USA > Louisiana > Louisiana; comprising sketches of counties, towns, events, institutions, and persons, Volume II > Part 5
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
"'In the name of the most high, mighty, invincible, and victorious Prince, Louis the Great, by the Grace of God King of France and of Navarre, fourteenth of that name. 1. this ninth day of April. one thousand six hundred and eighty-two, in virtue of the commission of his Majesty, which I hold in my hand, and which may be seen by all whom it may concern, have taken and do now take, in the name of his Majesty and of his successors to the crown, possession of this country of Louisiana, the seas, harbors, towns, villages, mines, minerals, fisheries, streams and rivers, within the extent of the said Louisiana, from the mouth of the great river St. Louis, other- wise called the Ohio, Olighinsipon or Chukagona, and this with the consent of the Chaonesnous, Chicachas and other peoples re- siding there with which we have made alliance, as also along the river Colbert, or Mississippi, and the rivers which discharge themselves thereinto, from its source beyond the country of the Nadouessioux, and this with their consent and of the Ototontas, Islinois, Matsigames, Akansas, Natchez, Koroas, who are the most considerable nations that reside there, with which we have made
49
-
LOUISIANA
alliance by ourselves or through persons in our name, as far as its mouth at the sea, or Gulf of Mexico, and also to the mouth of the River of Palms, upon the assurance we have had from the natives of these countries, that we are the first Europeans who have descended or ascended the said River Colbert; hereby protesting against all who may hereafter undertake to invade any or all of these aforesaid countries, peoples, or lands, to the prejudice of the rights of his Majesty, acquired by the consent of the nations dwelling herein. Of which, and all else that is needful, I hereby take to witness those who hear me, and demand an act of the notary here present.'
"A cross was planted, and a leaden plate was buried near it, bear- ing the arms of France on one side and a Latin inscription : 'Ludovi- cus Magnus regnat nono Aprilis, 1682,' and on the other : 'Robertus Cavelier, cum domino de Tonti, legato, R. P. Zenobio Membre, Recollecto, et Viginti Gallis, primus hoc tlumen inde ab Ilineorum pago enavigavit, ejusque ostium fecit pervium, nono Aprilis, anni 1682.' The Vexilla and the Domine Salvum fac Regem were sung in front of the cross, and the ceremony ended with shouts of 'Vive le Roi!' The signers of the act were : De la Salle. F. Zenobe, Recol- let missionaire, Henri de Tonti, François de Boisrondet, Jean Bour- don, Sieur de Autray, Jacques Cavehois, Gilles Meneret, Jean Michel, chirurgien, Jean Mas, Jean du Lignon, Nicolas de la Salle, La Metairie, notaire."
In the meantime Hennepin and Accault, acting under La Salle's orders, had explored the Mississippi from the mouth of the Illinois to the Falls of St. Anthony. The Spaniards had never taken advan- tage of the discovery of the river by De Soto, 141 years before, to claim the country drained by it and its affluents, hence to La Salle belongs the honor of tracing the course of the great river from near its source to the sea, and the ceremony above described, claiming the country tributary to it in the name of France, formed the basis of all subsequent negotiations regarding the territory-a fact all im- portant to the modern inhabitants of the Louisiana Purchase.
Before the close of 1682 La Salle had built a fort at Starved Rock, not far from Peoria, for the protection of the Illinois Indians in the vicinity, and to enforce the claims of the French to the valley of the river he had explored. But fresh troubles awaited him. Frontenac had been suceceded as governor of Canada by La Barre, who poisoned the mind of Louis against La Salle. In a letter to La Barre the king said: "I am convinced, like yon, that the discovery of the Sieur de la Salle is very useless, and that such enterprises ought to be prevented in future, as they tend only to debauch the inhabitants by the hope of gain, and to diminish the revenue from beaver skins." The governor seized La Salle's forts and ordered him to Quebec, but upon his arrival there La Barre for some reason dared not proceed further against him. La Salle then went to France to see the king. Once in Paris he found powerful friends, among whom was the Count de Frontenac. The result of his visit was that the king reversed his policy ; ordered La Barre to restore all forts and privileges taken from the explorer ; gave La Salle an
50
LOUISIANA
official order, under date of April 14, 1684, to establish a colony at the mouth of the Mississippi ; and fitted out a fleet of four vessels --- the Joly, Aimable, Belle and St. Francois-under command of Capt. Beaujeu to aid him in the enterprise. With this fleet La Salle sailed from La Rochelle July 24, 1684. France and Spain were then at war and the St. Francois was captured by the Spaniards, which proved a serious loss, as that vessel carried most of the stores and ammuni- tion. The expedition passed the mouth of the Mississippi and by mistake landed at Matagorda bay, on the coast of Texas, where Fort St. Louis was established. In landing the Aimable was run upon the shoals and wrecked. Beaujeu soon afterward returned to France in the Joly, and the Belle, the only remaining ship, was finally wrecked upon the shoals. Left thus without the means of pursuing his quest by water, La Salle started overland for the Illinois coun- try, hoping to reach the fort at Starved Rock and secure succor for his colony. Twice he failed, but with courage undaunted he started the third time on Jan. 7, 1687, to lead a forlorn hope to find the Mississippi or reach Canada. After wandering through swamps and canebrakes for over two months, some of his men formed a conspiracy against him, and on March 18, while attempting to quell the mutiny, he was shot in the head by Duhaut, one of the muti- neers, and instantly killed. Thus ended the life of a man whose record for indomitable will and high achievement stands without a parallel in history. With unsurpassed endurance and unselfish patriotism he gave to an unappreciative king a territory, almost an empire in extent, sacrificed personal ambition, and finally gave his life to the France that he loved.
