Acadia Parish, LAGenWeb
Biographical Sketches - Page 5
| Pages with all biographies. 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
Cornelius C. Duson
October 27, 1894
Hon C. C. Duson was born in what is now Acadia parish, on the banks of the Mermentau river, August 31, 1846. He is the eldest son of Cornelius C. Duson, native of Point Lewis, opposite Quebec, Canada, who sought refuge in Southwest Louisiana after having taken up the cause of the French revolutionists in 1837.
The subject of our sketch was reared on a farm and received a common school education. He has from an early age taken an active interest in the politics of the State and in 1873 was elected sheriff of St. Landry parish after having held the position of deputy sheriff for seven years. Mr. Duson occupied the sheriff’s office for fourteen consecutive years, when he resigned the office to accept the position of State Senator. No other man in the same capacity in the State ever gained the reputation that Mr. Duson did during the fourteen years’ service as sheriff. One of the first things he accomplished was the breaking up of organized bands of outlaws who had for years infested the country and baffled all attempts to execute the law. In doing this he followed criminals to the border of Mexico, into the mountains of the Indian Territory and as far north as Illinois. The appreciation of his long years of service is shown in the fact that the last time he was candidate for the office he received, in a total of 6,200 votes, a majority of 1,843 over a strong candidate.
Hon. C. C. Duson was one of the prime movers in the founding of Acadia parish and he has always taken a most active part in its development and improvement. Like his brother, W. W., he has given liberally of both time and money to every enterprise put forward in our town and parish. It was largely through his efforts that a new railroad, the Midland Branch, was built through the parish last year. Besides his connection with the Southwestern Louisiana Land Company and W. W. Duson & Bro., mention of which has been previously made, he is the prime mover in the new town of Eunice and its building up will be under his personal supervision.
William W. Duson
October 27, 1894
W. W. Duson is a native of St. Landry parish, this State, and was born October 5, 1853. He is the only brother of Hon. C. C. Duson and son of Cornelius C. Duson who died in 1857. At the age of seventeen he engaged in business for himself at Plaquemine Brulee, and later managed a store for Hon. James Webb at the same place. Later he went into business with C. W. Foreman, under the firm name of Foreman & Duson, which firm was continued until Mr. Duson removed to Rayne and embarked in the real estate business. He was first married January 2, 1879, when he wedded Miss Anna F. McClelland.
In 1886, Mr. Duson with the assistance of Messrs. Alphonse Levy, J. Meyers and C. C. Duson, of Opelousas, and Dr. J. Grey Thomas, of Mobile, Ala., organized the Southwestern Louisiana Land Company, with W. W. Duson as general manager, a position he retains up to the present time. In 1887 he, in company with C. C. Duson, located and founded the town of Crowley. Mr. Duson is the manager and owner of the firm of W. W. Duson & Bro., and is also manager of the Louisiana Investment Co., which does a large and extensive business. Besides several other enterprises, he operates and manages several large rice farms. Mr. Duson owns and controls no less than 100,000 acres of rice and other farming lands.
John Francis Egan
October 27, 1894
John F. Egan, member of the town council, was born in New Orleans in 1866. Moved to Prairie Hayes with his parents when twelve years of age. For nine years he experienced the hardships of pioneer life on the farm, his location here having been fifteen years ago, when the lack of railroad communication with the outside world deprived the people of many comforts and necessities. One year after the incorporation of the town of Crowley he moved here and has followed various occupations, having for two years acted as deputy sheriff and for as long a period was assistant tax assessor. Shortly after settling here he studied photography and formed a partnership with Geo. W. Bellar, which firm was dissolved after one year, when he continued the business alone and was very successful. In December, 1893, he was elected a member of the present town council, and has filled the position with credit to himself and satisfaction to his constituents.
W. E. Ellis
October 27, 1894
The name that heads this sketch has to the residents of our little city and country surrounding a substantial sound. As cashier and one of the heaviest stock holders of the Crowley State Bank, Mr. Ellis stands in the front rank of our solid and influential business men, and it is in a very great measure due to his shrewd business capacity and untiring energy that this institution today holds a foremost position among similar establishments throughout the State. He has conducted the affairs of the bank on the theory that it is perfectly feasible to combine due conservation with accommodating methods, and he has succeeded.
