Austin, John W.

Submitted by Mike Miller

John W. Austin, treasurer of Iberville parish, La., was born in Poultney, Vt., May 7, 1829, a son of John W. and Olive (Whitcomb) Austin, natives of the state of New York, their marriage taking place in Washington county of that state, after which they moved to the "Green Mountain state," where they spent the remainder of their days. The father carried on a tannery and the manufacture of boots and shoes for some years, and later engaged in keeping a hotel and farming. He and his wife were for many years consistent members of the Methodist Episcopal church. He was first a whig in politics but afterwards became a republican, and as such remained until the day of his death, which occurred in 1888, at the age of eighty-six years.

He was of English descent, his ancestors having come to the United Stales during the early settlement of the New England states. His wife was of Scotch descent, and died at the age of seventy years. To John W. and Olive Austin eight children were born, six of whom are now living but who reside in six different states: John W. is the eldest; N. P. has been an extensive traveler but is now a merchant in Santa Barbara, Cal.; Mrs. Henry T. Hull resides in Poultney, Vt. ; Rev. Lewis A. is professor of Latin in Rollins college, at Winter Park, Fla., but was formerly connected with Middlebury college, Vermont; Judson W. is president of the Austin Lumber company of Preston, Ark., and Sidney F., now a traveling agent, was formerly paying teller in a bank of Washington, D. C., and was treasurer of the Garfield National Campaign fund. John W. Austin was educated under the able instruction of Bishop Jesse T. Peck, Dr. John Newman and others, in the Troy Conference academy, of Poultney, Vt., but at the age of seventeen he left school and turned his attention to merchandising in his native town, and later followed the same calling in Whitehall, N. Y. He afterward secured employment in the great mercantile house of Bowen & McNamee, of New York city, but in 1849 came to Plaquemine, La., and in 1852 became a member of the mercantile firm of Bissell & Austin, and later of the firm of Hart, Austin & Co., which so continued until 1858. Mr. Austin began devoting his attention to sugar planting in 1859, and from l867 until 1887 he was associated in this business with Edward J. Gay, in the parish of Iberville, but retired in the last mentioned year. In 1888 he was elected to the position of treasurer of Iberville parish, in which capacity he has since served, and in the same year was appointed notary public. In his public capacity his services have been characterized by a noticeable devotion to the welfare of the parish, and hisability and fidelity in his present position have made a lasting impression upon this sphere of public duty. He is courteous in his demeanor to all classes, and as a man attracts the regard of all who approach him. He is a democrat in politics, and since 1852 has been a member of the Masonic fraternity, in which he has attained to the council degree. Miss Sarah E. Adams, of this parish, became his wife June 24, 1857, and they are both members of the Presbyterian church.

From Biographical and Historical Memoires of Louisiana, volume 2, pp. 255-256.