Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 1 July 26, 1890
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The Thibodaux Sentinel July 26, 1890
Fifty years ago. How great and how many are the changes that take place in half 
of a century! How many persons are born into this world, and live and have their 
being, yet pass away ere that number of years are marked, as mile posts, upon 
the journey of life. 

In these rough sketches the writer proposes to confine himself principally to 
the town of Thibodaux, and recall it, as it was in 1840, fifty years ago.

The population, at that date, was about 500. The town was situated where the 
business part of the town is today, fronting Bayou Lafourche on the North, 
between Jackson and Henry Clay streets, extending back as far as Clinton street. 
The outskirts were, on the South and East side dense heavily timbered forests; 
on the West the Ridgefield plantation, owned by Judge George S. Guion, 
grandfather of the present proprietor, bounded the Western side, above Jackson 
street then a country road, with the exception of a square or two fronting on 
the bayou, on which some few buildings were standing. Below the town, on the 
Bayou front, some dwellings were scattered down as far as the Catholic Church. 
There were no banquettes, except some that were made of flat-boat gunwales or 
other temporary wooden ones.

The town had been incorporated but two years and hardly gotten into successful 
working order. The first mayor was Judge McAllister–The second was Alexander 
Lawton, a merchant, who died in Georgia during his term, on his way to New York.

At the municipal election in May 1840, Dr. James A. Scudday was elected mayor 
over Joseph S. Niles by a vote of 25 to 8. Messrs John C. Beatty, A. A. 
Laforest, P. H. Gary and Pierre Rouannet were elected trustees without 
opposition.

The mayor, Dr. Scudday, was a native of Alabama who had immigrated to Thibodaux 
in his early life, was an able physician, who soon acquired an extensive 
practice in the Lafourche Parishes. He was a highly esteemed citizen, who took a 
great interest in the prosperity of the town which he had chosen as his home, 
always ready to lend a helping and willing hand to any public enterprise that 
was designed to improve the town, and advance its interests.

He was one of the leading stockholders in the company that dredged Bayou 
Terrebonne, and cut the canal, connecting it with Bayou Lafourche, thus 
furnishing means of transportation for the people of Terrebonne who desired to 
ship their sugar, molasses and other products to the markets of the world, and 
to receive such merchandise and machinery as was demanded for the support of 
their families, and the proper cultivation of their crops.

In 1857-61 he was one of the partnership, composed of Victor Richard, Dr. F. C. 
Ewing and Dr. J. A. Scudday who erected a bi-sulphite of lime manufactory, at 
the head of the canal, now owned by Mr. Tetreau, in which large quantities of 
bi-sulphite of lime was annually manufactured and sold to the planters in 
Lafourche, Assumption, Terrebonne and other parishes, then an article deemed 
absolutely necessary to obtain a good clarification of sugar.

Dr. Scudday resided on the corner of St. Philip and St. Bridget streets in a 
building now hidden in the fine mansion erected by Dr. H. Dansereau. 

He died in 1863, and left behind him a record of a life that was honorable, just 
and useful and is remembered by his contemporaries with the kindliest of 
associations.

John C. Beattie, the father of Judge Taylor Beattie, was a native of Kentucky 
who came to Louisiana in his early manhood, and began the practice of medicine 
in Thibodaux. This profession, not suiting his taste, he studied law, and 
entered into the practice of the same. He soon obtained a position at the bar 
that placed him at its head in Southern Louisiana, and won a large and lucrative 
practice. Mr. Beattie was a man of much public spirit and did much towards 
preparing the municipal laws that started Thibodaux into an active corporation, 
doing all the legal work without pay, as far as the records show. 

He was also an active spirit in the company that dredged Bayou Terrebonne.

He was engaged in all the important cases of his time and was the advocate who 
successfully conducted the suits for the defendants who were involved as 
securities for Mr. Marchais who embezzled, or rather spent several thousands of 
dollars of the money of the bank, on Jackson street of which he was the agent, 
and obtained their release. 

Mr. Beattie with Dr. Scudday were the leaders of the Democratic party in 
Lafourche which, at that time could not poll 100 votes.

Mr. Beattie was once a candidate for judge of the supreme court, but failed in 
his election, although polling the entire strength of his party. A Democrat in 
southern Louisiana stood a poor chance of being elected against any candidate 
whom the whigs had placed at their head, in those days.

Mr. Beattie, with his wife, formerly Miss Mary Foley, of Napoleonville, and four 
children were lost in the great storm of August 10, 1856 that destroyed Last 
Island. One of his children was found and brought to Thibodaux for burial, but 
the others found a tomb in the waves of the sea with a hundred other unfortunate 
beings who perished on that memorable night. 

(To be continued.) 


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