Levert, Sidney A.

Submitted by Mike Miller

Sidney A. Levert has precedence as one of the most prominent and influential representatives of plantation industry in West Baton Rouge Parish, and is a citizen whose liberality and progressiveness mark his loyalty to and appreciation of the advantages and attractions of his native state. He is president of the .Auguste Levert Planting and Manufacturing Company and also of the Bank of Addis.

Mr. Levert was born on the homestead plantation of his father in Iberville Parish, Louisiana, and the date of his nativity was May 18, 1864. He is a representative of one of the old and honored families of Louisiana, and the family lineage traces back to sterling French origin. His father, the late and honored Auguste Levert, was born and reared in Iberville Parish, the year of his birth having been 1830, and his death occurred on his fine "St. Delphine" Plantation, in West Baton Rouge Parish, in 1915.

Auguste Levert received a liberal education, including a course in Bargetown College, Kentucky. Mr. Levert was a man of exceptional initiative and executive ability, and did much to advance the sugar planting industry, and incidentally the civic prosperity, of the fine old state that represented his home throughout his long and worthy life. He founded and developed "St. Delphine" plantation, in West Baton Rouge Parish, he having acquired this property about the year 1876. He made this plantation, comprising 2,500 acres, one of the model places of this section of the state and carried on sugar planting upon a large scale. He became the owner also of "Antonio" plantation, of 700 acres, near Cinclare, this parish, and he was the owner of other tracts of land in West Baton Rouge Parish, as well as a large area of swamp land and other tracts in Iberville Parish.

Auguste Levert, a citizen of well fortified opinions concerning governmental and economic matters, became a staunch advocate of the principles of the republican party, and he represented West Baton Rouge Parish one term in the State Legislature. He was affiliated with the Knights of Columbus, and was a zealous communicant of the Catholic Church as is also his widow, who now resides in the City of Baton Rouge. Mrs. Levert, whose maiden name was Aurelié Webb, was born and reared in Lafourche Parish. Of the children the eldest was Victoria, who became the wife of Harry Bird, a civil engineer, her death having occurred at Plaquemine, Iberville Parish, and her husband having been a resident of West Baton Rouge Parish at the time of his death; Charles A. is a salesman residing in the City of Baton Rouge; Sidney A., of this sketch, was the next in order of birth; Octave H. was sheriff of West Baton Rouge Parish at the time of his death; Omer J. has charge of "Antonio" plantation of the Auguste Levert Planting and Manufacturing Company; Miss Aurelié and Julia reside with their widowed mother in Baton Rouge; Dr. Mark W. is the subject of individual mention in the following sketch.

In addition to receiving the advantages of well ordered private schools inIberville Parish. Sidney A. Levert attended also the public schools. Thereafter he was for five years a student in Georgetown University, in the District of Columbia, and after leaving this institution, in 1882, he became actively associated with the operation and management of his father's plantations. He gained thorough knowledge of all details pertaining to the sugar planting industry, and after the death of his father, in 1915, he became president of the Auguste Levert Planting and Manufacturing Company, which owns and operates "St. Delphine" and the "Antonio" Plantations, together with another place of 200 acres at Mark, West Baton Rouge Parish, these holdings representing an aggregate area of 3,400 acres of the splendidly productive land of this parish. The company conducts a well equipped general store on the "St. Delphine" Plantation, has a similar business place at Addis, and also operates its own sugar refineries.

Mr. Levert, like his father before him, is loyally aligned in the ranks of the republican party, and while he has had no desire for public office of any kind, his civic loyalty was shown in his four years of effective service as a member of the Board of Education of West Baton Rouge Parish. In 1915 he was a leader in the organization of the Bank of Addis, was elected its first president, and he continued as its chief executive officer until 1922, inclusive, when he retired from the presidency. In 1924, however, he was again elected to this office, of which he is now the incumbent. He has extensive and important business interests, and is a leader in progressive movements for the benefit of his borne parish and native state. In the World war period Mr. Levert was one of the most active and influential workers in advancing all patriotic measures in his parish, and not only did he assist greatly in various drives for the sale of Government war bonds, etc., but also made his individual financial subscriptions of the most liberal order--measuring up to the ultimate limitations of his resources that could possibly be made available for this purpose. He and his family reside in the fine old Colonial mansion at "St. Delphine" Plantation, and the same is a center of gracious hospitality, with Mrs. Levert as, its popular chatelaine. Mr. and Mrs. Levert are zealous communicants of the parish of St. John the Baptist Church, Roman Catholic, at Brusly, and of the vestry of this parish he is junior warden. At the judicial center of Iberville Parish he is affiliated with Plaquemine Council No. 970, Knights of Columbus, in which he has served as deputy grand knight, and at Plaquemine he is a member also of Lodge No. 1398, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.

At Brusly, West Baton Rouge Parish, in the year 1888, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Levert and Miss Mary Bird, daughter of the late Abraham T. and Julia (VonPhul) Bird, both of whom died in this parish, where Mr. Bird had been a successful planter. Mrs. Levert received excellent educational advantages, including those of a Catholic convent in the City of St. Louis, Missouri. Mr. and Mrs. Levert became the parents of five children: Sidney A., Jr., became a skilled civil engineer, but his death occurred, at the parental home, when he was but twenty-seven years of age; Beatrice is the wife of Harvey J. Blanchard, who is manager of the Addis general store of the Levert Planting and manufacturing Company; Eulalie Mary remains at the parental home; Julia is (1924) a student in a business college in the City of Baton Rouge; and Hilda is the youngest member of the parental home circle.

Auguste Levert, Sr., grandfather of the subject of this review, was born and reared in Canada, and was a young man when he came to Louisiana, where his marriage was solemnized and where ire became an extensive planter in Iberville Parish, his death having occurred, however, on "St. Delphine" Plantation, in West Baton Rouge Parish, when he was of venerable age.

It may be stated that 'St. Delphine' Plantation is situated in the southern part of West Baton Rouge Parish, on the west bank of the Mississippi River and one mile west of the Village of Addis, and that on the west bank of the river "Antonio" Plantation lies four miles south of the City of Baton Rouge, on the parish gravel road.

A History of Louisiana, (vol. 2), pp. 188-189, by Henry E. Chambers. Published by The American Historical Society, Inc., Chicago and New York, 1925.