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| Parroquia de la Ascensión, 1782 |
History[4]
The first Isleños arrived in November of 1778, and Galvez promptly ordered the construction of the four colonies and subsequently transferred the families from New Orleans. Related families were typically sent to the same colony. A few Isleños also joined a contemporary settlement of Spanish families from Malaga at the Attakapas Post. Work on Valenzuela began in the spring of 1779. Its population was similar to the other colonies insofar as it contained passengers from every ship.
Valenzuela received reinforcements during the initial years after its founding. Soldiers released from duty in 1779 married and settled in Valenzuela. The Spanish government transferred eighty colonists (nineteen families) from Barataria to Valenzuela in 1780, bringing the total Isleño population to thirty-nine families by 1781. The colony received an additional eleven families in late 1782. The population of Valenzuela at the end of 1782 is thought to be approximately two hundred colonists comprising fifty Isleño families.
In Valenzuela’s first year, the Isleños lived in an encampment consisting of ten small cabins constructed by Anselme Blanchard, a local resident of Acadian descent. The village was located about one-half mile from the east bank of Bayou Lafourche on the present Belle Alliance Plantation, about nine miles from the Mississippi River. The governor ordered that land along Bayou Lafourche be allocated (ownership was not granted) to the Isleños. These parcels consisted of three or four arpents (about 800 feet) fromage by the “usual depth” of forty arpents. The Isleños eventually built houses on their farms and abandoned the village.
Although Louis Judice possessed authority at Lafourche des Chetimachas, Galvez appointed Antonio de St. Maxent, a Spanish officer, to command Valenzuela. This led to continual conflict until his departure in 1781. Anselme Blanchard replaced St. Maxent. Judice and Blanchard were later accused of impropriety in the conduct of community affairs. Nicholas Verret Jr. a descendent of Jacques Cantrelle, replaced Blanchard in 1784. Cantrelle served longer than any other commandant.
Farm yields were chronically insufficient due to natural disasters that forced the Valenzuelans to request food subsidies during the early years (1779-1783). This precipitated the ordering of a property survey in late 1781 to determine the needs of the colony. The census in Legajo 192 identifies forty-six families and enumerates one hundred seventy-four persons. One hundred forty-six (thirty-nine families) were Isleños. The population diminished during the early years when a few inhabitants abandoned the colony. The most likely cause of attrition was death. Storms and flooding damaged the colony during the early years causing hardships and set-backs. An analysis of the information from the passenger lists and the census suggests that almost one in five of the Isleños perished during the first three years. Life during the early years was undoubtedly difficult. Commandant St. Maxent reported that all members of two families died in 1779 and that sickness was common.
The census ranks the settlers in order of importance. Those who head the list are the wealthiest and presumably the most influential. These “elite,” however, were not Isleños , but most likely existing residents of La Fourche des Chetimachas. Francisco Gonzales Corbo was the first and most prominent Isleños at Valenzuela. The last Isleño on the list is José Dias. He was a soldier who married Corbo’s daughter and settled in Valenzuela after the Manchac campaign.
The houses of Valenzuela were described by nineteenth century observers as being fifteen by thirty feet, with a veranda in front and two windows per side but no floors. Fourteen Isleño families owned houses. Those without houses presumably lived in those built by Blanchard in 1779, and this suggests that the typical house in the original village contained eight or nine people. This figure is consistent with an occupancy of two families per house ordered by Galvez.
In 1785, a second group of French immigrants, primarily the second-generation descendants of expelled Acadians living in Brittany, settled on Bayou Lafourche south of the Spanish settlement. The Spanish and French communities were in immediate contact, living as neighbors and attending the same church, but cultural diffusion did not occur for many decades. The boundary between French and Spanish settlers was located near the Catholic Church in the present community of Plattenville, Louisiana, on the east bank of Bayou Lafourche.
