Gueydan, (Hon.) [Louis] Henri

Submitted by Mike Miller

Gueydan, Hon. Henri, planter, warehouse owner, bank director and political leader; residence, Gueydan, Vermilion parish, La.; was born at New Orleans, La., on what now is Beauregard Square, Dec. 22, 1867. His father, Jean Pierre Gueydan, was born in the Department of Hautes Alpes, France, in the year 1829, and became a landed proprietor in the region of his birth. Jean Pierre Gueydan received a liberal education in the land of his nativity. He came to America, and to New Orleans, when about 21 years old, and engaged in wholesale and retail mercantile business as a member of the firm of Bodét & Gueydan, the business being located in the Maison Rouge, opposite the French market. Later the firm changed the location of its business to the vicinity of the custom house. At that time there were few railroads, and Mr. Gueydan drove throughout the southern part of the state, disposing of goods handled by his firm.

In 1876 he removed, with his family, to Corpus Christi, Tex., and there engaged in business, but later removed from there to San Diego, Tex. While at Corpus Christi and San Diego it is said that he and his brother first introduced cotton planting in that region. Also, he became captain of an organization known as the "Minute Men," and had much to do with driving out and exterminating lawless characters in that part of Texas. He became extensively interested in sheep and goat ranching, and at one time owned about 15,000 head of these animals, and during those days had many struggles with the cattle men of the region in which he operated. It was in connection with the requirements of this business that he invented machinery for making cactus edible by sheep.

During the Civil war he resided at Abbeyville [sic], La., though retaining his interest in the business at New Orleans, and was at the same time interested in both cattle and cotton. It is said that the Confederates operating in the field took about $200,000 worth of cattle and cotton, and the Federals $100,000 worth of the same commodities. After the war, as a subject of France, he put in a claim against the U. S. government, and after much delay was finally allowed $20,000. When this money was paid, however, with accrued interest, it amounted to about $40,000, and with the proceeds of this money, in 1882 or 1883, he went to the vicinity of the present location of the town of Gueydan and purchased 40,000 acres of land, for nearly all of which he paid 12-1/2 cents per acre. In 1885 he erected a residence 2 miles south of the present site of the town of Gueydan, to which he later brought his family, making this his permanent place of residence, though going upon frequent trips to France. Shortly after having located his family in the new home he began advertising that section of country. In 1894-95 he secured right-of-way for the Southern Pacific R. R. from Midland to Gueydan, and gave the Southern Pacific Co. a section of land as an inducement to extend the road to Gueydan. As soon as the railroad had been built he laid out the town of Gueydan, and the first sale of town lots was held in 1895. About the time the railroad was built he also began planting rice, and he, with others, established the first large pumping plant, for irrigation purposes, that was installed in that region. Also, he was the first to grow rice under irrigation in that locality. From the beginning of his operations there he was largely identified with the promotion of that part of the state of Louisiana and with rice culture. He also was instrumental in the building of the largest pumping plant for rice irrigation in any part of the United States.

As has already been stated, Mr. Gueydan made frequent visits to his native land, and it was while on one of these trips that his death occurred, Nov. 20, 1900, and he was buried in France. During the Civil war he served as captain of the "Home Guards" at Abbeville. Mr. Gueydan was twice married. His first marriage was to Miss Emelie Ducomun, and to this union 4 children were born, only 2 of whom are living at this time, these being Mrs. Alice Gueydan Chabassus, now a resident of Paris, France, and Eugene H. Gueydan. Some years after the death of his first wife, and during the Civil war, Mr. Gueydan was married to Miss Amelie Montagne, and to this union 6 children were born, of whom 4 now survive, namely: Mrs. Amélie Gueydan Amar, of Paris, France; Henri Gueydan, the subject of this sketch; Mrs. Marguerite Gueydan Rauzier, of Villefranche, Sur-Mer; Mrs. Cecile Gueydan Faton, of Paris, France.

