Today in New Orleans History

April 12

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Photographer George Francois Mugnier Dies
April 12, 1936
 
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George Francois Mugnier was born in France on January 1, 1855. He was in New Orleans by 1868. Originally a watchmaker, he turned to photography in 1884 with a studio on Exchange Alley. Mugnier gained some fame as a photographer of views and landscapes in New Orleans and the surrounding region. His photography was not, however, always profitable enough to support him and his family, and he held a variety of other jobs throughout his life. He always took pictures, though, and at least two of his employments--with the Photo-Electric Engraving Company and with the Times Democrat newspaper--allowed Mugnier to take them professionally. George Francois Mugnier died in New Orleans on April 12, 1936. (NOPL)  View Mugnier's photographs at the New Orleans Public Library website.


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The East New Orleans Regional Branch of the New Orleans Public Library orginally opened on October 23, 1968.  Post Katrina, a temporary branch opened in the Einstein School on  December, 2007 and closed July, 2009.  Another temporary building opened on branch site on October 5, 2009 and the rebuilt branch opened on April 12, 2012. Photo of the ribbon cutting.

Photo of  The opening parade for the second annual French Quarter Festival, April 12, 1985. Fitness guru Richard Simmons is standing behind the Onward Brass Band's drummer.

Major League Baseball pitcher Edward Francis Lafitte was born at 319 Bourbon Street on April 7, 1886.   He played for the Detroit Tigers (1909–12), the Brooklyn Tip-Tops (1914–15), and the Buffalo Blues (1915).  His college days were spent pitching for the Georgia Techbaseball team (1906 and 1907) and as a starter in the first intercollegiate basketball game played by Georgia Tech. He died on April 12, 1971 at the age of 85.

The Superior Criminal Court began deliberations on April 12, 1874, with Judge A. A. Atocha presiding. John Fitzpatrick, later Mayor of New Orleans, served as its first Clerk. The Superior Criminal Court and the First District Court were replaced by the Louisiana Constitution of 1879 with the Criminal District Court for Orleans Parish. (NOPL)

Marie Jeanne Aliguot, Born, France, ca. 1783. Arrived in New Orleans, December 6, 1832. Devoted her time, wealth and self to reduce the oppressed conditions of black people, especially the slaves. Became a part of Sister St. Mathé's "school for colored children," took over the management of school in 1834. Purchased, 1834, buildings that formerly housed Collège d'Orléans on St. Claude Street. Established, 1836, helped Henriette Delille form a religious community, Sisters of the Holy Family. Died, New Orleans, April 12, 1863. . From http://lahistory.org/site18.php

Marie Jeanne Aliguot, founder, Sisters of the Holy Family. Born, France, ca. 1783. Arrived in New Orleans, De-cember 6, 1832. Devoted her time, wealth and self to reduce the oppressed conditions of black people, especially the slaves. Became a part of Sister St. Mathé's "school for colored children," took over the management of school in 1834. Purchased, 1834, buildings that formerly housed Collège d'Orléans on St. Claude Street. Established, 1836, a religious community, Sisters of the Holy Family. Died, New Orleans, April 12, 1863. F.J. Source: Sr. Audrey Marie Detiege, Henriette DeLille, Free Woman of Color: Foundress of the Sisters of the Holy Family (1976). From http://lahistory.org/site18.php

