WILSON, S. Jos., Orleans then St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical
Section
Date: 28 Oct 1998
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
S. JOS. WILSON, OPELOUSAS.-S. Jos. Wilson, vice president of the First
National Bank, Opelousas, and member of the enterprising mercantile firm
of Clements & Wilson, is a young man, being only in his twenty-fourth
year. Mr. Wilson's grandparents, on his father's side, were natives of
Ireland. His maternal grandparents were natives of England. His father
was born in New Orleans, and was one of the founders of a wholesale
house of that place. His mother was a Miss Waldwyn, a great-grand-
daughter of Sir James Waldwyn, of the English navy. She now resides in
Opelousas. The subject's father died in 1880.
S. Jos. Wilson was reared and educated in New Orleans. At an early age
he entered mercantile pursuits as a clerk. He rose quickly in the
esteem of his employers, and soon held the highest position of trust in
the establishment. He here made himself familiar with all the
departments of mercantile business; and when he embarked in trade at
this place, he was fully equipped in mature experience; and, indeed, to
this is due the almost phenomenal success which has attended his
undertakings. The firm of which he is a member is one of the first of
Opelousas. They do a large advancing business, and handle a vast amount
of cotton and other plantation products.
Mr. Wilson is abreast of the times, and is a thoroughly progressive,
modern business man. He married a Miss Lastrapes, of St. Landry parish.
Both he and his wife are members of the Catholic church.
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
p. 92. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.
WILSON, (Major) M. R., Harris County, MS., then St. Landry Parish,
Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical
Section
Date: 28 Oct 1998
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
MAJOR M. R. WILSON, OPELOUSAS.--Major M. R. Wilson is a native of Harris
county, Miss., born 1838. His parents, Joel Wilson and Sicily Rodgers,
were both natives of the same state. Joel Wilson was by occupation a
farmer. He has served as a member of the Alabama Legislature from
Russel county, where he removed in 1853. He then moved to Arkansas,
where he died, at Hamburg, in 1878.
The subject of our sketch began life for himself in 1855, as a farmer.
He married Miss Martha Driskill, daughter of Peter Driskill, of Macon
county, Alabama, and in 1858 he moved to Arkansas, where he bought land
in Ashley county, and was for several years engaged in farming. In 1862
he enlisted in the Confederate service, and, with the exception of the
time he was in prison, he was in active service during the whole war.
He was in the battle at Corinth, Miss., and at Port Hudson, Louisiana;
at the latter place he was taken prisoner, and was moved from place to
place until 1864, when he was sent to Morris Island. He was
subsequently removed to different places; at the time of his release, in
1865, he was at Fort Delaware. He returned to his home in Arkansas, and
from there removed to St. Landry parish, in 1867, where he bought land
and began farming. His plantation, which is in a high state of
cultivation, consists of about six hundred and forty acres.
Mrs. Wilson died in 1857, and Major Wilson afterward married Miss
Georgia Williamson, of New Orleans. To them have been born seven
children, viz.: Elias (deceased), Catherine (deceased), Sicily
(deceased), James (deceased), Micajah R., George C. and Robert Lee.
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
pp. 89-90. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The
Gulf Publishing Company.
WARTELLE, Ferdinand M., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical
Section
Date: 28 Oct 1998
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
FERDINAND M. WARTELLE, WASHINGTON.--Ferdinand Wartelle, one of the
successful planters of St.. Landry parish, was born in this place in the
year 1844. He is a son of Pierre G. and Louisa (King) Wartelle. Pierre
G. Wartelle is a native of France; was educated in that country in the
military schools, and was an officer in Napoleon's army. He served ten
or twelve years and was in many of the active engagements. When
Napoleon was banished he came to New Orleans where he was for a short
time engaged in a mercantile business. Subsequently he was engaged in
the same business in Opelousas. In 1829 he purchased the plantation on
which Ferdinand M. Wartelle now resides and devoted himself to sugar
culture. Louisa (King) Wartelle was a daughter of Judge George king, a
native of Virginia, and one of the first American settlers of St. Landry
parish.
The subject of our sketch was principally reared in St. Landry parish.
He was educated in North Carolina and Virginia. At the beginning of the
war he returned home and took charge of his father's plantation. For
many years he was thus engaged, and, subsequently, bought the
plantation, and has since that time devoted his whole time to its
operation. He raises on his plantation, which is a finely located one
of about two thousand acres, chiefly cotton. Mr. Wartelle married, in
1873, Miss Valerie Lastrapes, daughter of Louis and Irma (Garrigues)
Lastrapes, both of whom are natives of Louisiana. Mr. Wartelle's
grandfather, General Garrigues, was a native of France and an officer of
Napoleon's army. He served in the war of 1812 and participated in the
battle of New Orleans with the rank of Brigadier General.
Mr. Wartelle is the father of ten living children, six sons and four
daughters. He and his family are all members of the Catholic church.
There are few men in St. Landry parish who take more active interest in
everything that is for the promotion of the public good than Mr.
Wartelle. He is an intelligent and refined gentleman, and his life has
been a reflection of usefulness.
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
p. 90. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.
