Gassie, Hon. Emil

Submitted by Mike Miller

The member of the police jury from the Third ward of West Baton Rouge, is the Hon. Emil Gassie,
who is also a prominent merchant and planter. He was born in this parish August 8, 1840, and is
the son of Pierre and Elmire (Marson) Gassie, the former of whom was born in France, but came to
the United states when a young man, located in West Baton Rouge, and turned his attention to
mercantile trade and to sugar, cotton and corn planting, in which he continued until his death,
about 1850, at the age of sixty-seven years. His widow survived until 1874, and was sixty-five
years of age at the time of her death. Both were devout members of the Catholic church, in
which Mr. Gassie had held the position of warden, and had also served in official capacities.
There were born to their marriage four sons and five daughters, of whom our subject was the
third in order of birth. In 1861 he joined Company A, First Louisiana cavalry, under Colonel
Scott, in which he served until the latter part of 1863, when, on account of disability, he
returned to his home, and served the confederacy until the close of hostilities, doing as much
good and faithful service as he could have accomplished in the ranks. He took part at Fort
Donelson, Chickahominy, Corinth, and in a great number of raids and skirmishes, but was never
wounded or taken prisoner. His three other brothers also served in the confederate army, a
sufficient evidence that the family were loyal to the Southern cause. At the close of the war
Mr. Gassie began life anew as manager on the plantation now owned by Robinson & Co., of
Iberville parish, where he remained two years; he then took charge of the Oaks plantation, owned
by Dr. Nolan in West Baton Rouge parish. In 1871 he engaged in mercantile business, but had the
misfortune of being washed out in 1874. He then bought what is now known as New Prosperity
plantation, but in 1876 resumed merchandising in connection with his planting interests, and has
since been quite successful. He also owns the Red Eye plantation, now utilized by 0. M. Mary in
the cultivation of rice. In 1865 Mr. Gassie married Miss Zulm‚ Lobouve, daughter of Pierre
Lobouve. This lady was called away in 1870, leaving a son and a daughter. In 1871 Mr. Gassie
took for his second life-partner Miss Josephine Lobouve, a cousin of his first wife, and to this
happy marriage have been born two sons and five daughters, all living at the present time. Mr.
Gassie has always taken great interest in the democratic party, and has done much to aid it in
wresting the parish from the clutches of the radicals. In 1889 he was appointed a member of the
police jury of his parish, and since his incumbency of that office has proven himself to be an
able and efficient official. He stands very high socially, and as a business man his name
stands above reproach.

Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, (vol. 1), pp. 438-439. Published by the
Goodspeed Publishing Company, Chicago, 1892.