CAROLA LILLIE HARTLEY
Publisher and Contributing Writer
Featured Photograph: This photograph from the albums of Ophelia Pitre Lafleur, is labeled the Oil Mill in Washington. Since most of the photos in those three albums were taken during the early 20th century, at that time this was probably the Washington Cotton and Oil Company, Ltd. (Photograph courtesy of Tommy Lafleur.)
William Schwing came to Washington from the New Iberia area in the early 1880s and along with his brothers John and Joseph opened the Pelican Oil Mill in town, believed to be the first cottonseed oil mill in the southwest Louisiana area.
Opened in in late 1881, the mill was built on the Bayou Courtableau near the Conklin shipyard business. Although the mill did a good business, it was plagued by a number of tragedies that eventually lead to its closure.
The first tragic event was a fire on July 20, 1882 that destroyed the mill and killed George Doescher, the mill’s pressman. His body was found in the debris following the fire. George was described as a sober, industrious man who left behind a wife and a number of children.
His death was first said to be a horrible accident. But hold on, according to reports in the Lake Charles Echo newspaper and other papers in August of 1882, it seems there was reason to believe George Doescher was actually murdered and the fire was intentionally set to cover up that crime. Although this was talked about for some time, nothing ever came of this theory and the mystery surrounding George’s death continues to this day.
The mill was a total loss as the results of that fire. That loss was valued at $30,000, and it was insured for only $10,000. Even though the fire produced a loss for the owners, the mill was rebuilt on the site of the first one.
In February of 1883, the Washington Argus newspaper reported the work on the new Pelican Oil Mill, directed by Mr. Curley and Mr. Elliott, was almost completed. It had been delayed due to inclement weather. The mill’s machinery was delivered and assembled by experienced workmen, seed was purchased, and the mill was in operation by March of that year. It continued to operate with no new problems for a few years.
In April of 1887, the Washington Argus reported the mill received a shipment containing a large quantity of superior seed, about 550 tons, and was expecting more in the near future. It reported the seed was of a higher quality than seed produced in the town, and a better quality of oil and better quantity of meal was being produced from the new seed. The article ended by reporting “Business looks brisk at the mill.”
But that good news did not last long. Soon after that report in the Argus, the owner of the company, William Schwing, lost his right arm in a mill machinery accident. As a result of that accident, he liquidated his oil mill business.
On October 27, 1887, the Washington Argus reported Schwing and his family departed Washington for their new home in Lake Charles. Schwing lived out the remainder of his life in Lake Charles where he practiced law until the time of his death some years later.
In September of 1888, the Opelousas Courier reported a Mr. Bienvenu and a Mr. Delavalade, both residents of New Orleans, visited Washington to look into either purchasing or leasing the Pelican Oil Mill. However, this did not seem to materialize. Eventually the oil mill was operated by the William H. Chaffee and Co., Limited.
In 1894 the Washington oil mill had competition in the parish with the opening of the oil mill operated by the St. Landry Cotton Oil Company in Opelousas, located on the grounds where the old Franklin College buildings stood for many decades. The opening of that mill hurt the one in Washington, and it eventually had to go out of business.
The Opelousas Courier reported on March 30, 1895 the old Pelican Oil Mill of Washington was to be sold at auction in New Orleans on March 28 by order of the US Circuit Court in the matter of George Barkley vs. William H. Chaffe & Co., Limited.
After that time, there was no mention of the Pelican Oil Company in the local papers. According to the book Looking Back At Washington, LA, The Memoirs of David Jasper McNicoll, edited by Paul L. Lastrapes, published in 1996, the property and buildings of the Pelican Oil Company were sold to the Nicholson family and the Nicholson Syrup Mill established some time later on that site.
After the turn of the 20th century, the Opelousas Courier reported on June 20. 1903 the news that a new $40,000 cotton oil mill would be erected in Washington by the Memphis Cotton Seed Oil Company. The new mill was called the Washington Cotton and Oil Company, Ltd. Some local citizens had stock in the company, but a large percentage of the stockholders were from the Memphis, TN area.
Even after this new mill was started, it seems tragedy kept happening at the oil mill in Washington. On December 20, 1907, the young engineering apprentice Albert T. Dezauche, described as a bright and promising young man of only 16 years, was crushed to death by the big fly wheel at the mill. That mill operated for some time after that horrible accident but eventually it was closed and put up for sale.
On May 28, 1911, the Times Democrat newspaper of New Orleans ran an advertisement announcing the entire plant and property of the Washington Cotton and Oil Company, Ltd. was for sale. The ad stated the property included “one up to date, four-press oil mill, complete, with the necessary land, switch tracks, waterworks system and all other accessories and appliances found in a first-class plant of this character.”
On May 31st that same newspaper ran an announcement from the Washington Cotton Oil Company stating the Memphis, TN stockholders, who owned the controlling shares, had agreed to the sale at a called meeting of all stockholders.
In early July of 1911 the Washington Cotton & Oil Company, Ltd, was sold at auction, and its affairs liquidated. The company and property was valued at $75,000, but it sold for only $24,300. Austin Boyd of Memphis, TN, who owned 75% of the original stock, purchased the mill. Its entire business was later moved from Washington, some reports say to Oklahoma and others say to Texas.
After that time area newspapers had no mention of a cotton oil business in Washington until the late 1930s. On March 30, 1938, the Lafayette Daily Advertiser reported a new Washington Cotton Oil Company was being established in the town. Buildings were constructed and equipment purchased at a cost of about $25,000. The mill went into operation about 90 days following that announcement. William Nicholson was listed as president of the company with W. K. Edwards, of Huntsville, TX, as the mill operator. This mill operated for only a few years before it was closed.
Doing research on the cotton oil mills in the St. Landry Parish area, it seems the only one that has survived to the present time is located on Railroad Avenue in Opelousas. That is the mill that opened in 1894 as the St. Landry Cotton Oil Company, later called Lou Ana Foods and today known as Ventura Foods. But it is interesting to note that it was not the first oil mill in the parish. That declaration for having the first cotton seed oil company in the Southwest Louisiana area goes to the neighboring town of Washington.