By 1790, Valenzuela meant a district south of Lafourche des Chetimachas, beginning about nine miles from the Mississippi River and extending to the Gulf of Mexico. It included the combined communities of the Isleños and the Acadians. In 1793, a new parish divided the Spanish community. The Isleños living on the west bank remained in Ascension Parish, whereas most living on the east bank became part of the newly formed Assumption Parish.
The static Valenzuelans diluted their wealth through confined population expansion. Few Spanish families removed the legacy of poverty of their immigrant ancestors. From 1804 until 1820, they continued their almost utmoticed way of life based on subsistence agriculture. Only two Spanish families were known to acquire wealth: the Truxillo and the Vives families.
By 1830, the culture and economy of Valenzuela were rapidly changing from numerous small farms to large, American-owned and slave—operated sugar plantations. The Spanish family farm was therefore transfigured into larger and different units and the culture of the region altered by their displacement. A few of the “petite inhabitants,” the Creoles and Acadians, remained behind as plantation employees, but most departed forever. The advent of the plantation economy was, therefore, the cause of the physical disintegration of Valenzuela.
The numerous ancient records in the Assumption Parish Courthouse attest to the dissolution of the deceased Valenzuelans’ homesteads. Here can be observed the sales of family farms, obtained from earlier generations, and the distribution of the now meager wealth to the plentiful survivors according to Louisiana’s inheritance laws. Having casually exchanged their inheritances for cash, the Spanish moved eighty arpents from the bayou fronts where less expensive but inferior land was available to continue a subsistence existence. These new communities, known as "brules", persisted into modern times. Many Spanish descendants moved to the Attakapas region where the land was superior, yet others settled in lower Terrebonne Parish. These new communities eventually adopted the French culture. The Spanish community, unchanging until the end, completely disappeared from Bayou Lafourche before the Civil War.
Known Isleño Settlers of Valenzuela in 1781[1]
Contains settlers between 1779 and 1781, many who were previously settled at Barataria originally
2 - Angel Quintana
Agustina Monzon, wife
Maria, daughter
Catalina, daughter
Manuel, son
Diego, son
3 - Bartolome Marrero
Josefa Sosa, wife
Tomasa, daughter
Maria, daughter
Catalina, daughter
4 - Salvador Luis Ravelo
Agustina Gonzales, wife
Domingo, son
Jose, son
Josefa, daughter
Maria, daughter
6 - Alonso Ruano
Ignacia Casalas, wife
Jose, son
Maria, daughter
Isabel, sister
7 - Bartolome Fernandez
Catalina Mireles, wife
Juan, son
Vicente, son
8 - Gaspar Falcon
Francisca Mateo, wife
Juan, son
Miguel, son
9 - Matias Diaz Marino
Maria Marrero, wife
Jose, son
Francisca, daughter
Paula, daughter
10 - Antonio Garcia de Abreu
Agustina Sanchez, wife
Rafaela Garcia, sister-in-law
11 - Juaquin del Pino
Catalira Espinosa, wife
Jose, son
Cristobal, son
12 - Miguel Sanchez
Isabel Juana, wife
Josefa Lujan, mother-in-law
13 - Sebastien Hernandez
