A Century Of Acadian Culture, The Development Of A Cajun Community: Erath 1899–1999

By Curney J. Dronet

An in-depth look at a Louisiana Cajun community, the families who settled it, and its development over the course of the twentieth century.
 
Anthropologist William R. Ferris defined the study of regionalism as the study of the relation between people and the places in which they live. This book explores the area located in Louisiana’s “French triangle,” detailing the history of the people who migrated there, including the colonial French, Germans, Acadians, refugees from Santo Domingo, and immigrants from the French Revolution.
 
Erath, chartered in 1899, typified many of the small rural towns in Louisiana. The first settlers moving to Erath arrived in 1781. Originally a project of the Acadian Heritage and Cultural Foundation, A Century of Acadian Culture follows the town from its early years through its development into a center of Cajun heritage. It is anthropological in that it traces the development from wilderness to modern town, while in its coverage of the families who live there, it remains a fascinating work of history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Open Road Integrated Media
• Release date: Oct 13, 2009
• ISBN: 9781589809130

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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

This book was undertaken at the insistence of Warren A. Perrin, the cofounder of Erath's Acadian Museum, who is presently serving as President of CODOFIL, Council for the Development of French in Louisiana, an organization dedicated to the preservation of the French language. Today, Perrin is recognized as the leader in the preservation of the French language and our Cajun culture. Perrin has provided the day-by-day guidance, editorial expertise, and the Acadian cultural information which has been developed and preserved by many distinguished writers like Profs. Brasseaux, Ancelet, Comeaux and Conrad. His efforts have been of inestimable help in arriving at what I hope will be a quality work that provides long lasting benefits.

I must pay special tribute to J. Weldon Granger, co-founder of the Acadian Museum, whose contributions and philanthropic endeavors have made the establishment of the Acadian Museum and Musee Cafe possible.

Clement Junior Bourgeois, Jr., the true custodian of Erath's history, has been my primary source of early oral history. His extensive collection of photographs, early family histories, and particularly the preservation and recordation of post-World War I and World War II information, have been indispensable in the research and preparation for this book.

Cleve Thibodeaux, a local genealogy expert, provided the information which has guided me in reconstructing late-19th and early-20th Century land ownership patterns. In addition, he provided valuable information about early settlers on the French and Spanish land grants of the region. He also contributed numerous anecdotes of folklore and history which he had gleaned from his mother's experiences in the late-19th Century.

My thanks to Mike Langlinais, Vermilion Parish Assessor, who permitted me to take the assessment rolls of the late-19th and early-20th Century to my home for study. They were invaluable in reconstructing the economic, and industrial development, as well as the settlement patterns of that period.

Stacy Bodin, a teacher at Dozier Elementary, provided the stirring account of Robert Dozier's experiences as he settled in Erath in the early-20th Century and fostered and promoted the establishment and development of the African-American education system in our town.

Kermit Bouillion, a photographic expert, provided the time and dedication that enabled Warren Perrin to include in the book extensive photographs that in and of themselves reflect the pictorial history of Erath.

I experienced unselfish cooperation from many citizens, but especially Harold Broussard, a retired principal of Vermilion Parish Schools, who screened School Board records for valuable information about education. Joseph Numa Broussard, Elwood LeBlanc, Johnny Suire, Ethel Kendricks, Lawrence Broussard, Presley LeBlanc, General Robert J. LeBlanc, Wilfred Dugas, Neotis Nunez and Edward Suire provided key and succinct oral information that enabled me to discover and validate important historical events.

Without the use of my computer, the gathering and collating of this material would have been virtually impossible. I experienced repeated problems in using the computer, and only with the aid and expertise of my sons-in-law, Mark Mencacci and Bryan Bernard, was I able to resolve the problems. My granddaughter, Lindsay Mencacci, a freshman in high school, was always available to help me through the many small computer glitches that I encountered. My daughter, Phyllis, read the material as it was completed and provided an assessment of each chapter before it was sent on to Warren A. Perrin for the first, second, and even third editorial reviews.

This book was written with the intent that it could enhance and promote a continuing revival of our Cajun culture. Any profit realized from the sale of the book will be for the benefit, improvement, and expansion of the Erath Acadian Museum. We are grateful to those Erath citizens that have contributed to complete the publication of this work. I am privileged to commend our distinguished patrons: Paul Moresi, Jr., Rodney Simon, Edward Domingues, Lester Champagne, Earl Chiasson, Patrick Granger, Dr. Bernard Lahasky, Dr. A. B. Sonnier, Wilfred Langlinais, David Dronet, Jody Dronet, and especially J. Weldon Granger for his most generous contribution.