La Salle Parish .- This parish was created by Act No. 177, ap- proved by Gov. Sanders on July 3, 1908. Section one of the act pro- vides that the new parish shall consist of "all that territory of the present parish of Catahoula lying west of the following described line : Commencing at the northeast corner of section 24, in township 11, north of range + east, Louisiana meridian, and running south on the range line between ranges 4 and 5 east to Saline bayon ; the said parish of La Salle being bounded as follows: the south line of Cald- well parish on the north ; the said range line (+) east, Louisiana meridian, on the east : the east line of Grant and Winn parishes on the west; and the line of Avoyelles and Rapides parishes on the south, and containing more than 625 square miles and more than 7,000 inhabitants, leaving the parish of Catahoula bounded on the west by the said range line (+) east, Louisiana meridian, and with the other boundaries as now fixed by law, containing more than 625 square miles and more than 7,000 inhabitants."
The act placed the new parish in the 5th Congressional district, the 2nd supreme court district, the 3d railroad commission district, the 30th senatorial district, the 8th judicial district, and the 1st dis- trict of the circuit court of appeals. An election was ordered for the Tuesday after the first Monday in May, 1908, at which the electors in the parish of Catahoula were to vote on the question of ratifying or rejecting the act. If a majority voted in favor of it the provisions
51
LOUISIANA
of the act were to be carried out, but if a majority voted in the nega- tive the act was to become null and of no effect. In the event a majority tavored the establishment of the new parish, provision was made for a transcript of the parish records, and on Tuesday after the first Monday in Nov., 1909, an election was to be held for representative, sheriff, clerk, assessor, coroner, justices of the peace. constables, etc., parish police jurors and school directors to serve until the expiration of the terms for which they were elected. A majority of the voters expressed themselves as being in favor of the establishment of the new parish, and La Salle parish was organized in conformity with the provisions of the act. (For the early history of this section see Catahoula parish.)
LaSere, Emile, member of Congress, was a native of Louisiana. He acquired a good education ; located in New Orleans ; was elected a representative from Louisiana to the 29th Congress as a Democrat, in place of John Slidell, resigned. He was reelected to the 30th and 31st Congresses.
Lauderdale, a village of St. James parish, is on the west bank of the Mississippi river, 2 miles northeast of La Pice, the nearest rail- road station, and 8 miles above Convent, the parish seat, in a rich sugar district. It has a money order postoffice, a good retail trade, is a landing point on the river, and in 1900 had a population of 130.
Laura, a post-village in the central part of Assumption parish, is located in the heart of a rich sugar district, about 2 miles southwest of Napoleonville, the parish seat and nearest railroad station. The population in 1900 was 150.
Laurel Hill is a village and station in the northeastern part of West Feliciana parish, is about 5 miles south of the state line on the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley R. R. It has a money order postoffice, express office, telegraph station and telephone facilities, and is the trading center for a large district. The population in 1900 was 40.
Laurents, a postoffice in the northwestern part of Vermilion par- ish, is on the south shore of Lake Arthur, about 4 miles south of Lake Arthur, the nearest railroad town.
Lassus, Carlos Dehault de .- (See De Lassus.)