Teresa Lopez, wife
Sebastian, son
Manuel, son
Vicente, son
Lazaro, son
Bartolome, son
Juan, son
Ana, daughter
14 - Antonio Acosta
Maria Perez, wife
Andrea, daughter
Lorenzo, son
Domingo, son
Francisco, son
Blas, son
Maria, daughter
16 - Domingo Francisco Estevez
Isabel Garcia, wife
Fernando, son
Manuel, son
Antonia, daughter
17 - Pedro Sanchez
Maria Lopez, wife
Andres, son
Maria, daughter
18 - Josef Maria De La Paz
Maria de la Conception, wife
Ramon, son,
Antonia, daughter
Eugenia, daughter
19 - Angel Gomez
Lazara Maria, wife
Antonio, son
Diego, son
20 - Francisco Aleman
Tomasa Bordon, wife
Salvador, son
Maria, daughter
Catalina, daughter
21 - Josef de la Cruz
Josefa Martin, wife
Maria, daughter
22 - Juan de Plasencia
Josefa de Reyes, wife
Domingo, son
Antonio, son
Andrea, daughter
Antonia, daughter
23 - Luis Perez
Catalina de San Mateo, wife
24 - Jose Antonio Releva
Ana del Carmen, wife
25 - Juan Rafael Truxillo
Maria Teresa Cabrera, wife
26 - Jose Garcia Aguilar
Josefa Maria Guia, wife
27 - Antonio Sanchez
Juana Lopez, wife
Andrea, daughter
28 - Domingo Truxillo
Catalina Maria, wife
Antonio, son
Jose, son
Juan, son
Marcelina, daughter
29 - Antonio Matos
30 - Domingo Zeballos
Rita Maria, wife
31 - Estevan Cabrera
Maria de las Nieves, wife
32 - Andreas de Vega
Constanza Lujan, wife
Rosalia, daughter
Juana, daughter
Antonio, son
Maria, daughter
Josefa, daughter
33 - Tomas Antonio Rodriguez
Petra Pabla de Chaves, wife
Vicente, son
Gregorio, son
Domingo, son
Barbara, daughter
Antonia, daughter
Gertrudis, daughter
34 - Antonio Bello
Clara de Vargas, wife
Antonio, son
35 - Josef Gonzales de la Cruz
Juana Rodriguez Chaves, wife
Antonio, son
Pedro, son
Jose, son
Diego, son
36 - Gaspar Antonio Alegria
Ana Alvarez, wife
Domingo, son
Maria, daughter
37 - Josef Diaz
(Blasina Fajardo, wife?)
Known Isleño Settlers That Arrived in 1782 from Barataria[2]
Contains settlers from nearby Barataria settlement between 1782 and 1784.
38 - Juan Aleman
Juana Ramirez, his wife
Antonio, son
Baltasar, son
Pedro, son
Josefa, daughter
Sebastiana, daughter
39 - Juan Alvarado
Maria Suarez, his wife
Tomas, son
Isabel, daughter
Francisca Antonia, sister-in-law
40 - Pedro Jose Caballero
Ana Gonzalez, his wife
Andrea, daughter
Juana, daughter
Asuncion, son
Miguel, son
Josefa, mother-in-law
41 - Manuel Dominguez
Juana Francisca, his wife
Antonio, son
Agustin, son
Maria Luisa, daughter
Jose, son
42 - Lorenzo Hernandez
Maria Jimenez, his wife
Ana, daughter
Maria, daughter
43 - Bartolome Hernandez Hidalgo
Isabel Hidalgo, wife
44 - Jose Hidalgo
Isabel Zambrana (Morales), his wife
Gregoria, daughter
Francisca, daughter
Juan, son
45 - Juan Jimenez
Juana (daughter)
Maria (daughter)
46 - Francisco Lopez Machado
Margarita Ramirez, his wife
Maria, daughter
47 - Bartolome Monzon
Maria Penales, his wife
Francisco, son
Isabel, daughter
Juana, daughter
Juan, son
Josefa, daughter
48 - Francisco Ramirez
Ana Perez, his wife
Francisco, son
Antonia, daughter
49 - Miguel Suarez
Maria de la Cruz, his wife
Domingo, son
Sebastian, son
Miguel, son
Other Isleño Heads of Households of Valenzuela in 1788[3]
Contains new settlers between 1784 and 1788, possibly from various other settlements, and some descendants of original settlers.