I would like to pay a special tribute to my loving wife, Irene. She has been most understanding, as I have spent two years preparing, writing, rewriting, correcting and improving my work. A novice at this endeavor, it has not been easy for me. More often than not, I became frustrated, impatient and difficult to live with during periods of research, assimilation of information and the actual composition of the material. Irene would always remind me that I had started this work with the best of intentions, and that I should see it to completion to the best of my abilities. I believe I have; I pray that you, the reader, will agree.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

BRIGADIER GENERAL (RET.) CURNEY J. DRONET, SR.

By Warren A. Perrin

[graphic]

Curney Dronet, Sr., is, in my opinion, the most eminently qualified person to write the history of Erath because no one knows more than he does about the civil, political, social, religious, educational and military institutions of the Vermilion River Valley. In many ways, the story of the development of Erath parallels Dronet's life experiences: he has served his community in many outstanding ways, such as a student leader, an elected public official, military officer, civic activist, business entrepreneur, political statesman, education innovator and church steward. Within the last few years, he has been a most dedicated and influential supporter of the cultural renaissance in general, and the Acadian Museum of Erath in particular. I have been honored to collaborate with him on this book. The following is a brief summary of his full life and the many and varied accomplishments which have, in some way, enriched Erath:

Mr. Curney was born July 5, 1923 in Prairie Gregg, three miles south of Erath, the only child of Joe and Eula Nunez Dronet, a traditional Cajun family. His father earned a living as a tenant farmer and fur trapper, then, beginning in 1929, as a carpenter. Dronet was reared as a typical Acadian farm boy, working in the fields with his family during the day and learning the hunting and trapping skills of his ancestors, by lamplight during the evenings. His beloved grandmother, Therese Dronet, the best known of the traditional Acadian textile artisans of the time, sold her unique textiles from her home to help support her family. From her dedication to the precious cultural craft, Dronet acquired an early appreciation of his ancestral roots.

Dronet, like many others of the area, could not speak English upon entering Erath Elementary School in 1929. He was penalized with a failing grade for the first six-weeks of the second year of school. After a difficult period of adjustment, Dronet did very well during the seven years of lower and upper elementary school. In 1936, he began an exceptional four years of high school excelling in both athletics and academics, which culminated in his graduation with a perfect 4.0 average. He was named valedictorian of his class and awarded the prestigious American Legion Award, as well as the outstanding basketball and Softball awards. Additionally, Dronet was named the Outstanding Athlete of the 1940 graduating class of Erath High School.

Dronet entered Southwestern Louisiana Institute (S.L.I.), in Lafayette, in the summer of 1940 and enrolled in an accounting curriculum, but transferred in the fall to Spencer Business College of Lafayette where he received a diploma in 1941 in bookkeeping, typing and business machines. That same Summer, on July 6, 1941, he married his childhood sweetheart, Irene LeBlanc, the daughter of Etienne and Rita Leleux LeBlanc. On November 16, 1942, they were blessed with their first daughter, Phyllis. Other children born of their loving marriage include Curney, Jr., David, Bryan, Jody, Leslie and Claire. All of Curney and Irene's children are very involved in local business and civic affairs.

As with many other young families of the time. World War II upset their initial plans. On May 1, 1943, Dronet volunteered for the Army Air Corps and was selected for flight training as a Bombardier-Navigator. He was awarded his Bombardier Wings and commissioned a Second Lieutenant on September 2, 1944. He was immediately assigned as a flight instructor in bombardiering and navigation at Midland Air Force Base. He remained in that assignment until World War II ended, whereupon he was released to the Inactive Reserve as of October 2, 1945. Being atypical, Dronet did not close this chapter of his life but later used the military experience as a foundation for his future achievements.

Upon returning to civilian life, he became interested in real estate and residential construction. In the fall of 1948, he opened a retail dry goods store in Erath, Dronet's Department Store, and followed that success with two furniture and appliance stores in early 1960's. Dronet's interest in real estate led to the dedication of six very successful subdivision developments in the Erath community. In 1967, realizing the critical need for additional housing in Erath, he began a residential construction program in his developed subdivisions: Eastside Acres, North Broadway Subdivision, Oaklawn Subdivision and North Broadway Subdivision, 1st Extension, that eventually led to the development of over 100 new, average-size homes for this growing community.

