USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume I > Part 67
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Hyams, a post-village and station of Natchitoches parish, is abont
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5 miles northwest of the city of Natchitoches on the Texas & Pacific R. R.
Hydropolis, a post-hamlet in the central part of Avoyelles parish, . is about 3 miles southwest of Marksville, the parish seat, and 2 miles west of Cocoville, nearest railroad station.
Hyman, William Bryan, lawyer and jurist, was born at Williams- ton, Martin county, N. C., April 30, 1814, a son of Samuel and Ann Gray (Bryan) Hyman. He received a classical education at the College of North Carolina: studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1839. From North Carolina he moved to Louisiana, settled at Alexandria in Rapides parish, where he soon acquired an exten- sive practice and became noted throughout the state as a lawyer. Gov. J. Madison Wells appointed him chief justice of the supreme court on April 1, 1865, and he held jurisdiction over that part of the state within the Federal lines, Justice Merrick holding under Gov. Allen within the Confederate lines. When the new state con- stitution was adopted in 1868 Judge Hyman left the bench. In 1871 he was appointed judge of Jefferson parish, where he served until April, 1880, when the constitution of 1879 went into effect, abol- ishing the system of parish judges. Judge Hyman married Her- menegilda, daughter of Andres Gonzales of Alexandria, La., June 7, 1847. He died at Camp Parapet, Jefferson parish, La., Ang. 9, 1884.
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Iatt, a post-hamlet in the northern part of Grant parish, is about 3 miles southwest of Williana, the nearest railroad station, and 14 miles northeast of Colfax, the parish seat.
Iberia Parish was formed out of the southern part of St. Martin and the northern part of St. Mary parishes; its history is that of the Attakapas district, as its early settlement dates back as far as St. Landry's or St. Martin's. The first settlers in the district were about 500 French sent out by Bouligny in 1778 and were followed by Spaniards, among whom were the Miguez, Dominique and Romero families. Next came the Acadians, descendants of the French, who had long before settled in Acadia, or Nova Scotia, and exiled by the English had sought refuge in Louisiana. Among these were the Breaux, Broussards, Decuirs and Moutons, names which became famous in the affairs of the state in later years. Many of the early settlers came direct from France. Among them were such families as the DeBlancs, Gonsoulins, Oliviers, St. Clairs and Declouets. and descendants of these old families are still to be found in the parish. Their settlement was for years the great at- traction to French emigrants. During the French regime De Blanc, the ancestor of the American family of that name, was commandant of western Louisiana. As early as 1788 the colony of Iberia num- bered 190 people, the majority of whom were Spanish, but there were the French Acadians and many French who came to America
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under St. Denis and Benard de la Harpe. Few American settlers came until after the battle of New Orleans, as that event opened up this rich district to settlement from other states. One of the first of these was John Weeks, a wealthy gentleman, from Virginia, who brought a number of slaves and became a sugar planter. Other prominent Americans were the Bakers, Smiths and Youngs. A few Irish came about the same time, among them Alexander Porter, who became a prominent figure in the state, serving as justice of the supreme court and as U. S. senator from Louisiana.