50 - Diego Gonzales
51 - Andres (Gonzales) Perera
Maria del Rosario, wife
Antonio, son
Domingo, son
51 - Antonio Montesino Clemente
Maria Estevez, wife
Lorenzo, son
53 - Juan Jose Montesino
Maria Felipa Morales, wife
Antoine, son
Maria, daughter
54 - Manuel Rodriguez
Theresa [Lucia Brito?], wife
55 - Manuel Ruano
Joseph, brother
Juan, brother
56 - Antonio Diaz
Maria, wife
Maria, daughter
Antonio, son
Anne
Marie, orphan
57 - Juan de Mendoza
Francisca Rafaela, wife
Antonia, daughter
Maria del Carmen
57 - Joseph Hernandez
Maria de la Cruz Morera, wife
Antonio, son
Maria, daughter
Josefa, daughter
58 - Domingo Antonio Ascano (Escagne)
Juana Rodriguez, wife
Josef, son
Diego, son
Juana, daughter
Francisca, daughter
Bernardo, son
Antonio, son
59 - Manuel Melian
Maria Carrillo, wife
Antonio, son
Antonio Jose, son
Paula Maria, daughter
60 - Lorenzo Acosta
Marie Hernandez, wife
Sebastien, son
Angelique, daughter
Maire, daughter
61 - Estevan Hernandez
Isabelle Rodriguez, wife
Fernando, son
Maria, daughter
Rosaria, daughter
Manuela, (engaged)
62 - Antonio Acosta
Juana, wife
Blas, son
63 - Domingo Acosta
Marcelline, wife
Maria, daughter
64 - Andres Acosta
Josefa, wife
Maria, daughter
65 - Bernardo Antonio Rivero
Maria Antonia de Orta, wife
Josefa, daughter
Antonio, son
Bernardo, son
Maria, daughter
66 - Juan Acosta
Teresa Corbo, wife
Josef, son
67 - Francisco Martinez
Marie Antonia, wife
68 - Juan Rodriguez Mena
Josefa de Orta, wife
Francisca de Orta, mother- in-law
69 - Antonio Aleman
Maria Plasencia, wife
Maria, daughter
Juan, son
70 - Domingo Zaballos [Savallos]
Rita Maria, wife
Josef, son
Juan, son
Maria, daughter
71 - Antonio Martinez
Isabella, wife
72 - Antonio Truxillo
Maria Dominguez, wife
Juan, son
Josef Truxillo, brother
73 - Josef Diaz
Maria Carbo, wife
Joseph, son
Maria, daughter
Maria, (orphan)
Other Spaniards
Manuel Ordonez (Granada, Spain)
Pablo Navarro (La Mancha, Spain)
Gaspar de Mora
Francisco de Mora
Vincent de Mora
Manuel Barrios
Sebastian Estevan (Pala Frosel, Cataluna, Spain)
References
- Correspondence, Blanchard to ?, “Monsieur,” Valenzulea, November 15, "1784" (abt. 1781), AGI, PC, 192. Reprinted in Valenzuela in the Province of Louisiana: A Census of 1784 by Winston De Ville. Ville Platte, LA. 1987.
- "Libro Maestro P. sentar el cargo del dano. de la nueba Pob. Barataria". Legajo 548. Papeles de Cuba, AGI.. See also: Lagajo 2358.. Reprinted in Historic Land Use Study Of A Portion Of The Barataria Unit Of The Jean Lafitte National Historical Park by Betsy Swanson. Part 1. January 15, 1988. Reprinted in Archeological Data Recovery Of The Camino Site (16JE223), A Spanish Colonial Period Site Near New Orleans, Louisiana. Report Number: COELMN/PD-96/01. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. New Orleans District. P.O. Box 60267. New Orleans, LA 70160-0267. March 1996. p93-101.
- General Census of the Inhabitants Established in Lafourche 1788, Legajo 201, Archivo General de Indias - Papeles Procedentes de Cuba, Seville, Spain. Reprinted in Albert J. Robichaux, Jr., compiler, Colonial Settlers along Bayou Lafourche Louisiana Census Records 1770-1798, 532 Manhattan Boulevard, Harvey, Louisiana 70058.
- Domangue, Edward J. Jr. "The Spanish Community of Bayou Lafourche". The Lafourche Country II: The Heritage And It's Keepers. Stephen S. Michot, editor. John P. Doucet, editor. Lafourche Heritage Society, 1996.