Clearly, Dronet's real pride and joy has been his wonderful family. Irene and Curney have reared seven children, four boys and three girls, who are all enjoying successful careers and marriages of their own. They are presently blessed with twenty grandchildren and twelve great-grandchildren; they are expecting and praying for many more. It is a great source of pleasure and joy for Irene and Curney when their family gathers, in typical Cajun fashion, on special occasions including Easter Sunday, Thanksgiving Day and Christmas Eve, in celebration at their home on Bayou Tigre with all fifty-three of the immediate family members in attendance. These family celebrations, so important in achieving unity of family, have become an exhilarating and emotional tradition for all members of the family, but particularly for Irene and Curney, who are in the twilight of their lives.

Throughout his life, Dronet has been active in civic affairs. In the late forties and early fifties he served for four years as secretary-treasurer of the Erath Town Council. In 1954, he was elected to the Vermilion Parish School Board where he served for ten years and was recognized for his diligence in promoting and ensuring improvements in the parish school system. He was particularly an advocate of consolidation of schools, which would permit the institution of a two-track system of education: one a college bound curriculum, and the second, a vocational education program for those who would never qualify for higher education. In addition, Dronet supported the implementation of a program for the gifted and talented students, which is so vital for the ultimate development of an exceptional mind.

In 1946, Dronet was selected as Parade Chairman of the first 4th of July celebration. The following year he assumed chairmanship of the 4th of July celebration and served in that capacity until the Vermilion Agricultural Fair and Festival Association was chartered. He served as president and chairman of the celebration, until it was transferred to the neighboring town of Kaplan, Louisiana. The 4th of July celebration later returned to Erath where it has flourished and has been expanded into one of the premier civic celebrations of the entire Acadiana area. Today, many of Dronet's children are active in the organization.

Throughout his business career, Dronet was intimately involved with the economical and political life of the community. In the early 70's, he acquired the very desirable seven-acre estate of the late Conrad Derouen, and thereafter, when grant money became available, he transferred title to the town of Erath for the development of the very popular Erath Memorial Park. Never one to shy away from controversy, he led the citizens group who favored the four-lane by-pass route of Louisiana Highway 14 north of Erath, a very divisive community issue, but one which, hopefully, will prove most desirable and advantageous to all in the long run.

Probably Dronet's greatest civic accomplishment was his participation in his military avocation. In 1949, he accepted an appointment as a Second Lieutenant in the Louisiana National Guard, a difficult transition from an Army Air Corps Bombardier to an infantrymen. Within two years, he assumed command of the Combat Support Company in Abbeville. In 1954, under his leadership, the company was awarded the prestigious Eisenhower Trophy, emblematic of the best company size unit in the Louisiana National Guard. In 1957, he attended, in residence, the Infantry Career Course at Fort Benning, Georgia. While serving his country in the military, he left his businesses under his wife Irene's management for the usual five months of absence. She managed to keep the business going, as well as providing care for the children. In 1963, with the reorganization of the Louisiana Guard, he was selected to command the 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry, and promoted to the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Amazingly, during the six years of his command of the 2nd Battalion, three of his company-size units, Breaux Bridge, New Iberia and Houma, were each awarded, on consecutive years, the prestigious Eisenhower Trophy. Additionally, for two consecutive years, four of his company size units were on the list of five units nominated for this prestigious award.

In the mid-1960's. during the highly charged civil rights era, Governor Mckeithen, the Louisiana National Guard Commander-in-Chief, committed the 256th Infantry Brigade with two battalions to assist Louisiana State Police in escorting a large civil rights march from Bogolusa, Louisiana to the state capital in Baton Rouge. Lt. Col. Dronet and his Battalion were assigned the mission as the Point to scan and clear the area, and present a show of force, particularly through Klu Klux Klan country, just east of Baton Rouge, now referred to as Duke Country after the former klansman head, David Duke. According to Lt. Col. Dronet, the sensitive escort mission was accomplished without serious incidents, although the guardsmen were jeered and subjected to some local vocal abuse.

The Brigade's exemplary role had major political ramifications. The successful nature of this large, peaceful civil rights demonstration, set the favorable tone for many future peaceful demonstrations in Louisiana, thereby leaving a positive legacy for Dronet's commander-in-chief, Governor McKeithen. In 1968, partly as a result of Governor Mckeithen's excellent handling of the integration initiatives during his term, he was successful in pushing through a constitutional amendment which permitted, for the first time, a governor to succeed himself. McKeithen was easily re-elected governor in 1968.