Mrs. Jean Pierre Gueydan's death occurred May 4, 1913, in France, where she had lived from the time of her husband's death. She was a daughter of Elie and Arthemise (LeBlanc) Montagne, the former of whom was born in France and the latter in Louisiana--a daughter of Acadian exiles who had been driven out of Canada at the time the French were expelled from that region on account of political and religious difficulties. Henri Gueydan passed a portion of his early childhood in France, where the family lived during some years, and accordingly his earliest education was in French. However, when 7 years old he returned with his mother from France and the family became resident at Corpus Christi, Tex., where the lad attended the public schools. Later the family removed to San Diego, Tex., and he attended the public schools of that place. When he had attained his 12th year he entered St. Mary university, at Galveston, Tex., a Jesuit school, from which he graduated in English, French, and Spanish, at the age of 15 years. In 1883, through Hoff. Thomas Qchiltree, of Texas, he was appointed a cadet at Annapolis, and after having been a student in the government naval school two and a half years, he accepted a clerical position with a mercantile house at New Orleans, but after some months in this work he returned home to assist his father in the management of the business at Gueydan.

In 1889 he again went away from home, accepting a place as shipping clerk in the service of an establishment at Livingston, Guatemala. After a few months in this latter place he became connected with an agency company at San Jose, also in the capacity of shipping clerk, and after 1 year in this agency work became engaged in mercantile business at Antigua. This enterprise prospered and he continued in its prosecution. In 1893 Henri Gueydan was married to Miss Mercedes Alvarado, of Antigua. In 1895 he removed to Guatemala City, the capital, and there continued the line of mercantile business established by him at Antigua, on a much larger scale, importing from all over the world.

In 1897, for specific reasons, he removed to the state of California, and later after having satisfied himself as to the climate became associated with the business of the Wells Fargo Express Co., at the City of Mexico. In 1898 he finally returned to Gueydan and assumed the management of his father's large business, which he has continued since. In 1900 he was an unsuccessful candidate for the state legislature, and 4 years later was again defeated for the same office by only 11 votes. In 1908 he was elected a member of the Louisiana State Senate from the 11th senatorial district, composed of Vermilion and St. Mary parishes, and during the succeeding term of the senate, it is said that he, with others, through their efforts in the direction of clean politics, made possible the organization of the Good Government League, which followed a few months later. At the convention which nominated the standard bearers of the Good Government League faction of the democratic party, he was unanimously chosen as the league's candidate for the office of lieutenant-governor, against his persistent efforts. However, he ran with Gov. Hall, and was defeated in the following primary election by only 5,000 votes. He received a majority of the combined vote in the 60 parishes outside of New Orleans. In the succeeding congressional election he was a candidate for congress from the 3rd congressional district, but was defeated by Sen.-elect Robert P. Broussard. At the present time Sen. Gueydan is a candidate to succeed Mr. Broussard as a member of the National house of representatives, and is the democratic nominee, which is tantamount to an election. During the St. Louis exposition Sen. Gueydan served as one of the 5 commissioners from Louisiana, having to do, principally, with rice exhibits. He served as chairman of the 1st convention held in Louisiana in the interest of the inter-coastal canal and has since occupied the position of vice-president of the Inter-Coastal Canal league, at this time also serving as chairman of the executive committee. In 1910 Sen. Gueydan was appointed manager of the rice association of America.

The first Mrs. Gueydan died in the year 1901, and in 1904 the senator was married to Miss Amalia Arroyo, at Guatemala City. Two children, Marie and Jeanne, were born to the first union, and 2 also to the second marriage, the latter being Julia and Henry. Sen. Gueydan has been identified with matters affecting agricultural conditions in Louisiana-rural education, good roads, drainage, irrigation, and the development of water courses for navigation. Sen. Gueydan speaks and writes French, Spanish, and English, and his name was prominently mentioned in connection with the important post of minister to Guatemala during the early part of Pres. Wilson's administration. He is now owner and operator of the Gulf Coast Warehouse, at Gueydan; a director in the Bank of Gueydan, and owns large quantities of land upon which rice is grown. The second Mrs. Gueydan died in the year 1913.

Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 526-529. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.