Below is a preview of chapter one of Algiers: The Untold Story
of a New Orleans Treasure. The first chapter introduces the early
years of the community and the history of African Americans
within Algiers. The photographs are from the private collection of
Moses and Gloria Bailey. All of the photos were taken by Moses
Bailey and cannot be used for any purposes without written
permission.
Chapter One
Copyright 2006
Dedicated to the citizens of New Orleans who lost homes,
lives, friends and so much more … remember, the sun will
rise again.
The Beginning
In the image of God, we were made
Exposed to the sun, with little shade
The hues of our skin: black and brown as a result
The content of our character, strong enough to exalt
The land we roamed was rich and pure
Clean water, fresh food, clear skies – so secure
We were born, we were loved, we were strong, we were true
We birthed traditions, formed societies, created cultures – we
were new
The lyrical tones that flowed from the tips of our lips
Became languages with profound phrases that grew into songs
to move our hips
Colors of the plains, colors of the mountains, colors of the sky,
colors of sea
We used them all to weave fabric that draped our bodies
gracefully
We were made in the image of God
To soar, to shine, to enjoy His fruits
We were chained in the image of Man
To fulfill the lusts of flesh-driven pursuits
The Arrival
They came in chains: some dressed in rags, some not dressed
at all. Their tasks were monumental, yet no one bothered to give
them their job descriptions. With one glance at the vast
landscape that lay before them, it was easy to see that this land
was unyielding, wild and rebellious. With pockets of swamps,
lakes and unlivable territory, it was hard for any man, even one
with the wildest of imaginations, to picture a future where this
swampy, hot and diseased land would transform into a
flourishing French province. It was hard for the explorers to
imagine it and even harder for the foreign laborers shackled by
hands and feet to understand. All men, both slave and free, who
dared to conquer this often flooded and undeveloped territory
held the fear of disappointment and failure secretly within their
hearts. Neither overseer nor slave would dare to express the
horror in knowing that the task at hand could prove to be
insurmountable. Yet the free man had the advantage.
With resources in abundance from plantation companies and
slaves imported from as close as the West Indies and as far as
the shores of Africa, the free man could dream longer and more
intense than those belabored with accomplishing the goals of
18th century developers. And, like many of their ambitious Navy
counterparts, men like Jean Baptiste LeMoyne Sieur de Bienville
dreamed so long and so intense that he became successor to
his brother, Pierre LeMoyne Sieur de Iberville as one of the
greatest midshipman in the Royal Navy. Iberville and Bienville
were masterful seaman who had conquered and established
several territories including Mobile, Dauphin Island and Biloxi.
Bienville established New Orleans in 1718 with the hopes that
the City would be a prosperous port town for shipman en route to
other lands via the Gulf of Mexico. His intuition proved to reap
great rewards, but not without sacrifice and economic hardship.
With his founding of New Orleans, Bienville was granted the west
bank portion of the City separated by the Mississippi River and
the property would later become known as Algiers.
What's in a Name
How Algiers got its name remains a mystery. Some historians
recall accounts documented by explorers who compared the
quaint territory to the capital of the African nation Algeria due to
its large population of slaves, hence the name: Algiers. Whatever
the origin of the name, slaves occupied and worked on the land
for companies like the King’s Plantation, the Company of the
West and the Company of the Indies. Skillful slave laborers were
sold in Algiers and they proved to be masters in agriculture.
Many slaves produced crops such as rice, corn and indigo. The
commodities were said to be in so much abundance that the
surplus was often exported to other territories including
Pensacola, Florida.
