POSSIBLE ORIGIN OF "WHAM"
February 6, 2003 Message from Sue and Thomas James Wham
Sue and I visited Monroe, LA on our return trip from Florida. There is a Wham Brake located about 5 miles NE of Swartz, LA. Early maps reflect a town (no longer in existence) at the intersection of Hwy. 134 and a railroad track overlooking a swampy area which is the beginning of Wham Brake. There is a cemetery by the name of Wham Cemetery near the intersection of Hwy. 139 and Hwy. 134 near the Loch Arbor church. No Whams are buried there.
One of the early settlers was a Scot by the name of Morehouse who owned a large track of land near Wham Brake. He most likely named the area close to his holdings which are reflected today. After a considerable period of time working with local genealogists and the Parish Land Records no Wham was found to have occupied lands in this area.
This information add credence to the meaning of Wham and its association with a swamp. My son John recently found information at the University of Arkansas library that reflects the early Whams in Scotland may have been involved in collecting reeds in the swampy areas and the occupation of thatching roofs. He is attempting to retrace his readings and document the source.