USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 38
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81
315
LOUISIANA
post was established at Pointe Coupee by Bienville in 1817. Slaves were introduced into the colony as early as 1719 and French, in the Ilistorical Collections of Louisiana, states that. "In order to encour- age the emigration of industrious and useful citizens to Louisiana, for the purpose of establishing regular agricultural settlements upon the fertile lands of the Mississippi and its tributaries, the govern- ment of France made large grants or concessions of land to influ- ential and enterprising persons. Among these was. ..... one at Pointe Coupée to MI. de Meuse." Settlers were induced to take up land on these grants and by 1722 the colony had increased and become an important trading post. An effort was made to intro- duce the culture of silk worms but it proved a failure financially. A chapel was built by those early settlers and its records show that the first white children baptized in the colony were Jean Francois Decoux, Dec. 21, 1728, and Marie Charlotte Gasserand, April 1, 1728. St. Francis' church was built to replace the chapel in 1765 and soon after that date the Acadian refugees began to settle the "Acadian Coast," adding to the population of the Pointe Coupée colony. The settlement was prosperous and as early as 1745 a number of planters were wealthy, the Ledouxes, Lacours, Decuirs, Ternants, Le Blancs, Porches, and Patins owning slaves and plan- tations of considerable extent. Julien Poydras bought a plantation m 1769 and erected a store house at Pointe Coupée. An attempt was made to introduce the culture of sugar-cane in 1776, but it failed, and it was not until some time later that two Spaniards suc- ceeded in making rum and molasses from the juice of the cane, and a man named Mendez experimented until he made a few pounds of sugar. At the present time sugar is the leading product of the parish. An American farmer named Mix introduced the newly invented cotton gin in 1802, and from that time cotton culture has increased until it ranks with sugar as one of the great staple crops of the parish. American immigration began in Pointe Coupée shortly after the acquisition of Louisiana by the United States. Among these settlers were the Bush, Cooley, Farrot, Morgan, Burrows, Armstrong and Willis families, a number of whom married creoles. Pointe Coupée was created as the 12th parish of Louisiana and comprehended the old ecclesiastical parish of St. Francis. The seat of government was near St. Francis church, and the building used for the first courthouse had served the same purpose during the French and Spanish dominations. In 1846 it burned, after having been occupied for more than 100 years, and 2 years later the parish seat was moved to New Roads on False river. The first judge of the parish after its incorporation was Judge Ludeling and the first sheriff John Gross. Pointe Coupee parish is drained by the Mis- sissippi, Atchafalaya and False rivers and several bayous. Its for- mation is alluvial land and wooded swamp. The richness of the soil is scarcely equaled by any other section of the state. With a levee system affording complete protection from inundation by the Mississippi river, no parish in the state of similar extent would equal it in production. In its primeval state it was heavily wooded.
316
LOUISIANA
The valuable timber has provided generous income to the parish for many years and much marketable timber still remains uncut. Im- mense erops of sugar and cotton are raised on the bottoms, and corn, oats, peas, hay, potatoes, rice, tobacco and all kinds of garden vegetables are grown on the higher ground. While little attention has been paid to commercial horticulture, all the fruits native to this portion of the state grow in abundance, and pecans are ex- ported in considerable quantities. Some little attention is paid to live stock but it is one of the minor industries of the parish. Pointe Coupée has no large cities but a number of flourishing towns that supply the rich farming country. The most important are, Anchor, Batchelor, Chenal, Fordoche, Glynn, Innis, Jacoby; Lacour, Lake- land, Legonier, Lettsworth, Livonia, Lottie, Morganza, New Roads, the parish seat, Oscar, Pointe Coupee. Raccourci, Randall, Smith- land, Torras and Viva. Transportation and shipping facilities are excellent. The Mississippi furnishes cheap shipping by steamboat along the eastern boundary : the Texas & Pacific R. R. enters the northern boundary near Torras and traverses the whole length of the parish, passing through New Roads and crossing the south- eastern boundary near Glynn; a branch of the same system runs from Melville on the western boundary, southeast to the southern boundary ; and the Colorado Southern runs east and west across the southern portion.