The Black Code
Like many colonies in the early years of the United States, slave
populations were growing and in some parts of the country,
slaves outnumbered those of European settlers. To be
overpopulated with slaves produced fear among French rulers
whose plans included assisting settlers with becoming citizens of
a new land. To help dissipate those fears, in 1724, Bienville
developed “Code Noir,” which is translated as the Black Code,
to reassure settlers or “subjects,” as they were sometimes
called, that the French were in control. The prelude to the code’s
28 articles informed those who lived in remote areas with large
slave populations, that should they encounter conflicts with their
human property, swift and sometimes deadly consequences
awaited the poor servants. The articles contained in the “Black
Code” outlined specific laws for governing slaves, which
included extreme punishments, lifetime slavery, religious
requirements and restricted social interactions. By decree of the
Code, all slaves were required to be instructed and baptized as
Catholics. Slaves could not own anything and all of his or her
possessions belonged to the master. Moreover, hired overseers
were required to be Catholic and should such a person be found
as a non-Catholic, their slaves could be taken away and the
overseer would be severely punished.
Slaves were allowed to marry, but at the permission of the
master. If a woman was a slave and her husband was free, then
she and all of her children would be slaves belonging to her
master. If a woman was free and her husband was a slave, then
she and her children would be free. Slaves were forbidden to
marry “whites” nor could they maintain concubine-like
relationships with “whites” or free persons of color.
Slaves belonging to different masters were forbidden to
congregate and socialize with one another. Slave uprisings
occurred more frequently than most slave owners admitted and
in direct opposition to reality, many slave owners refused to paint
a picture of a slave being anything other than a willing participant
in human degradation. The truth that many feared would be
made known is that slaves were planning uprisings daily and
many slaves often escaped from their masters on a regular basis.
Congregating slaves of different masters could expect to be
whipped and or killed for the simple crime of communing with
one another. Masters were required to feed, clothe and care for
their slaves in the most humanely way possible afforded a slave
during that time. Punishment to a master was of course far more
lenient and included paying fines or having slaves taken away.
No whipping or corporal punishment was outlined in the Code in
regards to masters and their treatment of their slaves. The Code
sent out a clear message to all men, women and children
involved in the development of this wild, unyielding land with
great potential. The message was that all rights and privileges
belonged to the free man and none to the slave assigned the
task of turning the dreams of ambitious settlers into a reality.
The Battles
As France, Spain and Britain continued in their struggles for
dominance of the new land that would become the United States,
Algiers inevitably became a part of that struggle and was soon
overcome by Spain’s dominance. In 1769, Spain ruled the
colony and mandated that all property belonging to the Crown be
sold. As a result, Louis Bonrepo became the proprietor of
Algiers in 1770 by decree of the Spanish Government. Algiers
and its undeveloped cousins that included tracts of land now
known as McDonoghville, Gretna and Lower Algiers was bought
and sold several times between 1770 and 1805. Barthelemy
Duverje bought the property on August 9, 1805 for $18,000 and
sold parts of it to other wealthy developers. Duverje built his
family home in 1812 at the site that is now the Algiers
Courthouse. Duverje’s efforts were clearly a spark for economic
growth that resulted in further development and the subdividing of
the property.
From 1814 to 1815 Algiers was involved in a series of battles
known as the Battle of New Orleans. Citizens of all social
classes and ethnic backgrounds combined their resources and
talents to present a united effort in the war. Louisiana was the
only state in the Union to commission African slaves, Indians
(mainly Choctaws) and free men of color to serve in the war as
military personnel. Men of European, Native American and
African descent fought together, protected homes and labored to
widen canals to build defenses along them. The effort was
indeed valiant and deserving of recognition for its cross cultural
unification. However, it existed only under the auspices of war.
The victory at the Battle of New Orleans proved to be
monumental, not only for its multicultural troops, but also because
in Louisiana’s history, it ushered the state into its political
incorporation in the Union.
