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    Crowley
    Crowley
    Crowley
    Ebook200 pages56 minutes

    Crowley

    By Ann Mire

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    About this ebook

    How do you build a town from scratch? The first ingredient is a dream. W.W. Duson served as the chef with a vision for a new town. With the railroad completed through southwestern Louisiana in 1881, Duson, general manager of the Southwestern Louisiana Land Company, orchestrated the purchase of land along the railroad. Railroader Patrick Crowley moved his Crowley Switch house depot to the new townsite as Duson stirred interest through advertisements in Midwestern newspapers. Duson blended the surveying, bringing 100 workers to clear the land, with Duson Brothers real estate business to help shape the town. Mixed in were special excursion trains that brought in prospective buyers of lots and farmland. Finally, a heaping helping of pioneer adventurers including merchant Jac Frankel, physician D.P. January, farmer brothers C.J. and Thomas Freeland, attorney James Barry, banker Preston Lovell, and many others were added to spice up the town.
    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherArcadia Publishing
    Release dateSep 15, 2014
    ISBN9781439647202
    Crowley
    Author

    Ann Mire

    Author Ann Mire, assistant librarian at Acadia Parish Library, has sifted through the library�s Freeland Archives as well as private collections. Images of America: Crowley shows how Duson�s dream continues to thrive with an aromatic mixture of old spirit and modern progress.

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      Book preview

      Crowley - Ann Mire

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      INTRODUCTION

      Picture the high grasses of prairie land as the first trains crossed southwest Louisiana in 1881. While most passengers saw a barren wasteland, one man dreamt of building a city there. With several businessmen from Opelousas, W.W. Duson organized the Southwestern Louisiana Land Company in July 1886. Along with his brother C.C. Curley Duson, the stockholders included Alphonse Levy, Julius Meyer, Joseph Bloch, G.W. Hudspeth, and Henry Garland. Their first action was to purchase 174 acres of what would become the center of Crowley at the price of 45¢ an acre.

      The designer of the grid plan for the town was St. Landry Parish surveyor Leon Fremaux. Over 100 young men cleared the high grasses and brush as the land was surveyed and the streets were marked off. Pulled by eight oxen, a grader driven by Thomas J. Toler and Curley Duson marked the blocks with 16 lots each. A square in the center would be the site for a courthouse, as Crowley was chosen as the seat for the newly formed Acadia Parish in 1886. South Crowley would be laid out in 1897, followed by an auction of many lots.

      With his town cleared off and laid out, Duson had his real estate office moved by oxcart from Rayne to Crowley. The question of naming the town then had to be resolved. Crowley’s Switch, a house depot managed by road master Patrick Crowley, was located seven miles west of the townsite. Persuaded by Duson, the railroad company moved the depot on flatcars to the new townsite. In exchange, the newly formed town was named Crowley.

      Not only were supplies brought to the townsite by rail, but also the first store, which was run by Jac Frankel. He operated it out of a freight car until his store building was constructed. The store’s opening day, January 4, 1887, is considered the birthday of Crowley. By the end of that month, Crowley could also boast a schoolhouse, a storehouse, a livery stable, the Southern Pacific depot, and the Crowley House.

      Purchasing the Rayne Signal newspaper, Duson renamed it the Crowley Signal and moved it to Crowley. Then he began a concerted effort to encourage families from the North and Midwest to immigrate to Crowley. Using special advertising in the newspapers of those regions, he touted not only the climate and agricultural opportunities, but also the schools and churches that were being built in Crowley. Furthermore, railroad excursions from those states to Louisiana often included a stop in Crowley.

      The Southwestern Louisiana Land Company was responsible for building the first storehouse, hotel (Crowley House), livery stable, and schoolhouse. Interestingly, during the greatest period of business construction, from 1899 to 1903, many of the old structures were moved into the middle of Parkerson Avenue so that business could continue to be conducted as new buildings were erected. When fruit dealer Chris Memtsas’s building was removed from the street in February 1903, an unobstructed view from the depot to the courthouse was the result.

      Early pioneers grew what was known as providence rice. Planted in shallow ponds, the crop depended upon the divine providence of rainfall for its success. However, as a canal and irrigation system began to be developed through the efforts of the Abbott brothers and the Freeland brothers, there was more certainty in raising a good crop. With the arrival of Salmon Sol Wright in 1890 and his development of a better rice grain, as well as the proliferation of rice mills, the area became known for its rice industry.

      With the recognition of rice’s value, rice carnivals were held in 1927 and 1928 to celebrate the role of the industry. In conjunction with the celebration of Crowley’s 50th birthday in 1937, a rice festival was held. That tradition, suspended during the World War II years, has continued to the present. Rice-farming families are recognized for their contributions. Agriculture remains a vital part of the economy, and it now includes crawfish farming.

      Today, visitors to Crowley witness a wonderful blend of the past and the present. Many old residences remain in the city’s historic district. Downtown Crowley is a mixture of new and old businesses. Many old buildings, such as the Grand Opera House, Crowley Motor Company, the Rice and Acadia Theatres, First National Bank, Egan Hotel, and Duson Building, remain standing and functional.

      Throughout its history, Crowley has been served by many civic-minded citizens. The following men and one woman have served as Crowley’s mayors: Dr. Derrick P. January (1888), James Stewart (1888–1889), Arsemus Burkdoll (1889), Gustave Fontenot (1890–1892), Derrick R. January (1892–1894), Philip Chappuis (1894–1898, 1902–1906), James Barry (1898–1900), William Campbell (1900–1902), Shelby Taylor (1906–1909), Dallas Hayes (1909–1910), Michael Egan (1910–1920), Philip Pugh (1920–1928), Gordon Brunson (1928–1930), Clifton Smith (1930–1931), Noble Chambers (1931–1934), James Madison Matt Buatt (1934–1950), Harold Lyons Sr. (1950–1954), Joseph Gielen (1954–1978), Robert Istre (1978–1997), Joseph Webb Jr. (1997), Isabella delaHoussaye (1997–2007), and Greg Jones (2007–present).

      Prior to the election of its first chief of police, the Acadia Parish Sheriff’s Office was in charge of law enforcement for the city. Crowley’s chiefs of police have included James Lyons (1900–1906), Milton Wilkins (1906–1910), William Burt (1910–1918), Felix Lina (1918–1922), Boyd Milton (1922–1930), Gus Wilkins (1930–1946), Maxwell Barousse (1946–1967), John Al Gibson (1967–1974, 1978–1987), Allen Castille (1974–1978), Harry Courville Sr. (1987–1995), Donald Alleman (1995–2003), and K.P. Gibson (2003–present).

      Acadia’s sheriffs have included Eldridge Lyons (1887–1889, 1892–1900), William Chevis (1889–1892), Joseph Murrell (1900–1908), Louis Fontenot (1908–1928), Walter Larcade (1928–1960), Elton Arceneaux (1960–1984), Kenneth Goss (1984–2004), and Wayne Melancon (2004–present).

      In its early years, Crowley was served by a volunteer fire department. Its fire chiefs included Matthew S. Little (1903–1904), John Mallett (1904–1908), Gilbert Miles (1908–1910), Gilbert’s brother John Wesley Miles (1910–1948), John Andrus (1948–1975), John LeLeux (1975–1999), Russell Meche (1999–2003),

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