The following statistics are taken from the U. S. census for 1900: number of farms, 3,772; acreage, 174,380; acres improved, 102,924; value of land and improvements exclusive of buildings, $3,224,040; value of farm buildings, $1,050,580; value of live stock, $708.373; value of all products not fed to live stock. $2,038,698; number of manufacturing establishments, 87: capital invested, $817,175; wages paid, $62,238; cost of materials used, $359,915; total value of all products, $521.527. The population of the parish in 1900 was 6,601 whites, 19,174 colored, a total of 25,777, an increase of 6,164 during the preceding decade. The estimated population for 1900 was over 31,000.
Point Pleasant, a post-hamlet in the northeastern part of Tensas parish, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi river, about 8 miles east of Somerset, the nearest railroad station. It is a land- ing on the river and a shipping point by steamboat for the north- eastern part of the parish. Its population in 1900 was 103.
· Poland, a village in the eastern part of Rapides parish, is situated on the Red river, about 2 miles east of Magda, the nearest railroad station, and 16 miles southeast of Alexandria, the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice and is an important cotton shipping point on the river.
Polignac, Camille Armand Jules Marie, soldier, was born in France, Feb. 6, 1832. He bore the title Count de Polignac, and was a descendant of a duchess of that name who was a favorite of Marie Antoinette. At the beginning of the Civil war he came to America, offered his services to the Confederate government, and on Jan. 10, 1862, was given a commission as brigadier-general. He
317
LOUISIANA
was attached to the Army of Tennessee, but was transferred to Louisiana, where he served almost entirely. For gallant action against Union gunboats on the Ouachita river, he received the thanks of Gen. Richard Taylor in a special order, and was distin- guished for gallantry in the actions at Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. On June 13, 1864, he was commissioned major-general and con- tinued to command Mouton's old division, which he had led at both Mansfield and Pleasant Hill. Before the close of the war he re- turned to France, and fought for his mother country during the Franco-Prussian war of 1870-71. Later he engaged in journalism and civil engineering, having charge of several surveying expedi- tions in Algiers.
Polk, Leonidas, soldier, 1st Protestant Episcopal bishop of Lou- isiana, and 33d in succession in the American Episcopate, was born in Raleigh, N. C., April 10, 1806, a son of William and Sarah ( Haw- kins) Polk. After attending preparatory schools he went to the University of North Carolina, but as his father wished him to be a soldier he secured an appointment to the U. S. military academy at West Point, where he graduated in 1827 and was immediately brevetted second lieutenant of artillery. While studying at the academy he was baptized by the chaplain, Rev. Charles P. Mc- Ilvaine, who persuaded him to enter the ministry. In Dec., 1827, he resigned his commission in the regular army to study theology; in 1830 he was made deacon of the Protestant Episcopal church by Bishop Moore, and was soon ordained priest. For about a year he was assistant rector of the Monumental church at Richmond, but left to take a trip to Europe. On his return he settled at Colum- bia, Tenn., and became rector of St. Peter's church. In 1835 he was deputy of the general convention and a member of the stand- ing committee of the diocese. Three years later he was elected missionary bishop of the Southwest and consecrated in Cincinnati, O., in Oct., 1838. While holding this office he had charge of Arkansas, Indian Territory, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. In 1841 he was elected bishop of New Orleans. He then resigned as missionary bishop, but continued his missionary work, and it was through his efforts that Episcopal churches were established at Shreveport and along the Red river, at Plaquemine, Opelousas, along the Teche and Lafourche bayous, at Thibodaux, Napoleon- ville and Donaldsonville. During his episcopate at New Orleans he made 16 deacons: ordained 19 priests, and the churches grew · from 3 to 33. In connection with Bishop Elliott, Bishop Polk was one of the men who started the movement to establish the Uni- versity of the South at Sewanee, Tenn. His sympathies being with the South at the outbreak of the Civil war, he heartily cooperated with the leaders in establishing the Confederacy and gave advice in regard to fortifying strategic points. In 1861 he was given a commission as major-general by President Davis and placed in command of the territory on both sides of the Mississippi river from the mouth of the Red river north to Cairo, Ill., with head- quarters at Memphis, Tenn. The fortifications at New Madrid,
318
LOUISIANA
Fort Pillow, Columbus, Ky., Island No. 10, Memphis and other places were built under his direction. He commanded the troops at the battle of Belmont. Nov. 7. 1861, and the next year joined the army of Johnston and Beauregard at Corinth, Miss., where he com- manded the Ist corps. He took part in the battle of Shiloh and the operations around Corinth: was then placed in command of the armies of Mississippi and Kentucky ; took part in the battle of Perryville, and conducted the Confederate retreat from Kentucky. On Oct. 10, 1862, he was promoted to lieutenant-general. At Chickamauga he commanded the right wing : was then in command of the department of Alabama until May 12, 1864, when he joined Johnston's army at Resaca. Ga., for the Atlanta campaign. While on a reconnoisance near Marietta, Ga., he was killed by a cannon ball on June 14, 1864.
