Trone, Albert Joseph

Louisiana:  Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and
Persons, Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 438-440.  Edited by Alc?e
Fortier, Lit.D.  Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association.

Trone, Albert Joseph, well-known legislator, extensively interested in mining properties of the West, and mayor of the city of Thibodaux, was born at Thibodaux, La., Nov. 22, 1867; son of Joseph A. Trone, whose birth also occurred at Thibodaux, Aug. 16, 1845, and who died a citizen of the same town in 1904.  The father was educated in Schefferstein school.  He became the first principal of both Guion academy and the old Thibodaux college, and for some time was principal of the Lockport public schools.  At the time of his
death he was occupying the position of school principal. 

At the beginning of the Civil war  he enlisted in the 18th Louisiana volunteer infantry and served the Confederacy throughout the whole period of hostilities.  His death came very suddenly, when he was apparently in the best of health.  Joseph A. Trone was married Aug. 16, 1866, to Amelia Letitia Lagarde, of Thibodaux, who was a native of that town. 

His father, Theodore Trone, grandfather of Albert Joseph, was a native of France.  On coming to America he landed at New York and walked to Vincennes, Ind., where he resided for 2 years, from which point he came by river to Thibodaux, La., at the request of Rev. Father Menard, who afterward for more than 55 years, was pastor of the church at Thibodaux.  He and Father Menard came together from the same locality in Brittany, France.  Theodore Trone was a carpenter and cabinet-maker, and for some time after coming to Thibodaux made his home with Father Menard.  Later he was married to Miss Reviere at Thibodaux.  She died of yellow fever in 1853, the husband surviving until 1905, and attaining the age of 90 years.  Albert Joseph was the first of 3 children born to his parents, all of whom, as also the parents, were musically inclined.  He was educated at old Thibodaux college, including musical instruction, and became a cornetist of some note.  In 1885, when 18 years old, he received an offer to travel with a minstrel company, and thereafter for 5 years was connected with various musical organizations, traveling throughout the United States. 

 In Jan., 1901, Albert Joseph Trone was married to Miss Celina Monnin, of Jeanerette, La., and for some years following devoted his energies to the life insurance business.  In 1897 he became proprietor of the Empire hotel at Thibodaux and successfully conducted the house until the yellow fever quarantine of 1898 seriously hampered the business, when he removed to New Orleans and again became connected with life insurance business, being for a time identified with the interests of the Union Central Life Insurance Co.  In 1903 he entered the service of the New York Life Insurance Co., and later received from that corporation a gold watch bearing the inscription:  "Presented to A. J. Trone by the New York Life Insurance Co., for distinguished work, Aug. 6 to Sept. 15, 1903."  In 1905, following the death of his father, he returned to Thibodaux.  During the period of excitement at Goldfield, Nev., he became interested in gold mining, and during the early part of 1906 made an extensive tour through Nevada, Colorado, and a portion of California, looking up mining investments. 

In 1906, during a visit to the mining regions in company with H. A. Riedel, a prominent mine operator of Denver, Colo., he became a representative of Mr. Riedel's firm, and in 1908 became a member of the firm of the H. A. Riedel Investment Co., mine operators, with headquarters in Denver, and this connection has continued uninterruptedly since the latter date.  This corporation embraces several companies and various mining properties, including a smelter at Denver, and is highly rated in the mining world.  Many of Mr. Trone's personal friends are heavily interested with him, and he has devoted his attention to strictly bona fide mining industries.  In politics, Mr. Trone has been a life-long democrat, as were his forefathers.  In 1908, with 8 candidates for the legislature in the field, he became a candidate, was given the nomination and triumphantly elected to represent his district. During the legislative term that followed he served on the ways and means, liquidation of state debt, and municipal corporations committees, and had the honor of occupying the speaker's chair on numerous occasions. 

During the session of 1908, on the occasion of the joint meeting of the senate and house for the election of U. S. Sen. McEnery, Mr. Trone was appointed a member of the house committee deputed to call upon the senator-elect and upon the governor to inform them of the result of the election and escort them to the chamber of the joint session.  While his parish had no special interest in any specific measures, he was at all times active in support or opposition of measures he did or did not believe for the best interests of the people of the state.  He took an active interest in a number of measures that came before the house directed toward the betterment of conditions in New Orleans, and was a member of the public utilities commission for the promotion of the Pan- American Exposition at New Orleans.  He did a great deal of hard work as a member of this commission in an earnest effort to secure the exposition for New Orleans.  During the administration of Gov. Sanders Representative Trone served as Lieut-Col. on the governor's staff.  In 1909 he was appointed by Gov. Sanders as a delegate to the Inter-State Inland waterways convention at Corpus Christi, Tex., and in the same year appointed by the governor as state delegate to the Southern commercial congress at Washington, D. C., filling a similar commission at the Atlanta session of the Southern Commercial congress in 1911.  Also, in 1909, he was appointed by the governor as a delegate to the National Rivers and Harbors congress at Washington, D. C., and from time to time throughout the administration of Gov. Sanders filled various other important commissions for the state.  His term as a member of the house of representatives expired in 1912, and it is said that no man who has previously
represented that district in the state legislature has been the recipient of so many honors and distinctions. 

In Feb., 1913, Hon. A. J. Trone entered the race for mayor of Thibodaux.  The campaign preceding the election was considered the most exciting and hotly-contested in the history of the city.  The faction said to have been represented by those in office had been in power for years; and to displace their leader was no small undertaking.  However, Mr. Trone was elected to the office of mayor by the majority of 1 vote, and
the opposition refrained from entering into any contest of the election.  Since he has occupied the office of mayor it is said that the affairs of the municipality have been conducted upon a strictly business basis, and that many improvements have been inaugurated and are being carried forward as rapidly as available resources will permit.  Mr. Trone has so arranged his mining interests that they are cared for by his business associates, but he makes an occasional tour of the various localities in which his mining properties are located.