Iberia parish is located in the extreme southern part of the state. its southern border being on the gulf coast. It was established by an act of the legislature on Oct. 30, 1868, the original act defining its boundaries as they are today. It is irregular in its geographical outline and is bounded as follows: on the north by the parishes of St. Martin and Iberville : on the east by Assumption parish ; on the south by St. Mary's parish and the Gulf of Mexico ; and on the west by the parishes of Vermilion and Lafayette. It has an area of 583 square miles. After the organization of the parish New Iberia was made the parish seat. The first courthouse-a temporary build- ing-was burned in 1870, and the present structure was built in 1884. The formation of the parish is varied, consisting of coast marsh, alluvial land, wooded swamp, and rolling uplands breaking into bluff land. Much of the eastern part of the parish is cypress swamp. The tillable land lies south and west of the Southern Pa- cific R. R. and the Bayou Teche from the parish line below Jeanerette to New Iberia, this region being called "Prairie au Large." It has an average width of 6 miles, a little wider above, between the railroad and Lake Peigneur. All the land is tillable be- tween Lake Peigneur and Lake Tasse, as is the land in the great bend of the Teche, which is as rich as any land in the state. "Prairie au Large" is fine rolling prairie, with natural drainage, and like that south of Lake Peigneur, is fine grazing land. The Teche is lined with plantations nearly the entire distance from its entrance into the parish east of Lake Tasse to the line where it leaves the parish below Jeanerette. The banks of the bayou are from 15 to 25 feet high, sloping gently to the water, and before the war large sugar plantations were held here by wealthy planters, who built many beautiful residences along the stream. The land lying along Grand Lake is almost all cypress swamp, and bordering the swamp is a growth of gum, oak. ash and other timber. Around the great bend of the bayou, called Fausse Pointe, the alluvial land is several miles wide. On the west side of the Teche there is little timber, when compared to the abundance on the eastern side. Grand Cote island is about 2 miles in diameter, with an area of some 2,000 acres, part of which is in timber, part in pasture, and the remainder under culti- vation. Avery's, Salt, or Petit Anse island, as it has a variety of names, is 21/2 miles long by 1 mile wide and is a sort of geological puzzle. It is composed of hills, valleys, woodlands, open fields and pastures, and surrounded on all sides by sea marsh, which at a dis- tance has the appearance of dry, level prairie. On this island are
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large deposits of pure rock-salt. (See Salt.) Orange island, which received its name from the orange groves there, is varied in forma- tion, some parts being quite rugged. These islands form the most attractive natural features of the parish. The principal streams are the Bayou Teche, which runs through the center of the parish, Petit Anse bayou and Coulee du Portage. Lake Peigneur, one of . the finest sheets of water in the Attakapas country, lies 9 miles west of New Iberia, and Lake Tasse is 2 miles from that town. Fish of various kinds may be caught in these lakes at all seasons of the year. On the east, Lake Fausse Pointe lies almost entirely within the eastern boundaries of the parish. The natural water supply is abundant, the creeks affording ample supply for stock, though cistern water has to be used for domestic purposes. The principal production is sugar, the alluvial soil along the Teche yielding large crops. In recent years rice has been introduced, and its culture has proved such a success that it is a rapidly developing industry. Corn, hay, potatoes, peas and garden vegetables are all grown extensively and with good profits. The rich soil and mild climate, for frost is rarely known here, combine to make orange and lemon culture a source of profit. Under state protection the oyster industry has grown rapidly. Both oysters and shrimp are found in large quantities along Vermilion bay, and salt and fresh water crabs are caught in the bayous and streams of this favored region. Iberia has quite extensive manufacturing interests, such as soap and oil factories, sawmills, a sash, door and blind factory, brickyards, ice factories, etc. The Southern Pacific R. R. traverses the northern part of the parish from southeast to northwest, nearly parallel to the Bayou Teche, and a branch road runs from New Iberia to a salt mine in the southern part of the parish, furnishing excellent transportation facilities. New Iberia, the parish seat, in the northern part, and Jeanerette, near the eastern boundary, are the two most important towns. Other towns and villages are Avery Island, Delcambre, Loreauville, Olivier and Patoutville. The par- ish has rural schools for both white and colored children, and the schools of New Iberia and Jeanerette are of the best.
The following statistics are taken from the U. S. census for 1900: Number of farms, 1,828; acreage, 149,577 ; acres improved. 90,209; value of land and improvements exclusive of buildings, $3,930,950; value of farm buildings, $1,042.380; value of live stock, $764,042; total value of products not fed to live stock, $1.651,611; number of manufactories, 97; capital invested, $4,251.235; wages paid, $762,330; cost of materials used, $2,085,269; total value of products, $3,526,923. The population of 1900 was 14,729 whites. 14,282 colored, a total of 29.015, an increase of 8,018 over the year 1890. The estimated population of 1908 was over 37,000.
Iberville, a village in the parish of the same name, is in the north- eastern part, about 8 miles east of Plaquemine, the parish seat. It is a station on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R., has a money order postoffice. a telegraph office, and does some shipping.
