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Ascension History



A week or so ago, I went to The Cajun Village to visit John Balfantz at the Ascension Parish Tourist Center. Well, it
happened that John was not working that day; and usually when I visit John, I also visit Linda Black at the Southern Tangent Gallery.
It so happened that Linda came in from a meeting that had something to do with the History of Ascension Parish. Linda had brought
some of Mr. Sidney A. Marchand's books to the meeting.

Since that day, I keep thinking about the gift that Mr. Sidney A. Marchand has left to present day people of Ascension Parish
also at the time as we near the end of the 20th Century. Will there be some person thirty or forty years from today that will attempt
to do about the 20th Century what Mr. Sidney A. Marchand did to the 19th Century?

Altogether, Mr. Sidney A. Marchand in the 20th Century, mostly in the first half of the century, wrote many things in regards
to Ascension Parish: and, in doing so used photos of many of the Ascensionites of the first 60 years of the 20th Century.

As I am writing this away from home, I have none of Mr. Marchand's books available to put exact dates to this. I will try to
name a few of Mr. Marchand's books.

There are two books I think by Mr. Marchand relating to the Carver Family. It is my thinking that the Carver Family was on
Mr. Marchand's mother's side.

There are two books relating to the Marchand Family. The Marchands on the prairie, which deals with the family in
Prairieville, Galvez, and Gonzales. The Marchands on the river, which deals with the Marchands on both sides of the Mississippi
River. There are still Marchands around Darrow and in Donaldsonville.

There is another book which I am not sure of the title, but it has something to do with the Acadians settling on the German (or
Gold) Coast in St. James and Ascension Parishes.

There is an accompanying book setting the early settlers in chronicle order. Maybe that is close. I have a copy of the book
at home. Claitor's Book Store did have quite a few of them.

There is a book entitled "The Story of Ascension Parish", available from Mr. Louis LeBlanc, P. O. Box 1568,
Donaldsonville, La. 70346, should you be interested. WELL WORTH READING.

Before I forget, "Forgotten Soldiers", which lists the names of Ascension Parish men that were in the Confederate Army.

There is another book that deals with a lot of people in East Ascension with many interesting pictures.

There is the Chief among the Chetimatches, about the Donaldsonville Chief.

There is the great book, "The Flight of a Century". In this book, Mr. Marchand writes something from old newspaper
articles and court records, plus churches about each and every year from 1800 to 1900.

In the manner in which I read and think Mr. Marchand has two major subjects in this book. In the first fifty years, the State
House at Donaldson was the subject. No one has any idea as to how enthused I was when I first read about the Legislature moving
the courthouse from New Orleans to Donaldson Town. There are a couple of artists' sketches made of the building that I had
enlarged to 11" x 17" pictures. The more I read and copied, my enthusiasm waned and left me. It was sickening to read about how
the Ascension politics blew this State Capitol.

I have some old Donaldsonville Chief papers from 1980 and 1981 which contain some doings of the Ascension Parish Police
Jury. They read like Mr. Marchand's writing in his books.

The last half of Mr. Marchand's book "The Flight of a Century" deals with building of the present day Catholic Church in
Donaldsonville. There is twice as much devoted to this than was put into the State House.

There were troubled times among the parishioners during the entire episode of this church fight. There were some church
services held in the Livery Stable. To the best of my recollection, it was either the Mammoth Stables or the Marvin Stables. There is
still some people that believe that Donaldsonville was CURSED by the Priest that was excommunicated from that church and built
another church in Smoke Bend. A strange thing this Priest died 1895 or 1896, just after the Great Church was finally finished.

In spite of the church politics and squabbling, the church turned out alright.

It is a great TOURIST ATTRACTION and would be a better attraction if some one would write this story as I read it and
look at the finished product. This would generate more attention than Sugar Baron's castles or Historical buildings, Confederate
Forts and museums. There is quite a story involved in this church.

I am not sure as to how many books I have listed from memory, but this one is my favorite. WHY? That is the first one that I
owned and read and reread and still often revisit. Mr. Marchand it seems like went back into "The Story of Ascension" and "The
Flight of a Century" and expanded on some of the things he had written in the other books.

Mr. Louis LeBlanc has reprinted several of Mr. Marchand's books and has them for sale.

Louis LeBlanc, P. O. Box 1568, Donaldsonville, La., 70346. He also has another great book for sale, "Donaldsonville at
the Turn of the Century", dealing with the businessmen and their businesses. Donaldsonville was quite a TOWN at that time,
especially in the times of Sugar Barons.

One last thing from "Across the Years", Henry Clay Braud. Mr. Braud was the Historian on the East side of the Mississippi
River at Burnside. He is found in the Donaldsonville book and a couple of Mr. Marchand's books. In his career of approximately
40 years at the Burnside General Store, he was a Police Juror and State Representative, and a great writer to the Editor of the
Donaldsonville Chief.

All of Mr. Marchand's books are available at all three Ascension Parish Libraries. One cannot check them out, but it is very
easy to get one and sit at a table and spend a few hours.

The Priest, Father Henry Gautreau, has several good books at the Genealogical Society to help people learn about
Ascension Parish.

HAPPY READING



O. W. Stevens

P.S. There is also another great book "A LEADER AMONG PEERS", the Life and Times of Duncan Farrar Kenner. This book is
about the life of the man that built Ashland Plantation. Where as Mr. Marchand writes more about the ordinary people and things.

The Chamber of Commerce in Donaldsonville also has some of Mr. Marchand's books for sale - 714 Railroad Avenue.

Also, I purchased a couple of "Donaldsonville at the Turn of the Century" from my friend Susan Phillips at 416 Mississippi Street.