Laussat, Pierre Clément de, French statesman and diplomat, was born in the year 1756. In 1803 he was appointed by Napoleon co- lonial prefect of Louisiana and commissioner to receive the transfer of that colony from the Spanish authorities in accordance with the terms of the treaty of St. Ildefonso. Laussat arrived in New Or- leans on March 26, 1803, and after being formally received by the Spanish officials took up his residence with Bernard Marigny. Soon after his arrival he issued a proclamation to the people of Louisiana. announcing to them the object and scope of his mission, and on April 9 the people responded with an address to the prefect, in which they said: "You have signalized, Citizen Prefect, the return of the French government by an authentic testimonial of its beneficent views. Your proclamation of the 6th Germinal, in an- nouncing them to us, has penetrated us with gratitude for its pa-
52
LOUISIANA
ternal care. The first benefactions of the French republic are al- ready felt, the happy choice of the chiefs whom it puts at our head, and whose honorable reputation had reached us. the picked troops it sends to protect our hearths, are sure guaranties of the happiness and prosperity it prepares for ns. We offer to it in return our de- votion, our obedience and our love, and we swear to render our- selves forever worthy of belonging to it.
"The French republic would perhaps attach less value to the homage of our fidelity, if it saw us relinquish without any sentiment of regret the sovereign who has lavished his favors upon us during the time he has reigned over us. This culpable indifference is not in our hearts; the regret at losing him occupies a space beside the joy of regaining our former country; and it is by preserving an eternal remembrance of his favors that we wish to render ourselves worthy of the benefits and attachment of the French republic."
This address was signed by about 100 of the leading citizens of New Orleans, and under date of the 16th Germinal the planters of Louisiana also presented Laussat with a similar address. When rumors of the cession of Louisiana to the United States reached New Orleans in the summer of 1803, Laussat indignantly denied it as "an impudent and incredible falsehood," circulated to aid the partisans of Mr. Jefferson, who was a candidate for reelection to the presidency. But the news proved to be true, and after receiving the province from Spain it became his duty to transfer it to the commis- sioners of the United States. ( See Transfer of Louisiana.)
Laussat left Louisiana on April 21, 1804, to assume the duties of colonial prefect at Martinique, where he was captured by the Brit- ish on April 24, 1809, and held a prisoner until Dec. 23, following, when he was exchanged for Alexander Cockburn. He arrived in Paris early in Jan., 1810, and for the next two years was maritime prefect at Antwerp. Ile was then prefect in the department of Jemmapes until in Feb .. 1814; was named baron during the 100 days' campaign : about the same time was elected a member of the house of representatives, but did not take his seat. In 1819 he re- ceived the Cross of St. Louis, and from that time to 1823 served under Louis XVIII as commandant and administrator of French Guiana. In 1825 he was retired on a pension and died in 1835.
Lavacca, a small village in the central part of Catahoula parish, is situated on Little river, 10 miles southwest of Black River, the nearest railroad station, and 15 miles southwest of Harrisonburg. the parish seat. It has a money order postoffice and some local trade.
La Villebeuvre, Don Juan de, was a Spanish military officer who came to Louisiana about the time that Spanish authority was es- tablished in the province. He is mentioned in the petition of Dec., 1768, to the superior council praying for the expulsion of the Span- ish frigate "used to serve as a prison to the citizens oppressed by Ulloa." About that time M. Piernas, commandant at Natchez, asked a boat ascending the river for provisions, but was informed that they had none to spare. Piernas withdrew, but soon reap-
53
LOUISIANA
peared with a loaded piece of artillery and threatened to fire on the boat if she attempted to leave the landing. He then ordered Capt. La Villebeuvre, at the head of his troops, to take possession of the provisions. The petition states that the captain was reluctant to do so, but was obliged to obey the orders of his superior officer. In the winter of 1787-88 Capt. La Villebeuvre made a journey into the Indian country. He met the Choctaw tribe, which promised not to receive the Americans, but to remain under the protection of the king of Spain. He also met the chiefs of the Yazoos and made amicable arrangements with them, and persuaded the king of the Chickasaws and several of the head men of that tribe to go to New Orleans to meet Gov. Miro. He returned to New Orleans in Jan., 1788, and Gov. Miro reported that Capt. La Villebeuvre had ren- dered "meritorious services in his journey of 128 leagues in un- inhabited regions." The governor also recommended that he be promoted to lieutenant-colonel.
