CONTENTS OF INVENTORY

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SUMMARY

BIOGRAPHICAL/HISTORICAL NOTE

Jules Martial Burguières, Sr., was born in Terrebonne Parish, La., on April 17, 1850, to Eugene Dennis Burguières, a native of France, and Marie M. Verret. As a boy attended private and public schools in the parish, principally in the town of Houma. At the age of sixteen years, he began working in the Clerk of Court Office. Burguières continued to work in the offices of the Clerk of Court, Recorder, and Sheriff until 1874, when he leased a plantation near Chacahoula, La., and began his career as a sugar planter. The same year he bought a half interest in a plantation on Bayou Cypremort; he later sold it and purchased Cypremort Plantation. Along with other improvements to the property, he erected a refinery and a sugar mill. In June 1889, he bought Scally Place, later known as Florence Plantation. In 1890, the combined sugar capacity of Cypremort and Florence plantations amounted to 3,300,000 lbs. Sometime in 1877, Burguières formed the J. M. Burguières Co., a land acquisition and holding company headquartered in Franklin, La. Burguières married Marie Corrine Patout (1852-1890) on April 21, 1873. They had eight children, six sons, and two daughters. Among their sons were Jules Martial, Jr. and Joseph Eugene. Marie died February 28, 1890 at Cypremort Plantation. On April 11, 1891, Jules married his first wife’s first cousin, Ida Laperle Broussard. They had one child, Inez Burguières. Burguières died at the age of 49 years old in 1899.

Jules M. Burguières, Jr. was born February 10, 1882, in Lydia, La., to Jules M. Burguières, Sr. and Marie Corrine Patout. As a young man, he moved to Florida from Louisiana, where he was active in the sugarcane industry in Florida. On May 26, 1916, Jules acquired an interest in the Southern States Land and Timber Company, which held nearly 2,000,000 acres of land in South Florida. During WWI, he was appointed Food Administrator of Palm Beach County, Fla. In 1920, Jules founded and served as the first chairman of the Florida Development Board, later to become the Florida Chamber of Commerce. During the 1920s, he served as a director of the Central Farmers Trust Co. in West Palm Beach, Fla. He was also involved in sugar research and land development during this period. In 1936, he returned to St. Mary Parish, La., to head J. M. Burguières Co. and the Cypremont Sugar Company. Jules distinguished himself in Louisiana as an authority on sugarcane, playing an active role in numerous organizations. He died September 7, 1960. Joseph E. Burguières, son of Jules M. Burguières and Marie Corrine Patout, served as vice-president/treasurer and director of the J. M. Burguières Co. and as president of the Louisiana Sugar Company. He was also active in various sugar cane organizations, such as the Louisiana Sugar and Rice Exchange. His other business enterprises involved land and lumber companies, banking, railroad, and manufacturing. Joseph married Laura Fauntleroy on January 1, 1807. Joseph died in 1911, three years after the death of his wife. He left a large sum of money to the Sisters of Charity in New Orleans to build the Burguières Home for the Incurables, as well as gifts to Loyola University, and the Catholic churches in Louisa, Patoutville, and Houma.

SCOPE AND CONTENT NOTE

Papers consist of correspondence, research material, printed items and graphic material, and financial records created by Jules M. Burguières, Sr. and Jules M. Burguières, Jr., but primarily those of Jules, Jr. They relate primarily to the history and science of sugar cultivation and refining. Business records concern Florence and Cypremont plantations, sugar production and logging interests. Graphic material depicts sugarcane fields and sugar mills. A photograph album of south Florida shows the land holdings of Southern States Land and Timber Company. Papers also contain estate papers of Joseph Eugene Burguières.

LIST OF SERIES, AND SUBSERIES

SERIES DESCRIPTIONS

Series I. Correspondence, 1864-1957.

Early letters discuss the confiscation of sugar by the Confederate Army in Florida from the estate of James T. Hopkins (typed transcriptions, March 22, 23, 1864), and family matters after the Civil War (Aug. 13, 1866). The remainder of the correspondence (1900-1957) relates almost entirely to the sugar and timber industries. A portion of these letters pertains to the business relations that the Louisiana Sugar Company shared with banks and other sugar companies. Correspondence reports on crop and timber production, sugar mills, equipment, oil delivery, and the condition of land and buildings at various plantations. In addition, Jules Burguières, Jr., writes to individuals and government agencies for information on the history of Florida and its sugar industry, and he requests photographs and information regarding abandoned sugar plantations (1919-1938). Personal correspondence concerns family matters and the death of Joseph B. Burguières (Aug. 1911). Several letters discuss the estate of Joseph E. Burguières and the progress in settling the succession (1911-1914).

Series II. Research material, 1816, 1892-1953, undated.

Subseries 1. General, 1910-1948, undated.

Research material consists of chronologies, reports, drafts, notes and extracts transcribed from trade publications. Chronologies provide a history of the sugar industry. They concern sugar cultivation, production, trade and the labor force. Research touches on the sugar industry of the Caribbean, Hawaii and the Philippines. In addition, notes and drafts demonstrate the development of sugarcane varieties and promote the uses and health benefits of sugar. They also compare the advancements made in production techniques over time. There are several notes comprised of excerpts transcribed from French, German, Latin and Greek writings. The majority of these are translated. Notes include excerpts from An Historical Account of the West Indies, published in 1690. An article taken from the DeBow’s Southern and Western Review discusses the health benefits of residing in the sugarhouse during harvest season (transcription, Dec. 1852). Statistical reports compare production, sucrose content, yield, and price in the sugar producing states (1910, 1933, and 1935).

