OLIVIER, Robert A., Iberia Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller


**********************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm
**********************************************
 

ROBERT A. OLIVIER, OLIVIER.--R. A. Olivier was born in Iberia parish in 1858. 
He is the son of Eugene and Laura T. (Dalcour) Olivier.  The former, is a
native of St. Mary (now Iberia) parish, and the latter a native of Cuba.. 
They became the parents of eleven children, six of whom are now living, viz.: 
Theresa,  Mary,  Lucy,  Robert Alfred, the subject of this sketch, and 
Louise.  Eugene B. Olivier was a member of the House of Representatives of
1845, and member of the Senate of 1858.  He was for some time president of the
Police Jury, and at the time of his death was president of the school board. 
To him is due a great deal in building up of the parish schools.

The subject of this sketch had limited educational advantages, owing to the
fact that there were few schools in the parish within his reach.  He attended
private school for a short period, but his education has been chiefly acquired
by association and private study.  He began railroading at the age of sixteen
years; and was for five years succeeding this engaged in the freight
department of the Morgan Railroad.  He was subsequently agent for the Wells
Fargo Express company, in which capacity he served for two years.  At the time
of his father's death, in 1882; he took charge of the plantation, Orange
Grove, which is situated five miles southeast of New Iberia, on the bank of
the Bayou Teche.  The plantation consists of six hundred acres of land, three
hundred and fifty of which is cultivated in cane and corn.  The plantation was
sold in 1888, and purchased jointly by Mr. Olivier, Mr. Farmer and Mr.
Abraham.  They have greatly improved the place and it is now in perfect order. 
They have a large six-roller sugar mill with steam train.  Besides the
manufacture of their own product they purchase and work up the cane from about
fifty small planters near them.  In 1800 they manufactured over a million
pounds of sugar.

In 1882 Mr. Olivier was appointed member of the police jury ; about the same
time he became a member of the school board, which office he now holds.  In
1889 he was appointed parish assessor, and is the present incumbent of that
position.  Mr. Olivier is a member of the Order of the Knights of Pythias.

Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp.
125-126.  Edited by William Henry Perrin.  Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.