absorbed by the parish, which is now run by the Terrebonne Parish...
in Terrebonne Parish
Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana
Terrebonne Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Houma. Its population was 111,860...
, the daughter of Ellis Thomas and Ada E. Matherne. Their children are Dr. Dianna Drew Johnson of Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, Tennessee
Tennessee
Tennessee is a U.S. state located in the Southeastern United States. It has a population of 6,346,105, making it the nation's 17th-largest state by population, and covers , making it the 36th-largest by total land area...
, formerly Dr. Dianna D. Redburn of Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, Texas, and Suzanne Jeanne Ammons, Robert Dale Ammons, and Kenneth Ellis Ammons, all of Many. The youngest son, Larry Wayne Ammons (1953–1993), died at the age of thirty-nine of heart complications in Lafayette
Lafayette, Louisiana
Lafayette is a city in and the parish seat of Lafayette Parish, Louisiana, United States, on the Vermilion River. The population was 120,623 at the 2010 census...
.
From 1940-1944, Ammons operated a dairy. From 1945-1947, he worked for the Veterans Farm Assistance Program. From 1947-1948, he was the principal of Fisher High School in Fisher
Fisher, Louisiana
Fisher is a village in Sabine Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 268 at the 2000 census.-History:Fisher was named for Oliver Williams Fisher and built between 1899 and 1901 by the Louisiana Long Leaf Lumber Company...
in Sabine Parish. From 1948-1967, he was an agriculture teacher at Many High School, with service there corresponding with his term in the state legislature. As an agriculture instructor, he was also the advisor to Future Farmers of America. During summers he organized two-week trips, many out-of-state, for the FFA members. He taught his classes with a "learn-by-doing" approach.
Toledo Bend
Lake Texoma
Lake Texoma is one of the largest reservoirs in the United States, the 12th largest Corps of Engineers lake, and the largest in USACE Tulsa District....
on the Texas
Texas
Texas is the second largest U.S. state by both area and population, and the largest state by area in the contiguous United States.The name, based on the Caddo word "Tejas" meaning "friends" or "allies", was applied by the Spanish to the Caddo themselves and to the region of their settlement in...
/Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
border to study how a reservoir could produce an economic boom in a local area. He returned to Many so committed to the project that he ran for the legislature despite his lack of political experience. His motto was "Let's Build Toledo Bend Dam."
When Ammons went to Baton Rouge to introduce his bill for reservoir funding, he met immediate hesitation or outright opposition from state officials in the new Jimmie Davis
Jimmie Davis
James Houston Davis , better known as Jimmie Davis, was a noted singer of both sacred and popular songs who served two nonconsecutive terms as the 47th Governor of Louisiana...
administration who complained about the lack of funds available for expensive new projects. At the close of a strategy session, Ammons said, "Gentlemen, I called the meeting for you to tell me what could be done to build Toledo Bend, but all you have told me is what not to do.” The head of the state public works department, Lorris M. Wimberly
Lorris M. Wimberly
Lorris May Wimberly, Sr. , was a Democratic member of the Louisiana House of Representatives from 1928–1940 and again from 1948-1956. A native and resident of Arcadia, the seat of Bienville Parish in north Louisiana, Wimberly was House Speaker from 1936–1940, 1950–1952, and from May 14-July 10, 1956...
, a former Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives, "shook his finger" at Ammons and warned the new legislator that he did "not have the slightest idea what it would take to get this type of legislation passed. If you do introduce such a bill, you are going to hang yourself on the highest tree around this Capitol
Louisiana State Capitol
The Louisiana State Capitol building is the capitol building of the state of Louisiana, located in Baton Rouge. The capitol houses the Louisiana State Legislature, the governor's office, and parts of the executive branch...
, and furthermore you are going to be the laughingstock of the whole Legislature." Wimberly was soon replaced by Claude Kirkpatrick
Claude Kirkpatrick
Claude Kirkpatrick was a diversified businessman who served two terms in the Louisiana House of Representatives , worked to establish Toledo Bend Reservoir through his directorship of the state Department of Public Works , and was the administrator and then president of Baton Rouge General Medical...
, formerly a legislator from Jennings
Jennings, Louisiana
Jennings is a small city in and the parish seat of Jefferson Davis Parish, Louisiana, United States, near Lake Charles. The population was 10,986 at the 2000 census....
, who worked on the administrative end to bring the project to reality.
Voters approved Amendment 8 to tap income from a pension-fund tax established in 1890 for Louisiana veterans of the Confederate Army. At the time, there was only one remaining 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...
widow still living. Norman L. Richardson
Norman L. Richardson
Norman Lee Richardson was an award-winning journalist in Louisiana and Texas who was best known for his vivid coverage of hurricanes during the 1960s. His reporting garnered recognition from the Associated Press, including the Frank C...
, then the state editor of Shreveport Times, questioned the project from an historic perspective: the Sabine Breastworks from the Civil War would yield to the water of the reservoir.
In time, Ammons got his project approved and funded. He picked up support from the plethora of Garden clubs then prevalent in Louisiana, whose members, mostly women, sent chain letters to legislators in support of the reservoir. However, Ammons paid a price for his success with Toiedo Bend. He was defeated for reelection to a second term, as many local residents still opposed the project. In time, Toledo Bend became synonymous with bass
Bass (fish)
Bass is a name shared by many different species of popular gamefish. The term encompasses both freshwater and marine species. All belong to the large order Perciformes, or perch-like fishes, and in fact the word bass comes from Middle English bars, meaning "perch."-Types of basses:*The temperate...
fishing in Louisiana and Texas.
In 1969, Ammons established the Merritt Mountain Church Park, located on the banks of Toledo Bend Lake The non-profit organization
Non-profit organization
Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...
is open to all religious denominations. The Tom Sawyer
Chapel atop the hill is regularly used for services He was active in the creation of the Sabine Parish Housing Authority, of which Mrs. Ammons once served as director. Ammons built several subdivisions on Toledo Bend Lake, including Sportsman Paradise, Peaceful Valley, Terra II, Lakeland, and Beaver Village. He was a charter member of the Sabine Parish Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
, having served as president from 1966-1967. He established the general aviation
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
facility known as Ammons Airport on Toledo Bend Lake. During his legislative career he worked for passage of the constitutional amendment providing the funds to build Toledo Bend.
Death
Cliff and Ethel Ammons and son Larry are interred at Many Cemetery. In 2001, twenty years after his passing, Ammons was among five persons honored posthumously in the Sabine Parish Hall of Fame for his work with Toledo Bend. Two months before Ammons' passing, one of his legislative predecessors from Many, Frank Estes ColeFrank Estes Cole
Frank Estes Cole, sometimes known as F. E. Cole , was an educator from Many, Louisiana, who served as a Democrat in both houses of the Louisiana State Legislature between 1944 and 1960....
, also died.