Louisiana Genealogy Blog

Unknown cemetery Orleans Parish

2011-12-28T23:10:00.000-08:00

Does anyone have any idea about the history around S. Tonti Street in New Orleans? Here is a map from 1895 that illustrates a cemetery on the Illinois Central American Railroad just above S. Tonti and likely within a 1/4 mile of that street.

The map is 116 years old and the area has changed BUT the streets below the cemetery have not changed names. There are many street name changes in New Orleans over the past 100 years or so. The location of 4th Street was critical in placing the cemetery on a modern day Google map near a railroad. There are many cemeteries to the NORTH and EAST and WEST of this location. I just love old maps. A little farther Northeast would place the cemetery at the Superdome. I just don't know the name of this cemetery and cant seem to find it anywhere.

J. Robb Bank

2011-12-28T22:58:00.000-08:00

Into the New Year! I am looking at my bank .... ouch. I bet you didn't know there was a J. Robb bank in New Orleans. I wish I could see the bank note prior to December 13, 1858. I would read the bank note:

"J. Robb Bank - 5 dollars"

The bank changed its name after that date to Merchants Bank.

LOUISiana Digital Library April 1859

Google Newspaper Archive and Search is over.... and it has wreaked havoc on my newspaper archive searching. Google decided mid year to stop processing its newspaper archive. I suppose this also included archive newspaper search for the individual newspaper chosen. Can't seem to get the archive search to do what I want it to these days. There is more about Mr. J Robb from the NY TIMES Archive. Click the photo for the original. (Also there was a steamboat disaster reported in January of 1855 which names the James Robb steamship and two others from St. Louis to New Orleans which sunk. The James Robb steamboat was owned by Capt. Carroll of Cincinnatti and Louisville. URL)

Making new recipes, and sharing old memories of Thanksgiving

2011-11-14T09:56:00.000-08:00

Have you been to the Southern Food and Beverage Museum's blog OKRA, yet? Well, you should. There are a few recipes listed that are really getting great reviews in my kitchen. Right now, I am busy gathering all of the family recipes for the holidays. I have made up the grocery list from the recipe list and have taste tested a few new delicious recipes. I am thankful for local church cookbooks this year. The older the cookbook the better. I am lucky enough to have two very old church cookbooks. One from Louisiana and one from my Aunt. Well, two from Louisiana!

One of my favorite memories was my great grandmothers formal dining table at Thanksgiving. I was allowed to have a wine glass full of whatever fuzzy nose tickling soda I liked. Just thinking about it makes my nose tickle. I felt so grown up in having a wine glass just like everyone else. The table glittered with crystal, silver, the fine china and candles. Everyone helped polish the silver. I was allowed to help set the table and place the wine glasses. It was odd, I'm sure to my grandmother, that my goblet needed to be refilled frequently before dinner began. She usually caught on at about the third or fourth refill. Some would think giving a wine glass to a child would set the stage for a future member of AA, but no. Instead, I withheld soft drinks from my own children until they were eight.

Those days are long gone. No more formal dining. No more crystal, candles or fine china. The food we shared back then? I cant even remember it, actually. I suppose I'm instilling the memory of food, instead of formal place settings to my own offspring now.

I am thankful for those memories at my great grandmas formal dining table with everyone laughing above the candles and the crystal twinkling magically like stars.

Now off to pluck that turkey....

Bugles and buglers

2011-08-23T11:29:00.000-07:00

This is an interesting story that cropped up in the Google News reader this morning about a Louisiana native searching for his grandfathers WWI bugle. This group plays taps at military funerals. There is no cost to, or charge for, the rendering of Taps for the families of our deceased military heroes. Bugles Across America can be reached at www.buglesacrossamerica.org. The article further stated this:

He returned to the United States April 2, 1919, but was killed at the age of 32 when the car in which he was riding crashed in the Steubenville area.

I have two family members who passed on in this way after coming home from war and know of several others that have passed on in this way too.... It somewhat baffles the mind, that after surviving the harrowing details of war, that they then die in a car wreck.

This photo of a particular bugle is from the Civil War era, found with a Google Image search and from Pennsylvania. In the details of the image its states that its former owners were first stationed at Ft. Delaware. Young Sanders Center has a listing of Louisiana Civil War soldiers who died at this civil war prison. Ft. Delaware, was NOT a great place to be during the Civil War if you were a Confederate. If you like, you can visit Ft. Delaware Society on facebook.

One of the things my family enjoyed doing together was camping. But one of the things my family also enjoyed was complaining about our bugler waking us up every morning at camp! We were sure not to miss our mornings during vacation, however.

I am also reminded of our late friend Dr. Thornton, who brought a smile to my face because he very lightheartedly video taped a bagpiper playing at his grave site - well before he passed on. He was sure not to miss it and kindly invited the world to view it on his blog. It survives as a virtual memorial service, for those of us who could not attend his funeral. I took comfort in that -- R.I.P. friend!

Footnote changes its name

2011-08-22T11:23:00.000-07:00

Checked my email and low and behold! Footnote, which is also available through any NARA archive library, changed its name to fold3.

We wanted a name that would show respect for the records we are working on and for the people who have served in the armed forces. The name Fold3 comes from a traditional flag-folding ceremony in which the third fold is made in honor and remembrance of veterans for their sacrifice in defending their country and promoting peace in the world.

Anyone who deals with paperwork and military records, knows you're not supposed to fold those! :)

What's new?

2011-06-27T10:44:00.000-07:00

Richland Roots - another Louisiana blog. So glad to see photos of Wynn Cemetery today!

The Louisiana Genealogy and History Society has a new website! Check them out here!

Looking for directions to 105 mile spur cemetery in East Baton Rouge. Anyone know how to get there? -fb

Summer vacation

2011-06-25T08:58:00.000-07:00

Summer vacations as a young child were filled with trips to Paw Paw's garden, Grandma's chicken coop, fishing at the camp pond and swimming in the pool. We swam in the creek infrequently and took a walking trip to the local river. I have fond memories of picking corn, beans and digging potatoes at Grandpa's farm then getting to go swimming in the pool. Of course, we always had a good meal because of our gardens. That's the part I like best these days - eatin!

Ya'll be safe!

The Dead Voudou Queen

2011-06-15T05:37:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times Marie Laveau's obituary.

Memorial Day 2011

2011-05-23T13:52:00.000-07:00

EXECUTIVE DEPARTMENT
PROCLAMATION NO. 43 BJ 2011
________________________________________________________________________________
LEGAL STATE HOLIDAY - NATIONAL MEMORIAL DAY
________________________________________________________________________________
WHEREAS, the people of Louisiana recognize and honor on National Memorial Day the
heroic men and women who sacrificed their lives through military service;

WHEREAS, National Memorial Day provides an opportunity for remembrance of their
patriotic commitment to the democratic principles of freedom and equality;

WHEREAS, the last Monday in May has been federally established as the day to celebrate
National Memorial Day; and

WHEREAS, R.S. 1:55(B)(2) allows the governor to proclaim National Memorial Day as a
legal holiday and a day of rest in the State of Louisiana;

NOW THEREFORE I, BOBBY JINDAL, Governor of the State of Louisiana, by virtue of the
authority vested by the Constitution and laws of the State of Louisiana, do
hereby order and direct as follows:

SECTION 1: National Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2011, is declared a legal holiday in
the State of Louisiana and shall be observed as a day of rest and remembrance.

SECTION 2: On NationalMemorial Day all state buildings flying the flag of the United States
of America shall display the flag at half-staff until noon and shall thereafter raise
the flag to the top of the staff in accordance with guidelines of the United States
Code, 4 U.S.C. §1, et seq.

SECTION 3: Insofar as practicable, the appointing authorities and/or heads of all institutions,
offices and departments of the State (hereafter “appointing authority”) shall
permit the officers and employees under their control to observe National
Memorial Day, Monday, May 30, 2011, as a day of rest and remembrance.
Nonetheless, an appointing authority shall have discretion to require officers or
employees to work on the holiday when, in the appointing authority’s judgment,
it is required for the efficient administration of a State facility, the operation of
which is necessary and indispensable to the citizens of this State.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have set my hand officially and
caused to be affixed the Great Seal of Louisiana, at the Capitol,
in the City of Baton Rouge, on this 28th day of April, 2011.
/S/Bobby Jindal
GOVERNOR OF LOUISIANA
ATTEST BY
THE GOVERNOR
/S/Tom Schedler
SECRETARY OF STATE

Lafourche Parish Heritage Society

2011-05-23T13:32:00.000-07:00

I was happy to read about the Laforuche Parish Heritage Society recently in the Daily Comet. The LAGenWeb Lafourche Parish website also announces a few surnames commonly found around the parish. Here is the RootsWeb mailing list archive page for Lafourche and the Ancestry message board. There are a few message boards at Ancestry.com that are "gatewayed" to the associated mailing list. The Lafourche Ancestry board, does not appear to be one of those that cross posts to its associated mailing list. The Ancestry message board is much more active than the mailing list. (In the last six months, there have been three messages posted to the mailing list.) The LAGenWeb Lafourche archives.

Lafourche Heritage Society news

Officials with the Lafourche Heritage Society invite you to join in a quest for the past and the future. South Louisiana is rich in its culture, folklore and historical buildings. Yet, time makes all these things so fragile.

Through genealogy, oral history and historic preservation, the Lafourche Heritage Society is keeping alive regional legacies.

The genealogy committee can help you find your origins — to learn from whom and from where you came. It can also help in preserving old photographs and family papers.

People who care about architectural legacy are finding innovative uses for once-abandoned buildings. They’re becoming homes, shops and offices. The Lafourche Heritage Society has an awards program that gives recognition for historic and creative preservation.

Through these and other endeavors the group is trying to safeguard the area’s rich cultural heritage.

If you are already a member, the society requires your continued support. The dues year runs from May of one year to May of the next.

Here is a list of annual dues:

- Student: $3

- Associate organization: $15

- Individual: $5

- Supporter: $50

- Couple: $10

- Corporate business: $25

- Contributing: $25

- Donor $100

Please make check payable to Lafourche Heritage Society.

For information, mail the Lafourche Heritage Society, P.O. Box 913, Thibodaux, LA 70302-0913.

Jean Batiste LaFleur

2011-05-16T07:29:00.000-07:00

Neal Bertrand, posted this photo of Jean Batiste Lafleur, on my facebook wall asking if anyone had any connections.

Neal says, "The caption on this photo reads "Jean Batiste LaFleur." Does anyone know him, his spouse, when he lived, etc? This was in my dad's collection."

It is reposted here by request.

Louisiana flood 1912

2011-05-10T12:49:00.000-07:00

Louisiana Flood - 36 hours after the crevasse (LOC),Bain News Service,, publisher. Louisiana Flood - 36 hours after the crevasse, [1912]

NOAA - Mississippi River History below Red River Landing, Louisiana
1912

March-May

$70M damage along the MS River [Hoyt], New Orleans 2nd highest crest of record of 21.02 feet on May 11th; Donaldsonville 4th highest crest of record at 33.91 feet on May 10th; Baton Rouge 8th highest crest of record at 43.30 feet on May 11th. [AHPS]

1937 flood Louisiana livestock

2011-05-09T20:35:00.000-07:00

Livestock being moved from lowlands under the supervison of the Civilian Conservation Corps near White Hall, Louisiana during 1937 floods URL LOUISIana Digital Library

Happy Mother's Day!

2011-05-08T10:27:00.000-07:00

Louisiana Derby 1943

2011-05-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

A history of the Fair Grounds home of the Louisiana Derby

Two new Louisiana genealogy blogs added

2011-05-08T09:40:00.000-07:00

Jarrell Family Connections

and

Rester Family Connections

These two Louisiana blogs are written by Karla Cook, who also has a website travel blog.
She uses a Family Tree Maker Genealogy site, too decrying her Southern Roots! Both of her blogs were a nice find today.

Louisiana 1927 Flood from LSU Oral History Online

2011-05-02T11:22:00.000-07:00

Listen and read more about the 1927 flood from What Endures - LSU Libraries Special Collections T. Harry Williams Center for Oral History Blog and Podcast.

Report of the Mississippi River Commission and Acadiana

2011-05-01T11:56:00.000-07:00

United States. Mississippi River Commission
0 Reviews
G.P.O., 1884 - Nature

The picture says it all doesn't it?

I believe that since 1884 there is still no answer to the problems associated with the flooding of the Mississippi River. Much time has been spent on building levees up and down the Mississippi River. And the fact that Missouri has sought to blow up a levee recently, proved interesting even if somewhat odd.

I thought that I could view plates of the Mississippi River levees at the end of the 1884 book, Google clip above. WRONG. Sorry folks, Google did not open the folded charts or maps of the Mississippi river. I thought the photographs of the hand, attempting to digitize the book was, well, interesting.....

The River is up. But you know that. This news article from the UK I found interesting complete with historical before and after shots of the 1927 flood.

Also unfound in Google eBooks today was another title, The United States news - Volume 8, U.S. News Pub. Corp., 1940. A Google eBook review states that this item was misfiled under the wrong date of 1940. Acadiana, an area of 22 parishes in Louisiana, was not created until after the 1970's. I was attempting to search for a map of the 22 parishes of Acadiana. There are two maps that I have found online and those are below.

There is this map, from Cajun and Cajuns.

And then there is one from Wikipedia.

Deep Delta Civil War Symposium

2011-05-01T06:41:00.000-07:00

From Camp Moore Historical Association on fB:

Another date to mark on your calendars: Saturday, June 4, 2011. Southeastern Louisiana University will once again host the Deep Delta Civil War Symposium. As soon as more information is posted we will let you know! If you've never been to one of these symposiums before, we highly recommend it!

For questions, please call us at 985-549-2109 or email Southeastern at: hips@selu.edu

Past Civil War Symposium Events

Iberville Stone

2011-04-28T18:11:00.000-07:00

Louisiana State Museum - See also URL
Fort Maurepas

Louisiana Surnames Louisiana Researchers updated

2011-04-28T13:15:00.000-07:00

The surname database for this blog has been updated today. You are free to add or search for yours. The database has reached eight pages. Thank you for contributing!

Pierre Soule

2011-04-27T13:51:00.000-07:00

According to the New York Times, Pierre Soule arrived in New York as a prisoner on the Ocean Queen June 18, 1862 with his "negro servant" and "free man", Jule.

The former Congressman was successful in lobbying against the death penalty in 1846, but Union troops executed Mumford at the US MINT during the Civil War while Soule was provost marshall. You may read more here about the infamous incident.

Pierre Soule was pardoned by the President November 1, 1865.

