In this Book
- Eyes of an Eagle: Jean-Pierre Cenac, Patriarch: An Illustrated History of Early Houma-Terrebonne
- Book
- 2011
- Published by: University Press of Mississippi
In the year 1860, Jean-Pierre Cenac sailed from the sophisticated French city of Bordeaux to begin his new life in the city with the second busiest port of debarkation in the U.S. Two years before, he had descended the Pyrenees to Bordeaux from his home village of Barbazan-Debat, a terrain in direct contrast to the flatlands of Louisiana. He arrived in 1860, just when the U.S. Civil War began with the secession of the Southern states, and in New Orleans, just where there would be placed a prime military target as the war developed.
Neither Creole nor Acadian, Pierre took his chances in the rural parish of Terrebonne on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico. Pierre's resolute nature, unflagging work ethic, steadfast determination, and farsighted vision earned him a place of respect he could never have imagined when he left his native country. How he forged his place in this new landscape echoes the life journeys of countless immigrants--yet remains uniquely his own. His story and his family's story exemplify the experiences of many nineteenth century immigrants to Louisiana and the experiences of their twentieth century descendants.
Table of Contents
- Contents, Foreword, Preface
- pp. 13-18
- Introduction
- pp. 19-22
- 1. 1858: Barbazan Debat
- pp. 23-28
- 2. Descending the Mountains
- pp. 29-38
- 3. November 1860: Determination
- pp. 39-42
- 4. The Crossing
- pp. 43-58
- 5. March 21, 1861: The Decision
- pp. 59-64
- 6. The Call of the Good Earth
- pp. 65-76
- 7. 1862: First Encounter
- pp. 77-80
- 8. A Lush Paradise
- pp. 81-92
- 10. Tangled Roots
- pp. 97-110
- 11. Early May, 1862: Witness to War
- pp. 111-114
- 12. The War Comes to Town
- pp. 115-121
- 13. August 9, 1865: The Future Smiles
- pp. 122-124
- 14. From Artisan to Entrepreneur
- pp. 125-143
- 15. 1883: The Cradle Falls
- pp. 144-146
- 16. Progress and Heartbreak
- pp. 147-159
- 17. December 24, 1898: La Tristesse
- pp. 160-162
- 18. A Place of Substance
- pp. 163-186
- 19. May 30, 1899: Expanding Visions
- pp. 187-190
- 20. Houma’s Golden Age
- pp. 191-200
- 21. September 1913: Looking Back
- pp. 201-204
- 22. The Oyster Is King
- pp. 205-232
- 23. April 5, 1914: Here to Stay
- pp. 233-240
- 24. Passing the Torch
- pp. 241-246
- Appendix I: Terrebonne Sugar Estates c. 1900
- pp. 262-265
- Appendix II: Terrebonne Parish Canals
- pp. 266-271
- Appendix III: Genealogy
- pp. 272-287
- Appendix IV: About the Authors
- pp. 288-289
- More to Come
- pp. 294-295
- Back Cover
- p. 305