Law, John, a famous financier and promoter, was born at Edin- burg, Scotland, in 1671. From his father, who was a wealthy gold- smith, he inherited an estate called Lauriston, but he preferred life in a large city and at the age of 23 years went to London, where he became a gambler. killed a man in a duel, for which he was sen- tenced to death. He managed to escape, and after roaming over the continent of Europe for several years finally reached France about the time of the death of Louis XIV. He persuaded Philip, regent of France, to favor a banking scheme that promised to im- prove the financial condition of the kingdom. A bank was chartered in 1716, which was at first merely under the protection of the regent, but was later made the royal bank of France. When Crozat sur- rendered his charter to Louisiana trade in 1717 Law became the head of a company to succeed him, and obtained a large con- cession of land in Arkansas with the title of duke. A large issue of paper money caused the collapse of his bank and in 1720 he left France in disgrace. He died poor at Venice in 1729. (See Western Company.)
Lawhon, a money order postoffice and station in the northwestern part of Bienville parish. is on the Louisiana & Arkansas R. R., about 20 miles southwest of Arcadia, the parish seat.
Lawrence (R. R. name Magnolia), a village of Plaquemines par- ish, is situated on the west bank of the Mississippi river and on the New Orleans, Fort Jackson & Grand Isle R. R., about 3 miles south of Pointe a la Hache. It has a money order postoffice, express of- fice, telegraph station and telephone facilities, and ships large quan- tities of fruit and vegetables by means of the railroad and the sev- eral steamboat lines that touch at the landing. The population in 1900 was 110.
Leander, a postoffice in the eastern part of Vernon parish, is about 4 miles north of Hueston, the nearest railroad station, and 20 miles east of Leesville, the parish seat.
Le Blanc, a post-hamlet in the central part of Calcasieu parish. is on a branch of the Calcasieu river, 5 miles north of Drew, the near-
54
LOUISIANA
est railroad station, and some 30 miles northeast of Lake Charles, the parish seat.
Le Camp, Jean, was the first male child born of white parents in the colony of Louisiana. P. J. Hamilton, in an article entitled "Beginning of French settlement of the Mississippi Valley," pub- lished in the Gulf States Historical Magazine in 1902, says: "His name was Jean Francois, and he was baptized by the cure Huve, on the day of his birth, Oct. 4, 1704. His father was probably named Jean Le Camp. The family name Le Camp can hardly be made out in the first church entry, but Prof. Alcee Fortier lately found in Paris, in a census report of two years later, the name spelled Le Camp. The church entries show a Jean Le Camp in 1709. The statement of Pickett that the first Creole was the son of Jousset is incorrect. There is a curious entry in the records of 1745, at the death of Robert Tallon, cabinet-maker, that he was the 'first Creole of the colony.' This would indicate, perhaps, that Jean Francois Le Camp had died before that. or that Robert Tallon had been born before him, which may well be, as the colony had existed even at Fort Louis two years before the church records begin."
So much for Mr. Hamilton's comments on the subject of who was the first male child born in the colony-a subject regarding which he appears to be in doubt. The census report referred to as having been found by Prof. Fortier in his researches in Paris was made by Gov. Bienville and Nicholas La Salle, the intendent of the colony, and it states in so many words: "Jean Le Camp has the first male child born in Louisiana," which ought to be considered as authentie.
Le Compte, an old town in the southeastern part of Rapides parish, is at the junction of the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, the Southern Pacific, the Texas & Pacific and the Red river & Gulf railroads. One of the first railroads in the United States was the road built between Alexandria and Lecompte, a primitive affair about 16 miles long. Lecompte is the shipping point for a consid- erable area of fine cotton country, and is a thriving town. It has a money order postoffice, a bank, telegraph and telephone facilities, an express office, a large retail trade, and a population of over 1,000.
Lee, a post-hamlet and station in the central part of Orleans parish, is on the Louisville & Nashville R. R., 7 miles east of New Orleans. In 1900 it had a population of 44.
Lee Bayou, a village in the eastern part of Catahoula parish, is a station on the New Orleans & Northwestern R. R .. about 10 miles east of Harrisonburg. It has a money order postoffice, is a neighborhood trading center, and does some shipping.
Leesburg .- (See Cameron.)
Lees Creek, a post-hamlet of Washington parish, is situated in the heart of a lumber district about 20 miles southeast of Frank-
-
.
55
LOUISIANA
linton and near the Pearl river. Bogalusa, 3 miles north, is the most convenient railroad station.