The Pioneers
After the war, in 1815, several property owners were listed in
Algiers with names that include, but are not limited to, Mossy,
Bienvenu, Dupuy, De la Croix, Dessales and the infamous
McDonogh. John McDonogh was a resident of the French
Quarter before moving to Algiers in 1817. McDonogh’s property
was large enough to have the parcel bear his name as the town
of McDonoghville. His reputation in the community was that of a
wealthy miser who denied himself luxuries that he could easily
afford in order to save money. He later revealed that his mission
in life was to accumulate wealth for the benefit of the poor and
enslaved. In addition to his philanthropy, McDonogh was known
to treat his slaves with reverence and respect. He empowered
many of them in tasks normally assigned to overseers and he
took pride in his decision to place, “no white man over them, as
an overseer.” McDonogh described his relationships with his
slaves as endearing and compared his interactions with them to
that of close friends and confidants. Slaves who were owned by
John McDonogh were afforded opportunities to work as
managers and supervisors of other slaves. McDonogh reported
in his memoirs that he did not have the time to manage all the
work tasks assigned to the slaves, therefore, he would meet
nightly with the slave deemed as the manager or “commander” to
receive a report of all daily activities. McDonogh called his
slaves businessmen who, “enjoyed my confidence, collected my
rents, leased my houses, took care of my property and effects of
every kind, and that with an honesty and fidelity which was proof
against every temptation.”
It is said that McDonogh did not sell his slaves, but rather
assisted many of them in obtaining their freedom. Once free, he
helped them to return to the African nation of Liberia. Slaves who
labored for McDonogh for fourteen and one half years would be
freed with money, clothes and other provisions needed for
independent living. The New Orleans Commercial Bulletin
featured a complimentary editorial report on the intentions of
McDonogh’s liberated slaves as they sailed to Liberia. The
article described the newly freed men and women as “educated
and intelligent subjects.” The writer pointed out that the majority
of the slaves liberated by McDonogh had built houses,
participated in business transactions, rented homes and
collected rents. Readers were encouraged to imagine, “what sort
of a colony these people will constitute in their own original
country.” The free people were said to be highly skilled and
qualified to establish a great future for themselves in a land
where they would no longer be bound by “The Black Code,” but
be free to live as men and women worthy of the dignity and
respect afforded the Eurpean settlers. The last of McDonogh’s
slaves received their freedom in 1859 almost nine years after his
death.
With detailed provisions outlined in his will, McDonogh had
impressively planned for his wealth to live on well beyond his
lifetime. He was a well-versed advocate for social change who
had more than enough money to fund his vision. McDonogh
believed that all children should receive a free education. In his
will, he reported that the revenue generated from his abundance
of property could finance the education of all the poor in two
states: Louisiana and Maryland. McDonogh owned property on
both sides of the Mississippi River in New Orleans with the town
of McDonogh being listed as his suburban property. In 1861, ten
years after McDonogh’s death, schools were being built to
educate the City’s poor. Close to 40 schools were built between
1861 and 1951 with funds from the McDonogh Fund, an effort
that McDonogh lived and worked to be accomplished after his
death.
Growing Up
Another pioneering property owner who purchased property from
Duverje was Andre Seguin who bought land in 1819 to establish
Algiers’ first dry dock. Seguin’s ingenuity led to Algiers’
transformation from a community solely dependent upon its
plantations to a community with a growing industrial empire. In
1837, the first dry dock was constructed in Kentucky and
transported to Algiers. The New Orleans Floating Dry Dock
Company owned and managed the enterprise which was valued
at $200,000. The beginning of the dry dock industry ushered in a
stream of docks owned, operated and managed by men like
Francois Vallette and O.I. McLellan whose names still remain a
part of the Algiers community (Vallette Street and McLellanville
also “McCliney-ville and/or McClendon-ville”). In the 1800s, there
were more than 15 docks in the Algiers community that provided
gainful and steady employment for its residents and revenue for
maritime business owners.
With the growth of the maritime industry was also the expansion
of transportation. In 1827, the Algiers Ferry was established and
began transporting passengers between Algiers, or the “right
bank of the river” to “New Orleans Proper.”
