John R. Smart, known as the "Father of Vernon Parish," introduced the act to create the parish. He served in the Louisiana House and Senate before and after the War Between the States and signed the 1852 Louisiana Constitution. He named Leesville for Gen. Robert E. Lee and, as a successful planter, lived at his home, "The Retreat," four miles north of Leesville. Dr. Edmund E. Smart, known as the "Father of Leesville," also served in the Louisiana House and Senate, developed the city on his plantation, served the new city as treasurer in 1871, and donated the city block for the Vernon Parish Courthouse.