The Story Of The Louisiana Slavs, for Plaquemines Parish Louisiana Submitted By Gladys Stovall Armstrong ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** Excerpts Taken from an article written by George Seferovich and published in "SERB WORLD U.S.A." vol xv, no. 3 ********* Due to deteriorating conditions with the oppressing restrictions imposed by the new regime ( Austro - Hungarian Empire) accelerated the pressure to leave for the promise of freedom and the hope for prosperity in the New World. Between 1870 and 1890 there seems to have been about 1,500 South Slavs living in New Orleans and in the villages along the West Bank of the Mississippi River in Plaquemines Parish, including Empire, Buras, Triumph, Boothville, Venice, Grand Bar, Bayou Cook, Bayou La Chute, Bastian Bay, and on the East Bank at Pointe -a -la -Hache, Olga and in Grand Isle. These early settlements were small, closely knit groups of single men and families. They did not number more then a hundred people in most locations. These early immigrants were mainly young, single men who had worked in their native land in a variety of maritime occupations including building boats, making sails and nets, fishing and serving as mariners on all manner of ships. They possessed a vigor with enterprising spirit. Most of the newcomers were self employed. They started enterprises which specialized in aspects of agriculture; fishing; and oyster farming, wholesaling and shipping oysters to restaurants and grocery stores. Despite this diversity, the main thrust of occupations revolved around the cultivation and marketing of oysters from seed to the finished product. Milos Vujnovich in his book "Yugoslavs in Louisiana", notes: "Among the first Yugoslavs who started methodical cultivation of oysters during the 1850s were: Anthony Cibilich, Nikola Cibilich, Joseph Jurisish, Luke Jurisish, Matthew Murina, and Anthony Tomasovich from the village of Duba near Tpanj on the Peljesac Peninsula. Nicholas Matulich and Steven Matulich from Postire on the island of Brac. Peter Barich, Frank Benushi, Ilia Catovich , Nickolas Cartovich, Joseph Churlich, John Churlich, John Cornavich, P. Escovencovich, M. Finich, Anthony Franovich, Andrew Juraditich, Frank Juratich, Andrew Jurich, Anthony Liandir, George Lusich, John Martovich, Frank Matovich, Peter Merlich, Bosko Musselivich, F. Novasian, Anthony Ozma Novich, Luke Pastrovich, Anthony Payitich, Frank Pergovich, John Petrovich, Peter Petrovich, Nicholas Suich, Nicholas Tanovich, John Vukovich, and Peter Yankovuch. HOW THEY LIVED In New Orleans the men lived in boarding houses with the housekeeping and cooking done mostly by women from France. In the West Delta cultivation areas, they built what they called "camps". These were simple wooden structures, usually just one room, raised on stilts or pilings above the high tide level. They usually lived in proximity so they could help each other when the occasion demanded. To preserve "Bratovstine" (brotherhood), in May 1874, they formed the United Slovenian Benevolent Association. To this day, 125 years later, it is still a viable fraternal and benevolent association more recently renamed: The United Croatian Benevolent Association". The organization provides not only the platform for fraternal gatherings and celebration of special events, but also many of the social, health, medical benefits, monetary assistance, and burial cost which largely have been assumed, since the 1930s, by the federal government In the late 1880s, these men had settled permanently in the New Orleans area. They had established viable businesses, owned property and felt secure enough to marry and raise a family. Many young men returned to their homeland to marry girls they knew. Others looked to marriageable women arriving in New Orleans on passenger ships from the old country. Another rewarding occupation for the Slavs was orange cultivation. Those who grew oranges in the early years were Nikola Vasovich from Boka Kotorska who started his orchard in 1885 in a location near Triumph in Plaquemines Parish. The Louisiana oranges were of a variety that produced large, juicy specimens, Each orange yielded a pint of juice. An orange wine was developed by John Lulich and George Pivac. This completely new industry begun by the South Slav immigrants grew alongside the and sale of fresh oranges The 1893 Hurricane prompted the first major exodus of South Slavs from the vulnerable, low-lying reefs. That year the hurricane hit the oyster cultivation grounds with severe intensity, and those who survived moved to the higher ground of the settlements along the Mississippi River to places like Empire, Buras, and Triumph. Some survivors altogether abandoned their original occupation in oyster cultivation and moved to New Orleans where they opened restaurants, taverns, and oyster bars. Chedomir Seferovich, jumped ship in New Orleans in December 1883. He was born October 13, 1855, at Morinj on the bay of Kotor. He settled with his wife, Agrippina UNCOVICH in Bayou la Chute in Plaquemines Parish and started a family and cultivated Oysters. He lost his wife and two daughters in the 1893 hurricane and with his only surviving son, George, only six years old at the time, abandoned oyster cultivation and moved to New Orleans and opened an oyster bar. He became a naturalized citizen 18 April 1894 in New Orleans, La. He died there 8 November 1914 and is buried in St. Louis Cemetery on Esplanade Ave. George, son of Cedomir, married Mary Virgina LIVERMORE, a New Orleans native 24 June 1914, this union produced the following children : George, born 15 July 1915; Cedomir, born 17 August 1916 (died 28 May 1984); Andrew, born 25 March 1918 ( died on his 73rd birthday, 25 March 1991) George , son of George Senior married Sally BOYER 21 August 1940 and this union produced four children: Madeline, b. 15 June 1941; Mark born 6 April 1947; John born 20 March 1951 and Amy born 1 June 1957 George gratuated cum laude from Loyola University with BS in Business. He was awarded a fellowship to Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge and completed his MBA in 1938. He served two tours of pacific duty during the war and was awarded two battle campaign stars. He was an officer aboard the U.S.S. Luna in the first occupation force at the surrender of Japan in Tokyo Bay and was awarded the Occupation Medal. After the war, George settled his family in Kansas City, Missouri.