In addition to the maritime industry that began to flourish in
Algiers, was the railroad industry that developed into an
enterprise that would employ thousands of Algiers residents in
its years of development. The Railroad was established in the
early 1850s and in 1853, commissioners of Algiers approved
the construction of a railroad extending from Louisiana to Texas.
Those commissioners included noted men whose names
appear on many streets in Algiers including J. Thayer and R.B.
Sumner. Thayer, Sumner and six other prominent
commissioners were instrumental in establishing the New
Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad. December 3,
1853, marked the first excursion of the railroad which took
passengers from Algiers to a point known at the time as St.
Charles. In the years following the establishment of the railroad,
rail lines were expanded and more stops were added.
As the railroad expanded, so did the railroad yards that serviced
and maintained the trains. The yards spanned from Algiers to
Gretna and other parts of Jefferson Parish. Citizens who
possessed skills often provided services in foundries, lumber
yards, offices, carpentry shops, black-smith operations and paint
shops. In addition, the massive infrastructure required to operate
the railroad, caused Algiers to be divided in half which resulted
in “Upper Algiers” or “Old Algiers” and the “Lower Coast
Algiers.” Viaducts, or small bridges, were built over the yards to
allow horse-drawn traffic and pedestrians to cross the yards
without interruption. Later, the viaducts were expanded to allow
streetcars, vehicles and buses to travel the spans. The viaducts
were located at Newton, Patterson and Eliza Streets.
Shipbuilding was yet another major industry that infused itself
into the Algiers community amongst the plantations and dry
docks. John Mahoney is recognized as one of the leading
shipbuilders of the 1800s and had under his employ men of
African descent as young as 14-years-old. One man in particular,
a free person of color, was Octave J. Bocage. Bocage learned
the boat building craft as an employee of Mahoney’s Shipyard at
One Patterson Street.
Free Men of Color
Bocage’s heritage was that of Acadian (the original French
settlers) and African. His family name, Bocage, can be traced
back to the ancient history of Brittany. Bocage’s ancestors were
among noblemen who settled in New France or Quebec, and
were later deported. Many Acadians fled to Louisiana where
they established strong cultural traditions and became later
known as Cajuns. Historical records of the 1800s list Bocage
and his descendents as “Mulatto”, “Black”, “Free Inhabitants” and
“Free People of Color.” Bocage’s mixed heritage also classified
him as a “Creole”, which was originally defined as "persons of
French and Spanish descent born in the North American
colonies." However, the evolution of the term in New Orleans
later became associated with fair skinned persons of African
and French descent.
In 1872, Bocage established his own business in the
shipbuilding industry and named the enterprise, “Octave J.
Bocage & Sons.” In what must have been a monumental
achievement for a man of African descent, the business was
highly respected in the Algiers community among Whites,
African Americans and Creoles. The shipbuilders were known
as professional designers and builders of barges, oyster boats,
high-speed power boats and steamboats.
Bocage’s two sons Peter L. and Octave, Jr. worked the business
with their father and in 1895, the trio shared the honor of being
world class, award-winning ship builders who were recognized
by the 1889 Paris World’s Exposition. The Exposition marked
the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and its most
prized attractions were the Eiffel Tower and the Hall of Machines.
The Exposition was hailed as one of the most prestigious world
exhibitions to take place and Bocage and his sons were
recognized at this most coveted event for their skill,
craftsmanship and artistry.
The trio exhibited five boats at the Exposition and their award-
winning boat garnered them world-wide success and 20,000
francs which converts into 3,846.75 in United States dollars.
Their award-winning boat was built for the International Life
Saving Boat Company and they also built water crafts for
individuals, the Tropical Trading Company of Central America,
the Louisiana Oyster’s Commission and many more.
Cleary of French descent as their family name indicates, Bocage
and his sons were most certainly French-speaking Creoles who
attained high social status in the New Orleans Creole community.