Iberville Parish, one of the oldest parishes in the state, received
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its name in honor of Iberville, the founder of Louisiana. The first settlements were made at an early date by the French and Spanishi. The records date back to 1770, but a census which O'Reilly had taken in 1769 shows that Iberville had a population of 376 at that time. The largest colony was known as St. Gabriel, on the east side of the Mississippi river. The old church of St. Gabriel was organ- ized and maintained during the early days of the settlement. Louis Dutise was commandant and judge of the "District of Iberville," in 1770, and documents bearing his signature are preserved in the archives of the parish. In 1781, N. De Verbois succeeded him as commandant and governed for a number of years. During the decade following 1765, the population of the colony was increased by some immigrants from the Canary islands and the Acadians (q. v.), who located on the "Iberville coast." The trade of the colony was of considerable value at this time and attracted English traders, who carried on an illicit trade with the French. By 1788 this vicinity had a population of 286 people. Among those who resided in the Iberville district between 1770 and 1785 were the following: Pierre Cassadin, Thomas de Acasta, Pierre Bobin, Fer- main Blanchard, Jacques, Jean and François Landry, Joseph Le Blanc, Pierre Brosseaux. Jean Durand, Fernando Roderigues, Jean Thibodeaux, Manuel Robazo, and the Sehlatres, nearly all of whom have descendants living in the parish today. The parish was first established as "Iberville county" by act of the territorial legislature in 1804, and when the Territory of Orleans was divided into 19 parishes, in Jan., 1807, the parish of Iberville was made to include Iberville county and the settlement of Galveztown. The seat of justice was first located at Point Pleasant, about 8 miles below Plaquemine on the right bank of the Mississippi river, but was changed to Plaquemine in 1842.
Iberville parish is located in the southern part of the state, is irregular in outline, bounded on the north by the parishes of Pointe Coupée, East and West Baton Rouge; on the east by Ascension parish ; on the south by the parishes of Assumption and Iberia : and on the west by St. Martin and St. Landry. The Mississippi river flows through the eastern portion, the Atchafalava river flows through the southwestern portion, and the central part is drained by the Grand river, Bayous Goula, Plaquemine, Maringouin, Grosse Tete, Manchac and numerous other small streams. It has an area of 643 square miles, all of alluvial formation and wooded swamp. The "coast of Iberville." as the land along the banks of the Missis- sippi is called, is remarkable for its highly improved condition and the great extent of its plantations. During antebellum days many grand old residences, surrounded by parks of live oak and pecan trees, were built in this section of the state. The swamp lands are nearly all heavily wooded with cypress, oak and other valuable timber, and lumbering is an important industry. It is elaimed that more cypress shingles are manufactured in and shipped from Iber-
. ville than any other parish in the state. The principal agricultural product is sugar, but rice, cotton and corn are raised. The mild
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climate and rich soil are adapted to the growth of fruit trees, - several varieties of which do especially well, and pecans are ex- ported in large quantities. There is practically no government land left in the parish and tillable land is worth from $10.00 to $50.00 an acre. Transportation facilities are good. The Mississippi river offers cheap shipping by water on the east; the Texas & Pacific R. R. passes through the parish on the west bank of the Missis- sippi river ; and the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. runs through the northeastern portion, and a branch of the Southern Pacific sys- tem crosses the northern part. Outlets are thus furnished in every direction for the products of the parish. From early settlement to the present time the Catholic religion has predominated among the white population though most of the Protestant denominations are represented. The parish has done much for public education. There are rural schools for both white and black, and the high schools of such towns as Plaquemine. Bayou Goula and White Castle provide free higher education. Plaquemine. White Castle and Bayou Goula are the most prominent towns. Others are Crescent, Dorcyville, Grosse Tete, Island. Maringouin, Rosedale, St. Gabriel, Seymour- ville, Sunshine and Indian Village.
The following statistics are taken from the U. S. census for 1900: number of farms, 746; acreage, 110,499; acres improved, 61,171 ; value of land and improvements exclusive of farm buildings, $3,044,630; value of farm buildings, $1.191.210; value of live stock, $564,207; total value of products not fed to live stock. $1,389,609: number of manufactories, 78; capital invested, $5,138,172; wages paid, $475,809; cost of materials used, $2.132.983; total value of products, $3,044,333. The population in 1900 was 9,842 whites, 17,159 colored, a total of 27.006, an increase of 5.158 over the year 1890. The estimated population in 1908 was over 33,000.
