BARBE, Judge Alfred Michael, Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ** ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Barbe, Judge Alfred Michael, district judge of the Fifteenth Judicial district of Louisiana, resident at Lake Charles, was born at the old family home, on the south side of Lake Charles, La., Jan. 29, 1878; son of Charvais Barbe, who was born at Paris, France, in 1835, and came to America in 1853, landing at Galveston, Tex., where a first cousin, Bishop Oden, first Bishop of the Diocese of Galveston, then lived. Shortly thereafter he located in Calcasieu parish, La., and there entered the service of Amedee Pujo, later becoming his partner in business at Rose Bluff. He married his partner's oldest daughter, Miss Clara Pujo. During the Civil war he was taken by the Federal soldiers to New Orleans, as a prisoner, although he was not serving as a soldier, and while in the latter city he began the study of medicine, at the Charity hospital, from which institution in due time he graduated and later began practice on Bayou Lafourche. After a time, however, he returned to Lake Charles, and during the reconstruction period served as postmaster of that city. Some time later he purchased the Pujo store, and for a time conducted this business. He served, also, as parish assessor. During his later years he lived in retirement at the old home place, Shell Beach, an eighteen-hundred-acre property, where his widow now resides. Ten children were born to their union, eight of whom are living at this time, as follow: Constance, Claudia, Clarence, Henrietta, Alfred Michael, Paul J., Louis D., and Ernest. Alfred Michael Barbe received his earlier education in the convent of the Sisters of the Holy Cross at Lake Charles. In 1897 he graduated from the Saint Louis college, San Antonio, Tex., with the degree of A. B., following which he studied law in the offices of A. R. Mitchell during one year, and then entered the law school of Tulane university, New Orleans, from which he graduated with the class of 1900. During the time of his attendance at Tulane he served as secretary to Justice N. C. Blanchard, of the Louisiana supreme court. In the same year in whch his professional education was completed, he began the practice of law at Lake Charles, where he has since remained resident and devoted his abilities to the interests of his clients. He is a member of the Roman Catholic church and affiliates with the democratic party. In 1901 he was elected as one of the two judges of the Fifteenth Judicial district, comprising Allen, Beauregard, Calcasieu, Cameron, and Jefferson Davis parishes. His opponents in this contest were Joseph Moore, A. R. Mitchell, J. S. Toomer, and R. M. Oden, all recognized as strong men. Judge Barbe is a thorough sportsman, and passes most of his spare time in fishing and hunting, both of which sports are excellent in this part of Louisiana. Judge Barbe is a descendant of two of the oldest and most distinguished families in Louisiana, and is a worthy representative of his ancestors. Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 35-36. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association. Miller, Michael"