To be continued ...
of a New Orleans Treasure. The first chapter introduces the early
years of the community and the history of African Americans
within Algiers. The photographs are from the private collection of
Moses and Gloria Bailey. All of the photos were taken by Moses
Bailey and cannot be used for any purposes without written
permission.
Chapter One
Copyright 2006
Dedicated to the citizens of New Orleans who lost homes,
lives, friends and so much more … remember, the sun will
rise again.
The Beginning
In the image of God, we were made
Exposed to the sun, with little shade
The hues of our skin: black and brown as a result
The content of our character, strong enough to exalt
The land we roamed was rich and pure
Clean water, fresh food, clear skies – so secure
We were born, we were loved, we were strong, we were true
We birthed traditions, formed societies, created cultures – we
were new
The lyrical tones that flowed from the tips of our lips
Became languages with profound phrases that grew into songs
to move our hips
Colors of the plains, colors of the mountains, colors of the sky,
colors of sea
We used them all to weave fabric that draped our bodies
gracefully
We were made in the image of God
To soar, to shine, to enjoy His fruits
We were chained in the image of Man
To fulfill the lusts of flesh-driven pursuits
The Arrival
They came in chains: some dressed in rags, some not dressed
at all. Their tasks were monumental, yet no one bothered to give
them their job descriptions. With one glance at the vast
landscape that lay before them, it was easy to see that this land
was unyielding, wild and rebellious. With pockets of swamps,
lakes and unlivable territory, it was hard for any man, even one
with the wildest of imaginations, to picture a future where this
swampy, hot and diseased land would transform into a
flourishing French province. It was hard for the explorers to
imagine it and even harder for the foreign laborers shackled by
hands and feet to understand. All men, both slave and free, who
dared to conquer this often flooded and undeveloped territory
held the fear of disappointment and failure secretly within their
hearts. Neither overseer nor slave would dare to express the
horror in knowing that the task at hand could prove to be
insurmountable. Yet the free man had the advantage.
With resources in abundance from plantation companies and
slaves imported from as close as the West Indies and as far as
the shores of Africa, the free man could dream longer and more
intense than those belabored with accomplishing the goals of
18th century developers. And, like many of their ambitious Navy
counterparts, men like Jean Baptiste LeMoyne Sieur de Bienville
dreamed so long and so intense that he became successor to
his brother, Pierre LeMoyne Sieur de Iberville as one of the
greatest midshipman in the Royal Navy. Iberville and Bienville
were masterful seaman who had conquered and established
several territories including Mobile, Dauphin Island and Biloxi.
Bienville established New Orleans in 1718 with the hopes that
the City would be a prosperous port town for shipman en route to
other lands via the Gulf of Mexico. His intuition proved to reap
great rewards, but not without sacrifice and economic hardship.
With his founding of New Orleans, Bienville was granted the west
bank portion of the City separated by the Mississippi River and
the property would later become known as Algiers.
What's in a Name
How Algiers got its name remains a mystery. Some historians
recall accounts documented by explorers who compared the
quaint territory to the capital of the African nation Algeria due to
its large population of slaves, hence the name: Algiers. Whatever
the origin of the name, slaves occupied and worked on the land
for companies like the King’s Plantation, the Company of the
West and the Company of the Indies. Skillful slave laborers were
sold in Algiers and they proved to be masters in agriculture.
Many slaves produced crops such as rice, corn and indigo. The
commodities were said to be in so much abundance that the
surplus was often exported to other territories including
Pensacola, Florida.