Pollock, one of the largest incorporated towns of Grant parish, is a station on the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern R. R., 16 miles north of Alexandria, and about the same distance east of Colfax, the parish seat. It has an international money order post- office, express and telegraph offices, large sawmills, and is the ship- ping depot and supply town for a large lumber district. The popu- lation in 1900 was 637.
Pollock, Oliver, an American merchant, was engaged in the Lou- isiana trade about the time the province was ceded to Spain. In 1769, when flour was selling for $20 a barrel in New Orleans, he won the friendship of Gov. O'Reilly, and incidentally great favors for himself, by his generous offer to sell a cargo of flour to the governor at his own price. O'Reilly paid him $15 a barrel for the flour, but granted him the privilege of trading in Louisiana as long as he pleased without the payment of duty. The amicable rela- tions established with the Spanish authorities in the days of O'Reilly continued until the administration of Gov. Galvez. In 1777 Pollock was appointed the agent of the American Congress to collect in New Orleans arms and supplies for the American posts on the frontier. Spain was a neutral power, but Pollock was secretly aided in his work by Galvez, with the result that large quantities of arms and munitions of war found their way from New Orleans to the posts on the upper Mississippi and Ohio rivers. When Spain declared war against England in May. 1779, Pollock, with a handful of Americans, enlisted under the banner of Galvez for the conquest of West Florida. (See Spanish Conquest.)
Ponchatoula, a town of Tangipahoa parish, is a station on the main line of the Illinois Central R. R., 3 miles south of Hammond. and was incorporated on Feb. 28, 1861. It is located in the pine flats in the southern part of the parish, has sawmills and other lum- ber industries, and is the shipping point for the country by which it is surrounded. All along the line of the Illinois Central R. R. there are extensive fruit and truck farms that supply the northern and eastern markets with early vegetables and berries, and hun- dreds of cars of these products are shipped annually from Poncha- toula. It has an international money order postoffice, a bank. an
319
LOUISIANA
express office. telegraph and telephone facilities, a large retail trade, and in 1900 reported a population of 711.
Pontalba .- In the annals of New Orleans the frequent mention of the name Pontalba suggests many interesting events both civic and personal. At the beginning of the 19th century this illustrious name was borne by Joseph Xavier Delfau, Baron de Pontalba, a native of New Orleans, who under the French dominion, had been a colonel of the Royal Exercitos, commandant of the Cote des Allemands and the parish of Iberville, also by his son Joseph Xavier Célestin Delfau de Pontalba, who married Micaela Leonarda An- tonia, daughter of Don Andres Almonester y Roxas. Baron de Pontalba's residence in New Orleans was a stately mansion at the corner of St. Peter street and the levee. suited to his wealth and prominence. . The betrothal of Delfau de Pontalba and the only daughter of Almonester was made according to an arrangement of their respective fathers, notwithstanding the lady's affections were elsewhere engaged. The young lady was a native of New Or- leans, educated by the Ursuline sisters and became a great beauty as well as a great heiress. Her marriage was celebrated with great pomp and ceremony in the St. Louis cathedral, Oct. 23, 1811, Father Antonio officiating. Young Pontalba and his bride sailed immediately for France and were soon domiciled in brilliant state in Paris. The old Baron de Pontalba also returned to France. where he obtained for his son a post in the household of Napoleon the Great. The baron established himself at Mont l'Eveque, an imposing château just outside the gates of Paris. After a few years of wedded life, Madame de Pontalba and her husband be- came estranged and a separation followed. The custody of the children was retained by the mother, with the provision that their education should be supervised by their paternal grandfather. Upon this matter, Baroness de Pontalba, as she was always known in France, found it necessary to make several visits to Mont l'Eveque. Upon the last of these occasions, she was ushered into the cabinet of the stern old baron, upon whose proud mind his son's domestic troubles constantly preyed. What transpired was never known, but sounds of a violent altercation were heard and the report of a pistol. Servants broke in the door of the apartment and to their horrified gaze was revealed the tragedy which shocked Paris and Louisiana. Stark in his great armchair sat the old baron, a bullet through his brain ; on the floor at his feet lay Madame de Pontalba at the point of death from a bullet in her breast. To the surprise of all the baroness recovered, but the cause of the affair remained a mystery.
