Rita LeBleu

rlebleu@americanpress.com

In Lake Charles, Shell Beach Drive may be the place to glimpse picturesque and historical estates shaded by 100-year old oaks. In Sulphur, however, it is the scenery and architecture of Choupique Road, especially during Christmas, which impresses. The Lawton homes feature light-draped oaks and lawns sprouting larger than life holiday décor.

In the past, when you heard the plural, “The Lawtons,” folks were most likely referring to the late William Burton “Bill” Lawton (1927-2012) and Edward “Jack” Lawton, Sr. (1929-2016), brothers.

Bill had two daughters. Linda is married to Mitch Drost and Evelyn is married to Mike Duhon. (The history of the Bill Lawton familiy will be outlined during the Christmas season when the American Press writes about his home on Choupique Road and the granddaughter who lives in it.)

Jack, Sr. and Dorothy “Coonie” Sonnier Lawton had one son, Jack, Jr. who married Holly Bugg.

“They hit perfection with me and stopped,” Jack, Jr. says, jokingly, during an interview. He is down to earth and has a good sense of humor, but he is not comfortable talking about himself. He is the owner and developer of Walnut Grove and has other business interests.

The home his parents decorated during the holidays is Los Encinos, which is Spanish for the oaks. The architecture of the house is also Spanish influenced. The house was built in the early 60s, and is prime example of rambling mid-century modern ranch.

“College scholarships for I don’t know how many Southwest Louisiana seniors and Christmas lights are one of the first things I think of when I think of the Lawtons,” said Randy Bleidiessel. He began working for the Lawtons in 1982, and still works for Jack Lawton, Jr. today.

It was Bill and Jack, Sr.’s father, Joseph Alfred “Pally” Lawton (1905-1968), who began the Christmas decorating tradition, according to Evelyn Gay Lawton Duhon.

She lives in her Grandfather Pally’s house on Choupique Road.

“He would sit on the porch and wave at everyone as they came by,” she said.

“I remember my dad talking about the first time he introduced my mother to my grandfather (Pally),” said Jack, Jr. “He told him, don’t call her a coon ass.”

She was from Ville Platte, Chataignier and Eunice.

“Of course, the first thing my grandfather did was call her the cutest little “coonie” he had ever laid eyes on.”

The name stuck.

“Funny thing,” Jack, Jr. said. “I have always heard that being a good cook was in your blood if you were a Cajun, but mamma couldn’t cook when they married.”

She soon learned and was considered an excellent cook by all. Among those who enjoyed the fruits of her labor were Sulphur High School football teams and cheerleaders.

“My sister, Linda and I would go across the yard and eat if we liked what Jackie (her name for Jack, Sr.) and Nanaw (her name for Coonie) were having better than what mamma was cooking,” Evelyn Duhon said.

Coonie loved to entertain.

The outside of the Jack and Coonie Lawton house shined during the holidays. Inside the home sparkled and shined year round.

In 1975 Jackie Kinney, wrote about the Los Encinos in the American Press.

The floor plan is open. The almost 7,000-square-foot house has a sunken den, five bathrooms, four bedrooms and three long halls. Closets are filled with formal wear, various fur coats, designer shoes and clothing with tags such as St. John, Christian Dior, Ferragamo and Bruno Magli.

Currently the three long halls are decorated with paintings and prints (including a signed Erte), needlework and photographs of local scenes and industry.

Her interior style was eclectic. The house was decorated through the years with furnishings from French to Chippendale to modern Baker pieces. Floors are covered with wool, silk and other rugs.

The house has storage room galore, a good thing because the Jack Lawton, Sr. family had tons of Christmas decorations, Christmas collectibles, tablecloths, even special Christmas seating, hand-painted Hitchcock chairs designed with one-of-a-kind winter scenes. An oversized, Amro Kuolt Italian nativity scene with 17, ten-inch wood, hand-carved figures, valued at $12,000, is part of the most noteworthy holiday collectibles.