Leesville, the capital of Vernon parish, was established by the act creating the parish in 1871. The parish seat was to be "on or near Bayou Castor, Section 23, township 2 north, range 9 west," where the town of Leesville has grown up. It was incorporated some time after it was laid out, and after the railroad was built through the parish it became an important business town. It is located a little north and west of the geographical center of the parish, in the midst of the western long leaf yellow pine district, hence lumbering is the principal industry, as there are several large sawmills and wood-working concerns located in the town. Lees- ville has a good system of waterworks with 6 miles of mains, good fire protection, a telephone exchange, an electric light plan, an ice plant of 15 tons daily capacity, foundries, 2 banks, a number of churches, good schools, 2 newspapers, good hotels, bottling works, and numerous commercial establishments. The town is growing rapidly. It exports 2,500 car loads of lumber and 2,000 bales of cotton each year. Farming is carried on in the surrounding coun- try, where the timber has been cleared, the products of dairy and farm being marketed in or exported from Leesville. It has good public buildings, an international money order postoffice, express offices, telegraph station and telephone facilities. The population in 1900 was 1,148, and in 1908 it was estimated at 2,500.
Legonier, a money order post-hamlet of Pointe Coupée parish, is situated in the northwestern part, about 2 miles east of Simmes- port, the nearest railroad station. In 1900 it had a population of 70.
Leland, a village in the northeastern part of Catahoula parish, is 3 miles southwest of Florence, the nearest railroad station. It has a money order postoffice and in 1900 had a population of 40.
Leland University .- (See Freedmen. Higher Education of.)
Lelia, a post-hamlet in the western part of St. Landry parish, is about 2 miles southeast of Mamon, the nearest railroad station, and 15 miles northwest of Opelousas, the parish scat.
Lena Station, a post-hamlet and station of Rapides parish, is on the Texas & Pacific R. R., about 20 miles northwest of Alexandria, the parish seat. The population was 70 in 1900.
Lenoir, a post-hamlet in the southwestern part of De Soto parish, is about 5 miles northeast of the Sabine river and 4 miles north- west of Benson, the nearest railroad station.
Leonard, John Edwards, jurist and lawyer, was born in Chester county, Pa., Sept. 22, 1845. He was given an excellent education, first attended Phillips Exeter academy, and graduating at Harvard college in 1867. He then studied law in Germany ; received an LL. D. degree from the University of Heidelberg; returned to the United States and settled in Louisiana, where he began the practice of law. He was elected district attorney and judge of the state supreme court, and in 1876 was elected to represent his district in the 45th Congress as a Republican. He died at Havana, Cuba, March 15, 1878.
56
LOUISIANA
Leonville, a post-village and station in the southern part of St. Landry parish, is on the Southern Pacific R. R., 8 miles southeast of Opelousas, the parish seat. It had a population of 200 in 1900.
L'Epinay, M. De., was appointed to succeed Cadillac as governor of Louisiana by Crozat in 1716, and served in this capacity for a period of 11 months. He arrived in the Bay of Mobile, March 9, 1717, accompanied by M. Hubert, the successor of M. Duclos as commissaire ordonnateur, and three companies of infantry, com- manded by MM. Aruths de Bonil, de Loze and Gouris. There also arrived at the same time some 50 colonists, among whom were MM. d'Artaguette, Dubreuil, Guenot, Trefontaine and Mossy, distin- guished Frenchmen who came to establish colonies on their several concessions. The administration of Gov. Cadillac had been a con- spicuous failure, characterized by constant jealousy toward the popular Bienville and repeated altercations between the two men. L'Epinay utterly failed to profit by the mistakes of his predecessor, and his brief administration was marked by the same dissensions as that of his predecessor. Says La Harpe in his Journal. "The arrival of M. de L'Epinay created great dissatisfaction, as he caused some regulations to be enforced, contrary to the wishes of M. de Bienville. This dissension between the high officers of the colony was extremely prejudicial to its prosperity." In August of this year, too, Crozat surrendered his charter, and the Western Company succeeded to his privileges. The colony was still in a weak and struggling condition, and there were about 700 persons all told, chiefly located on the bay and river of Mobile, and in the vicinity of Biloxi Bay. Neither Cadillac nor L'Epinay encouraged the colonists to cultivate the soil, as the minds of both were filled with dreams of sudden wealth to be acquired by trade with the Spanish on the east and west, the prosecution of the fur trade with the natives, or the discovery of precious metals. On Feb. 9, 1718, the ships Dauphin. Vigilant and Neptune, belonging to the West- ern Company, arrived at Dauphine island, with orders for the recall of L'Epinay and a commission for Bienville as governor- general. L'Epinay had done practically nothing to advance the interests of the colony during his brief regime.
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.