John W. Austin. Iberville Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller



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John W. Austin, treasurer of Iberville parish, La., was born in Poultney, Vt.,
May 7, 1829, a son of John W. and Olive (Whitcomb) Austin, natives of the
state of New York, their marriage taking place in Washington county of that
state, after which they moved to the "Green Mountain state," where they spent
the remainder of their days. The father carried on a tannery and the
manufacture of boots and shoes for some years, and later engaged in keeping a
hotel and farming. He and his wife were for many years consistent members of
the Methodist Episcopal church. He was first a whig in politics but afterwards
became a republican, and as such remained until the day of his death, which
occurred in 1888, at the age of eighty-six years.
He was of English descent, his ancestors having come to the United Stales
during the early settlement of the New England states. His wife was of Scotch
descent, and died at the age of seventy years. To John W. and Olive Austin
eight children were born, six of whom are now living but who reside in six
different states: John W. is the eldest; N. P. has been an extensive
traveler but is now a merchant in Santa Barbara, Cal.; Mrs. Henry T. Hull
resides in Poultney, Vt. ; Rev. Lewis A. is professor of Latin in Rollins
college, at Winter Park, Fla., but was formerly connected with Middlebury
college, Vermont; Judson W. is president of the Austin Lumber company of
Preston, Ark., and Sidney F., now a traveling agent, was formerly paying
teller in a bank of Washington, D. C., and was treasurer of the Garfield
National Campaign fund. John W. Austin was educated under the able instruction
of Bishop Jesse T. Peck, Dr. John Newman and others, in the Troy Conference
academy, of Poultney, Vt., but at the age of seventeen he left school and
turned his attention to merchandising in his native town, and later followed
the same calling in Whitehall, N. Y. He afterward secured employment in the
great mercantile house of Bowen & McNamee, of New York city, but in 1849 came
to Plaquemine, La., and in 1852 became a member of the mercantile firm of
Bissell & Austin, and later of the firm of Hart, Austin & Co., which so
continued until 1858. Mr. Austin began devoting his attention to sugar
planting in 1859, and from l867 until 1887 he was associated in this business
with Edward J. Gay, in the parish of Iberville, but retired in the last
mentioned year. In 1888 he was elected to the position of treasurer of
Iberville parish, in which capacity he has since served, and in the same year
was appointed notary public. In his public capacity his services have been
characterized by a noticeable devotion to the welfare of the parish, and his
ability and fidelity in his present position have made a lasting impression
upon this sphere of public duty. He is courteous in his  demeanor to all
classes, and as a man attracts the regard of all who approach him. He is a
democrat in politics, and since 1852 has been a member of the Masonic
fraternity, in which he has attained to the council degree. Miss Sarah E.
Adams, of this parish, became his wife June 24, 1857, and they are both
members of the Presbyterian church.  

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 255-256.

Submitted by Mike Miller