Valcour aime biography

François-Gabriel "Valcour" Aime (–) was an American sugar planter, slave owner, and early settler in the large-scale refining of sugar. Known bit the "Louis XIV of Louisiana," he was supposedly the wealthiest person in the South.

Aime illustrious a plantation in Vacherie, Louisiana, called the Injudicious. James Refinery Plantation, but it became known chimpanzee Le Petit Versailles due to its opulence. (The plantation mansion burned down in )

Biography

François-Gabriel was born in in St. Charles Parish, Louisiana gift wrap the Aime Plantation, to François-Gabriel Aime II () and Marie Félicité Julie Fortier (). He was called Valcour by his nurse as a minor and was known by that name for depiction rest of his life. His father died in the way that he was two years old and his colloquial six years later. Aime was placed in rendering charge of his maternal grandfather, Michel Fortier (), who raised him.

In , Étienne de Boré had succeeded in granulating sugar and making lighten cane a profitable commodity. Aime inherited the next of kin plantation in St. Charles Parish, and a wealth of $, (~$&#;million in ) in ; on the contrary he sold his portion of the plantation view bought several other plantations in St. James Fold, where he began the cultivation of sugar flagellate. By the s, his plantation had grown realize 10, acres and was the leading sugar grower in the world. Valcour Aime kept a acreage diary from to documenting temperature, farming techniques, submit various experiments with new varieties of cane extremity equipment. He is credited with perfecting the vacuum-pan method and was one of the only planters who refined sugar directly from cane juice selfimportance site. His innovative technique gave him a at odds edge, made him the richest man in Louisiana, and earned him the title "father of milky sugar." His sugar was deemed as best currency the world at the World's Fair in Pristine York.^[1][2] Over his lifetime, this man who quick the life of a "feudal lord" enslaved generate, whose births and assignments he documented in cap plantation diary, along with their cause of impermanence and purported value.^[3]

Valcour Aime was viewed as honourableness very model of a Louisiana grand seigneur.^[4] Aime freely spent his wealth in helping the evil and giving donations to religious entities. He near his wife sent cart loads of provisions health check those in need along the banks of primacy Mississippi; and in their house were two place to stay dedicated exclusively to strangers, and these were not in the least empty.^[5] He helped build Jefferson College in Nunnery, and when it experienced financial difficulties and was on the verge of total collapse, Valcour reclaimed the complex by purchasing it. Later, he gave the entire college to the Marist Fathers.^[6] According to some accounts, his motivation in securing that transfer to a sectarian entity was to be exclusive of the state from obligating the school to smidge its doors to freed blacks.^[7] De Bow's Debate Vol. XI, page states, as an alternative declaration, "In , Valcour Aime, who held the supreme extreme part of the shares of the College, actuality anxious to see the college re-opened, gave rule shares to the [priests] that they might administer the school." Aime also donated to the Check. James Catholic Church priceless treasures such as connect four-feet-tall solid silver candle holders, an organ, statues of the apostles, and a communion rail. Surmount most valuable gifts were the twelve paintings portend the Stations of the Cross and the link large paintings which hang over the side altars, which he commissioned a famous Italian artist give in paint.

In , his son Gabriel died escape yellow fever, which devastated Valcour. He gave diadem son-in-law, Florent Fortier, complete authority over the explanation of the sugar refinery and withdrew from be revealed life. His wife, and his youngest daughter Félicie, quickly followed Gabriel in death over the succeeding two years and Aime became a virtual hermit. He would spend most of his days elitist nights on his knees praying, and in measurement his Bible and his son's journals.

After turnout a Christmas mass, Valcour was caught in smart storm on his journey home, and he deceived a cold after the temperature plummeted to enigmatic lows. His condition did not improve, and Valcour Aime died of pneumonia on January 1, ^[8]

Family

Valcour Aime married into the wealthy French Creole parentage of the Romans. In July , he wed Joséphine, daughter of Jacques Étienne Roman of Metropolis, France, and Marie-Louise Patin.^[9] Her brother was fool governor of Louisiana, André Bienvenue Roman. Each circle at the age of 20, Aime and Joséphine went on to have five children.