STEELE, Charles R., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical
Section
Date: 28 Oct 1998
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
CHARLES R. STEELE, OPELOUSAS.--Mr. Steele is a planter living four miles
south of Opelousas. He is one of a family of five children born to
Peter Steele and Catherine Fresh. His father was a native of Sweden and
his mother of Madison, Indiana. His father was for many years captain
of an ocean steamer in the Atlantic. He subsequently ran a tow-boat
line from New Orleans to the gulf for a number of years. He died in New
Orleans in 1867. His wife still survives him.
The subject of this sketch began life for himself at the age of eighteen
years. He served a five years' apprenticeship, learning the trade of
ship builder at New Orleans. In 1868 be was appointed Deputy U. S.
Marshal. In this capacity he served for about fifteen years, when he
was appointed Deputy Collector of Internal Revenue, in which capacity he
served four years, when he removed to the plantation on which he now
resides. Mr. Steele has a plantation consisting of four hundred acres
of land, the most of which is under cultivation and highly improved. He
was married, in 1873, in Mobile, Alabama, to Miss Laura V. Jones,
daughter of Dr. W. E. Jones, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi. There has
been born to them nine children: William, Charles, Frank, Vemelle
(deceased), Charles Peter (deceased), Wharton, Alfred P., Laura V.
and Charles Emmett. Mr. Steele is a member of the Episcopal and his
wife of the Baptist church.
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
p. 79. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.
SIMON, (Judge) Arthur, Orleans then St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
ROBIN, Joseph N., St. Landry Parish, Louisiana
Submitted by Mike Miller
Source: Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical
Section
Date: 28 Oct 1998
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
JOS. N. ROBIN, LEONVILLE.--Joseph N. Robin, merchant and planter, living
on the Bayou Teche, Leonville, was born near where he now resides, May
14, 1843. His parents, Francois and Eleonore (Stelley) Robin, are both
natives of St. Landry. Francois Robin is still living and resides with
his son, our subject, being nearly eighty years of age. He was before
the war a merchant of Grand Coteau, since which time he has been engaged
in planting interests on the Bayou Teche where he owns a tract of seven
thousand acres of land, as fine a piece of land as can be found in this
section. He has served on the police jury, represented his parish in
the legislature, and held other important positions of trust. The
family are members of the Catholic church.
The subject of our sketch is the third of a family of six children. He
received his education in St. Charles College, Grand Coteau. At the
breaking out of hostilities he was in the second class, and at this time
he left college and enlisted in the Confederate States service. After
the war he gave his attention to planting. In 1870 he opened a
mercantile establishment near where he now does business. Five years
later he removed his business to his present location, where he has
built up an extensive business, amounting at the present time to from
twelve to fifteen thousand dollars annually. He owns a magnificent
plantation consisting of twenty-seven hundred and fifty acres. He has
served as post-master at Leonville for four years. In 1868 he married
Miss Alzire Saizan of this parish. There have been born to them eight
children, seven of whom are still living, viz.: Arthur, Amelia,
Octavian, Louis, Numa, Oscar, Charles, Maria, and Aleda,
(deceased).
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
p. 71. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.
USGENWEB NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be
reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any
other organization or persons. Persons or organizations
desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent
of the contributor, or the legal representative of the
submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with
proof of this consent. Files may be printed or copied for
personal use only.
JUDGE ARTHUR SIMON, OPELOUSAS.--Judge Simon, a successful planter,
resides on his plantation about four miles south west of Opelousas. He
was born in New Orleans on the 15th March, 1841, and is one of a family
of ten children born to Edward and Eugenie (Zerban) Simon. Edward Simon
is a native of Belgium and came to America at the age of eighteen years.
His wife is a native of St. Martin's parish, Louisiana and descendant of
the old Fuselier family.
Edward Simon was an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Louisiana
under the administration of Governor Roman, from 1841 to 1849. He died
in 1867 at St. Martinsville, Louisiana, his wife surviving him until
1880. All the Simon family are Catholics.
The subject of our sketch received most of his education at the
Louisiana college the old Jefferson in St. James parish, and graduated
at what is now known as the Tulane University of Louisiana. In 1862 he
enlisted in the Confederate States service and was made a Lieutenant in
the Yellow Jacket Battalion, commanded by Colonel Fournet, which was
afterward consolidated with the Seventeenth Louisiana Infantry. In 1864
he was promoted to the rank of major. He was in many of the active
engagements in which his regiment participated, and was with General
Kirby Smith at the time of the surrender.
After the war he determined to study law, but, after pursuing his
studies a short while, was forced to abandon it and take charge of his
father's sugar plantation in St. Mary parish. In 1874 he removed to St.
Landry parish, where he was married, in 1865, to Miss Marie Dejean. To
them have been born five children, one son and four daughters: Rita.
wife of E. V. Barry, Grand Coteau, Louisiana; Lelia, Mary, Sidonie
and Leopold. Mrs. Simon died in 1879. Judge Simon subsequently
married Miss Mathilda Dejean, sister of his first wife.
Judge Simon was admitted to the bar before the Supreme Court at
Opelousas in 1876. He practised law until 1888 in Opelousas, where for
four years he was justice of the peace. Since that time he has given
his entire attention to the operation of his plantation, which is one of
about three hundred acres, highly improved and of unsurpassed fertility.
Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section,
p. 78. Edited by William Henry Perrin. Published in 1891, by The Gulf
Publishing Company.