Early Settlers of St. Landry Parish, Louisiana Submitted by: Debbie Carpenter ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** NAMES OF EARLY SETTLERS STILL PROMINENT IN CITY (NOTE: This is taken from a chapter of "Southwest Louisiana" edited by William Henry Perrin and published by Gulf Publishing Co. of New Orleans in 1891. Only modern-day photocopy pages of the original book may be found at the Opelousas library. The original is carefully preserved in the State library in Baton Rouge.) (Perrin's Southwest Louisiana, 1891) The settlement of Opelousas, and St. Landry Parish, dates back to a period beyond the personal knowledge of any now living. Its population has been drawn from many sources. For years the possession of Louisiana alternated between the Spaniard and the Frenchman, the successor of the red Indians. No inconsiderable element of the population of the area is the "man and brother," who, as one of the results of the late civil war, has been placed upon political equality and elevated to the rights of statesmanship. Added to all these, we occasionally meet with a degraded remnant of the "noble red man," once the sole owners of the soil, dragging out a miserable existence by the sufferance of their conquerors. EARLY SETTLERS From old records of "church and State," and from descendants, the following names of early settlers have been obtained. Theophilus Collins D.J. Sutton Louis Chevalier DeViller Claude Guillory Francois Brignac Pierre Doucet Baptiste Vidren Michel Chauman Joseph Daigle Honou Delachaise William Shields Perin Malveau Jacques Fontenot Pedro Fontenot Antoine Fontenot Joaquin Ortega C. Voorhies Flouintin Poiret Simon Hooks Adam Tate Jean Baptiste Figurant Leonard Claibourne Jean Henry Lastraps William Haslett James reed Auguste Soileau William Blake Soileau Fuselin George Hudson John Bourg Isaac Baldwin William Wikoff Joseph Andrus Louis Fontenot Theophilus Elmer Benjamin Smith Daniel Calligan John Tear Christopher Adams Austin Blard Joseph Roy William O'Dorrigan Patrick Jurinet Baptiste Marithon Antoine Simeon J.B. Fiourant Chas. Lacasse Rewlew T. Sacket John Lee Michel Armand Augustin Fruge Joseph Lejeune Joseph Landry Micel Perault Joseph Young, Sr. John Fruge Michel Prudhomme John Bihm John B. Young Frederick Miller Jacques Fontenot Antoine Boisedore Joseph C. Poree Joseph Bein Philip Lacasse Joseph Moreau Martin Donato Joseph Armand Louis Carrier Francois Lemel Joseph A. Parrot Chas. Norman John Gradnigo Joseph Johnson John B. David Charles Johnson Joseph Cormier George Bollard John Dinsmore Joseph Grange Peirre Richard Baptiste Tisenau Blaise Basseur Hubert Janney Jacques Roman Charles Barre Luke Hollier John Midler Martin Durald Jho. B. Satley Bennet Jopline Michel Carrier John Frazee Francois Roze Thos. Bedsoe Pierre Gourrinat Thomas Lee Brun Chantila Rouvassa Daniel Clark Sylvanie Saunier Louis Logee Pierre Frahain Col. Francois Neda Jacques Dupre Col. William Offet Gen. Garriques J.J. Louaillier Francois DeVillier Maj. John Preston SOME ALL GONE These names are taken from the early day records, and many of them now (even in 1891) particularly those who are without descendants in the area have passed out of remembrance of any now living. But of a number of them some interesting reminiscences have been obtained. Gen. John Preston was a Virginian, and came to the area many years ago. He was a man of vast wealth, and brought a large number of slaves here with him. He became an extensive planter, and was a man of considerable prominence in the community. he was a fine specimen of the Virginian gentleman of the past century, and was related to some of the ablest and most influential families of that state and Kentucky, notably those of the Breckinridges, Cabells, Pattons, etc. Joseph Andrews was a hatter by trade; made hats of furs of different animals found in the area; made fine hats of rabbit skins which would last a man a lifetime. He accumulated great wealth, and was well thought of by all. Celestin La Verten was a native of France, and was very wealth; he owned a great deal of land, large numbers of slaves, and was an extensive planter. He was eccentric, honest, high toned and popular. He decided after a residence of many years in St. Landry, to revisit his native France, and spent a week packing and arranging his trunks (of which there was a great number). Upon his arrival in the old country, the customs officers in making an examination of his trunks emptied out the contents, and then told him, when satisfied they contained nothing contraband, that he could take them and go on his way. "No, sir" said he, "I will not receive them until you replace everything as you found it. You packed them as they were and send them to me ________, Paris," and he made the customs officer repack them. Michel Prud'homme was an early settler, a