W. E. Ellis is a native of Vermont, being born at Rocksburg on July 12, 1841, where he resided on a farm until twenty-four years of age. His education was obtained in the district schools and at the Barry, Vt., and Northfield, Vt., Academies. In 1867 he went west and located at Vinton, Iowa, where he engaged in contracting and building and did an extensive business for thirteen years. He then changed to Peterson, Iowa, and conducted a lumber business for ten years. Disposing of this he went to Alvord, Ill., in January of 1891, and established a bank, of which he had entire charge, although his cousins, C. and W. C. Ellis, were large stockholders, as they also are of the Crowley State Bank. Mr. Ellis came to Crowley in June of 1892, and on the first day of the month following the bank here was opened up under his management.
Joseph H. Fabacher
April 25, 1903
One of the most experienced rice farmers west of the river country is Joseph H. Fabacher, of Santo, Acadia Parish. Mr. Fabacher was born in New Orleans August 24, 1858, and his family name has become a familiar one to New Orleans people on account of the famous restaurant founded by the father of the subject of this sketch.
In 1870 Joseph Fabacher, the father of Joseph H. Fabacher, went into business on the present site of Santo, or Trilby. For many years the point was known as Fabacher settlement. The elder Fabacher, who died in 1899, first embarked in the saw-mill business, but in the early seventies he went into rice culture. This was nearly twenty years before the upland system of rice irrigation had made the rice planter measurably independent of Providence for his water supply. The experience of Joseph H. Fabacher as a rice farmer began when he was a boy of twelve, and embraces every phase of rice culture, from the old system of planting along the bayous and coulees to the most improved modern methods of irrigation by deep wells on his farm of 365 acres. These are respectively 165, 180 and 205 feet deep, and furnish him an abundance of good water for irrigation purposes.
Mr. Fabacher was married September 22, 1881, to Miss Dora Gingle, and has eight children: Andrew, Lawrence, Madeleine, John, Cecelia, Albert, Agnes and Leo.
Mr. Fabacher has been in the general merchandise business in Santo since 1890.
Merton J. Fate
March 28, 1903
Among the prominent young business men in Gueydan is Merton J. Fate, of the livery firm of Fate Bros.
Mr. Fate is a native of Minnesota. He was born in the town of Spring Valley, November 10, 1878, and received his education in the common schools of that city. Not content to live and die in his native city, Mr. Fate came South in 1893 and located in Crowley, and lived in this city until 1897, when he moved to Gueydan and formed the present partnership with his brother.
Mr. Fate is a young man of much ability and keen business judgment and has met with success because he has worked for it. He is very popular in Gueydan among all classes. He is unmarried.
Walter W. Fisher
October 31, 1903
Among the prominent citizens of Gueydan is numbered Walter F. Fisher the senior partner of the enterprising hardware firm of Fisher & Isaacs.
Mr. Fisher was born in the Hawkeye state, at Boon, Soory county, in the year of 1872. He received his early education in the public schools of Iowa and Nebraska. His early life in the north was spent on his farm.
In 1890 Mr. Fisher came South and located near Gueydan, and for several years was one of the successful rice farmers of that section. In 1891 he formed a partnership with Mr. Isaacs and started the hardware business to which he now devotes his time and attention.
Mr. Fisher was married to Miss Ida Laurents in 1902.
Since locating in Vermilion parish Mr. Fisher has taken an active part in all matters pertaining to the interest of his country, and has for the first time to be found standing on the wrong side of any question. He is a most pleasant and affable gentleman, and has been successful in surrounding himself with many friends.
W. H. Fleshman
May 23, 1903
One of the best mechanics of Acadia parish is W. H. Fleshman, the Estherwood blacksmith, who is also part proprietor of a livery stable and of a confectionery store.
