Duson, W. W.; St. Martin Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ Duson, W. W., referred to as "the man who made Crowley and Southwest Louisiana," was born at Beaux Bridge, St. Martin parish, La., Oct. 5, 1853; son of Cornelius C. and Sarah Ann (Webb) Duson. The father was born at Point Levis, opposite Quebec, Canada, on the St. Lawrence river, June 8, 1819, and was youngest of 6 sons born to his parents. At the time of the outbreak of the French in that region (1837) he, through sympathy, joined forces with the revolutionists, against the wishes of his family. Subsequently a small party with which he was operating was captured and imprisoned, he escaping. After much difficulty he succeeded in effecting the release of his comrades, and, under the fire of British soldiers, they made their way across the river to United States territory, several members of the party being killed and others wounded in the effort to escape their pursuers. Duson received a severe wound in the thigh from a musket ball and was unable to travel further. However, he successfully secreted himself in the hut of a woodsman until his wound had healed sufficiently to admit of travel, and then, making his way to Boston, there learned that the British government was offering a reward for his capture. He determined to get entirely out of that region and accordingly made his way south as rapidly as possible, ultimately reaching St. Landry parish, La., near Lake Arthur, on the Mermenton river, where he formed acquaintance with John Webb, a former sea captain, native of Essex, England, and a pioneer in Southwest Louisiana. Here the fugitive from the Canadian officials located, and in time married Sarah Ann Webb, the sea captain's daughter, when the latter was only 15 years old. Mr. Duson followed the trade of a tanner and saddler, and in the course of time 5 children were born to his union with Sarah Ann Webb, these children being, in order of their birth: Cornelius C., now deceased, elsewhere referred to in this work; Mary A., deceased; Ellen N., now Mrs. C. W. Foreman; W. W. Duson, the subject of this sketch, and Laura, wife of R. T. Clark. The father died in April, 1856, and the mother Dec. 4, 1901. For other details as to parents and ancestry see sketch of Hon. C. C. Duson, elsewhere in this work. After the death of the father of the children above named, the mother was later married to William W. Burton, formerly of Berry Lancashire, England, and 2 daughters were born to her second marriage, these being Rosa A., wife of Gustavus F. Fontenot, clerk of court, Acadia parish, and Olive V., wife of Thomas J. Toler. When the father died he left his family in destitute circumstances. During the first 10 years of his life W. W. Duson attended school only 6 months. After her husband's death the mother returned to St. Landry (now Acadia) parish, which was her birthplace, and there persevered in the struggle to provide for her children. From his earliest recollection the subject of this sketch was obliged to work at any employment to be found in the vicinity of his home to contribute his mite toward the support of the family. During the war the family found it hard to get a living, and the son recalls selling coffee, rice and other edibles, which his mother had prepared, among the soldiers. Later he was engaged as a driver, hauling contraband material from the Teche country to Texas. At 12 years of age he found employment at herding cattle in Southwest Louisiana, and continued in this work 2 years, receiving $7.50 per month as salary, and providing his own horse, saddle and boarding himself. During 1868-69 he worked in saw mills and lumber camps and managed to attend a country school about 6 months. In 1870-71 he carried the United States mail from Opelousas to Branch and St. Martinville, a distance of 50 miles, making the trip 3 times each week, and during such spare time as could be found attending school. In 1871 he returned home, that he might better look after his mother and sisters, and was successively employed at herding wild stock, working in local sawmills and trading--anything to make an honest living. In 1874 he took a contract and subsequently spent 8 months in camp, transporting logs by water and wagon to sawmills. In 1875 he was employed as clerk in the general store of Foreman & Webb, at Branch, La. By the end of the year 1875 he had saved $700, and leaving $300 for the care of his mother, he went to New Orleans and entered Blackman's school, corner Lafayette and Carondelet streets, where he remained 7 months. During this time he progressed so rapidly with his studies that he was offered a position paying $125 per month, and had practically accepted this place when unforeseen circumstances compelled him to return home to care for his mother and sisters, and he again became a clerk in the same store as formerly, at Branch, receiving a salary of $20 per month. In June, 1876, an opportunity was presented to buy a half interest in a general store at Plaquemine Brule, La., and borrowing $1,250 from his brother, C. C. Duson, he purchased a half interest in the business of C. W. Foreman. During the succeeding 2 years the business prospered and he made money. The credit system of the time was carried on, and in the following 2 years equinoctial storms destroyed all crops, and with assets of more than $15,000 and liabilities of $6,000, the business was discontinued, and W. W. Duson gave his personal note, due 1, 2 and 3 years, to the firms to whom the business was indebted, these firms being in the city of New Orleans, and within 2 years paid every debt, with interest, in full. As soon as he gave up the store he embarked in the real estate business, for which, he says, nature intended him. At this time all of Southwest Louisiana was a wild, open stock range, and the only business to be had in this line was locating settlers on state or government homesteads. This task was a hard one, as the natives already resided on the lands, and these had to be convinced that the state or Federal government would some day claim the land. His remuneration was small, but constant and faithful work resulted in his being able to care for his mother, sisters and sell and pay off his indebtedness. About this time the Southern Pacific company was endeavoring to get right-of-way through this section for its railroad, and W. W. Duson, his brother, C. C., and Judge J. G. Parkerson of Lafayette were employed to secure right-of-way for the construction of the connecting link to complete the Sunset Route from New Orleans to California. In 1884 W. W. Duson removed to Rayne, La., there continuing the real estate business. Appreciating the advantages and possibilities of this section of Louisiana, which was then entirely undeveloped, he began advertising locally, and by the autumn of 1884 had so increased the business that