New Orleans' statue of Henry Clay was made by the celebrated American Sculptor Joll T. Ha.., and was moulded by Muller of Munich, it cost approximately $50,000. The site on Canal Street at the intersection of St. Charles and Royal Streets, was selected in order that the effect of a somewhat similar monument in Montreal, Canada, which the committee had admired, might be achieved. The cornerstone was laid April 12, 1856 on the 79th anniversary of Henry Clay’s birthday. After being located on this site for 40 years, in 1901 the bronze statue was removed to Lafayette Square where it stands today. This move was made necessary for the convenience of transportation [i.e. streetcars].  (NOPL)  "One of the more interesting features of all this trackage was that around the Henry Clay statue in the neutral ground at St. Charles/Royal Streets.  This monument, erected in 1860 with a massive seven-stepped base, extended the entire width of the neutral ground.  The lines of five companies terminated or passed by here.  Two lines of the ORR came in on the outer tracks and completely circled the statue to return.  The NOCRR had two turntables, one on the river side with three tracks for two lines, and one on the lake side of the statue with four tracks* for three horse car lines.  A track bent around the downtown side of the statue to connect the two turntables, and there was a starter’s house near each turntable.  (The West End steam line terminated at Carondelet/Bourbon.)  Four other lines of two other companies bent around the base of the statue on the outer tracks.  And all three lines of the SCSRR passed by here.  Originally, the Carondelet and Clio lines operated up Carondelet Street, and the Rampart & Dryades line came up S. Rampart Street, then all three lines operated in the roadway on the uptown side of the Canal Street neutral ground to St. Charles Street, then went down St. Charles.  Later, the Carondelet and the Rampart & Dryades lines used the outer track of the neutral ground riverbound, then turned uptown into a layover track in St. Charles Street, while the Clio line was extended across Canal Street.  At that time, Clio was the only line in the city to cross Canal.  It crossed here on its uptown trip, bending around the lake side of the statue and entering a short, third track in St. Charles.  This must easily have been the busiest spot of the entire horse car operation".  (From http://www.cs.uiuc.edu/~friedman/canal/Canal.htm).  

Joseph Ansoetegui Shakspeare (April 12, 1837 - 22 January 1896) was mayor of New Orleans from 1880 - 1882 and again from 1888 to 1892. He was born in New Orleans, the son of a Quaker from Delaware, Samuel Shakspeare, and Mariane (Mathias) Shakespeare, a Swiss immigrant. He studied iron design in New York City and later returned to New Orleans to run an ironworks started by his father. He later entered politics, serving one term in the state legislature. He married Antoinette Kroos, a German immigrant, in 1863; the couple had five children.  In the municipal election of 1880, Shakspeare accepted the mayoral nomination of a coalition of reformers determined to take power from “the Ring”, a scandal-plagued local political machine. Shakspeare defeated Jules Denis, the Ring candidate, by 9803 votes to 9362. For several days, outgoing Ring mayor Isaac W. Patton refused to recognize the results. He would not give up City Hall until ordered by a judge. In the municipal election of 1888, Shakspeare ran again as a reform candidate opposing the Ring. As before, he was supported by members of the city’s conservative Bourbon business elite, and he defeated the Ring candidate, Judge Robert C. Davey, by 23,313 votes to 15,635. The election was characterized by the presence of armed bands of men from both the reform and Ring camps. Under the rules of the new charter, Shakspeare’s second term was a four-year one. His second term was characterized by renewed street improvements, the introduction of electric street lights and street cars, and a further improvement of the city’s debt situation. His administration began construction of a new courthouse and jail complex on Tulane Avenue. He also created a professional fire department to replace the existing volunteer fire departments, which had been active in municipal machine politics. But his efforts to use the police department as a source of political patronage alienated some of his reform-oriented supporters. Shakspeare appointed David Hennessy as chief of police. Hennessy’s assassination in October 1890, allegedly by members of the Sicilian Mafia, sparked an anti-Italian riot in which the parish prison was stormed and eleven Italian immigrants were lynched. The riot created an international diplomatic incident with the government of Italy. Shakspeare ran for a third term in 1892, but by then his reputation as a reformer was tarnished, and he was defeated by Ring candidate John Fitzpatrick, who was a popular politician with strong pro-labor credentials. Shakspeare died in New Orleans in 1896.  From the New Orleans Public Library.

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Abreviations used on this site: NOPL (New Orleans Public Library), LOC (Library of Congress), LDL (Lousiana Digital Library), HNOC (Historic New Orleans Collection), WIKI (Wikipedia).

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