Cambon, Sylvester, Sr.

Submitted by Mike Miller Cambon, Sylvester, Sr., during many years an extensive importing and wholesale merchant and banker at New Orleans, and later large land owner and sugar planter, was born at Paris, France, where, in youth, he was afforded every educational advantage. At the age of 21 years he came to America and located at New Orleans, where he soon became associated with Frederick Avet in importing and wholesale merchandise business, under the firm name of Cambon & Avet. This business venture proved unusually successful and prosperous from its inception. Mr. Cambon finally became sole proprietor of the business and conducted it under firm name of S. Cambon. In addition to this wholesale importing business, Mr. Cambon became largely interested in banking, and later an extensive plantation owner and sugar planter, and in each and all of his enterprises uniformly successful. He was a large man, weighing about 250 pounds, and of splendid personality, enjoying great personal popularity as well as financial prosperity, and on one occasion declined an urgent appeal to become a candidate for the office of mayor of the city of New Orleans. He took an active interest in public and political affairs, but to the last persistently refused to become a candidate for any office or other political honor, though he was related to Ambassadors Paul and Jules Cambon, two of the most distinguished diplomats of France, who, respectively and in turn, served as ambassador at Washington to the United States, Great Britain and Tunis. Mr. Cambon had the reputation of being very charitable and liberal, and when the asylum wagons came around to his place of business, it is said that these vehicles were always filled from the store and no charge was made for the supplies thus furnished. At one time Mr. Cambon gave $100,000, with a group of nine other citizens of New Orleans, who each gave a similar amount, to the French government for the care of French soldiers wounded in the Franco-German war. His liberal contributions toward alleviating distress at times of yellow fever epidemics in New Orleans and recurring floods of the Mississippi river were recognized with marks of the highest appreciation by the people among whom he lived. The government of France, too, in recognition of his liberal donations to that country, and his otherwise friendly offices toward the French republic, awarded him a diploma for international and voluntary aid to the French government. This interesting document, or diploma, which is now held by the sons of Mr. Cambon, is signed officially by the highest authorities of the French government, as follows: Cte. de Flarigny, president; Cte. de Beaufort, vice-president; Le Deluge', secretary-general, and Cte de Terienoy, minister of war and marine. Mr. Cambon also received from the French government a bronze medal made from cannon captured by the French soldiers from German forces. These mementos are held in high esteem by the family, and very properly so. After a residence of about 30 years in New Orleans, during all of which time he was actively engaged in business, and business of far-reaching and complicated ramifications, he withdrew from these associations and removed to Union plantation, in St. John the Baptist parish, from which point he gave personal supervision to his large interests in sugar planting. It was at this latter place that his death occurred, April 1, 1878, aged 41 years. It is said that the immediate cause of his death was exposure to which he subjected himself in paying off his help at a time when he was too ill to have left his room. This final incident was distinctly typical of his conduct throughout life; he was always solicitous of the well-being of those engaged in his service. Mr. Cambon was twice married. His first wife was Miss Mary O'Sullivan, of Dublin, Ireland. She died in March, 1871, at the age of 28 years, and some years later Mr. Cambon was married to Miss Mary Ring, of Belfast, Ireland. Seven children, as follows were born to these 2 unions: Lucie, Henry, Edouard, Sylvester, Maurice, Marie and Ferdinand, the last-named being born unto the second marriage. The 2 daughters are now deceased. After the death of the father the family removed to Terrebonne parish, the better to administer the interests of several valuable sugar properties in that locality. After some years in this latter location, the family again became resident at New Orleans, now about 5 years ago, and have so continued to this time. Mr. Cambon's sons, Henry, Sylvester, Maurice and Ferdinand, are each elsewhere sketched in this work.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 498-499. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.