The Black Code
Like many colonies in the early years of the United States, slave
populations were growing and in some parts of the country,
slaves outnumbered those of European settlers. To be
overpopulated with slaves produced fear among French rulers
whose plans included assisting settlers with becoming citizens of
a new land. To help dissipate those fears, in 1724, Bienville
developed “Code Noir,” which is translated as the Black Code,
to reassure settlers or “subjects,” as they were sometimes
called, that the French were in control. The prelude to the code’s
28 articles informed those who lived in remote areas with large
slave populations, that should they encounter conflicts with their
human property, swift and sometimes deadly consequences
awaited the poor servants. The articles contained in the “Black
Code” outlined specific laws for governing slaves, which
included extreme punishments, lifetime slavery, religious
requirements and restricted social interactions. By decree of the
Code, all slaves were required to be instructed and baptized as
Catholics. Slaves could not own anything and all of his or her
possessions belonged to the master. Moreover, hired overseers
were required to be Catholic and should such a person be found
as a non-Catholic, their slaves could be taken away and the
overseer would be severely punished.
Slaves were allowed to marry, but at the permission of the
master. If a woman was a slave and her husband was free, then
she and all of her children would be slaves belonging to her
master. If a woman was free and her husband was a slave, then
she and her children would be free. Slaves were forbidden to
marry “whites” nor could they maintain concubine-like
relationships with “whites” or free persons of color.
Slaves belonging to different masters were forbidden to
congregate and socialize with one another. Slave uprisings
occurred more frequently than most slave owners admitted and
in direct opposition to reality, many slave owners refused to paint
a picture of a slave being anything other than a willing participant
in human degradation. The truth that many feared would be
made known is that slaves were planning uprisings daily and
many slaves often escaped from their masters on a regular basis.
Congregating slaves of different masters could expect to be
whipped and or killed for the simple crime of communing with
one another. Masters were required to feed, clothe and care for
their slaves in the most humanely way possible afforded a slave
during that time. Punishment to a master was of course far more
lenient and included paying fines or having slaves taken away.
No whipping or corporal punishment was outlined in the Code in
regards to masters and their treatment of their slaves. The Code
sent out a clear message to all men, women and children
involved in the development of this wild, unyielding land with
great potential. The message was that all rights and privileges
belonged to the free man and none to the slave assigned the
task of turning the dreams of ambitious settlers into a reality.
The Battles
As France, Spain and Britain continued in their struggles for
dominance of the new land that would become the United States,
Algiers inevitably became a part of that struggle and was soon
overcome by Spain’s dominance. In 1769, Spain ruled the
colony and mandated that all property belonging to the Crown be
sold. As a result, Louis Bonrepo became the proprietor of
Algiers in 1770 by decree of the Spanish Government. Algiers
and its undeveloped cousins that included tracts of land now
known as McDonoghville, Gretna and Lower Algiers was bought
and sold several times between 1770 and 1805. Barthelemy
Duverje bought the property on August 9, 1805 for $18,000 and
sold parts of it to other wealthy developers. Duverje built his
family home in 1812 at the site that is now the Algiers
Courthouse. Duverje’s efforts were clearly a spark for economic
growth that resulted in further development and the subdividing of
the property.
From 1814 to 1815 Algiers was involved in a series of battles
known as the Battle of New Orleans. Citizens of all social
classes and ethnic backgrounds combined their resources and
talents to present a united effort in the war. Louisiana was the
only state in the Union to commission African slaves, Indians
(mainly Choctaws) and free men of color to serve in the war as
military personnel. Men of European, Native American and
African descent fought together, protected homes and labored to
widen canals to build defenses along them. The effort was
indeed valiant and deserving of recognition for its cross cultural
unification. However, it existed only under the auspices of war.
The victory at the Battle of New Orleans proved to be
monumental, not only for its multicultural troops, but also because
in Louisiana’s history, it ushered the state into its political
incorporation in the Union.