Upward mobility in the National Guard, as in the regular Army, can only be achieved through experience and education by completing appropriate military schools. In 1967, Lt. Col. Dronet was selected to attend the Command and General Staff College, at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas. This time, he left his businesses under the management of his oldest son, Curney Jr., then a sophomore at USL, now ULL. Irene and the four youngest children, Bryan, Jody, Leslie and Claire accompanied him to Fort Leavenworth for the five months of the Associate Career Course. Although this experience put his business interest somewhat at risk, his son performed admirably, and again, the educational experience was very fruitful for Dronet's military career.

In 1969, he was promoted to the rank of Colonel and assigned as Deputy Brigade Commander of the 256th Infantry Brigade, headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana. In early 1971. there was an outbreak of serious violence on the Southern University campus in Baton Rouge, when two students were killed in an attempt to take over the university administration building, in an act of civil disobedience, which was so prevalent during the times. This resulted in the activation of the 2nd Battalion, 156th Infantry to, again, support and assist Louisiana State Police in restoring and maintaining civil order. Colonel Dronet was assigned as the coordinator, on site, with State Police, and directed the employment of the 2nd Battalion in patrolling the campus, securing housing facilities and establishing check points for entering or exiting from the campus. Again, the mission was accomplished successfully with no further loss of life or even serious violence.

In 1971, with command of the 256th Infantry Brigade in view, Colonel Dronet was accepted in the Army War College's two-year Controlled Correspondence Course, which parallels the regular nine months Army War College course. In 1973, upon successfully completing the War College Course, he assumed command of the 256th Infantry Brigade and was promoted to the rank of Brigadier General.

In 1974, to validate and establish training guidelines for separate brigades to fulfill their assignments as the first line of defense, the 256th Infantry Brigade was selected to participate in an opposing force exercise with a brigade of the 101st Air Mobile Division. General Dronet undertook a six month crash training program for key personnel of his brigade. In August of 1974, the exercise, Brave Shield IX, became the first field training exercise for a National Guard Brigade opposing an active Army Brigade. The after-action report, summarizing the performance of the 256th Infantry Brigade, was most complimentary.

During the next five years through 1978, General Dronet led his brigade to an innovative affiliation with the 5th Infantry Division at Fort Polk, and eventually to the status of a round-out brigade to the 5th Infantry Division under command, at the time, of General Steele. A restructuring of the brigade from Leg Infantry to Mechanized Infantry was completed in 1976. The Brigade achieved a level of readiness in personnel, equipment and training consistent with its status as the first line of defense.

When I asked General Dronet how he enjoyed the experience of writing this book, he replied: Of course, I am a novice at writing. My only experience with writing was a 20 page research essay required to complete the Army War College Course, which, incidentally, is filed for reference, in the Army War College Library, and, as well, my experience with the Life Writing Course at ULL, where I put into words a family biography for my children and their descendants. I sincerely hope that the readers will enjoy this book and that it will help, in some small way, to encourage our citizens to appreciate and work to promote our wonderful culture.

It is respectfully hoped that this book will be of benefit as a historical account of the Vermilion River Valley. Inasmuch as few historical records were available for this area, the research that General Dronet did is noteworthy. In this book, General Dronet has recaptured the grandeur and essence of the area; he provides an insight, not only into the difficulties encountered in settling the area, but also into the people's personal lives. The author has done a good job of compiling much scattered historical information and recording the recent history of the area. It is probable that this book will stimulate further research on this region's wonderful folk history and culture.

PREFACE

Cultural diversity of people and changes in governments have often led to forced migrations of minority groups. Recent examples of ethnic cleansing include Kosovo, Bosnia, Somalia and Iraq. The Acadians were the victims of such an episode during the Anglo-French struggle for North America. They were formerly within the French colonial empire, but with Britain being victorious, the political instability generated by this new status in Nova Scotia led to the Acadians' expulsion; some 3,000 ultimately found a new homeland in Louisiana.

The story of the Acadians' new beginning in Louisiana is best told by Dr. Carl Brasseaux in his book The Founding of New Acadia in which he states that modern-day historians have put forth either overly broad or extremely narrow views of the geographic area settled by the Acadians. These misconceptions have filtered down to the general public, thereby perpetuating popular and long enduring false impressions regarding settlement sites and patterns. This book will concern itself with the Acadians' migration and settlement patterns into the eastern Vermilion River Valley, in what is now southeast Vermilion Parish, Louisiana. Inasmuch as 1 am a native of this area, I feel privileged to be able to use the town of Erath as a model for discussion of the evolution of the Acadian culture in this geographic region that borders the bayou wetlands.

Upon my