More was written in 1918 about Soule's duels. "Soule attended a ball in Madrid where a remark by the Duke of Alva was accidentally heard by Mr. Soule's son, Nelvil, who considered it offensive to his family, and, though the duke denied any such intention, a duel with swords was the result. Mr. Soule then challenged the French ambassador, the Marquis de Turgot, as responsible for what had taken place under his roof, and crippled him for life." URL

Pierre Soule was provost marshall in New Orleans at the time of his arrest. His possible duties included: (From URL)

- Suppression of marauding an depredations, and of brawls and disturbances, preservation of good order, and suppression of disturbances beyond the limits of the camps.

- Prevention of straggling on the march.
- Suppression of gambling houses, drinking houses, or barrooms, and brothels.
- Regulation of hotels, taverns, markets, and places of amusement.
- Searches, seizures, and arrests.
- Execution of sentences of general courts-martial involving imprisonment or capital punishment.
- Enforcement of orders prohibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors.
- Deserters.
- Countersigning safeguards.
- Passes to citizens within the lines and for purposes of trade.
- Complaint of citizens as to the conduct of soldiers.
- Confiscation of contraband.
- Prisoners of war.
- Intelligence.
- Passports for travel.
- Arrest of "Draft-dodgers" and men who were "AWOL".

A Provost Marshall would have had access to telegraph ciphers and telegraphs. There were a number of New Orleans investors in the Louisville and New Orleans telegraph in 1849. Soule was known prior to the Civil War for opposing succession although he did agree and acknowledge that he would follow the wishes of his state.

The Library of Congress [LOC] has a broadside from the Louisville and New Orleans telegraph written in 1849. I have written a previous post about telegraphs in Louisiana.

Below is a photograph of Soule's burial from Find A Grave, Added by: Pat Dupuy 3/09/2010. Pierre Soule burned most of his personal papers before he died and has no formal biography according to many sources. He led a curious life. The wikipedia article on Soule indicates that he was imprisoned in Massachusetts at Fort Warren and moved to The Astor House while other sources indicate Soule was imprisoned at Fort Lafayette. There are a few very notable differences between Fort Lafayette Prison and The Astor House! The Astor House a lavish hotel.

Fort Lafayette Prison

Astor House


St. Pelagie Prison France

Soule was no stranger to prison and this was not his first prison term! He was also sent to prison for publishing revolutionary articles in France in 1825. He escaped the French prison, St Pelagie, before going to England and then to New York. At that time he knew little English and learned it while working as a gardener in Kentucky before finally moving to New Orleans. (More)

"The latter [i.e. Pierre Soule] from being a noisy Unionist had been persuaded, by his appointment to the office of Provost Marshal, to fly the colors of the Confederacy." --Retrospections of an Active Life: 1817-1863 (Google eBook) John Bigelow, Baker & Taylor, 1909 - History

"Beauty and booty":
the watchword of New Orleans (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Marion Southwood
0 Reviews
Pub. for the author by M. Doolady, 1867 - Travel - 303 pages

See also: Louisiana Civil War blog and here.
Find A Grave Mumford and Col. Nevil Soule's Regt.

Louisiana bolsters Easter Lily shortages during World War II

2011-04-22T09:24:00.000-07:00

An Old Catholic Good Friday Tradition in Louisiana

Civil War Confessions Accepted

2011-04-21T14:26:00.000-07:00

Miscellaneous Documents Printed by the order of The House of Representatives During the First session of the thirty-first congress, begun and held at the city of Washington December 3, 1849, and in the seventy-fourth year of the independence of the United States In Two Volumes
(Google eBook)

1880

Who took our books and stuff during the Civil War out of the Louisiana state library? Hmmm this was interesting. Wisconsin had it, but graciously gave it back. I know there is a story hiding behind this somewhere. Any other states have a Civil War confession to make?

Hunley in Louisiana

2011-04-21T12:35:00.000-07:00

Captain Horace L. Hunley's will and succession documents can be found at the St. Tammany Parish Clerk of Court? According to this post from the St. John Parish mailing list , URL, Captain Hunley was also a Covington, Louisiana plantation owner. Covington is located in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. This 2005 article reveals a bit of background information on just how the Hunley records were lost and found. Below you will find the BLM GLO record dated May 10, 1860 is for land located in West Baton Rouge Parish for Horrace L. Hunley. Hmmm a mystery. There are two other Hunley's available in the BLM GLO records: H. S. Hunley 1883 St. Charles Parish and Henry Hunley 1838 Ouachita Parish. The LSU Library has more information about a submarine built by Hunley in New Orleans around 1861-1862.

The Louisiana Surnames - Louisiana Researchers list needs to be updated. I haven't updated the page since February and it is now the end of April. Visitors have filled up an entire page since the last update. I am falling behind but will catch up with this task ....most likely after Easter.

Damon Veach's column Vol. 3 No. 5, April 11, 2011 was also a great read today :). Also of interest were these articles on the same subject: Louisiana State Museum and this article in the Google Newspaper Archive.

Lafayette Genealogical Society Meeting - Using old and new maps in Louisiana

2011-04-21T08:58:00.000-07:00

From the LALGS list:
Members of the Lafayette Genealogical Society,

This is your reminder that the regular monthly meeting of the Lafayette
Genealogical Society will meet this Thursday, April 21, 2011 at the South
Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA beginning at 6:00 P.M.

Our guest speaker will be Ms. Carolyn French, who has received her Masters
and Doctorate degrees in History and Anthropology. Please plan to attend
and and hear how she used old and new maps to determine the changing make-up
of a part of a Louisiana parish.

Members will be updated on the Grand Revile Acadien/Great Acadian Awakening
to be held October 7-16, 2011 when we will be hosting Stephen White, author
and premier Acadian genealogist, here in Lafayette. Please consider what
you may do to help the society in this endeavor.

Another reminder is about the Louisiana Genealogical & Historical Society
that will hold a seminar on April 30th at the Embassy Suites in Baton Rouge.
Registration fee is $35.00. John Sellers, a genealogists living in Texas,
will speak on "What Are They Saying About Your Family in the Paper?", "Was
Grandpa His Brother's Keeper?", "Here Comes the Judge." and "The Other
Louisiana." He is both knowledgeable and entertaining, and may give us some
little gems to push us forward in our genealogical researches. Please let
me know if you are interested in going; several members are.

Dues will be accepted. Articles for our annual 2011 CD may be donated. The
Jefferson St. Library is now open and in working order! The genealogical
section is neat and complete. Kudos to all the librarians that made our
area open, user friendly, and available. Every member needs to make a visit
just to see the temporary library, and possibly USE it.

I look forward to seeing you at our meeting this Thursday evening.

Brenda Fuselier, President
Lafayette Genealogical Society

Royal fuss - Great Britain refuses Louisiana

2011-04-20T06:23:00.000-07:00

Yahoo this morning encouraged me to share my wishes and words of advice for the Royal couple in signing a Royal Wedding guest book. You've seen the wedding advertised everywhere, lately for Prince William and Catherine Middleton. Yahoo declared: "Share your wishes and advice for a happy marriage with the royal couple. Sign the guestbook and you'll be entered to win a trip for two to Las Vegas! More details." I thought the announcement a little odd coming from Yahoo as America has no connection to the Royal family; minus our Independance, of course. Over 108 years ago, the Province of Louisiana was offered by Louis XV to Great Britain. Great Britain declined to accept. I wonder why? What would the history of Louisiana have been like if Great Britain accepted the Province of Louisiana? You can read the 108 year old story below.

It was most interesting to note this quote: "I fear that any cession in the Gulf of Mexico might lead to serious consequences."

Chatah-Ima - Like a Chocktaw - Louisiana's bard

2011-03-30T10:52:00.000-07:00

1813-1887
Adrien Emmanuel Rouquette, an ecclesiastic of the Roman Catholic Church, was of European and American parentage; his father, Dominique Rouquette, was French, and his mother, Louise Cousin, was a native of Louisiana. He was born in New Orleans, and received his education in France, at the Royal College of Nantes; studied for the bar but relinquished it for the Church, becoming affiliated with the Catholic seminary at New Orleans. He was known for writing poetry and prose in French and English. He was a missionary who worked among the Choctaw Indians, who gave him the name Chahta-Ima. Obituary in the Times-Democrat, July 16, 1887.
- Tulane Special Collections.

He attended Translyvania University, in Lexington, Kentucky at 10 years old around 1824. His father having died when he was at the tender age of five. Other Louisiana politicians, like Soloman W. Downs, also attended Translyvania University. Downs graduated in 1823, a year prior to Rouquette's entrance.

From 1844 to 1859 Rouquette was assigned to St. Louis Cathedral. After fourteen years in New Orleans, he become a missionary to the Chocktaw on Bayou Lacombe. Some websites indicate that this was a sudden change.

The following excerpt was taken from a Word Doc of the title Wild Flowers, available from the Centenary College of Louisiana.

THE WILD MUSE TO HER GRACEFUL SISTERS,
THE SACRED NINE

O beata solitude,
O sola beatitudo!
(C. MUSIUS.)

My graceful sisters, list to me;
I come to crave for sympathy;
No flow’ry wreaths I ask of ye;

I ask no laurels ever-green;
Ambitious never have I been:
A smile is all I hope to win!

Ye know me well, ye sisters mild:
Of pensive mood, and strangely wild;
As bashful as an Indian child,

I turn away from crowds with fright;
I dread all public praise or light;
In solitude I most delight….

My graceful sisters, list to me;
A smile is all I ask of ye:
Grant but that smile, and blest I’ll be!

Bayou-Lacombe, May 28, 1848

Wild Flowers
SACRED POETRY

by

THE ABBÉ ADRIAN ROUQUETTE,

See also Creole City LSU - " In Old Creole Days and The Grandissimes, Cable portrays decadent characters in a romanticized New Orleans setting and hints at the racial impurity of the white Creole population of the city. This last point inspired a furious backlash from several prominent Creoles, the most stinging of which is Adrien Rouquette’s A Critical Dialogue Between Aboo and Caboo on a New Book, or A Grandissime Ascension. Rouquette’s satirical critique of The Grandissimes, written as an overheard dialogue between two ghosts on the shore of Lake Ponchartrain, mocks Cable’s attempt to imitate the various accents of New Orleans in his dialogue and takes issue with the fact that Cable’s works “were given as novels and taken for history.”

Rouquette's mysterious burial

What's new in North Louisiana?

2011-03-25T10:31:00.000-07:00

The North Louisiana Genealogical and Historical Society had a meeting back on March 14th. I'm catching up on the Prune Picker blog, written by Chuck Monson. He has posted some lovely photos of Dogwood trees in bloom. I am jealous as my Dogwood is only 3" tall and likely will get stomped on by the dog or one of the kids. (Again - This is my upteenth attempt at growing a Dogwood tree. I haven't been very successful.) He has also posted a photo of an old house covered in Wisteria vines and has a blogging series on Flat Stanley that is well worth checking out. Chuck has blogged a fantastic way to engage children (adults too for that matter!) in local history lessons by way of the internet or mail.

Finding your roots - St. Alphonsus Church - ROOTS XX

2011-03-25T09:46:00.000-07:00

From West Bank Genealogy Society Yahoo Group:

The Friends of St. Alphonsus is sponsoring ROOTS XX, on Saturday, March 26, 2011, at
St. Alphonsus Church, site of St. Alphonsus Art & Cultural Center, 2025 Constance Street,New Orleans in the Irish Channel, which will feature Salvadore J. Serio, genealogist and family research specialist to assist you in "Finding Your Roots." The program will begin at 9:00 am for registration and coffee. The cost is $20.00 person which includes a lunch of corned beef and cabbage with Irish soda bread. Reservations are encouraged for this popular event.

Mr. Salvadore Serio is president of the Cefalutana Society, vice president of the American ltalian Renaissance Foundation and past president of the Genealogy Research Society of New Orleans. He lectures and gives seminars on genealogy and genealogical research. Mr. Serio refers to the program as "Genealogy 101," for he will explain how to research using the internet, church records and public records at the Orleans and Jefferson Parish public libraries.

For those who have started their research, this will be an opportunity to continue with specific directions and further your knowledge of records available. For those just beginning, Mr. Serio will help you get organized and guide you along the path for success.

Several years ago, Sheila Larmann organized a class and a library of Irish research materials at St. Alphonsus, but the classes were interrupted by Hurricane Katrina in 2005. Materials are still available and Mr. Serio will assist Friends in getting started once again.

The program will end with a tour of St. Alphonsus Church conducted by Mr. William "Bill"
Murphy. For more information and registration please email: fosa2025@bellsouth.net.

New Louisiana genealogy blog

2011-03-25T09:11:00.000-07:00

Stalking dead people - Bethany Harrison, Central Louisiana
"Welcome to my new blog site, Stalking Dead People, where I will attempt to take you along into my journey into the past – be it a genealogical journey of an individual person or a look into different cities at different points in time. I will share with you abstracts of historical documents and stories, explain how I found them, and its significance. I have been doing genealogy research since 2002, and the majority of my research is based in south Louisiana, particularly the Florida Parishes. Stay tuned for a real history of a people and a place that is often forgotten. This is not your textbook history!"

Tremoulet House and Latrobe

2011-03-24T18:51:00.000-07:00

Henry S. Bonneval Latrobe was the son of Henry Benjamin Latrobe. Henry Benjamin Latrobe was the architect of the White House and many other famous structures. Henry S. Bonneval Latrobe died of yellow fever in New Orleans in 1817, three years before his father, who also died of yellow fever. Neither saw the completion of the Frank Island lighthouse, whose foundation crumbled shortly after having been built. Henry S. Bonneval Latrobe is buried with his father in St. Louis Cemetery and is credited too with the central tower design of St. Louis Cathedral.

I came across the Frank's Island Lighthouse blog in searching for more information on Henry Latrobe. There is also a group researching the Latrobe family on Facebook.

Below is a screen shot of a log book documenting the lighthouse being built which is also mentioned in the Frank's Island blog. The jpg below begins in March of 1816.

This website tells about Pass a l'Outre Lighthouse, and Latrobe. There are photographic representations taken in 1934 on LOUISiana Digital Library of the Frank's Island lighthouse. It is a brick structure.
The Pass a l'Outre Lighthouse is clearly metal and not the same lighthouse.

I happened upon all of this just from attempting to find the corner of St. Peter and Levee Streets, New Orleans from a 1827 newspaper advertisement. Quite a historic diversion, especially if Henry S. Bonneval died in 1817 whereas the New Orleans Bar website claims he was still writing a diary in 1818. Must've been the elder's diary and not Henry S. Bonneval Latrobe OR the date is a typo. I wonder which source the New Orleans Bar used in 2010? Hmmmm. This needs a little more research I think! :) See the NOLA Graveyard Rabbit from March 2010 for photos of the Latrobe memorial clearly indicating H. S. B. Latrobes death date of 1817 and beautiful photograph of the St. Louis Cathedral.

