ST. JAMES TOWN HISTORY

Fittingly, the parish and the cradle community of St. James bear the same name.� The earliest known settlers, in the 1750's, were Louis Barbay Sr. and his wife, Marguerite, living in Cabahanoce, and Indian name meaning "sleeping place of the ducks." They were natives of Normandy, France.�

In 1756, Acadians deported by the English from Nova Scotia, Canada, established the First Acadian Coast here.� The Second Acadian Coast was established later in what is now Ascension Parish.

Governor Louis de Unzaga split the Acadian Coast in 1770 and appointed Jacques Cantrelle as the first commandant of the First Acadian Coast (later St. James Parish), followed by his son in law Nicholas Verret, followed by Michael Cantrelle, who served as Commandant, then as Judge, form 1776 to 1812.� Louis Judice, another son in law, was appointed commandant for the Second Acadian coast (later Ascension Parish).� The community grew through the colonists' industry and large families and, soon, establishment of a Catholic church was necessary.� Prior to the church's construction, mass was celebrated by Father Barnabe in the home of Louis Judice, A 40 X20 foot church, built to accommodate the 499-plus of the faithful, was completed in July 1768.�

Jacques Cantrelle Sr., a native of LaRochelle, France, donated land to the newly established St. James Catholic Church in 1770.� A frame church and rectory was built on the west bank of the river and was alternately called St. Jacques de Cantrell and more commonly, St. Jacques de Cabanahoce.

An act to the legislative council established 12 Louisiana counties I 1804. One of these, Acadia, included the present St. James and Ascension parishes.� On June 1, 1805, a meeting was held to debate the matter of where the county seat would be situated, Donaldsonville or St. James, but no decision was reached.� The first session of Acadia parish court (which included both parishes) was held on July 8, 1805 in the presbyter of St. Jacques de Cabanahoce.

Finally, on July 24, plans were finally agreed for Donaldsonville as the county seat and, on September 2, a meeting was held to build the Acadia county courthouse and decided that, until it was completed, the Presbyter of St. Jacques would continue to serve as the "unofficial" county seat.� Then, on March 31, 1807, the 12 counties were replaced by 19 parishes and Ascension and St. James parishes established.

The first St. James Parish courthouse was decided upon from a meeting in July 1806, and was built on land downriver from the church, on land donated by Louise Forstall.� It was a two-story structure, with the ground floor of brick and the upper floor of native wood.

That first courthouse was abandoned in 1869 in favor of a new courthouse in Convent on the East Bank.� The old courthouse was seized and sold for $541 in 1874, and rented out for residences and a store until the early 1900's, when it was razed and the site swallowed by the river.� The present courthouse at College Point, downriver from the second courthouse site, was completed in 1971.

In 1838 the first stone was laid for the badly needed larger church. A massive Romanesque structure with three steeples.� It was consecrated on May 1, 1841 and designed by James Gallier Sr. Local planter Francois Gabriel Valcour Aime donated specially commissioned paintings of the Stations of the Cross.� That church endured until the encroaching Mississippi River ordained its demolition in 1929.� Fortunately the Valcour Aime paintings were rescued and still adorn the present church.

On September 22, 1976 a fire badly damaged the church.� Great care was taken to restore the structure and especially the paintings donated by Valcour Aime.� Another feature of the church is the ancient cemetery.� The largest tomb extant is that of Valcour Aime.� However his remains since September 1929 have rested in the Ganucheau family tomb in St. Louis Cemetery No. 3 in New Orleans.� The tomb of Louisiana Andre Bienvenue Roman (1831-1835, 1839-1843) also rests here.� He died in 1866 but in 1923, his tomb was shattered by the growth of a cypress tree.� When moved, his iron casket had a heavy glass plate, which showed, 57 years after his death, a well-preserved face.

Oak Alley, by far the best known of River Parishes plantations, was built on land earlier owned by Valcour Aime. Ironically, Valcour Aime's own magnificent mansion, fittingly called Le Petit Versailles by the owner, burned down in 1920.� The first owner of Oak Alley was Jacques Telesphore Roman, brother of Governor A. B. Roman and whose sister was married to Valcour Aime.� Celina Roman named the plantation "Bon Sejour" (pleasant Sojourn) but the avenue of 28 oak trees led to the obvious name. The roman family resided in the house through the Civil War, but Jacques died in 1948 and his son, Henri, struggled to maintain it but sold the plantation in 1866.� A succession of owners followed until 1925, when Andrew and Josephine Stewart purchased it and began restoration.� After Josephine Stewart died in 1972, the house passed to the Oak Alley Foundation.

Immediately upriver from Oak Alley is the Bay Tree Plantation cottage, built in 1850 by the Roman family as the overseerer's house.� It was renovated in 1880 and is now operated as a bed and breakfast by Dinah and Rich Laurich.� St. Joseph Plantation was built in 1820 by French physician Cazimir Bernard Mericq and his wife Celeste Palmyre Gauthier Mericq.� The house originally consisted of a large ballroom and four adjoining rooms. After his death in 1857, Alexis Ferry and his wife, Josephine Aime, a daughter of Valcour Aime, purchased it in April 1858.� They added two additional rooms on each end.� However the plantation was sold in an 1877 sheriff's sale to Edward Gay, who immediately sold it to Joseph Waguespack.� The nearby St. Joe Plantation Store was built in the 1870's and remains the only continuously operating plantation store in existence.� Meanwhile, Joseph Waguespack maintained the house in the family.� Joseph retired in 1887 and sold it to his daughter, Anoise Waguespack Troxler, and son. Saturine Waguespack.

In 1901, ownership passed to the St. Joseph Planting and Manufacturing Company, incorporated that year, and management went to Stanley Waguespaack Sr. and his wife Edmee Burch Waguespack.� Stanley, a Jefferson college graduate, ran the plantation until his death in 1964.� Then the management went to Stanley's son Harold. Who died in 1989.� Then it passed to Harold's brother, Stanley Jr..� Stanley Jr., 78, and his wife Irma Hickson Waguespack, live in nearby Felicity Plantation, not visible from River Road.� Felicity was built in 1846 as a wedding gift for Septime Fortier and his wife, Felicite Emma Amie, another daughter of Valcour Aime. After a succession of owners, in 1901, the St. Joseph Planting and Manufacturing Company acquired felicity.� Stanley Jr. remembers at one time 40 to 50 people employed at the plantation, cutting cane.� Every morning, two or three gallons of river shrimp would be brought up from the boxes in the river.� "I was forbidden to swim in the river, but I would anyway," he smiled.

Also he remembered riding his horse over to Valcour Aime's old plantation site and playing I the gardens, especially in the grotto.� "I remember hearing that when the house burned in 1920, it was started by a passing tramp who lit a fire and went to sleep."

He hopes to lease out St. Joseph Plantation, with the intention to open it up for bus tours and possibly as a bed and breakfast.� "it's in pretty good shape," he said.� The 120-year-old plantation store, where Maria Simon has worked for the past 14 years, is the only grocery for miles around.� The atmosphere is relaxed and the life is good.� Stanley and Irma have three sons, nine grandchildren and three great grandchildren.� "it's nice to be here, "  he smiled.