Baroness de Pontalba purchased the magnificent palace of 400 rooms on the rue de Lille, built by Louis Quatorze for the Duc de Lille. Finding the occupation of the castle impracticable for any but royal state, the baroness had it destroyed, reserving the famous pictures, marbles, tapestries and carvings, for a new and inagnifi- cent establishment, which Baroness de Pontalba proceeded to build. and which was afterward purchased by a member of the Roths-
.
320
LOUISIANA
child family for 5,000,000 francs. In 1848, Madame de Pontalba became alarmed at the unsettled social conditions in Paris and re- turned with her family to Louisiana, living for some time in a villa in the country, or when necessary in rooms in the city of New Orleans. During this residence in Louisiana Madame de Pontalba conceived the idea of beautifying the Place d'Armes. She caused the removal of many of the old trees; tore down the old Spanish structures which occupied the streets facing the square; erected in their place the Pontalba buildings, at a cost of several hundred thousand dollars: subscribed generously to the Jackson monument fund, and petitioned the legislature to change the name of the Place d'Armes to Jackson Square. Returning to Paris, Baroness de Pontalba resided there in her magnificent hotel until her death on April 20, 1874. Her daughter married a native of New Orleans, her 3 sons became substantial men, grandchildren gladdened her declining years, her investments prospered, and all the attributes of wealth, ease and luxury were hers until the end. Her husband outlived her several years and died at the age of 85.
Poole, a post-hamlet in the southeastern part of Bossier parish, is situated on the Red river and the line of the Louisiana Railway & Navigation company, about 20 miles southeast of Shreveport. It is a landing on the river and one of the shipping points for the southeastern part of the parish.
Pools Bluff, a post-hamlet in the southeast corner of Washing- ton parish, is on the Pearl river, about 3 miles northeast of Rio, the nearest railroad station, and 25 miles southeast of Franklinton, the parish seat.
Popeville, a post-hamlet of Washington parish, is the eastern terminus of the Kentwood & Eastern R. R., and is about 13 miles northeast of Franklinton, the parish seat. It is the shipping and supply town for the large lumbering district in the northeastern part of the parish, has an express office and is a trading point of considerable importance.
Port Allen, the seat of justice of West Baton Rouge parish, is located in the eastern part of the parish on the right bank of the Mississippi river and opposite the city of Baton Rouge. It was named for Gen. Henry W. Allen, who settled there in the early 50's on a plantation to which he gave the name of "Allendale." A line of the Texas & Pacific R. R. passes through Port Allen and ' furnishes transportation facilities in addition to those afforded by the river. Port Allen is noted for its nice residences and its fine public school building. It has a bank, large cotton gin company, several general stores, a money order postoffice, express and tele- graph service, and in 1900 reported a population of 250.
Port Barre, a post-town in the southeastern part of St. Landry parish, is situated at the junction of the Colorado Southern, the Opelousas, Gulf & Northeastern, and the Southern Pacific rail- roads, abont 8 miles east of Opelousas. It has a telegraph station. express office, telephone facilities, and several good stores. and is
321
LOUISIANA
the shipping town for a considerable district in the southeastern part of the parish. The population in 1900 was 100.
Port Eads, a village of Plaquemines parish, situated near the month of the South pass, one of the outlets of the Mississippi river, and is the most southern town in Louisiana. It has a money order postoffice and telegraph station, and in 1900 reported a population of 100.
Porter, Alexander, U. S. senator from Louisiana, was born in Ireland in 1786. When quite young he came to the United States with his uncle. who settled near Nashville, Tenn. He received but a limited education ; studied law and began practice at Attakapas, La .; was a delegate to the convention which framed the first state constitution ; was a judge of the state supreme court for 15 years, and was elected U. S. senator from Louisiana as a Whig in place of J. S. Johnson, deceased. He served from Jan. 6, 1834, to Jan. 5. 1837, when he resigned, but was again elected to the U. S. senate in 1843, and he served until his death on Jan. 13, 1844, at Attak- apas, La.