Impressions Respecting New Orleans Diary & sketches 1818-1820, Edited with introduction and notes by Samuel Wilson, Jr. 1951.
The Journals of Benjamin Henry Latrobe 1799-1820 From Philadelphia to New Orleans, 1980.

Schools in every Louisiana township's 16th section - May 20, 1826

2011-03-24T14:29:00.000-07:00

Louisiana Schools in every townships' 16th Section ordered by Congress in 1826.
How many schools are actually appearing at the same locations today?

Samuel Lockhart, of Concordia parish, owned land in "WASHITA" parish in 1829 that included section 16.

Louisiana Libraries began with stock in the lottery.

UPDATE: h/t Lora Peppers fB - Soloman W. Downs can be found on Find A Grave.
He served in the US Senate from 1847-1853.

Photo by Lora Peppers on 12/01/2004 took this photo of Soloman Downs gravesite for FAG and read this post from 2009 about the Senator.

Terrebonne Genealogical Society Meeting

2011-03-21T13:32:00.000-07:00


		Terrebonne Genealogical Society - The Society meets on the last Saturday of each month at 1 P.M. at the Terrebonne Parish Library - Main Branch, 151 Civic Center Blvd.

GACHGS Meeting

2011-03-21T13:29:00.000-07:00

GACHGS Meeting
Tuesday March 22, 2011
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Location: St. John the Baptist Parish Library, 2920 Hwy 51, Laplace, LA

LOS ISLEñOS HERITAGE & CULTURAL SOCIETY

2011-03-10T21:43:00.000-08:00

PRESS RELEASE

Los Isleños Heritage and Cultural Society will celebrate its 35th annual Isleños Festival March 19-20, 2011 on the grounds of Los Isleños Museum Complex, 1345-1357 Bayou Road in St. Bernard Village. The Isleño Historic Village, situated in the rear of Los Isleños Museum, will be the setting for an expanded series of living history demonstrations, featuring folk crafts, historic vernacular lifestyles and the cultural identity of the Isleño descendants community in St. Bernard Parish.

La Parranda de Teror, a highly recognized folkloric group from the city of Teror in Gran Canaria will perform March 19th and 20th during Fiesta 2011.

Los Islenos Historic Village consists of seven structures. The Coconut Island Barroom, Estopinal House and Kitchen, Esteves House and Cresap-Caserta are historic structures which were re-located to the museum complex by Los Isleños Society. Each building and the surrounding grounds will be utilized for displays which will include farming, alligator hunting, trapping, boat building, trawl making, basket weaving, Teneriffe lace making and quilting. The Isleño\Center will be the site of presentations interpreting the Isleño cultural identity including folk remedies, traditional Isleño cuisine, historic farming and the Battle of New Orleans.

La Parranda de Teror is a well known folkloric group consisting of more than 30 musicians and vocalists. The group emulates the style of Los Sabandenos from Tenerife. La Parranda is currently celebrating its 21st year and has performed in prestigious folk music festivals throughout the mainland of Spain and Western Europe. Their repertoire of music ranges from the very traditional isas, folias, polkas and mazurkas of the Canaries to New Orleans Jazz.

Parish President Craig Taffaro and Isleño Society President Dot Benge will open Fiesta 2011 Saturday, March 19, 2011 at 12 noon . Entertainment will include, Fredy Omar Con su Banda, LA Parranda de Teror and Way Down South. Sunday, March 20 entertainment will include the Chalmette High School Jazz Band, La Parranda de Teror and the Top Cats. For additional information, please telephone Isleño Society President Dot Benge (504) 554-8412, Fiesta Chairman Hugh Pentney (504) 251-2040, Ryan Fink, publicity coordinator, Los Islenos Society (504) 650-1010, rfink@sbpg.net or Karen Turni Bazile, St. Bernard Parish Government (504) 278-4227 or kbazile@sbpg.net. - From their website: http://www.losislenos.org/newsletter.html

1891 and 1870 Grant and Carroll Parish and Natchitoches

2011-03-10T15:42:00.000-08:00

US Congressional Serial Set 1891 - In this title I read that C. C. Dunn was a plantation owner in Grant Parish. However, in the 1870 Census Christopher C. Dunn is noted to be a Dry Goods Merchant. Further reading you can find the same physician noted in 1891 also living near C. C. Dunn in 1870 Census in Grant Parish.

I attempted to find the plantation of Mrs. A. C. Deal in Grant Parish noted in the US Congressional Serial Set 1891, however, the only A. Deal found was in Carroll Parish where the Census records listed A. Deal 108yo black former Kentuckian living on the Arlington Plantation Carroll Parish. The East Carroll Parish blog notes a Black Bayou Plantation but not a Blackmon Plantation. Blackmon Plantation was the heading at the top of the 1870 Census page 59. Ann Deal was on page 60, I assume the plantations were next to one another.

The map below shows Arlington Plantation as it appears in Tourette's map of 1853 near the center. I did not see a Blackmon Plantation on the map which is noted in the 1870 Census, but Black B. is listed Northwest of Arlington. I suppose, the author of the Census is allowed such liberty and it is quite possible that Black Bayou Plantation had another local name by 1870.

E. Sparrow's plantation is also noted on the 1853 map of Carroll parish, Southeast of Arlington and directly Northwest of Cypress Island at marker 410 across Mississippi River.

I also browsed this site, Treasures in Louisiana, which makes note of a few treasure stories about Aime in Louisiana.

Friends of the Lafayette Library Book Sale

2011-03-10T09:20:00.000-08:00

From Louisiana Book News Yahoo Group:

Book sale

The Friends of the Lafayette Library have hosted book sales for the past 31 years to raise more than a half a million dollars for the library. Because the Main Library downtown will be renovated beginning this spring, the book sale will move from the library to the Heymann Performing Arts Center.

“This is the first sale that the Friends have had in 31 years that hasn’t been at the library so naturally we are very anxious about our attendance,” said Flossie Turner, board member.

For one, Turner is worried the public won’t know of the book sale’s move to the Heymann so you’re hearing it here! And two, because of the Main Library shutting down and moving while the building is renovated, the sorting for the book sale has to be made offsite, then the books moved to the Heymann.

“This move continues to be stressful to us as well as the library staff as the library is still the point of donation drop off,” Turner wrote me by email. “This means a preliminary sorting at the library, then the move (by the library staff) to our sorting/housing facility.”

Once the spring sale is over, the Friends will start taking donations for their next sale. Drop-off location for donations will be announced at a later date.

The Friends of the Library Book Sale will be from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. (preview sale for members only) on Monday, March 14 (and membership cost $5 for individuals so it’s worth it to join, then enjoy the early bird sale). The sale open to the general public will be from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, March 15 and 16 and 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Thursday, March 17. All books will be sold by the inch, 50 cents an inch for paperback and $1 an inch for hardbacks.

For more information, visit www.friendsofthelafayettelibrary.org or call 501-9209.

Charley's Oyster Saloon formerly Dick Nash's 97 St. Charles Street - Biglione

2011-03-09T16:17:00.000-08:00

Jean Durand Frankfort Street New Orleans

2011-03-09T11:50:00.000-08:00

Jean Durand died in New Orleans possibly July 31st, a Thursday in the year 1887. He was buried in the Potters Field per a NYT article August 7, 1887. The article also states that Jean Durand was a Union Civil War Veteran and was a former prisoner of the Confederate Libby Prison. He was said to have relatives in France who had just issued him $2,000.00 three weeks before he died that can no longer be found at the bank. Did he inherit some money from the death of a relative? Read the article below:

Jean Durand - druggist - 1832 New Orleans City Directory LAGENWEB.

I did not find Jean Durand in the CWSS or the African Sailors database as having been Union. I found him Confederate. I also found a Jean Durant, Union, Ohio.

Jean Durand (First_Last)
Regiment Name 1 Native Guards, Louisiana Militia
Side Confederate
Company
Soldier's Rank_In Private
Soldier's Rank_Out Private
Alternate Name
Notes
Film Number M378 roll 9

There is also a Jan Durand for the UNION.
Jan Durand (First_Last)
Regiment Name 73 U.S. Col'd Infantry.
Side Union
Company E
Soldier's Rank_In Corpel
Soldier's Rank_Out Corpel.
Alternate Name
Notes
Film Number M589 roll 25

I did find a muster roll record, elsewhere.

Muster Roll of Native Gaurds CSA
The 1st New Orleans Volunteers was a white Union regiment organized in March 1864 to defend the Crescent City while Nathaniel P. Banks was away with his army during the Red River Campaign. The 1st New Orleans Volunteers was not part of the Louisiana Native Guards, CSA or USA, and this representation of its muster roll is used here for illustrative purposes only. - Muster Roll Native Guards CSA

JEAN DURAND PRIVATE AUG 31, 1864

Another New York Times article presents a statement from Jean Durand:

AFFAIRS IN MEXICO.; DETAILS OF THE NAVAL ENGAGEMENT. Causes of the Capture of the Spanish Vessels. INTERESTING PARTICULARS. OFFICIAL CIRCULAR. APPROACH OF THE EXPEDITION--ITS CAPTURE BY THE AMERICAN SQUADRON. STATEMENT OF FOUR PRISONERS.

"..Four Frenchmen, taken prisoners at the capture of the steamers of MARIN, have drawn up and signed the following statement:

We, the undersigned, Robert Dantz, Leon Aubri, Arthur Comby, and Jean Durand, were embarked on board of the Packet Correo, No. 1, on the 20th February, 1860, for Vera Cruz, on the following conditions: "That we should stay no longer on board than to the 25th of March; that one month's salary should be paid to us in advance, another month's salary on our arrival there, and that the return passage to Havana should be paid to such as had a desire to go back..."
NYT - March 27th, 1860

There is a Geni project for French Creoles of Louisiana that lists research of the surname DURAND."The second wave of French migration into Avoyelles came in the mid 1800s, as several direct French immigrants came to the Mansura-Marksville area. Some of these later french families were: Brou, Escudè, Durand, Casteran, Caubarreaux, and Maillet." These DURAND's are not to be confused with the Creole families of New Orleans per the website. "Therefore, the French in Avoyelles are not bloodlined with the Acadian families of south Louisiana who have a completely different set of surnames within the United States."

Two early Durand's in a family tree

http://familytreemaker.genealogy.com/users/a/d/a/Leslie-Adams-la/WE...
B. 3 Nov 1723, son of Pierre Durand and Marie Francoise Rabut.

BLM GLO records have the DURAND surname in the following parishes: St. Martin, Avoyelles, and Terrebonne. The Terrebonne land has previously been blogged as there were over 25 owners of this single property.

The Louisiana Death and Birth records indicate over 151 death listings for DURAND and at least 22 Birth records.

Census records of 1810 list Durand's living on Toulouse Street & on Dauphine Street, New Orleans, but there are no records for Jean Durand. I see no Jean Durand in Baltimore, but I do see a Mdme Durand in the early 1800's.

This 1860 Census Record in New Orleans appears interesting alongside the article while not for Jean Durand.
It lists Mateo Durand 60yo born in Cadis, France? and living with Mary Durand 24yo. born in Dublin. That's Ireland folks. There are several children too. James and I can't read the girls name. What do you think? The value of his real estate is $2000.00 9th Ward New Orleans, Louisiana. Given that newspapers, especially The New York Times, tell tall tales, some portions of the story do seem to fit this Census record.

The surname, the relative age gap, and the residents origins. I think this is the closest Durand that The New York Times spoke of, don't you?

The New Orleans 1861 City Directory lists Mateo as a fishmonger.
An MA DURAND is living on Toulouse Street in 1810 and a J. DURAND on St. Anne Street.

Is this a copy of their marriage record listed as Mateo Duran 1857 marrying a widow Mary Shial June 1st?

Not everyday is a good genealogy day

2011-03-03T13:18:00.000-08:00

I banged my head, I stubbed my toe, and I dropped a cup of coffee. This blog's background was just downright annoying me and the font too small. I just want to close my eyes and have everything magically appear back to normal. Like it was before. I'm not having a good day. For instance, my laptop battery. It won't recharge fully. The laptop is under warranty. I was given a number. I wonder if this means they are going to send it or do I have to bug them again? Just magically appear in my mail box, please! The thumb tacks. These have disappeared form the household junk drawer. Cat food. That is'nt where I put it last, either.

OH! And my Yahoo Mail?

Your message was not sent

Your account has been temporarily blocked from sending messages. This block can be caused by sending messages that trigger our spam filters, or by having too many recipients in one email. We encourage you to review the contents and recipient list of your message, and try sending it at after an hour or two. Doing so will usually resolve the matter.
If you are still unable to send messages after a 24-hour period, please read our FAQ for more information and to request Customer Care assistance.

We apologize for the inconvenience.

Thanks,
The Yahoo! Mail Team

I send mail to my own group and this is the message I get from Yahoo.

The background for this blog, that too, didn't want to fit after storage. Hmmmm. Am I getting older? I'm just cranky I suppose. The font didn't appear right on the blog, it was just too small to read. So I fixed it.

My blog must've been hit in the head with one of those Mardi Gras co-conuts for some time. The party is over!

Magnetism 335 Bourbon Street - Madame Alluard

2011-02-26T12:58:00.000-08:00

New Orleans Apple Pie in 1866

2011-02-26T11:22:00.000-08:00

The Daily Southern Star - Feb 9, 1866

John Johnnson knocked an applestand into pie.

Gosset and Johnson Plantation

2011-02-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

In searching through Google Newspapers, an article appeared about a plantation that I had never heard of, Gosset Plantation. The excerpt first found appears at the bottom.

Search in the BLM GLO records for Gossett does not list an ownership in either, Jefferson, St. James, or St. John the Baptist Parish. BLM records for Gossett are in Calcasieu, Terrebonne, Beaurgard, Bossier and Claiborne Parishes from 1840 to 1891.

Standard History of New Orleans 1900

The plantation is also listed here again with much the same information from Jefferson Parish that is listed below from RootsWeb.

WITH THE GRIP OF DEATH; Mysterious Manifestations in an Old..

New York Times - Dec 9, 1894

In 1859 there was a beautiful plantation twenty miles above the City of New- Orleans, as the Mississippi River runs, known to the countryside as the Gossett ...

The Gossett Johnson plantation home was built in 1780 and was a massive two story home with walls of brick some said to be three feet thick. It was Gossett's grandmother who cursed the home at a fete of it's second owner. Mr. Gossett's wife's physician was D. C. Holliday of New Orleans.

The NYT also has this article about D. C. Holliday who was a doctor to children, black and white in New Orleans and is listed as a physician in 1865, 1866 and 1867 in the St. Joseph Cemetery burial records.

This story however proved haunting!