The Pioneers
After the war, in 1815, several property owners were listed in
Algiers with names that include, but are not limited to, Mossy,
Bienvenu, Dupuy, De la Croix, Dessales and the infamous
McDonogh. John McDonogh was a resident of the French
Quarter before moving to Algiers in 1817. McDonogh’s property
was large enough to have the parcel bear his name as the town
of McDonoghville. His reputation in the community was that of a
wealthy miser who denied himself luxuries that he could easily
afford in order to save money. He later revealed that his mission
in life was to accumulate wealth for the benefit of the poor and
enslaved. In addition to his philanthropy, McDonogh was known
to treat his slaves with reverence and respect. He empowered
many of them in tasks normally assigned to overseers and he
took pride in his decision to place, “no white man over them, as
an overseer.” McDonogh described his relationships with his
slaves as endearing and compared his interactions with them to
that of close friends and confidants. Slaves who were owned by
John McDonogh were afforded opportunities to work as
managers and supervisors of other slaves. McDonogh reported
in his memoirs that he did not have the time to manage all the
work tasks assigned to the slaves, therefore, he would meet
nightly with the slave deemed as the manager or “commander” to
receive a report of all daily activities. McDonogh called his
slaves businessmen who, “enjoyed my confidence, collected my
rents, leased my houses, took care of my property and effects of
every kind, and that with an honesty and fidelity which was proof
against every temptation.”
It is said that McDonogh did not sell his slaves, but rather
assisted many of them in obtaining their freedom. Once free, he
helped them to return to the African nation of Liberia. Slaves who
labored for McDonogh for fourteen and one half years would be
freed with money, clothes and other provisions needed for
independent living. The New Orleans Commercial Bulletin
featured a complimentary editorial report on the intentions of
McDonogh’s liberated slaves as they sailed to Liberia. The
article described the newly freed men and women as “educated
and intelligent subjects.” The writer pointed out that the majority
of the slaves liberated by McDonogh had built houses,
participated in business transactions, rented homes and
collected rents. Readers were encouraged to imagine, “what sort
of a colony these people will constitute in their own original
country.” The free people were said to be highly skilled and
qualified to establish a great future for themselves in a land
where they would no longer be bound by “The Black Code,” but
be free to live as men and women worthy of the dignity and
respect afforded the Eurpean settlers. The last of McDonogh’s
slaves received their freedom in 1859 almost nine years after his
death.
With detailed provisions outlined in his will, McDonogh had
impressively planned for his wealth to live on well beyond his
lifetime. He was a well-versed advocate for social change who
had more than enough money to fund his vision. McDonogh
believed that all children should receive a free education. In his
will, he reported that the revenue generated from his abundance
of property could finance the education of all the poor in two
states: Louisiana and Maryland. McDonogh owned property on
both sides of the Mississippi River in New Orleans with the town
of McDonogh being listed as his suburban property. In 1861, ten
years after McDonogh’s death, schools were being built to
educate the City’s poor. Close to 40 schools were built between
1861 and 1951 with funds from the McDonogh Fund, an effort
that McDonogh lived and worked to be accomplished after his
death.
Growing Up
Another pioneering property owner who purchased property from
Duverje was Andre Seguin who bought land in 1819 to establish
Algiers’ first dry dock. Seguin’s ingenuity led to Algiers’
transformation from a community solely dependent upon its
plantations to a community with a growing industrial empire. In
1837, the first dry dock was constructed in Kentucky and
transported to Algiers. The New Orleans Floating Dry Dock
Company owned and managed the enterprise which was valued
at $200,000. The beginning of the dry dock industry ushered in a
stream of docks owned, operated and managed by men like
Francois Vallette and O.I. McLellan whose names still remain a
part of the Algiers community (Vallette Street and McLellanville
also “McCliney-ville and/or McClendon-ville”). In the 1800s, there
were more than 15 docks in the Algiers community that provided
gainful and steady employment for its residents and revenue for
maritime business owners.
With the growth of the maritime industry was also the expansion
of transportation. In 1827, the Algiers Ferry was established and
began transporting passengers between Algiers, or the “right
bank of the river” to “New Orleans Proper.”
In addition to the maritime industry that began to flourish in
Algiers, was the railroad industry that developed into an
enterprise that would employ thousands of Algiers residents in
its years of development. The Railroad was established in the
early 1850s and in 1853, commissioners of Algiers approved
the construction of a railroad extending from Louisiana to Texas.