Iberville, Pierre Le Moyne. Sieur de, called by his admirers "The Cid of New France." was born at Villemarie. Montreal, Canada, July 16, 1661, the third of 14 children-11 sons and 3 daughters- born to Charles and Catherine (Primot) Le Moyne. Nearly all the sons served with distinction at some period or another in the army or navy of France. Pierre (d'Iberville) played a brilliant part in the war between France and England which was concluded by the treaty of Ryswick on Sept. 20, 1697, and soon afterward he was honored by being made a Knight of St. Louis. The conclusion of the war gave Louis XIV the opportunity to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi-an opportunity that had been neg- lected since the death of La Salle more than ten years before. Accordingly, a fleet of four vessels, under command of Iberville, who bore the title of governor-general. set sail from Brest, Oct. 24, 1698. The ships were the Badine and the Marin, cach carrying 30 guns and 200 men, the former commanded by Iberville in person and the latter by the Chevalier de Surgères: the Precieux, com- manded by J. F. Vasseur : and the Biscayenne, under command of F. Guyon. On board the two smaller vessels were about 200 col- onists, a company of marines, and a stock of tools, provisions, etc.
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Among the colonists were a number of women and children, chiefly families of ex-soldiers, who had been given liberal induce- ments to join the expedition. Lawrence de Graaf, a noted buc- caneer, had been secured by Iberville as pilot. By order of the king, the fleet was joined at St. Domingo by the man-of-war Fran- çois, 52 guns, commanded by the Marquis de Chateaumorant, and several transports with provisions and troops.
England and Spain were both casting longing eyes upon the broad valley of the Mississippi, and the latter nation had already established a colony at Pensacola. When Iberville's fleet dropped anchor off Santa Rosa island on Jan. 25, 1699, the Spaniards at Pensacola refused to permit the French to land, and Iberville sailed on westward to Mobile bay. After touching at Massacre and Chan- deleur islands, the fleet passed between Cat and Ship islands and came to anchor about the middle of February in Biloxi bay, on the northeast shore of which Iberville subsequently decided to locate his colony. But that decision was not reached until after an at- tempt had been made to find the Mississippi. Learning from the natives of a large river, some distance to the southwest, Iberville determined to visit it, believing it to be the Mississippi. On Feb. 27, with 2 rowboats, several bark canoes and 53 men, among whom were Sauvolle and Bienville, he set out for the mouth of the river. In his account of the expedition he says: "We entered this river on the night of the 2nd of March. I found it obstructed by rafts of petrified wood of a sufficient hardness to resist the action of the
sea. * * On the 3d, the winds prevented me from making soundings between the rafts and the three outlets. which extend some three leagues before entering the sea." The 3d was Shrove Tuesday, and to a point 12 leagues from the mouth of the river Iberville gave the name of "Mardi Gras." As he passed up the river he encamped on the site of New Orleans and on the 14th reached the village of the Bayagoula Indians. At this point in his narrative he says: "Seeing myself so far up the river without positive proof that this was the Mississippi, and that it might be said in France that I was deceived, not having met with any of those tribes mentioned in the narratives, I concluded that I ought to visit the Houmas on the east side of the river, among whom I_ knew M. de Tonti had been; and believing. moreover, that in course of at least 30 leagues I must meet with that branch of the river spoken of in the narratives, down which I could send a cha- loupe and canoe for the purpose of exploration, and ascertain which of the two rivers would be most suitable for settlements. I was apprehensive that the Indians only desired to conceal from me that branch in order to get me to remain upon theirs, as they hoped to reap some advantage thereby. I renewed my journey in company with the chief of the Bayagoulas, who offered to go with me with 8 of his men, and arrived at the village of the Houmas, distant 35 leagues."