GOSSETT, Johnson &, 60 slaves, page 408B Jefferson Parish Louisiana 1860

Read further at the NYT about what happened in this house.

It is noted in this finding aid to the LSU special collections maps at the Hill Memorial Library that in 1866 the Mississippi River changed its course in Jefferson Parish and St. Charles Parish near the Gossett and Johnson plantation.

Gossett in Google Books in St. James Parish

Runaway slave once belonged to Valcour Aime

2011-02-23T11:53:00.000-08:00

Michael Hait has written about the genealogical importance or value of runaway slave advertisements, which is what this post references. You may read his article here.

You may also find a Plantation diary for Aime Valcour here. The diary begins in the year 1823 and is magnificent reading about the history of St. James Parish.

Valcour Aime writes a little about slaves:

"June 2, 1833 - Only seven hands hoeing on the 2d; lost three slaves to Cholera."

"A patch of bananas, which when once planted gives every year a new crop from the sprouts, is all
the feeding they require; whilst our slaves are generally, at least as well fed and clothed as laborers are in Europe. " p. 184

However, other websites indicate that a Frenchman, Elisee Recluse, hired as a tutor for the Aime's family around 1850's left Louisiana because of slavery.

"He reportedly left Louisiana because of it (slavery), writing that he "could not continue to earn money by tutoring the children of slave holders and thus steal from the Negroes who have truly earned through their sweat and blood the money that I put in my pocket."

On the same page of the newspaper was another runaway slave belonging to Mr. Hasfort, a planter on the Amite river. A BLM GLO search did not discover any surnames with the exact spelling of Hasfort. A search of the Ibiblio Slave Database has records up to 1820 which returned many for the owner AIME, but NONE for HASFORT. 9 for VALENTIN with none with the name Louis (some listed as missing in the database) . 17 results for ARMSTRONG where Louis was found. If this is the same Louis as in the article above, which cannot be proven, Louis was born about 1810 and ran away at about age 24. And on about the 15th of May 1824 he was caught and imprisoned. As the article was written in November 1824, Louis, had been in the Orleans Parish prison for 6 months already.

Louis
Buyer's Name: Armstrong
Seller's Name: Armstrong
Year Document was created: 1814
Origin:
Gender: male
Racial Designation: black
Document Location: St. Mary (1811)

Gender: male
Race: black
Age (when this record was documented): 4.0

Selling Information
Name of the Seller: John Armstrong
Name of the Buyer: Louis Armstrong
Grouping: sold or inventoried as an individual
Selling Currency: D
Selling Value: 200
Selling Value: 200

Document: Information of the document that these records were retrieved.
Document Location: St. Mary (1811)
Document Date: 1814-10-14
Document Number (from the document): 268
Notary Name: Conveyance A-1
Coder (person that encoded this record: Philip McLeod
Type of document:
Any documents involving maroons, including reports of runaways, interrogation of caputred runaways, and testimony by slaves about runaways: no
Language: English
Is this document of linguistic interest?: no
Is this inventory or sale of an estate of a free person of African descent?: no

Skill and Trade Information

Personality

Family Information
Was this slave inventoried with his/her mother?: no
Was this slave sold with his/her mother?: no

Importation Information
Was this slave being emancipated?: no
Slave listed as dead?: no

The BLM GLO record for Aime Valcour was taken on 10 August 1846 and while the BLM GLO website indicates that this is from St. James Parish, the document itself states the Mr. Valcour Amie is of Acadia. Perhaps this was written so as not to confuse with the Southern most parishes of the German Coast.

The BLM GLO record also lists related materials which are helpful including a map taken in October - November 1829. You can see the Romans living next door. Valcour's diary related a trip to Cuba with a neighbor, Mr. Lapice in 1845. Mr. Lapice does not appear on the map below, but a search of the Ibiblio for Lapise returned one female slave, Victoire, who was a cook and a laundress of her owner Dorothie Lapise. Dorothie purchesed Victoire from a deceased owner Descant, in 1818. A Jospeh Lapice appear in the 1850 census as having been born in St. Domingo, 50 years old, planter, in Concordia Parish along with several other records of war service for that surname LAPICE in 1812, the Civil War and more for the surname LaPice , LaPine, or Lapise. The only record of a female Lapice in 1822 is of a widow shoemaker, "Madame Lapice" , residing at 19th Burgundy corner of Bienville in Orleans Parish.

BLM GLO records indicate a Pierre Michel Lapice and a Joseph Francios Lapice of St. James Parish in 1845, much later than this map below. The related records show that Madame Simoneau sold property about 1842, evidently, to the Lapice family in this tract of land: LA Louisiana Township 12.0S Range 15.0E Section 50. The map below relates Pierre Simeneaus' property adjacent to Aime below. The map below is marked 12 S 17 E, curiously close to the Lapice property in the same township but in Range 15.

Several Google books list the name of Valcour's plantation home: Valcour Aime and Le Petite Versaille. Le Petite Versaille was said to be completed in 1846 the same year of the land grant above. Shortly after Valcour Aime's marriage in 1816 he purchased a home and land that included slaves. Later, it is said that he owned over 200 slaves. Valcour grew his own vegetables to eat, had a zoo which included a kangaroo, and well landscaped gardens including a cave built after the death of his son.

LAGenWeb mentions:
Iberia Parish
St. James Parish
DAR Louisiana Portraits (b. 1797 d. 1867) Valcour, "Francis Gabriel" Aime
Orleans Parish Directory - 146 Conti Street 1852
Orleans Parish Directory - 260 Royal Street 1842

"All his life Jacques Roman had lived in the shadow of his brother-in-law, Valcour Aime. Valcour was richer, more successful, and more powerful. His plantation was bigger and much more magnificent that Jacques' modest home. And Valcour's gardens were known all over the country. Many guests passed by the Roman plantation on their way to visit the Aimes; often they never noticed the smaller house. Throughout Valcour Aime's journals he mentions his brother-in-law, usually to compare himself favorably to Jacques. 'My cane is higher than Jacques'," he would say; or "my oranges are much tastier than his." Louisiana History 101

US Navy ships named after Louisiana prior to 1898

2011-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

Lippincott's pronouncing gazetteer 1850 Louisiana

2011-02-20T11:07:00.000-08:00

In 1850 Louisiana had 141,243 white males in the population of Louisiana. 114,248 females; 7, 481 free colored males; 9,981 free colored females; 125,874 male slaves; 118,935 female slaves. 419, 824 representative population in 1850. The free population was divided among 49,101 families, occupying 54,112 dwellings. One fourth of the free population of foreign birth. 24,266 Ireland
17, 507 Germany
11,552 France
3,500 England
1,244 Scotland
and Wales
499 British America; 7795 other countries. The death rate at the time was 23 per 1,000. Greater than any other state. At this time Louisiana parishes number 48. And the total noted number of slaves at a little over 244,809.

Lippincott's pronouncing gazetteer:
a complete pronouncing gazetteer or geographical dictionary of the world ... (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Joseph Thomas, Thomas Baldwin (of Philadelphia.)
0 Reviews
J.B. Lippincott, 1856 - Language Arts & Disciplines - 2174 pages

It is surprising that the Irish outnumbered the German in 1850's Louisiana whereas a few would have you think that the German outnumber the Irish! Much less the total population 419,000 and the slave population at over half of this number at 244,809.

Jefferson Davis, Betsy Young, and The New Liberty Bell 1881

2011-02-20T08:58:00.000-08:00

1881 Warsaw Daily Times September 6th

Image from URL with more on the bell's history.

From the newspaper article:

"In the bell is a key that was sent as the key to the great jail of ancient Venice and used in the opening the large doors on the Bridge of Sighs hundreds of years ago.

A negro slave owned by Jefferson Davis sent the key to the door of the old Davis homestead and a money contribution besides.

Wow how interesting!

The inscriptions on the bell are as follows: "Glory to God in the Highest: on Earth Peace Good Will to Men; A New Commandment I Give Unto Thee: That Ye Love One Another Proclaim Liberty Throughout All the Earth and to All the Inhabitants Thereof."

"The bell after the exposition will be taken back to Washington and there rung on the day that Georgia ratified the constitution. Then it will be taken tot he battlefield of New Orleans and then to the City of Mexico, there to be rung on Patriots' day.

It is planned by Carnegie and others, who are working to unite the English speaking race, to ohold a celebration on the battlefield of Rannymede and have the bell rang there. It will go on to Washington, then to Australia and the forth year to South America to start the English speaking people of the world togather in the chorus of liberty. It is being planned to hold the next World's fair in Jerusalem, and there the bell is to ring out the anthem of liberty."

Warsaw Daily Times Sep 6 1893 - Indiana

NOTE: In reading the article 1881 Warsaw Daily Times from September 6th., one should keep in mind that the Director General of the World's Fair was George R. Davis. See the New York Times article of his acceptance to the position in 1890. In this article, too, was a report of an error in the Census. You may visit more fair events and websites on flickr and this recent article about White City, which relates a bit of horror.

After the 1895 Cotton States and International Exposition in Atlanta, the bell disappeared. This link describes the disappearance of the Columbian Liberty Bell. and also discusses where the bell may be today.

More on Jefferson Davis

This story of Jim Limber Davis - an orphan living in the Davis home - was posted recently to the SUV blog, which I found interesting along with this Museum of the Confederacy reprint in the Civil War Talk Forum. The articles relate that Varina found the little boy Jim being beaten and saved him. She took him into her home. There was also this elementary study guide.

The following Google eBook states that former Davis slaves petitioned to have Davis released from prison.

This CNN article too found its way to my lap this morning about another slave of Jefferson Davis who was a Union spy, William Jackson.

Along that line, there is this letter of evidence that a Davis slave named Betsy Nick, ran away in 1864. Another Davis slave, named Betsy Young who remained at Brierfield. Coincidentally, Betsy Young is the name of a black Union Civil War nurse from Mississippi. There are at least five records of Nurses who were African-American women. Is this the same Betsy Young? Hmmm. The dates given in the CWSS record for Betsy Young indicate her service beginning, December 31, 1863. It is so close to 1864 when the Jefferson Davis letters reveal that Betsy Nick ran away. Yes? Did the two Betsy's communicate? It would not be surprising to me if this were the same Betsy Young, considering the former Davis slave, William Jackson, who has been called a spy and then viewing the article above about the New Liberty Bell whose contributor was also a Davis slave, although, unnamed in the article.

The Red Rover was captured by Union forces in 1862. Betsey or Betsy Young's record indicates her service aboard the Red Rover on December 31, 1863 when it was converted to Union service. If you will read the article below, Betsey or Betsy Young is credited with preventing the Union from burning the Davis plantation house in May of 1863. The plantation home was 20 miles from Vicksburg and burned in 1931. It is currently a private hunting reserve. See URL

More on Betsy or Betsey Young

"The logs of the Red Rover's commander indicate that the ship's medical officers provided nurses' training to the most competent of the contraband women --Sarah Bohannon, ellen Campbell, Betsy (Betsey) Young and Georginia Harris, among them. The Catholic sister and the African-American women were the first women to have official status on board a U.S. naval vessel." Google Book

"During the Vicksburg campaign (May 18-July 4, 1863) the Mississippi Squadron coordinated with Admiral Farragut's ships that had sailed upstream from New Orleans and though they took heavy casualties they prevailed and Vicksburg fell. The Navy's web site notes that the Mississippi Squadron drew heavily on African-Americans for its crews. -- yesterdaysisland.com

The USS Red Rover, a 625-ton side-wheel river steamer, was built for commercial use in 1859. She served initially as the CSS Red Rover in 1861 and was captured on April, 7 1862 at Island Number Ten (in the Mississippi River) by the USS Mound City. She served as a hospital ship for the U.S. Army's Western Gunboat Flotilla through the summer of 1862, and was re-commissioned as the USS Red Rover of that year. She was used for the rest of the Civil War as a hospital ship for the Mississippi Squadron and sailed with them during their engagements. " http://southernmostillinoishistory.net/redrover.htm

The CWSS record for Betsey Young:

Betsey Young

Personal Information
     Place of Birth - Warren Co. Mississippi
     Age - 50
     Complexion - Mulatto
     Occupation -
     Height - 5'3"

Naval Service
     Place of Enlistment -
     Date of Enlistment -
     Term of Enlistment -
     Rating - Nurse

Detailed Muster Records

	Date		Vessel
	December 31, 1863		Red Rover
	April 1, 1864		Red Rover
	July 1, 1864		Red Rover
	October 1, 1864		Red Rover
	January 1, 1865		Red Rover

Was Betsey Young both a Davis' slave and a Union nurse? Don't know. Haven't found a mountain of evidence in a obvious place yet.

Wouldn't it be odd to find the New Liberty Bell in the Middle East somewhere today? We've heard it ringing in the news........

More

Superior Council Records of the Government of Louisiana being digitized

2011-02-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

I submitted my 500th post this week on the Louisiana Genealogy Blog. This blog has been a joy to me. Learning and reading more of Louisiana's diverse and multi-faceted history has been rewarding.

I've fixed a broken link to the Algiers Historical Society. The new URL appears in the Submit your family webpage along with other society links to the far left and right here. The society meets every 3rd Saturday of the month. "Meetings are held 10 a.m. every 3rd Saturday of the month (unless otherwise stated) at the Carriage House behind the Algiers Courthouse."

It appears that yesterday, February 19, 2011, the Algiers Historical Society discussed old records that are being digititized. I believe an index of these records has been published from the Louisiana Historical Quarterly and is online.

Howard MARGOT, from the Historic New Orleans Collection, returns to give a talk on the current project underway at the Mint to digitize all the French and Spanish notarial/judicial records (the “Superior Council Records”). He will also illustrate with shots of some of the digital images that have been completed up to that point (right now they are still in the 1730s of the French docs).

The index on LAGenWeb: Index of Names from Superior Council Records of the Government in Louisiana 1717-1763 Submitted by Darnell Brunner-Beck & Gretchen Kraft-Costanza Transcribed by Merle Mulkely, Charamie Breaux and Darnell Brunner Beck which was transcribed from: Index of Names from Superior Council Records of the Government in Louisiana 1717-1763
As abstracted in Vols I to XXVI, Louisiana Historical Quarterly 1917-1943
by Brother Marion McCarley, S. C. Brother Martin High School 4401 Elysian Fields Avenue New Orleans, La. 70122 in March of 2002.

Back issues of The Algerine, can be purchased for $3.00 OR Past hard copies of "The Algerine" can be purchased at $3 each (limited number available.) Also (from Sept., 2006 [issue No. 24]) available as .pdf files for the same price. Free subscriptions are available to local libraries and schools as a .pdf file.

See previous and updated post highlighting issues from The Algerine.

Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Board

2011-02-19T21:57:00.000-08:00

The Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Board was created by executive order in 1998 to coordinate and facilitate the efforts of historical records repositories and other informational agencies within the state of Louisiana in the collection, preservation, and publication of the important historical documents of the state. The Board consists of twelve members who are appointed by the Governor. The State Archivist chairs the Board and serves as the State Historical Records Coordinator.

The Mission of the Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Board (LHRAB) is to assist in, support, coordinate and advocate the identification, collection, preservation, management, use and accessibility of records that document all of Louisiana's people, communities, organizations, businesses, and governments. It is the Vision of the LHRAB that the historical records of all Louisiana's people will be identified, collected, preserved, maintained, made available to and used by Louisianians to increase their knowledge of the history and cultures of this diverse state and to ensure their rights.

Coordinator:
Florent Hardy, Jr., PhD
State Archivist
P. O. Box 94125
Baton Rouge, LA 70804-9125
Phone: 225-922-1200
FAX 225-922-0433
florent.hardy@sos.louisiana.gov

Board Members:
Johnny Crain
P. O. Box 607
Franklinton, LA 70438
985-839-4663
Clerk of Court
Carrie A. Fager
9623 W. Inniswold Road
Baton Rouge, LA 70809
225-925-7552
Records Manager Statewide

Jon A. Gegenheimer
P. O. Box 10
Gretna, LA 70054-0010
504-364-2900
Clerk of Court

Judith F. Gentry
1122 Tolson Road
Lafayette, LA 70508
337-482-6900
Historian, ULL

Jacqueline L. Jones
7521 Kings Hill Avenue
Baton Rouge, LA 70810
225-216-8170
At-Large

Tara Laver
1770 Marshall Drive
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
225-578-6546
Historical Records
LSU Hill Memorial Library

Emilie “Lee” Leumas
418 Topaz Street
New Orleans, LA 70124
504-527-5780
Archivist, Archdiocese of New Orleans

Brenda B. Parsons
475 Regency Boulevard
Shreveport, LA 71106
318-797-3860
At- Large

Virginia F. Phillips
718 Bancroft Way
Baton Rouge, LA 70808
225-578-2217
At-Large

Lester G. Sullivan
5235 Annunciation Street
New Orleans, LA 70115
504-520-7655
Archivist, Xavier University

(Tammy Foster, Clerk of Court Sabine Parish, appointed by Gov. Jindal Feb. 17, 2011)

From April 2010 IMLS

Louisiana

Louisiana State University System - Shreveport, LA
Award Amount: $28,912
Grant Category: Planning Grants

Contact: Dr. Laura McLemore
Archivist
(318)797-5378; laura.mclemore@lsus.edu

Project Title: "Louisiana Libraries Archives and Museums Preservation Project"
The Louisiana Archives and Manuscripts Association, in collaboration with the Louisiana Association of Museums, Le Comité des Archives, and the Louisiana Historical Records Advisory Board, will survey 550 cultural heritage institutions in 64 parishes across a largely rural state. This Web-based survey will provide a broad overview of the preservation status of historical materials and collections statewide. Five workshops will then be held in various regions to assist institutions in performing more in-depth surveys of their own sites. From these results, partners will develop a specific, measurable, attainable, and relevant plan for future collaborative training and ...

Creole and Acadian Furniture

2011-02-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

“Furnishing Louisiana” Book Signing & Reception

The Historic New Orleans Collection celebrates the release of its most ambitious publication, Furnishing Louisiana: Creole and Acadian Furniture, 1735–1835, with a book signing and reception.

Wednesday, February 23, 2011 • 6–8 p.m.
The Historic New Orleans Collection
533 Royal St.
Free and open to the public.
In a rare appearance, all five authors—who reside outside of the greater New Orleans area—will be available to sign copies of the book. Joining authors Jack D. Holden, H. Parrott Bacot, Cybèle T. Gontar, Brian J. Costello and Francis J. Puig will be editors Jessica Dorman and Sarah R. Doerries, as well as photographer Jim Zietz and designer Tana Coman.
Featuring more than 1,200 full-color illustrations, Furnishing Louisiana presents a comprehensive catalogue of furniture forms produced in the upper and lower Mississippi River valley. The book also offers essays on cabinetmakers, hardware, woods, the art of inlay, the import trade at the Port of New Orleans and the interior of the early Louisiana home.
Copies of the book are available at The Shop at The Collection for $95; members of The Collection receive a 10 percent discount on all shop purchases.

NOLA Article

Paris educated

2011-02-19T20:51:00.000-08:00

African American Genealogy and History Websites

2011-02-18T08:15:00.000-08:00

I search twitter and find some of the greatest links to genealogy websites. The Kentucky Historical Society on twitter just shared the Black Loyalist website with #genealogy. It was interesting to visit today! I thought I would share it with you. The Black Loyalist website says: Black Loyalist is a repository of historical data about the African American loyalist refugees who left New York between April and November 1783 and whose names are recorded in the Book of Negroes. http://www.blackloyalist.info/

I would also suggest checking out BlackPast.org. This website has much to offer. # An online encyclopedia featuring over 3,000 entries which describe people, places and events in global African history written by more than 350 academic, independent and student historians. Their contributions make BlackPast.org one of the largest online encyclopedias devoted exclusively to the history of people of African ancestry wherever they are found. # The complete text of over 200 major speeches by African Americans from 1789 to today. # Over 100 full text primary documents—court decisions, laws, organizational statements, treaties, government reports and executive orders which help describe the African American past. # Seven major timelines that show the history of people of African ancestry from 5,000 B.C.E. to today. # Three bibliographies listing the more than 3,500 major books on African American history categorized by author, title, subject, and date of publication. # Four “Gateway” Pages with links to 50 digital archive collections, 100 museums and research centers, 12 genealogical research websites and over 600 other website resources on African American history, African American history in the West and Global African History. # Perspectives Online Magazine which features commentary of important, but little known events in black history often written by the individuals who participated in or witnessed them. Many of these accounts are instant primary sources.

Another site I visited today was the Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society - They have a number of records online for the counties that they are serving. You can visit them on fB too. The Black Belt African American Genealogical & Historical Society, Inc. is a non-profit organization dedicated to the study and exchange of information and ideas among people interested in African American genealogy, family history and historic preservation in the twelve counties of Alabama's Black Belt Region--Bullock, Choctaw, Dallas, Greene, Hale, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Perry, Pickens, Sumter and Wilcox.

Another great resource in research is the Digital Library on American Slavery - Established in 1991, the Race and Slavery Petitions Project was designed to locate, collect, organize, and publish all extant legislative petitions relevant to slavery, and a selected group of county court petitions from the fifteen former slaveholding states and the District of Columbia, during the period from the American Revolution through the Civil War. Between 1991 and 1995, the Project Director and editor Loren Schweninger traveled across the South to photocopy and microfilm petitions meeting that criterion. During the initial three years, he visited fourteen state archives and about one hundred and sixty county courthouses. In subsequent years, he added to the collection: 945 Orleans Parish petitions in 1998; 200 petitions from records of Louisiana Supreme Court (various parishes) in 1999; 53 Boone County, and 149 St. Louis, Missouri, petitions in 2000; 84 Shelby County, Tennessee, petitions in 1998 and 2000; and 71 Noxubee County, Mississippi, petitions in 2001. With the exception of 563 North Carolina county court petitions, selected from five discrete record sets by experienced research assistants, the director chose all of the documents. The Project now holds 2,975 legislative petitions and approximately 14,512 county court petitions. The massive number of surviving relevant county court petitions, estimated to be more than a quarter of a million, is dispersed in state archives and county courthouses across the South.

Train Wreck 1894 2 miles from New Orleans

2011-02-17T15:17:00.000-08:00

Manufacturers and Farmers Journal - Oct 15, 1894

2mi from New Orleans
List of Injured below. Both trains were filled with pleasure seekers bound for the lake coast resorts or the pine lands of St. Tammany Parish. The following is a full list of the injured.

Robert Carey
R. P. Holme
A. C. Whitlow
Mrs. Julia Muir
Andrew Leo
S. C. Courney
Frank Crambat & wife
Ella Sharp
E. J. Evans
Daniel R Fleming
M. McDonneli
R. T. McKernan
Mr. Lehman
C. S. Younger
Mrs. R. B Cora
Mrs. L Spiro
Son of Gen. A. S. Badger and a small boy

Train Fare 1858

2011-02-17T15:07:00.000-08:00

Wikipedia Ponchartrain Railroad and see also The Smoky Mary
Click on image to view larger size. Ponchartrain Summer Arrangement Reduced fare 25 cents, children 10 cents from 1st March, 1844 Milneburg and Lake Ponchartrain.

The facts of life from 1858

2011-02-17T14:45:00.000-08:00

Hospital Street

2011-02-17T13:49:00.000-08:00

September 10, 1847 Marie Louise Larousinni was born to Urban or Urbaine Larousinni and Louise Appolline Lameuse.

September 7, 1849 birth of a boy, Urbaine to Urbaine and Louise Apollina Lameuse Larousinni. At 24 yo Urbaine married Julia Fleury who was 19 yo on June 15, 1874.

June 29, 1851 Appoline was born.

A dry good store, Larousinni & Co. was located at the corner of Hospital and Royal St. as well as a dwelling on 251 Treme. The transcription lists, "Red Stores".

September 26, 1857 Emily was born.

In 1863 a civil action in the Sixth District Court sold all of the furniture and movable effects from the home on 130 Hospital Street New Orleans, LA.

December 29, 1875 Julia Fleury and Urban Larousinni gave birth to another boy, Renee.

February 7, 1878 Julia Fleury and Urbane Larousinni gave birth to a little girl named Mary Alice.

A death record for Louise Lemaneuse Larousinni exits in 1892 on March 13th at age 65.

A death record for Urbane Larousinni is found in the year 1899, March 2 at 84 years of age.

James M. Cass Connecticut New Orleans Greys

2011-02-17T11:22:00.000-08:00

The newspaper article indicates two dates 1832 or 1833. At first glance I thought the dates were 1832 or 1835. Note the reply to this article for James M. Cass is being requested to Connecticut.

E. Cass, James Cass, and John M. Cass are listed in the 1851 N.O. City directory as drayman, and butcher for the latter two and working Dryades Market.

There is also a BLM GLO record under the name James Montgomery Cass in 1876 in Acadia Parish.

LA - Louisiana

007S - 001W

SE¼

Acadia

You will have to research exact parish locations of the time to be certain. Neighbors at the time to Mr. James Montgomery Cass were John Halloway.

HOLLOWAY, JOHN 6/30/1876 200 LA Louisiana 007S - 001W E½NW¼ 7 Acadia
007S - 001W W½NE¼ 7 Acadia

It appears that a James M. Cass died in 1898 in Orleans Parish, Louisiana at the age of 62 on October 4th. Nevermind the James M. Cass of the New Orleans Greys who died too in 1836 in Mexico. Another James M. Cass who presumably was married to Marie Brady is listed as the father of Ann Cass born August 10, 1901.

This title by Stuart Reid, The Secret War for Texas, suggests that James M. Cass did not die at the battle of Goliad but lived on through Argue Duce. Read more about the annexation of Texas, Cass County Texas and the New Orleans Grey's. (Muster Roll)

Not much has changed since 1887. We're still looking for James M. Cass after 175 years.....

TXGenWeb has him severely wounded at Bexar in December 1835. And here owning land in Haskell County Texas (no date of source). Here is a Confederate Pension application for JAMES MADISON CASS from Haskell county Texas which states his wife's name was Betty.

Judge B. S. Crawford and A. H. Harris murdered Franklin Parish 1873

2011-02-17T10:29:00.000-08:00

The LAGenWeb transcription notes the assassination of Judge T. S. Crawford not B. S. Crawford as is seen in the above article. I see alot of common spelling errors in newspapers. The LAGenWeb transcription did not note its source, except for "library clipping".

BLM GLO RECORD CALDWELL PARISH 1861
Indicates that T. S. Crawford of Caldwell Parish fought in the Mexican War. The LAGenWeb archives note a memorial tribute written for Judge Edward Berry by T. S. Crawford, President.

Franklin Parish Murder 1887

2011-02-17T10:13:00.000-08:00

In reading this story this morning you would think that the woman was murdered by her own sisters.

Don't come to any conclusions yet! If you search the LAGenWeb archives you will find another story written which makes the determination that the woman, Amanda Henderson, was the "other woman" not their sister. Read the other part of the story here. The LAGENWEB story is written in a Georgia paper which indicates that Ed turned out his wife and another woman had moved into his home. This made ED's sisters, Catharine, Lothe, Viola and Louisa, very angry where the four went to Ed's home and attempted to get the "other woman" to leave. A fight ensued and ED killed his sister, Louisa, while defending Amanda, ED's mistress. The mistress, Mandy or Amanda, was stabbed to death by ED's sister Catherine. Thomas escaped. Two women died, both ED's sisters. The transcription concludes with, "Thomas succeeded in making good his escape."

The ducks sleeping place

2011-02-17T04:27:00.000-08:00

Cabaha-noce St James Parish

Publications of the Louisiana Historical Society
, Volumes 1-4 (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Louisiana Historical Society
0 Reviews
Louisiana Historical Society, 1895 - History

Missing soldiers, Blog Talk Radio, and Bousillage

2011-02-16T11:40:00.000-08:00

I spent a good time this morning watching and listening to both YouTube and Blog Talk Radio. Megan Smolenyak gave an interview on Blog Talk Radio and discussed her work with missing soldiers. I am looking forward to the Blog Talk Radio episode about Louisiana's slave revolt on March 8th, 2011.

It all took place on January 8, 1811 a group of determined enslaved African was determined to rise up against slavery and take their own freedom and destiny into their own hands. Please join longtime activist and historian Professor Leon Waters, who has led tours of the area where the revolt took place for years. Water is also a founding member of the Louisiana Museum of African American History located in New Orleans, Louisiana. Water's great great grandfather, Hanniball Waters was an enslaved African on the James Brown plantation in St. Charles Parish escaped from the plantation and later served in the 1st Heavy Artillery Corps d'Afrique of the Union Army in the Civil War. Please join us for this very informative discussion. Also join us is Linda Hill, Curator at Southern University, New Orleans, (SUNO) Center of African American-Studies

I also visited Nurturing Our Roots on You Tube and NCPTT's video on Bousillage. What is Bousillage? Walls made of mud! You better watch the video and see how spanish moss is used. They are working at Oakland Plantation and will give you the run down on how to build a mud wall. Of course this is historical restoration work, and may not pertain to everyone, but in case you've got the urge to build a mud wall....
Well, here it is :) I thought it was kewl.

Ok ya'll - where my at?

