Biography of 	CUSACHS, Gaspar Orleans Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by 	Mike Miller June 1998

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Cusachs, Gaspar, son of Joaquin G. and Marie Cora (Cavaroc) Cusachs, was 
born in New Orleans, March 3, 1855.  The father was born in Barcelona, 
Spain, where he became a cotton spinner.  He came to this country in the 
forties to buy cotton for a Spanish firm, but after a short time 
established a business in the importation of drugs from all Spanish 
countries and sold them to Philadelphia chemists and others.  The business
Mr. Cusachs worked up in cotton and other lines, was so large that it 
became necessary for him to take a business trip to Europe every year.
His home was in New Orleans for some years and he died at a summer resort 
in Mandeville, in Oct., 1858.  Marie Cora Cavaroc was born in New Orleans 
of French extraction, but she had lived in Spain also and spoke the Spanish 
language.  Gaspar Cusachs being left without a father's care was sent to 
France when 5 years old to be educated.  He attended school in that country
for about 7 years, most of the time at a military school in Bordeaux, but 
some of the time in Paris.  In 1867, when 12 years old, he returned to the
United States in the reconstruction days.  He went to Pass Christian and 
attended a school conducted by Alexander Dimitry who was an unusual man 
and an educator who spoke 12 languages.  Young Cusachs remained in that 
location until 1871 or 1872, when he came to New Orleans and his uncle 
gave him employment in the banking house of Cavaroc & Son.  He pursued 
this work until about 1878 when he started for himself as a dealer in 
building material on the old basin and followed that for a decade.  He 
built the locks in what was then called the Mexican and Ship Island Canal,
but which is now the Lake Borgne Canal.  In the '90s he went to Beaumont,
Tex., just after oil was discovered there.  At that place he built the 
Beaumont electric road and the water works.  After spending 2 years in 
Texas and making considerable money, he returned to New Orleans, where he 
has since resided.  Mr. Cusachs was one of the original members of the 
Bell R. R. and for a time was a member of the school board.  For 25 years 
he was an officer in the Mechanics, Dealers & Lumbermen's Exchange and was
formerly a member of several social clubs.  He is independent in politics 
always following his own conscience and never went with the crowd in order 
to secure favors.  He calls himself a free thinker whose creed is to do good.
In his home may be found one of the most valuable collections of curios to
be seen anywhere in the country.  Nov. 3, 1887, Mr. Cusachs married Marie 
Barnett, daughter of Louis Barnett, of New Orleans, who was then secretary
of the Hope Insurance Co.  Mr. and Mrs. Cusachs are the parents of the 
following children:  Joaquin,  Barnett,  Gaspar, Jr.,  Louis and  Maurice.
All of these are living at home and 3 youngest are attending school.

Source: Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, 
Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 606-607.
Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical 
Association.