he was enabled to keep an agent in New Orleans, working in connection with the cotton exposition of that year. In the same year, having found it impossible to get any newspaper in Southwest Louisiana to do justice to the possibilities of the country, he started what is now the Crowley Signal, and during the succeeding 20 years conducted this paper as a daily and weekly, and distributed it broadcast throughout the United States. In the early part of 1885 he began advertising at a distance, publishing such matter as showed the advantages of this section as far as developed, depending upon settlers, when they arrived, to be their own judges as to the possibilities of the country. When once he succeeded in getting intelligent farmers to look over the country, their own judgment made sales easy, the greatest trouble encountered being local prejudice against tbe newcomers. In 1886, through the assistance of his brother, C. C. Duson, who had resigned from the office of sheriff to go to the state senate, and with the aid of some others, Acadia parish was cut off from St. Landry parish, and later the parish seat was located where the city of Crowley now stands. At that time there were not more than a half-dozen houses in all of the western portion of Acadia parish. In the autumn of 1886 the town of Crowley was located and laid out. The difficulties encountered were many, as it seemed impossible to get the confidence or co-operation of anyone, not even the railroad company. All other efforts having proved fruitless, Mr. Duson went to C. P. Huntington of the Southern Pacific R; R. and succeeded in having a depot located at Crowley, but not until he, Mr. Duson, bad personally guaranteed the agent's salary and other expenses connected with maintenance of the depot for a period of 6 months, even to the extent of paying $100 for temporary installation of Western Union telegraph service. After overcoming all these difficulties, on Feb 12, 1887, at the first auction sale of city lots, with a barren, waste country stretching in all directions round about, and local prejudice against improvements, or, as it was termed, the encroachments of strangers, the sales amounted to more than $30,000. At this time the town consisted of 2 uncompleted buildings, and within a radius of 5 miles there were 8 or 10 families, none of whom had done anything toward the development of the country. Every dollar realized, above the cost of sale, was used in building roads, bridges, advertising and other means directed toward the development of the immediate section. By 1890 the railroad's books showed that Crowley was the second largest shipping point between Lafayette and Houston, Tex. From the date of the first sale Mr. Duson concentrated his efforts upon the development of this immediate section, making rice the principal product. He bought the first binders and threshing machinery, built the first irrigating canals, assisted in building the first rice mills, and along with the building of immense canals developed the road system. So fast were the improvements and rapid the agricultural development, that, regardless of the efforts of the Southern Pacific R. R., it became impossible to get outgoing and incoming transportation sufficient for the section's immediate needs. The Opelousas, Gulf & Northeastern R. R. was induced to build a line to Crowley, which was shortly followed by the Frisco system. While Mr. Duson's principal efforts were directed toward building up Crowley, every possible aid and assistance was given his brother, C. C. Duson, in promoting and having built the New Iberia, Gucydan & Eunice branch of the Southern Pacific R. R., and the laying out and building of the towns of Gueydan, Morse, Midland, Egan, Iota, Eunice and Mammou. Early in 1887 there was not a school in the vicinity of Crowley, but in that year the first school was built--donated, furnished teachers' salaries paid, by Mr. Duson. In 1889 he owned what is now the Crowley house, and occupied it as a residence. A high class of educators agreed to go to Crowley if they were furnished proper facilities for teaching, and upon receiving this proposition Mr. Duson moved out of his residence and donated its use for school purposes, himself maintaining the school for 3 years, at a cost of $15,000. This effort eventually resulted in the building of Acadia college at Crowley, which was later destroyed by fire and replaced by the present up-to-date and modern high school building. Until 1906 Mr. Duson was actively engaged in the development of Crowley, Acadia parish and Southwest Louisiana, but since 1906 he has conducted a local real estate business and devoted his tune to the development of oil interests. In July, 1901, Mr. Duson was one of the organizers of the Crowley Oil & Mineral Co. of Crowley, La., and was elected president and business manager of the company, of which position he has remained incumbent to the present. The capital stock of this corporation,. amounting to $200,000, was entirely consumed in prospecting before oil was found in Acadia parish, and when oil was found in paying quantities, in July, 1902, the company had assumed an additional debt of $25,000. By July 1, 1904, the company had made its capital stock good and had paid its first 10 per cent. dividend. Since then the company has paid $1,100,000, or about 60 per cent. per year. No man in Louisiana has done more toward the development of the natural resources of the state than has W. W. Duson, and too much credit cannot be accorded him for the large part he has taken in the industrial awakening and advancement of the South. Among captains of industry Mr. Duson is entitled to consideration and rank as a general, and that of the Napoleonic type. He has achieved pronounced and eminent success where all of 999 men in 1,000 would certainly have failed, wresting glorious and glittering victory from the very teeth of ignominious defeat, and this alone and aided or encouraged by anyone, guided solely by his own, unerring judgment and confidence in himself, and upheld and impelled onward by his own indomitable will and determination. Such characters are the builders of empires. Jan. 2, 1879, W. W. Duson was married to Miss Anna F. McClelland, who died Sept. 7, 1881, leaving 1 daughter, Mamie, now Mrs. P. L. Lawrence, of Crowley. April 27, 1882, Mr. Duson was married to Miss Julia I. Clark, who died Jan. 20, 1892. Feb. 11, 1893, Mr. Duson was married to Miss Clara Thayer, and 4 children have been born to them, these being William W., Jr., Henry T., Maxwell M. and Mildred. Politically, Mr. Duson is aligned as a Progressive Republican. He is a member of the Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks and affiliated with the Knights of Pythias. Source: Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 134-139. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.