2011-02-16T08:21:00.000-08:00

Oh geeze. I mistyped the URL to get to my blog today and yah'll this is whatta i got for my trouble. The first one is innocent. The second....I don't want to go there. The company profile is using something similiar to my blog url and that is a bit disconcerting. Did I make 'em mad? Ha ha. Too bad! You don't like the fact I'm Catholic, either do ya?

This isn't the Louisiana Genealogy Blog.

This ain't the Louisiana Genealogy Blog, either.

Yah'll know dat duh.

Slaves in the Report of cases argued Supreme Court Louisiana 1843

2011-02-15T11:37:00.000-08:00

Succession of Guillamue Dazet Senac - J. M. Duperu, and others Appellants
"It has further been urged that if the will be declared void, the bequests of freedom to the slaves Rose and Mathilda, are valid and should be carried into effect...." May 1842.

West Feleciana Parish

Jefferson Parish

Orleans Parish

AND

Gallatin Street - The Red Light District - New Orleans

2011-02-14T15:30:00.000-08:00

1845 New Orleans - Norman Map

"Prostitutes from every nation gathered there (Gallatin Street), living a life of boisterous lawlessness and open vice." - Storyville (Music)

"One of the areas of town that had more than its share of this activity
was Gallatin Street with its numerous saloons, dance halls and
brothels, a place the Daily Picayune described as “filled with low
groggeries, and is the resort of the worst and most abandoned of both
sexes. Thieves, murderers, prostitutes and drunkards congregate
there.” It was so rough the police wouldn’t even venture forth. With
all the nightly brawls and pistol fire, it was considered a miracle if a
patron could make it out alive from this lair of nefarious criminals.
Male habitués were almost surely relieved of the contents of their
wallets after visiting one of Gallatin Street’s bordellos. John Chase
wrote that for thirty years, “beginning in 1840, these were the
bawdiest, filthiest, wickedest two blocks in any community anywhere.”

From Gallatin Street, New Orleans Bar Association PDF

Needless to say.....I don't think I share any genealogy with the women who lived on Gallatin Street! You may enjoy reading further at the Storyville website on this Valentines Day about the Red Light District of New Orleans. The map above came from this URL, by Norm Hellmers, explaining where Gallatin likely exists today adding that it has since been renamed, Isbell.

Reports of cases argued and determined in the Supreme Court of Louisiana and in the Superior Court of the Territory of Louisiana:annotated edition, unabridged, with notes and references by the editorial corps of the National reporter system, Volume 5; Volume 36 (Google eBook)

Louisiana (State) Supreme Court

0 Reviews

1851 - Law

I must admit my house isn't the most organized, but ......you won't be fining me $50.00 either. I wonder what he did exactly to be brought into court?

I wonder who the police matrons of New Orleans were in 1890? Are there any records of police matrons in New Orleans left? Certainly, it appears that there were NO Police Matrons in New Orleans on Gallatin Street in the 1850's......

There were very few articles on LAGenWeb pertaining to brothels. My favorite:

"....She was sent on a police raid of a French Quarter house of dubious reputation. When she returned to the office, she told colleagues she was amazed that, in the early afternoon, the women in the house "were all wearing kimonos and they all had red hair...." - Obituary - Marjorie Roehl, 78, Author, Award-Winning N.O. Reporter, Submitted by N.O.V.A. July 2005 Times Picayune 11-4-1997

Police Matrons 1890

2011-02-14T10:37:00.000-08:00

Good housekeeping, Volume 10 (Google eBook) 1890

"The members of the Woman's League of Louisiana are interesing themselves actively in securing police matrons for the jail and prison, and the several important stations in New Orleans."

From the National Law Enforcement Museum blog website:

"The position of the police matron began in the 1890s and quickly became the trend for major cities in America. Right before the turn of the 20th century, law enforcement in America found themselves in desperate need of assistance with social problems they were expected to handle, in addition to crime. As cities urbanized, more and more young women lived without the protection and support of families and in jeopardy of descending into the sway of prostitution in local brothels. Prior to police matrons, male officers handled arresting women and were confounded by the abandoned children, elderly, and homeless people on the streets who all needed the basic necessities of life, such as food, clean water, and shelter. These individuals did not break the law, and people argued that they did not belong in jail with law breakers because of their unfortunate circumstances. The “Police Matron” became the chosen solution to these problems. These women first dealt with female prisoners, but they soon extended out to serve as social worker, counselor, and welfare officer as needed."

American Law Register Volume 11 1872

The encyclopedia of social reform provides a description in 1897.

Records and briefs US Superior Court 1899

Loves Windows

2011-02-14T00:01:00.000-08:00

Good Housekeeping Vol 26 1897

Howcott - Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana Goodhousekeeping

2011-02-12T09:08:00.000-08:00

Page 257
Good housekeeping
, Volume 11 (Google eBook)
Front Cover
0 Reviews
Hearst Corp., 1890 - House & Home

From URL -William Hill Howcott (1847-1927)

The above url, which supplies the photo of Mrs. Mary Edith Watt Howcott, also has a photo of a granite obelisk monument made to Willis Howcott, who died as a body servant during the civil war. The inscription reads: “A tribute to my faithful servant and friend, Willis Howcott, a colored boy of rare loyalty and faithfulness, whose memory I cherish with deep gratitude”. The website further reads that Elizabeth Howcott shared her servants quarters after her home was burned at Canton, during the Civil War.

Succession of Harriet L. Watt (Edith Howcott, Gladys Howcott, and William H. Howcott, Jr. - minors)
Southern reporter
, Volume 36 (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Alabama. Supreme Court, Florida. Supreme Court, Louisiana. Supreme Court, Mississippi. Supreme Court, Alabama. Court of Appeals, Louisiana. Courts of Appeal, West Publishing Company
0 Reviews
West Pub. Co., 1904 - Law
Includes the decisions of the Supreme Courts of Alabama, Florida, Louisiana, and Mississippi, the Appellate Courts of Alabama and, Sept. 1928/Jan. 1929-Jan./Mar. 1941, the Courts of Appeal of Louisiana.

Upon searching for HOWCOTT at the BLM GLO records website, NO records for HOWCOTT appear in any instance for any state. However, there are numerous BLM GLO records for John Watt dating from 1849 to 1875 in Louisiana. NO instance of WATT appear in TEXAS. Additionally, related documents are from the State of Louisiana in 1930 for WATT in Louisiana.

In searching the USGenWeb LAGenWeb archives there are records that show HOWCOTT, W. H. owning land in Louisiana. The source information follows:

The following entries are taken from an old Tremont Lumber Company ledger.
Tremont was a major, Chicago based, corporation that operated several mills
in Lincoln, Jackson, Winn, and Grant parishes from the early 1900s until 1973.

Certainly, the Goodhousekeeping article written in 1890 is of some value in the description of the amount of land belonging to Mrs. Howcott in the states of Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. It appears in her husbands name. The website, Papers Past, in-accurately described the same article as MISS HOWCOTT instead of Mrs. Howcott. We know from the wedding photo that she was married in 1875 and the the Howcott website declares W. H. Howcott dead in 1927. The Hill Memorial Library offers more information from its Special Collections in the form of a letter .

W. H. Howcott, a lumber dealer in New Orleans, making an offer to quit a claim to 320 acres of contested land owned jointly by Mrs. C. L. Stokes and Mrs. Stricklin (November 27, 1891).

Sassafrass and Gumbo

2011-02-11T13:41:00.000-08:00

I enjoy hot sassafrass tea on a cold day. My grandmother grew sassafrass and I recall watching her cook a pot of tea using the root. She told me that you must be careful when cooking it....but I don't recall whether it was because it was poisonous or she thought that I might get burned at the stove! Our file gumbo uses sassafrass to thicken and it can be found in a few of my favorite file gumbo spice labels. Wikipedia has more to say in addition to Suite 101.

Gumbo, Lafitte, McSwinney & Lyle 1886 -1887 Goodhousekeeping

2011-02-11T08:31:00.000-08:00

Gumbo. Everyone in Louisiana loves it and everyone makes it differently. I found Gumbo in two different issues of Good Housekeeping one in 1886 and another the following year in 1887. In reading the first, there was also a recipe from a friend of a friend of a pirates widow for Court Boullion.

Page 292

Page 62

Good housekeeping
, Volume 4 (Google eBook)
Front Cover
0 Reviews
Hearst Corp., 1886 - Art Pgs 62 & 292

Olive Lyle writes of Court Boullion in 1886 and states that she knew of Ganbi's widow, who was nearly a centenarian in 1886. Ganbi, Ms. Lyle declares, was the mate of Capt. Rigault. Capt. Rigault being the brother of Lafitte. Lafitte had Ganbi hung for treason. Ms. Lyle describes the Gulf as blue on a trip with Capt. Mike McSwinney of Grand Isle. Capt. Mike is also found in the 1908 New Orleans City Directory. It is his recipe she dictates on Page 62, Court Boullion.

Good Housekeeping Volume 5 1887

Montecello confusion

2011-02-10T17:33:00.000-08:00

Ship Montecello 1859
Sailors magazine for the year ending Vol 31-32 by American Seamens Friend Society (1858)

It was said that the ship Montecello burned in March of 1859 on its way from New Orleans to Liverpool with damages estimated at over $200,000. This to me.....says the ship was a total loss. So which ship is which?

"The ship reappeared earlier this month after waves created by Hurricane Ike eroded the beach about six miles from Fort Morgan. After examining photographs of the wreck, Shea McLean, marine archaeologist with the Museum of Mobile, said the ship is most likely the Monticello, a two-masted schooner run aground and partially burned on June 26, 1862." -
Ike uncovers historic ship on Baldwin County beach
Friday, September 19, 2008
By Guy Busby

Adding to the confusion is the US NAVY ship Montecello

You can view the Pentagon report about the find here. It was new to me, anyway.

I don't imagine that an Iron Clad could burn , especially if it has not been built yet. This New York Times article depicts the, Monticello being commissioned to be built announced June 17, 1859 AFTER the Monticello burned in March of 1859.

Sunday March 27, 1859 (Calendar)

Gun Boat Monticello June 27, 1861

Brig Monticello arrival at Boston files from Hayti Sept. 4, 1859

Manuscript Collections of the Nantucket Historical Association Research Library , Joy Family Papers. Folder 9.50, Jacob Raymond. URL Cargo Ship, Monticello, 1845, 1853, 1856

Nearly 10 years earlier in 1848 I find the Brig. Monticello in Maine with its Capt. Jacob Clifford.
The ship having been built by Henry S. Staples & Mudgett of Stockton Springs, Maine.
The genealogy of Captain Jacob Clifford of Tisbury, Massachusetts can be found here.

It is a six hour drive from Tisbury, MA to Stockton Springs, Maine and you'll need to take a ferry according to Google maps. How one can arrive at Fort Morgan Alabama from Tisbury, Massachusetts I don't know.

Could Capt. Clifford have gone to Hayti Sept. 1859? He died at age 34 on November 8, 1859, of consumption in Holmes Hole, Massachusetts. This was eight months after the ship Monticello burned on its way from New Orleans, Louisiana to Liverpool, England.

Click here for a slide show of the ship on the beach from Orange Beach Alabama website.

And then of course the Presidential mansion......Montecello, where this film states the President owned over 600 slaves. At the time of this posting, the item was STILL overdue on 2/1/2011. (Hey! You return that!)

Camphor in Louisiana aka Sudekillo - Goodhousekeeping

2011-02-10T12:27:00.000-08:00

Good Housekeeping Vol 9 page 188 1889

Louisiana Sugar Planters' Association, Lousiana Sugar Chemists' Association, American Cane Growers' Association
0 Reviews
Lousiana Planter and Sugar Manufacturer Co., 1888 - Business & Economics

Louisiana Society Meetings

2011-02-10T12:14:00.000-08:00

Sat Feb 12 All day
Ark La Tex Genealogical Assoc. Meeting - Shreveport, Louisiana
All day
Lincoln's Birthday
All day
St. Tammany Genealogical Society Meetings -second Saturday of the month from 10:00 AM to approximately Noon in the meeting room of the Covington Branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library (STPL). Meetings are normally not held during the summer months of June, July and August. However, an informal social gathering (picnic) is typically scheduled for June and a field trip to a local library is often scheduled during July or August. - second Saturday of the month from 10:00 AM to approximately Noon in the meeting room of the Covington Branch of the St. Tammany Parish Library (STPL). Meetings are normally not held during the summer months of June, July and August. However, an informal social gathering (picnic) is typically scheduled for June and a field trip to a local library is often scheduled during July or August.
All day
Acadia Genealogical Society - Regular meetings are held on the second Saturday of February, May, August and November. - Regular meetings are held on the second Saturday of February, May, August and November - Crowley, Louisiana.
All day
Imperial St. Landry Meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month, except in December. Meetings with outside speakers are held at the Medical Offices Conference Room of Opelousas General Health System South (former Doctors' Hospital), I-49 South Service Road, Opelousas. Workshop meetings are held in the Opelousas Public Library, 212 E. Grolee St, Opelousas, LA (tel.: 337-948-3693). Workshops and Seminars are planned periodically. Meetings begin at 10:00 A.M. with coffee served at 9:30 A.M. - Meetings are held on the second Saturday of every month, except in December. Meetings with outside speakers are held at the Medical Offices Conference Room of Opelousas General Health System South (former Doctors' Hospital), I-49 South Service Road, Opelousas. Workshop meetings are held in the Opelousas Public Library, 212 E. Grolee St, Opelousas, LA (tel.: 337-948-3693). Workshops and Seminars are planned periodically. Meetings begin at 10:00 A.M. with coffee served at 9:30 A.M.

Immigration and Naturalization 1891 -1892

2011-02-10T07:44:00.000-08:00

Where would one find information on someone who was rejected entry to the United States in 1891 or 1892?

There is a statement of the immigrant fund in 1882 to 1890 for New Orleans, Louisiana:

Receipts: $12,092.50
Expenditures: $4,865.01
Balance: $7,227.49

According to a Congressional official in this document, Louisiana in 1880 had a very small number of foreign born residents. I especially enjoyed the part in the clip below exclaiming "second generation natives".

Immigration investigation
(Google eBook)
Front Cover
United States. Congress. House. Committee on Immigration and Naturalization, Herman Stump
0 Reviews
G.P.O., 1892 - Social Science - 798 pages

Oak Street Archive

2011-02-09T15:19:00.000-08:00

Oak Street Archive on flickr

The Oak Street History project is a multi-faceted documentation project sponsored by the University of New Orleans history department in cooperation with the Oak Street Association and the Po-Boy Preservation Festival. UNO's history faculty and graduate students manage the history venue for the festival, which is held on New Orleans' Oak Street on the third Sunday of November. Students enrolled in the Introduction to Public History course research, document, and present information regarding Carrollton neighborhood and Oak Street history.

