LIONS TOWN HISTORY

The village of Lions is now blended into Reserve's upriver side and Garyville's downriver side, and runs four miles along Jefferson Highway.� The railroad came through in 1882 and on February 3, 1894 a post office was established at Terre Haute Plantation.� The first postmaster was Francois "Frank" P. Lions, who housed it in his willow Bridge general store.� It closed on August 13, 1954, marking the end of Lions as a separate entity.� Originally Lions suggested "Willow Bridge" for the town's name, but the postal authorities substituted Lions.� Local businesses once included Terre Haute Sugar Factory, The Red Store, the willow Ridge Store, the Four Seasons Store, the Golden Arrow Store, the San Francisco Store, the Terre haute Store, the Welcome Store and the Bow and Arrow store.�

Albert Millet born in 1868 in the Lions area founded the present day Millet Guidry Funeral Home in Lions partly as a reaction to the cold dismal and muddy funeral of his father, Adelard, who died in 1887.� Two years afterward at the age of 21 he went into partnership with Didier Perilloux to form a cooper shop for the manufacture of Cisterns and barrels.� For many years he also constructed Caskets and was the only funeral director between New Orleans and Baton Rough.� He died in 1958.

San Francisco Plantation at Lions' upriver end was assembled originally by Elysee Rillieux bought up several adjoining properties.� Edally Edmond Bozonier Marmillion purchased it and began building what in time became known as San Francisco.� The house was completed in 1856 and Edmond, who had three sons (Piere Edmond, Valsin and Charles), died soon thereafter.� His eldest son had already died and Valsin was summoned from a European tour to take over administration of the plantation.� While on that tour, Bozonier met a young French interpreter, Louise von Sybold and married her in Munich and returned to Louisiana with her.� They ran the plantation for more than 10 years.� After Valsin died, his wife sold it and returned to Europe.� The property was merged with the neighboring Treigle property by Achille D. Bougere.� He had sunk his last money into the purchase.� A French saying affirms that when a person has spent his last cash on anything, he spent his last "St. Furscan," generating the later corrupted name of San Francisco.� Hence the plantation's name has nothing whatever to do with the California City.

In 1954 the house was leased by Clark Thompson, who first opened it to the public while continuing to live there.� In 1974 the then widowed Mrs. Thompson moved out and the property was acquired by ECOL who later sold it to Marathon Oil Company.� Marathon formed the San Francisco Foundation in 1976 and transferred ownership of the plantation to that organization.� Among noteworthy events in the history of Lions itself was the 1899 murder of the Giordano family by Frank Nosca.� One contemporary report stated that Nosca nursed a grudge against the family and broke in on them while they were at supper.� He shot and killed all of them with a shotgun.� He was later tried and found guilty, attempted suicide in his cell and ended up being executed by hanging.

In 1910 the town's first public school, Frisco School, was established.� The school was in Henri Charbon's former home and it was consolidated with the Godchaux Grammar School in 1934.� The Frisco School was later a boarding house and was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy in 1965.� A noteworthy native son was Percy Hebert, born in Lions in 1907.� He graduated from Leon Godchaux High School in 1926 and worked as a chemist at a sugar refinery in Cuba.� He joined the Louisiana State Police in 1934 and married Leona Montz the following year.� In 1941 he was the youngest candidate at that time to run for sheriff and he won by 263 votes.� This began a 32-year career of service to the parish.� He died in 1974 and the courthouse annex building was named in his honor on February 9, 1977.

Joy Lodrigues, 85, recalls growing up in Lions.� Even now, she can still recall the names of every St. John Parish plantations along the East Bank.� "I know nothing of the other side of the river, " she added with a smile.� Her father, Sidney Levet, was general manager at San Francisco Plantation when she was a girl. It was her father's 1904 visit to the St. Louis Exposition which forever changed the family's life, however, as he returned bursting with ideas and innovations, such as electricity and ice Cream.� "He was a buff for new things," she recalled.

"Mamma and Daddy believed in education, " Lodrigues continued.� Both she and her sister attended the Lions School and later completed their education at Ursaline Academy in New Orleans.� Her sister taught for many years while she became a bookkeeper.� One brother became a druggist, while another became a lawyer and later the plantation manager.� "I don't know how they paid the tuition"� She added, "We were raised very Victorian.� My brothers wore a tie to the dinner table."  Once a year, her mother Maria Ory, would take the children to Canal Street in New Orleans where they would stay at a hotel, have their portraits taken and buy school clothing at "Holmeses."

Living at San Francisco was a melting pot of cultures, Lodrigues added.� The Baloney family lived in another nearby house and the children all played together.� "I didn't know what segregation was, " she said.

When Lodrigues was 16 she met 18-year-old Winnie Lodrigues Sr., a native of Patterson while he was boarding at San Francisco.� He later attended Tulane University and played football as a center, participating in the 1931 Rose Bowl.� They "courted" for seven years before their 49 and 1/2 years marriage.� For seven years after they wed no children were born to them.� "I wanted children so badly," she recalled.� Finally while visiting a nun who was her former teacher at Ursaline. "She asked me how many children I had.� I told her none.� She told me the next time I was with my husband, I would conceive."� Winn Lodrigues Jr. was born nine months later.� Joy Lodrigues also has four grandchildren and two great grandchildren.� "Lions was much more interesting to me than LaPlace or Reserve," she recalled and, even in the worst of times. "I had everything I ever needed."