good Catholic, and a man of broad and liberal benevolence. He gave four acres of ground to the Catholic Church of Opelousas, where it is now located. His father was a Hessian solider, and came to the United States as a solider in the British army during the Revolutionary War. His good sense, and sympathy for a people struggling for liberty, prompted him to leave the army by fair means or foul, and it is said he withdrew without leave. He had been sold by his own prince to the English monarch to help crush out the rebellion among the American patriots, and his nature revolted at the idea. He came to Louisiana and settled in St. Landry. He would never give his true name, but admitted it was not originally Prud'homme, that the latter had been assumed to disguise his identity. He was somewhat illiterate, could not read or write, but was not ignorant, and became very wealthy. Louis Chevalier de Villier, Francois de Villier, ________ Baldwin and Major John Klose were early settlers. The last named died just before the late war (civil). He was in the battle of New Orleans in 1815. He was a wealthy planter in early years. Francois de Villier settled about ten miles in the country from Opelousas, and has descendants still living in that section of the parish. CHASED BY REVOLUTION About 1800, a number of families came from France, who fled from the horrors of the French revolution. Among them were Louis and J.J. Louaillier, and Floentin Poiret. J.J. Louaillier was the first merchant in Opelousas, and sold goods in the place when it was but a French post, and a station for soldiers to protect the citizens from the savages. Major William Prescott came from Kentucky early in the present century (1800). He was a very wealthy man and brought many slaves with him, planted on a large scale and made money. He turned his attention to politics, and served both in the State Senate and the House of Representatives. Major Prescott was a man of education and intelligence, was very popular, and described as a typical old Kentucky gentleman; had a high sense of honor, and despised a low, mean act. Col. Francois Neda was from Spain, and came here about the close of the last or at the beginning of the present century (1800). He had been a soldier under the Spanish government, and was an accomplished officer. Col. Neda was also one of the early merchants of Opelousas, and several times Mayor of the town and altogether a man of much local prominence. He owned a large plantation in the parish; well stocked with slaves, and had the respect of the entire community. Col. William and Nathaniel Offutt were natives of Kentucky, and belonged to the intellectual Offutt family of the Bluegrass State. Col. Offutt owned a large plantation and a number of slaves. He was finally killed by one of his Negroes. His brother was also a wealthy planter. Jacques Clement Hollier was born in New Orleans in 1776, came to St. Landry, and died in Opelousas at the age of 81 years. Col. Benjamin Rogers was a prominent man in the early times of St. Landry. He served several terms in the Legislature, and held other important positions. He and three of his friends were once sued for libel. They were defended by Hon. Sergeant S. Prentiss, the brilliant and eloquent Southern orator, who spoke three days on the case and succeeded in having his clients acquitted. Robert Rogers, the father of Col. Rogers was an early settler of the parish. He was from Kentucky, and brought his old Kentucky rifle with him,and like Daniel Boone, knew how to use it. It is told of him that he was once challenged to fight a duel, and as the challenged party had the choice of weapons, he chose rifles, which so frightened the challenger he withdrew his belligerent proposition. The Dupres were a prominent family. The original, pioneer, and first of the family in the parish was Jacques. He was at one time Lieutenant Governor of the state. He took great interest in politics and wielded considerable influence. Representatives of the family are abundant in the parish. He is mentioned in connection with the bar of St. Landry. Gen. Garriques was an early settler and a very prominent man. He was in the battle of New Orleans in January, 1815. Charles Garriques was a son. A number of prominent and wealthy families came from Gen. Garriques. Francois Audillard was also an early settler of the area, and was also at the Battle of New Orleans. Gen. Andrew Jackson placed him under arrest on the charge of being a traitor, but afterward discovered his mistake and released him. The Fontenots were also a prominent family, and a numerous one, and possessed great wealth. Many of them still live in the parish, and are among the wealthy and influential families. With the exception of the Spanish and French soldiers, these were the first white men to tread the soil of Louisiana.