Port Hudson, an incorporated town in the northwestern part of East Baton Rouge parish. is located on the Mississippi river and is a station on the line of the Louisiana Railway & Navigation company, about 15 miles from the city of Baton Rouge. It has a money order postoffice, express, telegraph and telephone facilities, several good stores, and is an important shipping point, hundreds of bales of cotton being marketed here every year. The population in 1900 was 300. Port Hudson was one of the Confederate strong- holds on the Mississippi river in the early part of the war between the states. Several Federal gunboats were destroyed or damaged here in March, 1863, when Farragut attempted to pass the batteries with his fleet, and the place surrendered only after a long and pain- ful siege, and not then until after the fall of Vicksburg.
Port Vincent, a town in the southwestern part of Livingston parish, is situated on the Amite river, about 10 miles northeast of Witten, the nearest railroad station. It is one of the old landing places on the river and was settled in the early part of the 18th century as a trading post. Today it has several good mercantile establishments and is the center of trade for a considerable dis- triet. The population in 1900 was 160.
Posey, Thomas, U. S. senator from Louisiana, was born in Vir- ginia, July 9, 1750. He received but a limited education; held various local offices; served in the French and Indian war, and when the Revolutionary war broke out enlisted. In 1793 he was appointed brigadier-general. but soon moved to Kentucky, where he took an active part in politics. He served in the state senate and was lientenant-governor of Kentucky for 4 years. From Ken- tucky he moved to Louisiana ; was appointed U. S. senator from Louisiana in place of Jean N. Destrehan, resigned; served from Dec. 7, 1812. to Feb. 5. 1813, when he was appointed governor of the Indian territory, and was made Indian agent in 1816. He held this position until his death at Shawneetown, Ill .. March 19, 1818.
322
LOUISIANA
Potash, a village in the central part of Plaquemines parish, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi river, 10 miles below Pointe à la Hache, the parish seat. It is a landing on the river and a station on the New Orleans, Fort Jackson & Grand Isle R. R., is the shipping point for a rich fruit district, has several stores, a money order postoffice, and in 1900 had a population of 250.
Poupet, Pierre, was one of the principal merchants of New Or- leans at the time the province of Louisiana was ceded to Spain, and he is mentioned by Gayarre as one of the "chief conspirators" against the authority of Gov. Ulloa when the latter arrived to assume the administration of colonial affairs. In Aug., 1769, Poupet was arrested by orders of Gov. O'Reilly, charged with being "the treasurer of the rebels and taking up arms" in the revolution of 1768. He was convicted and sentenced to six years' imprison- ment, but was liberated in 1771. He never returned to Louisiana.
Powhatan, a village in the northwestern part of Natchitoches par- ish, is on the Texas & Pacific R. R., about 2 miles south of the Red river and 9 miles northwest of Natchitoches, the parish seat. It is the shipping and supply town for a large area of rich Red river valley farming land, has a money order postoffice, express office, telegraph station, etc.
Poydras, a village in the western part of St. Bernard parish, is situated on the east bank of the Mississippi river at "English Turn" and is a station on the Louisiana Southern R. R., about 18 miles below New Orleans. It is located in one of the richest truck farm- ing districts in the state and supplies the nearby market of New Orleans with vegetables and fruit. It has a money order postoffice, an express and telegraph offices, a good retail trade, and in 1900 reported a population of 100.
Poydras Female Asylum .- (See Asylums.)
Poydras, Julien, who was a prominent figure in the early history of Louisiana, was born at Nantes, Brittany, in 1740. About the time that O'Reilly succeeded in establishing Spanish authority in the colony, Mr. Poydras came to New Orleans and began his busi- ness career in America as a peddler, carrying a pack on his back and walking through the country. In this way he laid the founda- tion of a generous fortune, much of which in after years he dedi- cated to charitable and educational institutions. After a few years he located in the parish of Pointe Coupée, from which place he car- ried on a large trade with Natchez. Opelousas, Baton Rouge, New Orleans and other points. He wrote the first poem in the literature . of Louisiana-a poem entitled "La Prise du Morne de Baton Rouge," extolling the bravery of Galvez and his soldiers for the capture of Baton Rouge in Sept., 1779. From this time on Mr. Poydras took a deep interest in public affairs and was several times honored by being elected to positions of trust and responsibility. He was president of the first legislative council of the Territory of Orleans; was elected delegate to Congress in 1809 and made the journey from Louisiana to Washington on horseback, accompanied by a single servant, being six weeks on the road; was president of
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.