Family Reunion in Ruston, Louisiana

2011-02-08T15:03:00.000-08:00

From DeadFred.com's photo stream on flickr - January 2010 - Click on photo to read names on flickr.

2010 Census Louisiana

2011-02-05T05:30:00.000-08:00

"The U.S. Census Bureau today released more detailed 2010 Census population totals and demographic characteristics to state leaders in Louisiana" - Newsroom: 2010 Census

Image created from
Custom tables [Excel]
Map: Population totals [PDF]
Map: Population change [PDF]
FTP site

Fleur = 20 Most populated Parishes in Louisiana

The Great Louisiana Hurricane of August 1812

2011-02-04T11:59:00.000-08:00

"Nearly 200 years before Hurricane Katrina, a major storm hit the coast of Louisiana just west of New Orleans. Because the War of 1812 was simultaneously raging, the hurricane's strength, direction and other historically significant details were quickly forgotten or never recorded." --PR NewsWire

THE GREAT LOUISIANA HURRICANE OF AUGUST 1812

by Cary J. Mock, Michael Chenoweth, Isabel Altamirano, Matthew D. Rodgers,
and Ricardo García-Herrera

Fig. 1. Reconstructed track, positions of selected ships discussed in the text, and
selected verbal information on the hurricane of Aug 1812. The dates next to the
filled circles on the track indicate the storm center in the afternoon; “Depr.” is
an abbreviation for depression.

Historical data, consisting of diaries, ship logbooks, ship protests, and
newspapers, reconstruct the path, intensity, and societal impacts of a major
hurricane in 1812 that is the closest known storm to pass New Orleans.

Read the document PDF

Schooner Rebecca, James W. Zacharie, New Orleans See also previous post

Ship Rebecca leaving Baltimore April 7 1812
American and Commercial Dialy Advertiser
Maybe not the same ship.....

Excerpt from PDF

The only detailed account of the storm in the
middle of the Gulf of Mexico is from the schooner
Rebecca, filed in a ship protest by Notary Marc Lafitte
(Lafitte 1812). Bound from western Cuba toward
New Orleans, in the south-central area of the Gulf of
Mexico on 18 August and extending into the next day,
the ship protest described the following (sic indicates
“spelling incorrect” as in the original document):

Commenced with a heavy gale at N.E. doubled
reefed by 4 P.M. Gale encreased [sic] to a perfect
Hurricane wind[?] to [from] the Eastward and hove
too under double reefed foresail by sunset a very
heavy sea, and Wind increasing, [k]notted [sic]
the foresail—one pump constantly going, dreadful
Weather during the night and at day light threatened
worse Vessel literally under Water, the sea running
over the rough trees & long boat, secured the latter
by additional tacking to the ring bolts & scuppers,
a heavy sea stove the caboose house and carried it
away, worked off though we[ll] nailed down the
companion of the steerage hatchway, and much
water got down it, consequently much damaged to
be apprehended there—about noon the Wind having
shifted to the N.W. raising a prodigious sea across
the former one at N.E. the vessel plunging some
times near half at her foremast in—washed away the
flying jib from the board and also washed loose the
standing jib—ripping almost every seam in it, got
it seamed without loss. (Lafitte 1812) -- page 5 of 11 PDF

More Google Books Marc Lafitte
N.O. city court Index to Insolvents' Docket, 1807-1813
Marc Lafitte Index

Warren Parish and Warren place name, Louisiana

2011-02-04T09:06:00.000-08:00

A general digest of the acts of the legislature of Louisiana:
passed from the year 1804, zo 1827, inclusive, and in force at this last period, Volume 2 (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Louis Moreau Lislet
0 Reviews
Levy, 1828

See also LAGenWeb Archive - East Carroll, Madison, Ouachita

Wikipedia Warren Parish, Louisiana

This map was created in 1816 two years after the dissolution so to speak of Warren Parish into Concordia and Ouachita Parish. You can see a place name, Warren in the Northeastern portion of Louisiana in Concordia Parish, just East of what appears to say Walmart Hills, Mississippi - Oh no, that reads Walnut Hills, Mississippi, sorry. LOL

Warren Parish was formed from Concordia in 1811 according to URL and was abolished in 1814.

Genealogy 101 at LALGS

2011-02-04T08:25:00.000-08:00

From the LALGS list:

Members of the Lafayette Genealogical Society,

This is to remind you of our Genealogy 101 First Saturday of the month get-together on February 5, 2011 at the South Regional Library, 6101 Johnston St., Lafayette, LA. We'll meet at 9:30 A.M. in the Meeting Room with coffee and donuts. Earl Gates will give members a presentation on "The Latest Technology for Genealogists." Areas to be covered will be split screen computing using your genealogy program along with searching online sites, hand held scanners, and internet sites to help find those elusive ancestors.

Another reminder: This Friday evening, February 4, 2011 at 7 P.M. on NBC television the second season of "Who Do You Think You Are?" will begin. [View here.]This is a series depicting genealogical research of several selected TV, musical, or movie personalities and the methods used to locate some of their surprising ancestors. Tune in!

The exhibit, "Louisiana on the Eve of the Civil War," will be extended until the end of February. If you missed our group viewing of this exhibit it is still on display in the Louisiana Room of the Dupre Library on the UL at Lafayette campus, 400 E. St.Mary Blvd. in Lafayette, LA. You may want to call to check library hours of operation.

Any member that has not paid their dues or anyone interested in supporting the Lafayette Genealogical Society will be able to pay their dues of $20.00 for 2011 on Saturday, February 5th.

Make plans now for our society's tour of the Monlezun home in Lake Arthur, LA on Wednesday, February 23, 2011. Mrs. Bernadette Monlezun-Ponton had spoken to us in November about her family's collection of heritage memorabilia and their effort to gather, preserve, sustain, and make relevant their family's history. At the homesite she will demonstrate how their family has organized their history and how it might benefit our family story. We will be there at 9:30 A.M. and the tour will last about 1 1/2 hrs. There is also Nott's Corner Restaurant in Lake Arthur where we might have lunch . The title of the tour is "An Arthur Avenue Heritage Tour." Bernadette says the coffee will be on! If you would like a ride please let me know.

And one last reminder: Your one piece of paper for our annual " Les Memoirs de Lafayette" should list the surnames you are researching. A committee, as yet unnamed, will organize a section for the CD. Thanks.

Until Saturday morning hoping to see YOU there!

Brenda Fuselier, President
Lafayette Genealogy Society

Cocodrie Family

2011-02-04T07:36:00.000-08:00

Added a link to the Cocodrie Bayou website researching surnames in Louisiana:

Griffin's, Sadler's, Holman's, Wilsons', Spears', Hussey's and allied families of Lone Pine and Centerville communities along Bayou Cocodrie in upper Evangeline parish of Louisiana. This web site is not only dedicated to those families listed above but also to the Bass', Blood's, Book's, Bird's, Carter's, Duplissey's, Doyal's, Dossman's, Elliott's, Emmons', Jenkin's, Johnson's, Oliver's, O"Quin's, Ortego's, Patin's, Strother's, Slocum's, Smith's, Stewart's, Wall's, Whatley's, Whittington's, Vidrine's and any other family that settled in this of area Louisiana during the 1800's.

Top American Blog at Genealogy.org

2011-02-03T11:33:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, I checked in on my "ranking" at Genealogy.org. I was # 51 and in 3rd place among the 4 blogs listed. Two of those blogs were Polish. One French genealogy blog. The Louisiana Genealogy Blog being the only American based blog listed.

Louisiana Genealogy Blogs is #44 Networked Blogs in "genealogy"
Louisiana Genealogy Blogs is #21 Networked Blogs in "family history"

You made me #1 in Louisiana on Networked Blogs

(Thanks ya'll!)

Chinese Labor in Louisiana

2011-02-02T23:23:00.000-08:00

November 1873 The New York Times
Milladaun Plantation - Click the link above for full PDF file

See also LOUISIana Digital Library Milladun Plantation sketch 1871

Strike of Chinese Labor in Louisiana April 22, 1871
Mr. John Davidson's Poydras Plantation

See also The Louisiana Graveyard Rabbit

Christ Episcopal Church Cemetery Assumption Parish

Poydras Plantation 1900 The AMICA Library
St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana

See another image at LOUISiana Digital Library -1908

The Growth of the United States through Emigration - THE CHINESE
1865 The New York Times September 3

Chinese New Year Celebrations

Slave and Free People of Color Baptismal Records

2011-02-02T17:19:00.000-08:00

Newly released records from the Archdiocese of New Orleans. H/t from URL

These records are in Spanish. From the Archdiocese website read more about these records:

The Spanish phonetic spelling of a surname often varied significantly from the French spelling. In addition, first names were Hispanicized: Etienne became Estevan; Jacques became Santiago; Elizabeth became Isabella, and Hélène became Elena. Surname spelling variations multiply under the Spanish as well. Undoubtedly, some of these similar names refer to the same family.

In many entries, priests, witnesses and sponsors wrote in a hand that formed different letters in exactly the same way. U/N, U/V, C/B, S/Z, A/O, and E/C are the most common instances where the letters are simply indistinguishable. This uncertainty must be kept in mind, particularly in regard to unfamiliar surnames.

The Spanish priests also introduced several new variations that were not evident during the French period. "B" and "V" as well as "S" and "C" are often used interchangeably. "H" appears and disappears before such vowels as "A" and "E" while "X", "G", and "J" are all pronounced "H" and thus are sometimes used interchangeably in entries. "I" is often replaced by "Y" in Spanish entries.

Register of free persons of color entitled to remain in the state (of Louisiana)

2011-02-02T11:03:00.000-08:00

Facts and opinions touching the real origin, character and influence of the American Colonization Society:
views of Wilberforce, Clarkson and others and opinions of the free people of color of the United States (Google eBook)
Front Cover
Giles Badger Stebbins
John P. Jewett, 1853 - 220 pages

Title
Register of free persons of color entitled to remain in the state, 1840-1864
Author
New Orleans (La.). Office of the Mayor.
Publication info
1840-1864.
Physical descrip
4 v.

Specific Item Information Change Display
Special Collections, Hill Memorial Library
Copy Material Location
MICROFILM 6023 1 Microform Louisiana & Lower Mississippi Valley Collections

LSU Libraries also available at NOPL.

Slavery, Free People of Color and Freedmen at the NOPL & City Archives

African American Resource Center AARC

Nothings perfect A Google Newspaper Archive Voodoo Strike

2011-02-02T07:40:00.000-08:00

Is it because of Marie II's birthday? Google Newspaper Archive churned out this newspaper article about Voodoo Economics, but with the date of November 4, 1847.

The actual date on the newspaper was November 4, 1981. Hmmmm.

Happy Birthday Marie II

2011-02-02T06:52:00.000-08:00

A genealogy of Marie Laveau can be found here along with her daughter, Marie Philomene Laveau Glapion, whose birthday is today. "Marie Laveau Glapion was born February 2, 1827, one of the 15 children crowding first the home on Rampart Street and then the St. Ann Street cottage." -- Haunted American Tours. Marie's mother, according to this article, owned two slaves and her death record can be found in the LAGenWeb archives. The previous genealogy denies this claim. I see no evidence yet.

Lavau, Marie Glapion, 98 yrs F, C 06/15/1881 78 1113

Her daughter Marie Laveau II (1827-c.1895) also practiced Voudou, and accounts confuse the two women. She and her mother had great influence over their multiracial following. "In 1874 as many as twelve thousand spectators, both black and white, swarmed to the shores of Lake Pontchartrain to catch a glimpse of Marie Laveau II performing her legendary rites on St. John's Eve (June 23–24)." -- Facebook page for Marie Laveau. Another article from MOA below indicated that it was NOT Philomel Legendre but Malvina Latour.
This article states that Marie II died of a heart attack at a ball.

"A contemporary of Marie II told Tallant (1946, 126) that he had been present when she died of a heart attack at a ball in 1897, and insisted: “All them other stories ain't true. She was buried in the Basin Street graveyard they call St. Louis No. I, and she was put in the same tomb with her mother and the rest of her family.”

Creole Slave Songs from Making of America (1886) describe little of Marie II and much more of Malvina Latour who was said to take over for the feast of St. John. It is not so strange that this book should indicate this as everywhere else there are published claims that Marie II conducted the feast of St. John and much has been confused. Marie took care of her mother before Marie Laveau died on June 15th 1881. Marie Laveau shown below sitting with her daughter, Marie II or Philomene Laveau standing. Marie Laveau was a devout Catholic. Do you think she has a record in the recently released archives? Another article confusing Marie II with Malvina LaTour here in the Google Newspaper archives.

YouTube African American Louisiana genealogy

2011-02-01T04:08:00.000-08:00

John A. Amelung stockholder and President Fireman's Charitable Association

2011-01-30T14:17:00.000-08:00

Is the young widow, Amelie Mercier, who married Judge Canonge the former wife of John A Amelung? Not likely considering the dates, however, John Amelung is noted to have passed from an article in The New York Times in September 1883 where he was recalled with a memorial book to be presented to his family in January 1884. There is a birth record in New Orleans for Mary Fredricka Amelung on June 25, 1846 where John Alexander Amelung and Mary Milered are also listed as new parents.

In searching the CWSS for there is only one, Lewis F. Amelung of the 1st Louisiana Regiment Cavalry raised from Rapides Parish. There is also an LAYET and Amelung working down the street from 90 Tchopitoulas on 111 Tchopitoulas as a merchant in 1842 where it locates a residence. Robin between Annunciation & Constance; LAYET, PAUL EMILE; Layet & Amelung, residence. In 1811 there was an F. & H. Amelung negociants merchants at 21 Chartres, where that name is also listed as a bricklayer in the same directory in 1811.

Old Families of Louisiana, By Stanley Clisby Arthur, George Campbell Huchet de Kernion

John A. Amelung, who owned a 72 shares in the telegraph, was noted in the 1842 New Orleans City Business Directory as a com. merchant with an address of 90 Tchoupitoulas and at the corner of Julia St. -- LAGENWEB USGENWEB archives.

And a hit on Amelung in this Google Book about the History of the New Orleans fire department where they participated in the funeral of General Andrew Jackson on 26 June 1845. A eulogy was given in both English and French at the time. John A. Amelung was the President of the Fireman's Charitable association 1845-1847. See also Cyprus Grove Cemetery. And the FAG for this cemetery. (There is a 2007 photograph on FAG that just cannot be posted here. (The cemetery looks to be quite damaged) You can read more about Cyprus Grove here, too.