Subseries 2. Louisiana Sugar Industry, 1816, 1892-1953, undated.

The greater part of this series reflects the history of the sugar industry in Louisiana with some items relating to the Burguières timber interests. Chronologies, notes and excerpts comprise the majority of this material, with business records accounting for a smaller portion. Chronologies provide a history of Louisiana and the development of its sugar industry, as well as a history of flooding in the Lower Mississippi Valley (undated). The earliest record demonstrates the amount of sugar and syrup Louis Fortin sold in New

Orleans (in French, Feb. 12, 1816). Later records report on the expenditures and cane production of Louisiana Sugar Co. (transcription, 1911), Segura Sugar Co. (Dec. 31, 1911), and North Bend and Midway plantations (1912). Additionally, an account of timber operations itemizes revenues and expenditures for labor, transportation, freight, and manufacturing (Dec. 31, 1914). Charts provide the production statistics of farms participating in the Agricultural Adjustment Administration sugar program (March 1937). Research material also includes notes and excerpts from Francois-Xavier Martin’s publication, History of Louisiana and Alcee Fortier’s History of Louisiana. Notes on the diary of Louisiana planter, Valcour Aimee, contain excerpts, comments, and information on crop production, weather, and flooding (undated). There is also a compilation of excerpts from the writings and reports of Francois-Xavier Martin, Alcee Fortier, Louis Bouchereau, and Victor Debouchel.

Subseries 3. Florida Sugar Industry, 1917-1935, undated. Chronologies and excerpts taken from early publications comprise the majority of this series. They detail the history and development of the sugar industry in Florida, particularly Palm Beach County, Volusia County, Fort George Island, and the Everglades. In a report accompanied by photographs, Burguières provides test results measuring sucrose content of sugarcane in Palm Beach County (ca. 1917). Captions beneath the photographs describe sugarcane fields, the surrounding landscape, and a mill. Additionally, there are drafts of Burguières writings (June 26, 1929, 1935, undated) and his notes for his publication, Some Notes on Florida. Note: notes for Some Notes on Florida are maintained in original order.

Series III. Papers, 1865-1953, undated. The estate papers of Joseph E. Burguières make up the majority of this series. They contain inventories of movable property, stocks, insurance records, balance sheets, receipts, bank records, and court documents (1911-1914). Business papers are composed of account books, v. 1-4 (1875-1902); check stubs with notations (1945-1953), sugarcane weight books for Florence Plantation, v.8-9 (1888, 1895), receipts, and promissory notes. A draft of the Articles of Corporation for the Birmingham Foundry and Mining Co. is found in account book, v. 3 (1886-1900). A physics notebook also has newspaper clippings related to physics and sugar, v. 5 (1888). An address book entitled Girls I Have Met, v. 6 (1894-1903) and a guest book from the Ham Bone Club, Pass Christian, Miss., v. 7 (1910) include personal comments with each entry. The deposition of H. M. Thibodaux’s house is outlined in a document naming Eugene Denis Burguières administrator to the estate (Dec. 26, 1865).

Series IV. Printed items and graphic material, 1874-1956, undated.

Newspapers clippings, articles, and extracts from publications comprise the printed items. Graphic material consists of illustrations and photographs. Published material pertains to legislation (April 14, 1930, June 3, 1936, undated), the life of Valcour Aime (photocopy, Nov. 18, 1893) and sugar planters on Louisiana coast (photocopy, Dec. 2, 23, 1893, Jan. 6, 1894). Other publications include the Annual Report of the State Chemist of Florida (1919) and The Essential Industry That Knows No Waste, a booklet on the sugar beet industry (1926). Clippings provide a history of Plaquemine, La. (undated), and a deep-water channel in Terrebonne Parish (1955).

Engravings, maps, and graphs compose the illustrations. Engravings show 18th and 19th century sugarcane fields, laborers and sugar mills (reproductions, undated). Maps include Louisiana and southern Arkansas (1919), the eastern coast of Florida (reproduction, undated), southern Florida (reproduction, 1932), Caloosahatchee River/Lake Okeechobee, Volusia County, Fla. (1925, 1926), and the Everglades (1927). Graphs provide statistics on sugarcane varieties, production and prices (1935, ca, 1952, 1953, undated). Lamborn’s Chart of Sugar Production … 1928-1929 to 1951-1952 illustrates sugar production in the continental U.S., Caribbean, Hawaii, and the Philippines (1952). Illustrations also contain political cartoons (1874-1876) and a postcard of Burguières Cottage at Pass Christian, Miss (undated).

Photographs include views of the Miami Canal (1935), sugarcane fields, laborers, sugar mills, and the ruins of a sugar mill (undated). Miami Canal photographs show the hurricane gate on the Lake Okeechobee levee system. Photographs also include Burguières Cottage at Pass Christian, Miss. (undated) and land near Indiantown, Fla. (undated). Photograph album contains images of the land holdings of Southern States Land and Timber Company. This area includes West Palm Beach, the Loxahatchee River, Lake Okeechobee, surrounding prairies and sugarcane fields (1915). Also among the photographs is a carte-de-visite of Supreme Court justice, Edward Douglass White of Thibodaux, La. (ca. 1890s).

INDEX TERMS

CONTAINER LIST