John H. Eastman

John H. Eastman (September 23, 1861 – November 14, 1938) was a businessman 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.^[1]

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").^[2] In 1898, he established the Vordenbauman-Eastman Hardware Company.^[2]

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.^[3] Eastman also oversaw the enlargement of the Louisiana State Fair grounds and the construction of the grandstand.^[2] The fairgrounds are now located along Interstate 20.^[4] 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.^[2]

Eastman married the former Nellie Mayo of Lake Charles, and the couple had four children, of whom only one survived, William M. Eastman.^[2][5]

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 vehicles too.^[6]

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