UNCLE SAM TOWN HISTORY

Roughly three miles upriver from the St. James Parish courthouse is the massive IMC-Agrico facility.� It stands in place of one of the largest and most tragic plantation sites in the River Parishes - Uncle Same Plantation.� Until the Civil War, the Uncle Sam Plantation was known as Constancia, named for Colonel Joseph Constant, who acquired the land shortly after the War of 1812.

An 1845 description of Constancia listed it as "a sugar plantation which measures about 22 arpents, of which about 13 have a depth of about 80 arpents; five a depth of about 55 arpents and four a depth of about 40 arpents."� An arpent, a French land measure, was 192 feet.� The plantation itself was 1,900 acres in size.� Postal records indicate a Constantia post office from December 31, 1816 to August 5, 1828 and Constant served as postmaster.� Immediately prior to that, mail was delivered to Godberry's Tavern, owned by James Godberry, from July 1812 until the Constantia Post Office opened.

Helen Ross McMasters bought Constancia for $150,000 in 1818; only two years after Constant acquired it, but lost it in an 1828 sheriff's sale to the heirs of Constant for back payment of mortgage notes.

Samuel Pierre August Fagot purchased J.J. Jourdan, the massive plantation complex, which became known as Uncle Sam, on April 28, 1828, in partnership with his father-in-law, for $100,000.� Each man put half of the $15,000 down payment up; Jourdan contributed 40 slaves and Fagot only 11 slaves.� To make up the difference Fagot operated it without fee "but he will have his residence upon the said plantation, and the right to dispose of all that is found there for hiss own use and that of his family,"according to courthouse records.� Fagot continued to run Constancia until his death in 1858.

Fagot was described as a slim built, dark complexioned, black-bearded Frenchman who was usually quite close mouthed.� A nod to a neighbor as they passed by was his only contact, in most cases, with other people along the river.� This seclusion became so well known that reclusive people were often described as being "as close to themselves as a Fagot."

According to a descendant of Fagot, construction actually began in 1836 but was delayed by a fire that destroyed the main house, which was ultimately completed in 1850.� The construction took nearly six years and cost $100,000. Furniture was imported from Europe and cost nearly as much as the house itself.� The main house, two-storied, was surrounded on all sides by 28 Roman Doric columns, with central great halls on each floor and four rooms on each floor opening off to the sides.� Nonetheless, the house continued to be known as Constancia until after the Civil War, when it became known as Uncle Sam.� Much as the date of Fagot's acquisition of the property and the date of construction of the plantation, the origin of the name likewise remains in dispute.� One version is that it was a nickname given to a relative of Fagot's who returned from an extended European stay wearing a curly moustache.� Another is that the name derived form the fact that Fagot stamped his sugar barrels with the initials US before he exported it.� Yet another is that it simply became common practice of his visiting relatives to refer to "Uncle Sam's Place," and the name stuck.

The first known use of the name was in Murray's 1871 issue of "Plantation Directory of Louisiana."� Its first use on a legal document was in 1875 on a $12,000 mortgage to the legendary Reserve area planter, Leon Godchaux.

Once considered one of the most magnificent plantations in Louisiana, already marked with an array of such splendor, Uncle Sam once consisted of 46 buildings, including pigeonniers, two garconnieres, kitchen, plantation office, barns, stables, and a massive sugar refinery operation. Unlike so many other plantations, Uncle Sam survived the Civil War and did not fall victim to vandalism and shot from invading Union soldiers. On the other hand, Jefferson College only a few miles downriver was plundered by Union troops.� In a story by Former L'Observateur publisher Joseph Lucia, the Constancia slaves continued to work the fields even after the Confederate surrender "because of the kind treatment they had received form the Fagots."� Indeed, one of the 46 plantation buildings was a hospital for the slaves.� Lucien Malus managed the plantation after the war and, after his death, passed to Jules and Camile Jacob, the brothers who married the Malus daughters, Felicie and Emilie.

In 1898, Camile Jacob sold his interest to Jules Jacob, who continued to operate the sugar plantation, making innovations to keep up with the times, including the use of tractors.� His son was sent to study sugar chemistry to continue that innovative drive, but foreign competition and cane disease frustrated those efforts and Uncle Sam was sold in a 1920 sheriff's sale after being in receivership for several years.

However, it was the Mississippi River itself, which led to Uncle Same Plantation's demise.� First, the 1890, Nita Crevasse inundated the ground floor of the house.� Then, two levee setbacks performed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers finally led to its 1940 destruction.� The story of that 1940 demolition was the final tragedy to strike Uncle Same Plantation.� Efforts were under way to save the historic site, reaching as far as Washington D.C. Demolition began, however, in February 1940.� When the destruction was three-quarters along, a telegram was received in the Corps' New Orleans headquarters form the National Park Service.� The telegram read:� "Have learned of the impending demolition of the Uncle Same Plantation near convent, Louisiana.� Stop. Can demolition be deferred short time pending investigation by National Park Service to determine possibilities for status as a National Monument or historic site?"

It was to late.

The site was purchased by Freeport Sulphur Company in 1957 and later acquired by Freeport Chemical in 1968 on land originally planned in the 1950s' to build a nickel plant.� Freeport McMoRan Inc. purchased Agrico in 1987 and the facility is now known as the IMC-Agrico Uncle Sam plant.� The mailing address for IMC-Agrico is Uncle Sam, Louisiana, established in 1968.

IMC-Agrico's lobby includes a photo album of scenes from Uncle Sam Plantation, including photos of the destruction in progress.

Nowadays, nothing whatsoever remains of Uncle Same, not even a tiny village - with only a lonely metal sign in the midst of an empty field, surrounded by a massive industrial site recalling the plantation's impressive and tragic history.