The Houma village was about opposite the mouth of the Red river. While there Iberville learned of a letter Tonti had left with
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the chief of the Quinipissas or Mongoulachas, and ordered Sauvolle and Bienville to return and get the letter, which was done. It was found to be addressed to La Salle and contained an account of Tonti's voyage down the river to meet that explorer in 1686. On March 23, Iberville turned back down the river, entered Bayon Manchac the next day, passed through and named Lakes Maurepas and Pontchartrain, and reached Ship island ahead of Bienville and Sauvolle. On April 12 he explored and named Bay St. Louis. By May 1 the fort and cabins were completed, the fort was armed with 12 cannon and stocked with ammunition, and three days later Iberville sailed for France, leaving Sauvolle in charge of the colony. He returned on Dec. 8, bringing supplies and reinforcements, and learned of the attempt of the English to plant a colony somewhere on the Mississippi. (See English Turn.) To prevent a repetition of the visit, he proceeded at once to the Mississippi and 54 miles from the mouth built a fort, which some writers have called Fort Maurepas and other Fort Iberville. This fort he placed in charge of his brother. Bienville. after which he ascended the river to the village of the Natchez Indians, with whom he concluded a treaty on March 5, 1700. In May of that year he again returned to France and did not come again to Biloxi until Dec. 18. 1701, when he ar- rived with two ships. the Renommée, under his personal command. and the Palmier, commanded by his brother Joseph (Sieur de Serigny). During his absence Sauvolle had died and the colony had become reduced to 150 members, all of whom were in great distress.
This condition of affairs was due in a great measure to the erroneous impressions that prevailed among the Europeans regard- ing America. Rumors of fabulous wealth were current and they were believed by many men noted for their intelligence and sagacity, as the following extract from the instructions to Iberville will show : "One of the great objects proposed to the king, when he was urged to discover the mouth of the Micisipi, was to obtain wool from the cattle of that country ; and for this purpose these animals must be tamed and parked and calves sent to France. Although the pearls sent to his Majesty are not fine, either in water or shape. they must nevertheless be carefully sought, as others may be found ; and his Majesty desires M. d'Iberville to bring all he can, ascertain where the fishery is carried on, and see it in operation." The "cattle" referred to were doubtless the wild buffaloes, from the hair of which some of the Indian tribes fashioned rude gar- ments, but after a lapse of 200 years no white man has ever suc- ceeded in using it as a textile fabric. Among the colonists were many who preferred adventure to agriculture, and when the head of the colony was instructed to hunt for pearl fisheries it is little wonder that this class spent the time in seeking for gold, jewels or valuable furs among the natives, rather than to perform the rude labor necessary on the part of him who settles a new country.
In May, 1702. England declared war against France and Spain, and Louis XIV ordered the headquarters of the governor of Lou-
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isiana to be removed to Mobile bay. Leaving Bienville to carry out this order, Iberville bade farewell to the colony and sailed for, France. It was his intention to return to Louisiana, but he was ordered to duty in the French navy. The colony was neglected for a time, but he finally managed to send his brother, Chateauguay, with a ship-load of supplies to its relief. In the spring of 1706 he left France for Mobile, but died at Havana of yellow fever on the 9th of July.
Ida, a village in the northern part of Caddo parish, is a station on the Texas & Pacific R. R., about a mile south of the Arkansas boundary. It has a money order postoffice, express office. telegraph station and a good retail trade. Its population in 1900 was 48.
Immigration, Bureau of .- By the act of March 17, 1866, the legis- lature of Louisiana extended to the world the first of a series of official invitations to come and share the bountiful blessings which nature has so generously showered upon this portion of the Western Hemisphere. This act provided for a department of government, to be known as the "bureau of immigration," the chief of which was to be appointed by the governor, and was to receive an annual salary of $3,500. The bureau was authorized to maintain "one or more agents" in foreign countries for the purpose of advertising the many physical merits and resources of the state, and to attend to the matter of transporting, at the very lowest possible rate, all those who might desire to immigrate to Louisiana. Said agent was required to obtain all the information possible concerning those about to sail for the New World, and this information was to be forwarded to the chief of the bureau at Baton Rouge. Five days after the enactment of this act the legislature passed a law looking to the protection of the immigrants. Among other things it pro- vided that all immigrant boarding houses and all transportation agents dealing exclusively with the above class of people should be licensed. It further provided that all government officials, both state and municipal, no matter whether or not they were employes of the immigrant bureau. must refrain from dealing with or solicit- ing immigrants for their own private gain, and the issuance of boarding house licenses to keepers of saloons and coffee houses was forbidden. On Mar. 8. 1869. the bureau was reorganized by legis- lative enactment, in that 6 commissioners-each to serve for a term of six years-were to have charge of immigration matters. Among other things it further provided that an employment bureau, for the benefit of immigrants seeking work, should be established at New Orleans.
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