Charles A. Ledet, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana Submitted by Mike Miller ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** ************************************************ Charles A. Ledet. A leading citizen and prominent business man of Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, is Charles A. Ledet, cashier and practical business head of the Bank of Terrebonne and Savings Bank at Houma, and additionally connected with many other large enterprises of far-reaching importance. Charles A. Ledet belongs to an old Louisiana family of recorded industry, thrift and good citizenship. He was born at Schriever, Terrebonne Parish, Louisiana, October 30, 1885. Son of Leo and Irma (Stevens) Ledet, and grandson of Marcelain Ledet, who was born at Lafourche Crossing, Louisiana, and spent his entire life there as a farmer and quiet, law-abiding citizen. He married a member of the well known Dantin family of that section, who survived him and died at the home of her son in Schriever in her eighty-sevent h year. Leo Ledet was born at Lafourche Crossing, Louisiana, in l856, and spent the first twenty-six years of his life there, for sonic years operating a meat market. In 1882 he moved to Schriever, where he was engaged in a mercantile business until 1910, when he came to Houma, as proprietor of a hotel, but he was then in failing health and his death took place here September 17, 1911. He had long been active in democratic politics, and had served as a member of the police jury of Terrebonne Parish, representing the First Ward. He was a faithful member of the Roman Catholic Church. He married Miss Irma Stevens, born at Schriever, Louisiana, in 1860, who died there in 1907. They were the parents of the following children : Emma, residing in San Antonio, Texas, who is a trained nurse; Juliette, the wife of Oliver Malbrough, a railroad official at Algiers, Orleans Parish, Louisiana; Charles A.; Angelo E., an electrician and telegraph operator for the Western Union Company at New Orleans; Leonce H., who lives at Algiers, Louisiana, a railroad foreman; Malazie, who is assistant bookkeeper for the Bank of Terrebonne and Savings Bank at Houma; Oliver A., who is an electrician and telegraph operator for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Little Rock, Arkansas; Andrew, who is a stationary engineer at Houma; Mrs. Belle Hopkins, who is a telegraph operator for the Western Union Company at New Orleans; Madrid, who is the wife of John S. Morvant, manager of the Stockton Drug Stores at New Orleans; Lola, who is the wife of Mr. Beddy, a mechanical engineer residing at Algiers, Louisiana; and Malazie Murphy, who died at the age of four years. Charles A. Ledet received his early educational training in private schools and completed his high school course when hut fifteen years old. Ambitious to enter business life, he then accepted a position as clerk and bookkeeper in a retail grocery store and continued there until prepared to take a full business course in the Soulé Commercial College, New Orleans, from which he was graduated, when he returned to the business field and for the next two years was connected as bookkeeper with a wholesale grocery house. About this the eye trouble developed and before it became serious Mr. Ledet changed his occupation, resigning his position with the grocery house and accepting a clerkship in the offices of the Southern Pacific Railway Company, where during his leisure the he was apt enough, without particular instruction, to perfect himself in the art of telegraphy. Promotion followed, and after serving as station agent and telegraph operator he was transferred to th e auditing department, and still later to the traffic department, subsequently retiring from his position there to become chief clerk of the Louisiana and Arkansas Railroad Company at Alexandria, Louisiana. In 1910 Mr. Ledet left railroad work to accept a position of responsibility as cashier of the newly organized Bank of Terrebonne and Savings Bank of Houma, an office he has admirably filled ever since. This bank was opened for business August 1, 1910, and has had a prosperous career. Its latest bank statement issued January 1, 1923, discloses: Capital stock, $50,000; surplus, $50,000; undivided profits, $50,000; resources, $1,500,000. Its officers are: Ernest Ellender, president; A. A. Sanders, first vice president; F. P. Guidry, second vice president; J. P. Landry, third vice president; C. A. Ledet, cashier; C. J. Lehman, assistant cashier; H. J. Whitney, assistant cashier. Mr. Ledet's high rating in financial circles is further emphasized by the fact that he is chairman of the executive committee of the Agricultural Association, Inc., of Houma, which association has command of $2,000,000, United States government funds, to be loaned to farmers. Among other enterprises of magnitude with which he is officially identified is the C. A. Ledet Insurance Agency, which he owns; and the Terrebonne Ice Company of Houma, $100,000 corporation, of which he is president and general manager. He owns a large amount of improved real-estate at Houma, including the post-office building and his comfortable, attractive residence on the corner of Grinage and School streets, and has extensive farm holdings in the parish. Mr. Ledet married at Houma, August 7, 1913, Miss Calicia Bourgeois, daughter of Caliste and Eleanor (Monthieu) Bourgeois, the former of whom is deceased. Mrs. Ledet is a graduate of the Louisiana State Normal College at Natchitoches, Louisiana. They have three children: Leo Charles, Marie Therese and Francis Austin, the eldest being a student in St. Francis de Sales College at Houma. Mr. Ledet and his family are practical Roman Catholics and attend Church of St. Francis de Sales, also are members of various church societies, including the Holy Name and Ushers. In political life Mr. Ledet has always been a democrat, and for the past eight years he has been secretary of the democratic executive committee of Terrebonne Parish, and is a member of the City Board of Health of Houma. Few citizens were more unselfishly active during the World war or contributed more liberally to the various patriotic organizations throughout Terrebonne Parish, giving help and encouragement also over a much wid er field. He is a director of the Houma Chamber of Commerce, one of the directors and organizers of the Houma Rotary Club, and of the Houma Country Club. In the order of Knights of Columbus he has high standing, being financial secretary six years and grand knight two years, which makes him a past grand knight of Houma Council No.. 1317, and is a fourth degree Knight of Chief Justice White General Assembly, Thibodaux, Louisiana, of which he is chairman of the ways and means committee to collect funds for a suitable memorial on his old home site located about six miles above Thibodaux, which has been a success. In all the associations of life he has been a man of honor and reliability, and is well worthy of the confidence and c1cem reposed in him by his fellow citizens. NOTE: The sketch is accompanied by a black and white photograph/drawing of the subject. A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 285-286, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.