Coonie Lawton was a discerning collector. Frances Fitz-Gerald has been working in the house for a month. She has discovered catalog and magazine pages turned down and marked. Her book collection is extensive and demonstrates Coonie’s interest in learning about and meeting artists before investing in their work. She and Jack, Sr. loved bronze statues with western themes. Veryl Goodnight was a favorite.

She collected Halcyon “boxes,” Wedgwood, Baccarat, Waterford, Lalique, Royal Bouton, pewter and artisan pottery.

For her assortment of gold and silver plate, she built a special storage area lined with Pacific silver cloth.

In the center of the dining room table that accommodates at least 16, is a silver plateau previously owned by John Ford, the movie producer. Over it hangs a dazzling 24-light bronze gilt Baccarat crystal chandelier. It’s not the only gorgeous chandelier in the house, but it is the most impressive. Chandeliers can be found in many rooms of the house, including a monumental 24-light chandelier in the entry.

Jack Lawton, Sr. loved hunting.

His numerous hunting trophies still line the study’s cathedral ceilinged gables, including one downed by Mrs. Lawton herself, according to Kinney’s article. Jack, Sr., 82nd in 1500 members of the worldwide Grand Slam Club, downed the rest. The Grand Slam Club is an organization of big game wild sheep hunters and conservationists. Jack Sr. also helped begin the first Louisiana chapter of the Coastal Conservation Association, previously known as the Gulf Coast Association of Louisiana.

Jack, Jr. said hunting with his father are some of his favorite memories, even the time that landed Jack, Sr. in hot water with his wife.

He killed two bears hunting with his father. One was a close call.

Jack Lawton, Sr. was a cowboy. Evelyn Duhon said she would not have gotten into the cattle business were it not for her uncle.

The American Press asked Mitch Drost, Linda’s husband the first thing that comes to mind when he remembers Jack Lawton, Sr.

“He loved the ranch,” said Drost.

Drost and Evelyn’s husband, Mike Duhon, both worked on the ranch as young men.

“He was a cowboy at heart, and he loved his family,” Drost said.

Nola Mae Ross, in her book, “The Lawton Ranch,” described it as “the most outstanding example of what can be created from a bare piece of farmland in an isolated spot….”

In 1949, Bill and Jack, Sr. took over the ranch. Jack, Sr. was responsible for breaking the horses needed by the ranch hands to work the cows. Each cowboy had three.

In its heyday, the ranch had 1500 cows and 300 horses, according to Jack, Jr.

In addition to raising cattle and breeding horses, the Lawton brothers raised rice, later soybeans and then mostly timber on the ranch and on other property.

Jack, Sr. was really a great football player, according to Ross. She quoted his brother, Bill, as saying, “He was just a natural athlete. After his coach died, his wife, Mrs. B.S. Walker, told Jack that his coach had considered Jack the best football player he had ever coached.”

Jack, Jr. remembers the first horse his father bought for him, LeBelle. He helped on the ranch and like his father he was a great football player, earning a scholarship to play at LSU. He noticed his wife, Holly, for the first time in one of their classes together at Sulphur High School.

Jack Jr. and Holly Bugg Lawton have four children and seven grandchildren.

Coonie passed away in July 2018.

Make the dining room photo the main photo if it looks like it will show up nicely, please. Thank you.

(The photo of the couple in the dining room.)

The Lawton house was decorated inside and out during the holidays. This was also the time of the year that the Lawtons hosted one of their formal dinners. Men wore jackets and ties. Women wore floor-length gowns.

(Vintage, hand-tinted photo)

Jack, Sr. and Coonie Lawton, the early years

(The photo of the two adult couples and the three children.)

This photo shows Hollie and Jack, Jr., their three children, Candace, Jacob and Leslie and Jack, Sr. and Coonie Lawton.

Father holding son

(“Little Jack” Lawton and his father, “Big Jack”)

(Little Jack)

Earl…you could do a pull out quote style next to the photo of the little boy if you wanted. Here’s what it would say….

(0001) and (9998)

The entrance to Los Encinos, once home of the Jack Lawton, Sr. family.