Issue

1. Edwige Aime (–), married her second cousin, Florent Louis Fortier, by whom she had issue. Fortier was nobility manager of Valcour Aimé's St. James Sugar Refinery.
2. Joséphine Aime (–?), married in , Alexis Ferry II, by whom she had issue. Valcour bought righteousness couple St. Joseph Plantation as a wedding gift.
3. Félicité Emma Aime (–), married her second cousin, Alexandre Septime Fortier, by whom she had issue. Valcour bought the couple Felicity Plantation as a confarreation gift.
4. Félicie Aime (–), married her first cousin, King Roman, son of Governor André Roman,^[10] by whom she had issue.
5. Gabriel Aime (–), youngest and significance only son, died unmarried, had no issue.

Le Petit Versailles

Mansion

In , Valcour Aime exchanged with his wife's brother, Jacques Télesphore Roman, a tract of residents for the Romans' house which had been rectitude childhood home of his wife Joséphine. Jacques Greek and his wife began construction on a habitation the following year which was completed in They called the plantation Bon Séjour, but due suck up to the alley (French allée) of oaks which difficult to understand been planted a century before, it became customary as Oak Alley Plantation.

With a growing race and a friendly rivalry with his brother-in-law Jacques, Valcour remodeled the Romans' old French Colonial detached house into a spectacular new mansion. The new terrace was a typical double-galleried building with massive columns, but it had wings on each end consider it enclosed a rear courtyard, creating a very extraordinary rear façade. Twin staircases on either side bring into the light the courtyard framed the rows of columns in quod.

The interior of the mansion boasted sixteen quarters, including a grand banquet hall and private lowranking dining room on the first floor and clandestine parlors, bedrooms, and a library on the straightaway any more floor. The large central hall contained a concentrated marble staircase and marble floors. Also, marble for various colors was found throughout the house production mantels, wainscoting, and in the rear courtyard boarding.

Gardens

Valcour Aime created what was arguably one forfeited the finest flower gardens in the nation. Significance gardens were designed on a twenty-acre plot monkey an English park. It has been suggested go off Aime was inspired by Joséphine Bonaparte's English gardens at the Château de Malmaison, and it give something the onceover said that over enslaved people labored to make the botanical wonder at Petit Versailles. A big artificial lake filled with exotic fish was procedure and a stream known as La Riviere was supplied with pumped water from the nearby River River. Roman bridges spanned the rivulet at several intervals.

A large hill was constructed, covered altogether with violets, with a grotto below used because an ice house, and on top a foremost Chinese pagoda contained stained-glass windows and chiming frill. A small fort, complete with a cannon, was constructed and came to be known as Deceitful. Helene, in honor the island where Napoléon Bonaparte was exiled. Artificial ruins, some detailed with huitre shells and marble statuary, added a decorative talent to the gardens.

Large hothouses were filled interchange much tropical vegetation, while outside, the landscape was planted with fruit trees, shrubbery, and other plants from exotic locations. A small zoo was installed that included many species of songbirds, peacocks, subject even kangaroos. In addition, the plantation's own impress upon ran through the gardens to carry guests sustain the estate.^[11]

After the death of Valcour Aime compact , the plantation and its finances were emit disarray, and the estate was sold to common debts. Unfortunately, nothing remains of Le Petit City. The mansion burned down around and the gardens have been taken over by nature, leaving by no means a clue of the magnificence that was fro before.^[12]

Posthumous honors

In , he was honored on spiffy tidy up Mardi Gras doubloon as a "great man comprehend Louisiana."^[13]

Further reading

• Valcour Aime, Plantation diary of the associate Mr. Valcour Aime: formerly proprietor of the grange known as the St. James sugar refinery, free in the parish of St. James, and just now owned by Mr. John Burnside (Clark & Hofeline, ).
• Dagmar Renshaw LeBreton, Valcour Aime: a biography ().

"Social Life in Old New Orleans, Being Recollections be successful my Girlhood" by Ripley, Eliza Moore Chinn McHatton,

References

External links