Those commissioners included noted men whose names
appear on many streets in Algiers including J. Thayer and R.B.
Sumner. Thayer, Sumner and six other prominent
commissioners were instrumental in establishing the New
Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad. December 3,
1853, marked the first excursion of the railroad which took
passengers from Algiers to a point known at the time as St.
Charles. In the years following the establishment of the railroad,
rail lines were expanded and more stops were added.
As the railroad expanded, so did the railroad yards that serviced
and maintained the trains. The yards spanned from Algiers to
Gretna and other parts of Jefferson Parish. Citizens who
possessed skills often provided services in foundries, lumber
yards, offices, carpentry shops, black-smith operations and paint
shops. In addition, the massive infrastructure required to operate
the railroad, caused Algiers to be divided in half which resulted
in “Upper Algiers” or “Old Algiers” and the “Lower Coast
Algiers.” Viaducts, or small bridges, were built over the yards to
allow horse-drawn traffic and pedestrians to cross the yards
without interruption. Later, the viaducts were expanded to allow
streetcars, vehicles and buses to travel the spans. The viaducts
were located at Newton, Patterson and Eliza Streets.
Shipbuilding was yet another major industry that infused itself
into the Algiers community amongst the plantations and dry
docks. John Mahoney is recognized as one of the leading
shipbuilders of the 1800s and had under his employ men of
African descent as young as 14-years-old. One man in particular,
a free person of color, was Octave J. Bocage. Bocage learned
the boat building craft as an employee of Mahoney’s Shipyard at
One Patterson Street.
Free Men of Color
Bocage’s heritage was that of Acadian (the original French
settlers) and African. His family name, Bocage, can be traced
back to the ancient history of Brittany. Bocage’s ancestors were
among noblemen who settled in New France or Quebec, and
were later deported. Many Acadians fled to Louisiana where
they established strong cultural traditions and became later
known as Cajuns. Historical records of the 1800s list Bocage
and his descendents as “Mulatto”, “Black”, “Free Inhabitants” and
“Free People of Color.” Bocage’s mixed heritage also classified
him as a “Creole”, which was originally defined as "persons of
French and Spanish descent born in the North American
colonies." However, the evolution of the term in New Orleans
later became associated with fair skinned persons of African
and French descent.
In 1872, Bocage established his own business in the
shipbuilding industry and named the enterprise, “Octave J.
Bocage & Sons.” In what must have been a monumental
achievement for a man of African descent, the business was
highly respected in the Algiers community among Whites,
African Americans and Creoles. The shipbuilders were known
as professional designers and builders of barges, oyster boats,
high-speed power boats and steamboats.
Bocage’s two sons Peter L. and Octave, Jr. worked the business
with their father and in 1895, the trio shared the honor of being
world class, award-winning ship builders who were recognized
by the 1889 Paris World’s Exposition. The Exposition marked
the 100th anniversary of the French Revolution and its most
prized attractions were the Eiffel Tower and the Hall of Machines.
The Exposition was hailed as one of the most prestigious world
exhibitions to take place and Bocage and his sons were
recognized at this most coveted event for their skill,
craftsmanship and artistry.
The trio exhibited five boats at the Exposition and their award-
winning boat garnered them world-wide success and 20,000
francs which converts into 3,846.75 in United States dollars.
Their award-winning boat was built for the International Life
Saving Boat Company and they also built water crafts for
individuals, the Tropical Trading Company of Central America,
the Louisiana Oyster’s Commission and many more.
Cleary of French descent as their family name indicates, Bocage
and his sons were most certainly French-speaking Creoles who
attained high social status in the New Orleans Creole community.
To be continued ...
Chapter One Preview
Algiers: The Untold Story of a New Orleans Treasure
Algiers: The Untold Story of a New Orleans Treasure
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