2009 News

Meeting schedule 2009

Morgan Effigy newly conserved

June 18, 2009—Today the newly conserved Morgan Effigy was delivered by Susan Seborg, Objects Conservator of Southern Art Conservation, LLC, of Baton Rouge.  Susan worked meticulously to repair the deteriorating artifact and to remove the effects of a previous attempt at conservation.  The result was a new lease on life for the carved deer antler.
    The effigy was found in one of the four ceremonial Native American mounds on Pecan Island, Vermilion Parish, Louisiana.  Archeologists have called the thousand-year-old effigy the finest example of Native American art from the Coles Creek period.  It is called the "Morgan" effigy because the mounds were situated on the property of a Mr. Morgan when they were explored by Henry B. Collins, Jr., of the Smithsonian Institution in 1926.

One of the mounds was destroyed when a highway was constructed through the Morgan property.  Another was sold by the then-current landowner for fill dirt, and it was in that mound that the effigy was found.  A third mound was professionally excavated by the Vermilion Historical Society through the Peabody Museum at Harvard University.  It yielded many artifacts, but none as fine as the Morgan Effigy.

Lloyd Doré III was in charge of the conservation project for the Society, and he is to be commended for finding and engaging Ms. Seborg, who is herself to be congratulated on her excellent work.

A reproduction of the Morgan .Effigy carved by Joseph Boatner Hebert will remain on display at the Abbeville Museum and Art Gallery until a suitable protective display case can be obtained for the original.

First Quarterly Meeting of January 27, 2009

January 27, 2009—The first quarterly meeting of 2009 of the Vermilion Historical Society took place at 5:30 p.m. on January 27, 2009, at the Vermilion Parish Library.  A quorum of the board of directors was present, namely, René Breaux, Gary Theall, Velta Bourgeois, Charles Dill, Jr., Patricia Heard, Barbara Hebert, and Joseph G. Vallee.
    President René Breaux called the meeting to order.  The minutes of the July meeting were read by the Secretary, and on motion duly made, seconded, and unanimously passed, were adopted without change.

The treasurer's report was then presented, and on motion duly made, seconded, and unanimously passed, was adopted.

Gary Theall reported that Lloyd Doré III, who is in charge of having the Morgan Effigy conserved again, reports that the effigy is in the hands of conservator Susie Seborg, Objects Conservator of Southern Art Conservation, LLC, in Baton Rouge.  It should be returned by the end of February.  In the meantime, the carved reproduction by Joseph Boatner Hebert is on display at the museum in its place.

The next item of business was the selection of a building for this year's miniature reproduction.  After some discussion, on motion by Charles Dill and second by Patricia Heard, the railroad depot was unanimously selected as the next model building, subject to approval by the building owner, Mary Ellen Sonnier.

Gary Theall reported that he got a letter from the Vermilion Parish School Board, stating that even tax exempt nonprofit corporations must collect sales tax on items they sell, unless they obtain an exemption certificate from the state.  Theall reported that we have exemption certificates for Volume 2 and Ken Dupuy's book, but not for other items.  He suggested that we let the Depot at Magdalen Place sell all of our items while we try to obtain exemption certificates, because they are set up with the cash register and already have to file the sales tax returns and remit the tax.  He will speak to Mary Ellen Sonnier about this.  The Alliance Center can continue to sell items if they want to collect and report the sales taxes.  Theall's office will no longer sell any items.  On motion by Joseph Vallee and second by Charles Dill, Jr., it was unanimously decided to sell exclusively through the Depot on Magdalen Square until further notice.

 Theall reported that the Society was approached by representatives of the Allumé Society for a donation to assist them with their project of restoring the old Frank's Theater.  Theall thought it was unusual for one nonprofit entity to be asking another nonprofit entity for a donation for their project, but went on to say that the demand for the Frank's Theater model building last year was at least in part due to the publicity of the Allumé project, and in addition it is very possible that the Historical Society will want to make use of the restored theater in the future.  This is a unique situation, not likely to arise again, so Theall suggested that it would be reasonable to donate to the Allumé Society the sum of $1,560, which would correspond to $5 for each of the 312 model Frank's Theaters that we ordered last year.  On motion by Charles Dill, Jr., and second by Patricia Heard, it was unanimously decided that the Vermilion Historical Society donate to the Allumé Society the sum of $1,560.00.

Gary Theall reported that many of the presentations that he has made to the Society in the last few years are now on the website.  Sound is not included, but he has enhanced some of the slides to add information that he would have given verbally at a live presentation.  Theall thanked Eaton Chauvin Brown, who was present, for her assistance in testing the slide presentations on Internet browsers other than Microsoft Internet Explorer.

Theall next reported that he had nominated Ken Dupuy's book for the Williams Prize given by the Historic New Orleans Collection for the best book on Louisiana history in 2008.

The business portion of the meeting being completed, Theall then presented "The Life of Jean-Pierre Gueydan," based primarily on the research and writing of Patricia Saltzman Heard and Ken Dupuy.  Pictures were shown of his hometown of St. Bonnet en Champsaur, France, his brother and business partner François, and his sister, Clara Gertrude. At early ages the brothers came to New Orleans, then moved to Abbeville in 1852.  Jean-Pierre ran a store in Abbeville and married Josephine Ducommun, who bore him four children, one of whom died as an infant.  His adventures during the Civil War were detailed, and his moving to New Iberia just at the time that the Yankees had invaded Acadiana.  They confiscated much cotton that Gueydan had bought, as well as a herd of 420 head of cattle that he was driving to New Orleans to sell behind federal lines.  In 1873 he and François moved to Texas, where they operated a large sheep ranch.  Jean-Pierre sold out of that and moved back to Louisiana.  He bought 35,000 acres of marsh and prairie land in western Vermilion Parish, with the intention of raising cattle, but later decided that the land was more suitable for growing rice.  Under a treaty between the United States and France providing for compensation to French citizens who had been damaged by the Civil War, he successfully prosecuted a claim against the United States for the cotton and cattle that the Yankees had confiscated from him.  He sold large sections of the property, induced Southern Pacific to run a railroad line from Midland to his residence, and then developed the town of Gueydan at the end of the rail line.  Later the line from Abbeville was extended to Gueydan.  He died in 1900 while on a visit to France.  He was primarily responsible for the development of western Vermilion Parish.  Manson Saltzman, father of Patricia Saltzman Heard, was Mayor of Gueydan in 1998 and made a trip to St. Bonnet.  His trip was mentioned in the presentation, and he was in the audience and shared some of his memories of the trip with us.

Theall reported that the slideshow presentation will be put up on the website.

There being no further business, the meeting was adjourned.

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