Despite the closing of the overpass on US 84 in Tullos, one of the most disruptive events that has occurred in many years, Tullos Mayor Karla Cockerham remains optimistic about the progress that has been achieved in her town during the past year and what lies in store for its future.

“The construction of the new overpass was stopped due to the discovery of plastic beads and then the old overpass was shutdown, stopping traffic flow and cutting off some Tullos residents and businesses early this year,” Cockerham said. “Thankfully, the state reopened the old overpass to limited traffic but we still don’t know when the new overpass will be built.”

Although that caused much turmoil for Tullos residents and many others who use the corridor to Winnfield, there were many successes this past year for the town that sits in the southernmost part of Northwest LaSalle.

“One of the projects that we are most excited about is the construction of our new filtration system,” Mayor Cockerham said. “We received a $1-million DRA grant to go along with a USDA grant to total slightly over $2.86 million in grants for the new filtration system.

The Town is hoping the project can begin soon.

Two years ago, Tullos received a $75,000 grant to replace all of the town’s water meters with new cellular water meters and during this past year, those meters were installed.

Also concerning the water system, the Town was able to purchase chlorine analyzers for the Tullos Water System with grant money that will allow town employees to constantly monitor the chlorine levels of the water system instead of just doing daily checks on the chlorine residual.

The new playground equipment at the Town Park is being enjoyed by youth and the new Tullos Police Department building/ office has proven to be a great asset for the Town.

Mayor Cockerham is extremely proud of all of the community events that now are a regular feature of the town, including the annual Mardis Gras Festival, the Easter Festival that saw over 6,000 eggs hid for hunts this year, the Tullos Trunk or Treat during Halloween that saw a record number of over 1,000 people come through and the annual Tullos Christmas in the Park.

“I just want to take a moment and thank all of our businesses and citizens for not only their monetary donations but their time and efforts in seeing all of these great community events turn out so successful,” the Mayor said. “Of course, one staple event in Tullos is our Tullos Senior Citizens Christmas Party and Dinner. This is also made possible due to the generosity of so many people and businesses and I know that our seniors appreciate it so much.”

“In the last five years, the town has survived two hurriwas canes, an ice storm, the COVID pandemic and our major highway being shut down,” she said. “Enduring these difficult events proved just how united our community is, bringing citizens together to help the town and each other.”

“I am honored to be a citizen of Tullos and be a part of the positive growth in the community,” she continued. “I also appreciate all who have made the accomplishments of Tullos possible.”

Along with the civic events, Tullos is blessed with a large church base of citizens who are very much involved in the happenings of the town. Love’s Lighthouse Ministry and other local church ministries enable Tullos to remain strong spiritually.

“We are just blessed to live in Tullos and have so many people who genuinely care for the spiritual health of members.”

The History of Tullos

Tullos was once a thriving oil industry town during the early 1900s, but all of their “Oil Boom Days” came to an end during the mid-1930s. Prior to the devastation of that ending, the town was known as a place to get rich quick, although many lost their fortune as quickly as they earned it.

At that time, it was noted that Tullos hosted 13 bars, two barber shops, hotels, a doctor’s office, a drug store, a machine shop, a grocery and dry goods store, a skating rink, a movie theater, a Five & Dime Store and two churches.

The boom resulted when a large reservoir of oil was discovered around 1925, some 30 years after the town established. But by the mid-1930s, the reservoir was depleted, the Great Depression was occurring, the jobs were gone and so were the throngs of people.

Nearly overnight, the town that had turned into crowded stores with a busy main street went back to a quiet community of a few faithful. It actually returned right back to where it started – a few residents with their churches as their foundation.

In 1859, John Tullos settled where the building that formerly housed New Union Baptist Church is today, located just north of Tullos’ city limits off US 165. He played an important role as one of the church organizers for the quiet community of strongly religious people. The members of New Union Baptist Church were the principle force in establishing law, order and decency to the Tullos area during that early time period.

In 1893, the Town of Tullos was surveyed, laid out in lots, and a train depot was built. The new town was named in honor of Henry Tullos, who had accumulated considerable land and property and was identified with the commerce of the town.

This year ends Cockerham’s first four-year term as mayor and she said one thing she hopes for the future of Tullos is that property owners continue to clean and clear property of condemned buildings to bring curbside appeal to the community. She added that the curbside appeal will then allow the town to grow with new homes being replaced on properties where abandoned buildings once stood.

“All the improvements over the past year not only help the town but each citizen within it. I am honored to have been a part in moving the town in a positive direction,” Cockerham said. “It has been an honor to work along such dedicated people who all share the same goals for Tullos. Without local churches, ministries, Senator Glen Womack, Representative Gabe Firment, Tullos Council Members, Clerk Jonna Souppa, Assistant Clerk Marli Rae Oehler, local business owners and most importantly, the citizens of Tullos, no accomplishments Tullos has achieved would have been possible.”