Terrebonne County Louisiana Archives News.....Fifty Years Ago No. 24 May 6, 1893
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The Thibodaux Sentinel May 6, 1893
At the municipal election held in the town of Thibodaux on the first Monday of 
May 1843, thirty-one votes were polled, all given for J.A. Scudday for Mayor and 
John C. Beatty, Joseph R. Niles, Thomas M. Williams, Charles M. Hawley, for 
Trustees.

This council elected Louis Bush, Clerk; J.A. LeBlanc, Treasurer; August Roger, 
Constable; John C. White, Collector and Wharfinger; and Louis Bush, Assessor.

Of this Municipal Board of officers, only August Roger is living–near 
Jeanerette, La.

This council required saloon keepers to furnish bond that good behavior should 
be maintained in their establishments previous to securing a license.

A tax for 1843 was levied, 3 ⅛ mills on lots and 2 ˝ mills on Improvements.

At that date there was no public street along the Bayou Lafourche in front of 
the Town. The space between the front buildings and the levee was utilized by 
the front proprietors as they deemed best for their own purposes. Some of them 
had wharves or walks extending from their buildings to the levee, and steamboats 
landing in their fronts debarked and embarked freight thereon.

This was found to be a great inconvenience to citizens residing in the rear and 
became a source of much complaint.

It appearing that existing laws and powers of the Council were “insufficient to 
place the front street and levee of the town in such condition as is required by 
its growing commerce,” a meeting of all the voters of the town was called to 
“deliberate on the propriety of raising an extraordinary tax of $1000.00, to 
permanently extend and arrange said Levee street and Levee, provided, one half 
of the improvements was to be paid by the proprietors of lots fronting on said 
Levee Street.” In case the proprietors refused, the tax so raised was to pay 
all, and “in that event the corporate authorities shall immediately institute 
legal proceedings to compel the removal of all improvements on said lots to the 
distance which is required by law to be left for public use.”

The proposed mass meeting was held on August 5th, 1843. Judge Jas. McAllister 
was chairman and Louis Bush was secretary.

McAllister, Beatty and Scudday addressed the people on the subject, when a vote 
was taken on the proposition. The vote was given viva voce each voter going to 
the secretary singly and announcing his vote. 

The yeas were J.A. Scudday, J.C. Beatty, L.D. Bourgeois, C.F. Hawley, J.R. 
Niles, James McAllister, E.T. Burnham, W.T. Benedict, Absalom Kees, M.H. Daunis, 
ten votes.

The nays were John McClellan, L. Lamoureux, M. Phillippeau, John P. Tenny, L.V. 
Magioli, Louis Bush, H. Aucoin, A.P. Skinner, W.C. Horton, M. Stanly, Theo. 
Fisher, J.A. LeBlanc, T.M. Williams, P. Rouannet, fourteen votes.

There were 24 votes cast. (None of the voters are living today.) It is probable 
that the opposition was against the extraordinary tax levy, and not against the 
proposed improvements.

That part of Crazy street east of President street, was set apart as a burial 
lot for deceased animal. 

The Council agreed to put down curbing when proprietors would agree to put down 
banquettes. This curbing was wood, and was the first step taken towards the 
formation of good sidewalks. 

The young men were somewhat different at that date to those of the present 
period, and maintained a literary and debating society, known as the Thibodaux 
Lyceum, which society was allowed the use of the Council Hall for debating 
purposes. 

The Council purchased a horse, cart and gearing, and erected a stable, for its 
use. 

Bishop Leonidas Polk of the Episcopal Church once owned the Leighton plantation, 
now the property of Col. C. Lagarde, two miles above Thibodaux, and made it his 
home in 1842. Bishop Polk held the first Protestant service ever held in 
Thibodaux, and was the organizer of St. John’s Church which was effected on 
February 9th, 1843, and incorporated by Act No. 128 of the Legislature of 1843, 
on the 6th day of April of that year.

The incorporators were Andrew Collins, Thos. M. Williams, A.C. Antil, R.G. 
Ellis, George S. Guion, Alfred Millard, C.F. Hawley, R.G. Darden, C. Armitage, 
and W.T. Benedict.

Bishop Polk subsequently became a Lieutenant General in the Confederate Army and 
was killed in the war, whilst in the performance of duty.

Hon. George S. Guion generously donated the lots of ground on which St. John’s 
Church was subsequently erected, and the cemetery adjoining designed and laid 
out.

Fifty years ago John Tyler was President of the United States, having anything 
but a pleasant time. He had become president on the death of Wm. Henry Harrison, 
who had been elected on the Whig ticket. Tyler had received the Whig nomination, 
because it was thought that he could carry his own state, Virginia, whilst he 
was not in accord with many of the political views of the Whig leaders. The 
cabinet appointed by Harrison had remained with Tyler, but during the year 1843 
they all resigned except Daniel Webster, who remained long enough to finish the 
Ashburton treaty with Great Britain with reference to ou Northeastern boundary, 
and then he withdrew. Tyler appointed Forward, of Pennsylvania, Secretary of the 
Treasury; McLeon, of Ohio, Secretary of War; Upshur, of Virginia, Secretary of 
the Navy; Legore, of North Carolina, Attorney General; and Wickliffe, of 
Kentucky, Postmaster General. Intense excitement was aroused among Whig leaders 
at what they considered the Treachery of Tyler, and he was formerly read out of 
the ranks of that party. 


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