Mr. Fleshman is a native of Louisiana, having been born in the village of Big Cane, St. Landry parish, in the year 1872. He was educated in the public schools and lived on his father’s farm until his sixteenth year parish, in the year 1872. He was educated in the public schools and lived on his father’s farm until his sixteenth year, when he went to work in the blacksmith shop of A. Reiber, as an apprentice. Here he acquired an excellent knowledge of the blacksmith’s trade, and three years later, at the age of nineteen, went into business for himself in Big Cane. After running a shop successfully for two years he moved to Goldthwaite, Texas, where he remained one year. From Texas he came to Crowley, in February 1896, and worked in the shops of the rice city for two years. In 1898 Mr. Fleshman moved to Estherwood and entered the employ of H. Loewer. He is still engaged in blacksmithing in Estherwood and is also a partner in the livery business with his father-in-law, P. E. Coles, and owns a confectionery establishment.
Mr. Fleshman was married in May, 1901, to Miss Cora Coles, of Estherwood.
He is regarded not only as a first-class mechanic, but as a good citizen.
Rev. George Fraser, D. D.
October 27, 1894
Rev. Geo. Fraser, D. D. who so ably fills the pulpit of the Crowley Presbyterian Church, was born near Wellsville, Ohio, April 27, 1823, and was educated at the Jefferson (Pa.) College. He received his clerical education at the Danesville (Ky.) Theological Seminary. He was always a close student and a number of years was professor of mental and moral philosophy in Washington and Jefferson College, Pennsylvania. Later he held a professorship in the Waynesburg (Pa.) College. Preferring the ministry he obtained a license to preach the gospel in 1856 at Lancaster, Ky., and has ever since been a zealous worker in the religious field. In 1857 he married a Miss Francis Thayer, of Danville, Ky., who survived but a short time. In 1869 he formed a union with Miss Mary Wardwell, of New Orleans, and they are the happy parents of five children, four daughters and one son.
Rev. Fraser moved to Lake Charles, La., six years ago and had charge of the Presbyterian Church there for two years. Later he made Lafayette his home and while residing there also had charge of the Crowley congregation. For the past two years he has been a resident of Crowley and although well advanced in years his religious zeal allows him no rest, he having charge of the Opelousas, Belleview and Crowley churches.
Rev. George Fraser, D. D.
May 30, 1903
Rev. George Fraser D. D., was born near Wellsville, Columbiana Co., Ohio, and received a classical education at Jefferson College, now known as Washington-Jefferson College, at Washington, Pa. He afterwards graduated at the Danville Theological Seminary.
Dr. Fraser was for some years professor of metaphysics and logic in Washington-Jefferson college and was at the same time substitute pastor for the Presbyterian church of Washington. He afterwards became professor of Greek and Latin at Waynesburgh college. In 1876 his alma mater conferred on him the degree of doctor of divinity.
In 1888 Dr. Fraser became pastor of the Presbyterian church at Lake Charles, where he built a church edifice. Two years later he was transferred to Lafayette, where he filled the pastorate until 1891, when he came to Crowley to organize a Presbyterian church here. He had, during his pastorate at Lake Charles and at Lafayette, frequently preached in this place, and was well known here.
Dr. Fraser’s original Presbyterian church in this city consisted of one member, Miss Minnie Williams, but under his ministrations the congregation began to grow and soon became one of our strongest churches. The present church edifice was founded under Dr. Fraser’s pastorate and the church society established.
He taught for several years in Acadia College, and has been a professor in the University School since its establishment.
The character of Dr. Fraser’s life work is expressed in the resolutions of respect adopted by the teachers and students with whom he had been long associated: “His presence as a teacher has been an inspiration; the example of his life has been a blessing.”
Dr. Fraser will leave next week for California to visit his daughter. He may ultimately move to the Pacific Coast.
Alcee L. Gaidry
October 31, 1903
The Signal takes great pleasure in printing the picture and a short biographical sketch of Alcee L. Gaidry, one of the leading merchants and business men of Estherwood.
Mr. Gaidry was born in Washington, La., on Jan. 23, 1871. he clerked for ten years in the store of his father at Washington, but his ambitious nature made him long to start in business on a small scale. By fair dealing and strict attention to his business, Mr. Gaidry is now the proprietor of one of the best stores in Acadia parish outside of Crowley, and his business is steadily increasing.
Mr. Gaidry has taken a great interest in all things which would in any way benefit his home town, and has done much in making Estherwood the thriving place it is today.
Mr. Gaidry is unmarried.