I find a John A. Amelung in Green Wood cemetery Brooklyn New York with an Lewis Amelung buried there too, but the death date for John is wrong. There is the Lewis Amelung Civil War transcript where he was paroled on May 12, 1865 from Gainesville, Ala. I find another John A. Amelung with the proper year buried at St. John's Cemetery Yonkers, Westchester County, New York the only problem being his wife is different from June 1846 and is now Laura H. who lived until 1913. They are all both buried togather with a son, Henry. In Louisiana too there was a Henry Amelung who died in Orleans Parish 1840 at 29 yo. There is also this Rapides Parish LAGenWeb file where Amelung mentioned as merchants in 1836, in an issue of The Planters Intelligencer, Vol IX, No 46 November 1836."

It would be odd to me that a man who was President of the Fireman's Association did not use his organization's own cemetery, wouldn't it? I thought it odd, too.

No BLM GLO record for Amelung surname in Louisiana.

Mercier 1850 DeSoto Parish

Fontenelle 1843 Plaquemines Parish, 1843 Iberville Parish, *1839 Point Coupee Parish. (Mother of Amelie)

(I didn't search for de Fontenelle at BLM GLO)

Gutta Percha and telegraphs during the 1850's Louisiana

2011-01-30T09:53:00.000-08:00

Somehow or another I was led to the term, "gutta percha". What the heck is "gutta percha?"

Evidently, it is rubber! I see now that gutta percha was used in many things including military uniforms of the Louisiana Zouave during the Civil War. Son of the South has an artists rendition of a few Louisiana Zouaves' in prison.

There are also duck calls, buttons, more button pics, watch chains, and military experiments during 1850's (see newspaper clip below) using gutta percha. An archaeology dig found a few pieces from former Civil War prisoners of Johnson's Island.

"Crafted hard rubber items include rings, buttons, and metal set into hard rubber as jewelry. One of the hard rubber artifacts we found recently bore “an” and “51″ marks on the rear. These indicated a marking by the “American” Rubber Company, and the requisite patent mark for Goodyear’s process (“1851″)."

I don't believe that I would be participating in such experimentation of electricity and insulative properties....Read on toward the bottom of this article in amazement. "Another experiment was successfully tried by passing electric current through the human body." A certain Mr. O.J. Wolleston volunteered in this experiment. BRAVE INDEED!

To think that there were submarines during the Civil War is a bit amazing in and of itself, but to recognize that there was experimentation with a submarine telegraph in 1851! That is shocking isn't it?

Well, that isn't the 1/2 of it. There is more concerning telegraph lines:

"
Whereas. The "People's Line of Telegraph." extending from Louisville, Kentucky, through the States of Tennessee, Alabama and Mississippi, to New-Orleans, Louisiana, and including a branch line extending from Tuscumbia, Alabama, to Memphis, Tennessee, was completed and in operation from "Louisville to New-Orleans." in the month of January, 1849:
Therefore, be it Resolved, That in conformity with the provisions of the twenty-second section of the charter incorporating the "People's Telegraph Company," being an act of the General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Kentucky, entitled "An Act to incorporate the New Orleans and Ohio Telegraph Company and the People's Telegraph Company," and approved March 1st, 1848, the following notice be given in a newspaper published in each of the following places, viz: Louisville, Ky. Tuscumbia, Ala., Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La, if any such newspaper there be, once a week, for four weeks, and three times daily:--" -- Atlantic Cable

Names of those who owned stock also from above link Atlantic Cable. (Louisiana extract only)

And by their proxy, Charles Doane:
John A. Amelung, of New Orleans, La., seventy-five shares, 24 votes.
Harmon Doane, of New Orleans, La., fifty shares, 22 votes.
Parmele & Brother, of New Orleans, La., fifty shares, 22 votes.
John O. Woodruff, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
Price & Frost. of New Orleans, La., fifty shares, 22 votes.
John R. Shaw, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
Joseph Landis & Co., of New Orleans, La., fifty shares, 22 votes.
Kennett & Dix. of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
Shropshire & Savage, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
William Creevy, of New Orleans, La., thirty-five shares, 20 votes.
Shultz, Hadden & Leach, of New Orleans, La., fifteen shares, 15 votes
William B. Paiter, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
James D. Dameron. of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
R. Yeatman & Co., of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
R. W. Adams & Johnson, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
Mortimer Turner, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes.
Richard Millikin, of New Orleans, La., twenty-five shares, 20 votes
Stephen Henderson, of Baton Rouge. La., ten shares, 10 votes.
Philip Hickey. of Baton Rouge, La., five shares, 5 votes.
W. F. Tiernan, of Baton Rouge, La., five shares, 5 votes.
J. M. Brunot, of Baton Rouge, La. five shares, 5 votes.
James McCalop, of Baton Rouge, La., twenty-five shares 20 votes.
John Perkins, of Gallatin. Miss., ten shares, 10 votes.
Lewis Perkins, of Gallatin, Miss., ten shares, 10 votes.
(Whole number of votes cast, 1148.)

See also November 10, 1849 Papers Past - another instance where a flood is described in 1849 not May of 1850 as above. The above title however, states that the telegraph lines were taken up! Is it any wonder that I cannot find an article in Google Newspapers concerning the NOTICE described from Atlantic Cable to be printed for four weeks?

September 14, 1852, The New York Times - The Telegraph

Hand molded sun dried brick

2011-01-30T09:13:00.000-08:00

I started the day with an online tour of the Historic Kent Plantation House. I wonder who made the hand molded sun dried brick (1840-1860) and then retrieved an article decrying how brick was once made. Brick and clay record, Page 815, Volume 58 (Google eBook)Windsor and Kenfield [etc.] 1894-19, 1921 - Technology & Engineering

Slaves provided much of the skilled and manual labor in Louisiana's antebellum
cities. Demand for skilled labor was high, as were wages. Competition between whites
and blacks for high-paying skilled employment was also strong, although most labor
clashes in the antebellum period were over unskilled jobs. Skilled male slaves worked as carpenters, masons, bricklayers, painters, plasterers, tinners, coopers, wheelwrights, blacksmiths, cabinetmakers, shoemakers, millers, and bakers. Female slaves were also bakers, as well as seamstresses and cooks. Most market and street vendors were women,African- American and American Indian in particular. In much of Africa women conducted local and regional trade, a practice they continued in the Americas, including Louisiana....

...For much of the antebellum period slaves and free blacks supplied New Orleans's demand for unskilled manual labor. During her visit to the Crescent City in 1827,Englishwoman Frances Trollope commented on "the large portion of blacks seen in the streets, all labour being performed by them. . . . We were much pleased by the chant with which the Negro boatmen regulate and beguile their labour on the river." Black laborers were employed in the city's brickyards, foundries, distilleries, cotton presses, hospitals, schools, convents, and other enterprises.

-- A Medley of Cultures in Louisiana

Arpent French vs. Arpent Spanish

2011-01-22T11:37:00.000-08:00

My genealogy friend at Acadian Ancestral Home has a genealogy term that you must know when researching land. What is a French Arpent of land? Read it here.

The definition from Google Books sourced below, indicates that nearly 100 perches equal an Arpent. I wonder why there is a difference of +80 more perches between Lucie's arpent measurements and the definition supplied by Louisiana Writers' Project?

P 685 ARPENT - a former land measure, of 100 perches, which were 22 square feet.
Louisiana: A guide to the state By Federal Writer's Project, Louisiana Writers' Project.
Google Books.

"French arpent land divisions are long narrow parcels of land usually found along the navigable streams of southern Louisiana, and also found along major waterways in other areas. This system of land subdivision was begun by French settlers in the 1700s, according to typical French practice at the time and was continued by both the Spanish and by the American government after the acquisition of the Louisiana Purchase. A typical French arpent land division is 2 to 4 arpents wide along the river by 40 to 60 arpents deep, while the Spanish arpent land divisions tend to be 6 to 8 arpents wide by 40 arpents deep." -- The National Atlas . Gov

Facebook Wikipedia Arpent had another answer that didn't match.

This blog post gave a wonderful illustration on a map for a Spanish Land Grant in Louisiana that was being translated from French and vice versa to Spanish.You can see that the T in Apents is missing. This only happens in Missouri.

Well, that solved only a portion of what I was looking for. There is a distinct difference in a French Arpent and a Spanish Arpent. And I already know what a perch is anyway.....It's a fish! (maybe not)

"Following the Louisiana Purchase, the U.S. government sent surveyors to Louisiana who measured existing land grants, and, calculating backward, settled on a value of 191.994 feet exactly for the arpent." -- arpent in Louisiana

So in Missouri and an Arkansas arpen is larger than a Louisiana arpent. Hmmm. It is interesting that the Louisiana Writers' Project did not actually note the differences but did indicate that an arpent was 100 perches, which is significantly less than the French apent.

louisiana history
genealogy

Where is the German Coast in Louisiana?

2011-01-21T11:27:00.000-08:00

And don't forget migrations to and from Louisiana from our neighbors in TEXAS.

Louisiana migrations

2011-01-21T10:47:00.000-08:00

Have you visited the Migrations Project website? You may search by surname or by state and parish.
If you use the parish links below be sure to scroll down in order to view the correct data link as the entry page has quite a few pop ups.

Louisiana Migrations Link (There are a little over 500 entries in this user submitted database)

Acadia	Allen	Ascension
Assumption	Avoyelles	Beauregard
Bienville	Bossier	Caddo
Calcasieu	Caldwell	Cameron
Catahoula	Claiborne	Concordia
DeSoto	East Baton Rouge	East Carroll
East Feliciana	Evangeline	Franklin
Grant	Iberia	Iberville
Jackson	Jefferson	Jefferson Davis
Lafayette	LaFourche	LaSalle
Lincoln	Livingston	Madison
Morehouse	Natchitoches	Orleans
Ouachita	Plaquemines	Pointe Coupee
Rapides	Red River	Richland
Sabine	St. Bernard	St. Charles
St. Helena	St. James	St. John the Baptist
St. Landry	St. Martin	St. Mary
St. Tammany	Tangipahoa	Tensas
Terrebonne	Union	Vermilion
Vernon	Washington	Webster
West Baton Rouge	West Carroll	West Feliciana
Winn

Louisiana State Coordinator-Rhonda Smith

Church records

2011-01-19T08:28:00.000-08:00

This photo was posted to RootsWeb last week, by VTrahan, in the parish message boards. The poster believes that St. John the Baptist burned down in 1908. Look at all of the people! How wonderful to have an old photo of this church. Other photos of this church are posted in the LAGenWeb photo album, which states, "This church was built in 1822, and after it was destroyed by a fire in 1918 the present red brick church with the twin spires was built." Open the LAGenWeb link in a new window to compare photos.

"It must have been taken between 1904 (when she married and moved to Edgard) and 1918 when she moved back to Houma. "

Recently, there were two churches in Louisiana to have been destroyed by fire. A post from the LALGS indicated that the records of the Immaculate Conception Church may have been saved. The church is the oldest one in St. Landry Parish. The Diocese of Lafayette built it in 1836 however, it was established in 1756. The church records may have been saved from the fire by being stored in the rectory.

Here is link to an exterior shot of the Immaculate Conception Catholic Church taken in 2006. And here is one of the interior. If you open the exterior shot in a new window you can compare the photos.

Newslink - Rising from the ashes

Sugar Kettle Setter 1875 Leeds Foundry 1825

2011-01-16T12:56:00.000-08:00


The Library of Congress > Chronicling America (Newspaper Articles)

The Library of Congress > Chronicling America

See also http://nutrias.org/~nopl/info/louinfo/admins/leeds.htm
"1824...corner of Delords and Constance".

New Orleans Architecture: The cemeteries
(Google eBook)
Front Cover
Samuel Wilson, Friends of the Cabildo, Mary Louise Christovich
3 Reviews
Pelican Publishing, 1997 - Architecture - 208 pages

Delinquent Tax Debtors East Baton Rouge 1881 surnames

2011-01-16T12:26:00.000-08:00

The State of Louisiana vs. Delinquent Tax Debtors Parish of East Baton Rouge

Louisiana capitolian. (Baton Rouge, La.) 1879-1881, July 09, 1881, Tri-Weekly, Image 3

July 09, 1881, Tri-Weekly, Image 3

LR&N and New Orleans Great Northern Railroad

2011-01-16T11:00:00.000-08:00

The Library of Congress > Chronicling America

CCC camps

2011-01-16T09:17:00.000-08:00

Location of Louisiana Civilian Conservation Corps camps 1934-1942

http://www.la.nrcs.usda.gov/partnerships/ccc.html

H-Net Query 2009

An elderly gentleman in our Louisiana parish (county) says that at the
site of a former local CCC camp there are white irises because it was a
tradition to plant white irises at CCC camps. Have any of you heard of this as a
CCC tradition? An online search yielded an article about a camp in Missouri
where the director ordered the crew to plant irises, but it doesn't say
whether or not he did that because of CCC tradition. I appreciate any
help.

Louisiana Forestry Association

The CCC had a multi-purpose: to provide meaningful employment to the scores of unemployed youth and to conserve the nation’s resources. Work camps were established and administered by the Army to carry out the CCC mission.

In all, about 51,820 men served in the Louisiana Civilian Conservation Corps during its nine years of operation.

Louisiana Digital Library

B/W photo, February 15, 1937. WPA built refugee camps on roadway for victims of the 1937 flood. Former site of the Civilian Concentration Corps, CCC, camps in Harrisonburg, Louisiana.

B/W photo, February 15, 1937. Livestock being moved from lowlands under the supervison of the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) authorities. Note the approach of water from the 1937 floods to the highway..

B/W photo, February 15, 1937. Close up of a white refugee camp built by the WPA for victims of the 1937 flood. Former site of the Civilian Concentration Corps, CCC, camps. Written on photo: "Note picturesque...

B/W photo, February 15, 1937. WPA built refugee camps for white victims of the 1937 flood. Former site of the Civilian Conservation Corps, CCC, camps in Harrisonburg, Louisiana.

Text, May 31, 1939. Report of National Park Service on Chicot State Park. Memorandum by Wildlife Technician on the newly developed Chicot State Park. Created for the Regional Director, intended to describe..

Library of Congress Digital Archives

U.S. Civilian Conservation Corps class learning first-hand about a gasoline motor, Arcadia, Louisiana
Boys editing monthly publication "The Lighthouse", Camp Sanders, Mt. Hermon, La.

In my mailbag

2011-01-15T11:05:00.000-08:00

Added New Orleans African American Museum to Louisiana links.

Created new cemetery report from online flickr photo circa 2008 for graves found outside of kept area. Email sent to author to get details. Cemetery is currently closed due to a Nov 2010 tornado.

By _photonerd Ashleigh A.

This photo was taken on January 6, 2008 using a Canon EOS Digital Rebel XT.

Sorry to hear about passing of Mississippi Winn in the newspaper.
Shreveport woman believed to be oldest U.S. African-American dies at 113