Documenting Louisiana Sugar 1845-1917

Database user guide

The database provides an automated facility to interrogate the records on the Louisiana sugar crop collated by Pierre Champomier and Alcee Bouchereau between 1845 and 1917. The database provides the user with statistical information and search facilities.

Main Form

From the Main Form the user can select whether to search records, view statistics or simply view the original datasets by parish and by year.

General Statistics Menu

From the General Statistics and Search menu the user can view statistics and data on:

  1. The number of planters recorded in each parish each year
  2. The most popular technologies used by planters in each parish each year. From here details of individual planters can be accessed.
  3. Plantation persistence over the years.
  4. The number of female headed plantations in each parish over time.
  5. The apparatus abbreviations and meanings.
  6. The top 10% of planters, measured by their production
  7. The gross amount of sugar produced annually, ordered by year and by amount.

Searches

The user can additionally undertake searches on the data.

Simple Search

A simple search allows you to search for planters by:

  • Surname - any or all of the name or blank.
  • Parish - a specific parish or ALL for all parishes
  • Years - a specific year or ALL for all years
  • Technology - a specific technology or ALL for all technologies
  • Sugar production - a specific range in either hogsheads or pounds or blank for all amounts.

Example: If you were interested in tracing a planter who had lived in Avoyelles parish in 1853 but you were unsure as to the correct name then you would do the following:

  • Surname LEAVE BLANK
  • Parish SELECT AVOYELLES
  • Year SELECT 1853
  • Technology SELECT ALL
  • Sugar LEAVE AT ZERO

From here you can browse the subset of planters and if you require more details on a particular planter simply enter the ID number in the Enter ID Here box. Full details on that planter will then be displayed.

Advanced Search

The advanced search allows the user to search for records using multiple selections. This is particularly useful if you want to locate records for a subset of planters whose name may vary over the years, or, if you wish to trace the progress of a particular individual over a certain number of years.

Example: The planter Abadie appears under different entries as a sole planter, as part of a company and a joint planter. To locate all his entries:

  • Parish SELECT ALL
  • Technology SELECT ALL
  • Year SELECT ALL
  • Planters SELECT, Abadie, Abadie and Bourgeois, Abadie and others.

Reports

Three reports have been set up that allows the user to produce collated data on planters by location, production, or shifts in technology over the years 1845-1917.

To preview a report on a specific planter:

  • Parish: SELECT a parish. The Planters Surname list box will then display all the planter surnames for that parish.
  • Planter Surname: SELECT the planter. The Planters Forename box will then display the forenames or initials of the planters.
  • Planters Forename :SELECT the forename.
  • Then select the report you wish to preview.

Field Information

The following is an explanation of the fields used by Champomier and Bouchereau:

  • ID - This is a unique 5 digit Identification code assigned by the project. It is not part of Champomier or Bouchereau's records.
    Example: 45643
  • Parish - The parish where the plantation was located
    Example: Avoyelles
  • E/W - This is sometimes recorded as Right/Left. The side of the river where the plantation was located.
    Example: East
  • Harvest Year - The year in which the crop was physically harvested.
    Example: 1858
  • Crop Year - The agricultural year over which the crop was grown.
    Example 1858-59
  • Female - This is an additional field added by the project team to allow the tracking of female plantation owners.
    Example:Yes
  • Post Office - The nearest post office to the plantation. This assists in determining the location of plantations.
    Example: New Iberia
  • Former Occupant - In 1869, after the 7 year gap in recording, Bouchereau added this field which enables links to be made to the plantations listed in 1862.
    Example: Evariste Poche
  • Plantation Name - The name, if any given to the plantation. Almost 40,000 out of the 90,000 plantations are named.
  • Plantation Group - This field was added by the project team to overcome inaccuracies and inconsistencies in plantation naming over the years. Changes in spellings and multiple plantations sharing the same name made tracing plantations even harder. Plantations now have a group to which they are assigned.
    Example: Nirvana (Iberville)
  • Remarks - This was used by Champomier and Bouchereau to record general information that includes splits in production amounts between joint plantation owners, information on crop failures, changes in ownership etc.
    Example: Crop partially destroyed by frost
  • Location - This specifies a more definitive plantation location.
    Example: Bayou Gauche
  • Primary Shipping Hub-Distance -The distance, in miles, from the plantation to the nearest port.
    Example: 67
  • Apparatus - The machinery used by the plantation owner to harvest the crop.
    Example: STVC
  • Description of Sugarhouse - The materials used to construct the sugar house.
    Example: B & Sl (Brick and Slate)
  • Crop Yield in Hogsheads - The amount of sugar crop harvested and measured in hogsheads. Hogsheads were commonly able to hold a 1000lbs of sugar but this could vary. Hogsheads were the primary means of measuring sugar output up until 1890.
    Example: 325
  • Crop Yield in Lbs - The amount of sugar crop harvested and measured in Lbs. This became the primary unit of measurement from 1891.
    Example: 325,000
  • Gallons Molasses - The number of gallons of molasses produced.
    Example: 5000
  • BBls Corn in Shuck - The number of barrels of corn still in the husk produced.
    Example: 50
  • Rice Yield in Hogsheads - The number of hogsheads of rice produced.
    Example: 123
  • Railroad Station - The nearest railroad station to the plantation.
    Example: Winchester
  • Distance from NO by Water - The distance in miles from the plantation to New Orleans by water transport.
    Example: 108
  • Enterers Notes: Any additional relevant information added by the project team.

Names

In their records, Champomier and Bouchereau both recorded the plantation owner in one column. For ease of searching this has been split into three separate columns:

  • Owner Title - The title, if recorded, of the plantation owner or farmer.
    Example: Widow
  • Lastname - The surname(s) or company name of the plantation owner or farmer. On occasion it has been found that the name listed has been a tenant or an agent rather than the actual owner.
    Example: Murrell Planting and Manufacturing Co.
  • Forename - First name(s) or initials, if recorded, of plantation owner or farmer.
    Example: AF & GH