Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album, LDL / Louisiana State University / LSU Libraries Special Collections.
I recently became aware of the Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album, LDL / Louisiana State University / LSU Libraries Special Collections.
The Joseph S. Tate photograph album (unbound) contains 103 black and white photographic prints mounted on paper, c 1920’s. The LDL clearly states, it is not known whether Joseph S. Tate was the photographer, but it is known that the album was his property. The photographs are listed as circa 1920 with the understanding that the actual dates are not given.
These images includes scenic bayou images and cypress lumbering images. I have seen some of these pictures in this collection used in various other publications / papers on the internet.
All the images used in this paper are available on internet, and are used in accordance with Fair Use, Title 17 USC section 107 in this writing.
Colonel Joseph S. Tate Bio:
Was born in Pennsylvania in 1894. A 1917 graduate of West Point, Tate was a field artillery officer who served in both World Wars. In 1950 he was appointed commanding officer of the Louisiana military district. Tate died in New Orleans, December 10, 1963.
Since he graduated from West Point in 1917 at the age of 23, the decade of the 1920s would be a possibility for his photos.
Reviewing the collection I quickly realized, that some these photographs are images from several locations on Lower Grand River from Bayou Plaquemine to Morgan City (ie, Eastern Corridor of the Atchafalaya Basin) and then they follow Bayou Black on to the Houma, LA. area. The photographs all have similar markings and lead one to believe they were / could have been taken on the same trip.
These images are prior to the Atchafalaya Floodway being built. A fact that makes these photographs much more important , because they are the last photographs of this specific area before the U.S. Corps of Engineers started manipulating water flow the Basin.
Eastern Corridor of the Atchafalaya Basin
Bayou Plaquemine served as the Gateway to the Basin, because it was the first distributary of the Mississippi river northward from New Orleans to the interior of the Atchafalaya Basin.
Although, Bayou Lafourche shoots off from the Mississippi before Bayou Plaquemine it does not lead directly into the interior of the Atchafalaya.
Bayou Plaquemine has been the Eastern Gateway to the Atchafalaya Basin since the late 1600's.
The water route starts at the Mississippi River entrance into Bayou Plaquemine, where as Bayou Plaquemine joins upper grand river, south of that confluence is known as Lower Grand river. From there the Grand River flows past Bayou Sorrel and Bayou Pigeon, into Bay Natchez pass. Where Little Bayou Göddell intersects Bay Natchez the lower Grand River becomes known as Big Bayou Göddell. (Göddell is a cajun shorten version of ‘Bayou Go To Hell from early 1800’s) . Below the intersection of Old River with Bayou Göddell, the names changes again to Belle River. Where Bayou Long insects Belle River, the name changes again to Bayou Magazille which leads to 4 Mile bayou, to the north is Lake Verret and to the south through Grassy Lake and Lake Palourde to Berwick Bay. From there you can access Bayou Black to go east to Houma and Thibodaux.
My theory about some of the Tate collection, is, that the photographer of these photographs more than likely followed the water route outlined in the paragraph above in some type of large boat, ie. in one photograph the caption says ‘from the forward deck”, leading you to believe he was not in pirogue or bateau, but a larger boat..
To support my theory, I viewed the Tate Collection photographs in a sequence using the base map of the lands of the R. H. Downman Cypress interests. Source: American Lumberman. "A Journey through the Vast Downman Cypress Interests with Camera and Pen", American Lumberman, Aug 5, 1905 pp.43-82. Chicago: American Lumberman, 1905.
This map of the red cypress territory of southeastern Louisiana was the first ever produced in print. At the time of its first publication no government map was obtainable by the general public of which accurately portrays the water courses of the Atchafalaya Basin. Heretofore no private enterprise had ever undertaken to make such a map for general circulation. This base map is from the time period 1892 - 1919, making it even more valuable because it is a map of the Basin when it was a free flowing waterway and the bayous were not altered by man.
This map will be found to be of great interest to all . It was made Mr. Downman’s engineers and timber cruisers.
A that time , the R. H. Downman cypress interests. Consisted of the White castle Lumber & Shingle Company, Limited, at White castle, La.; the Bowie Lumber Company, Limited, at Bowie, La.; the Jeanerette Lumber & Shingle Company, Limited, at Jeannette, La.; the Iberia Cypress Company, Limited, at New Iberia, La., and the Des Allemands Lumber Company, Limited, at Allemands, La. These companies formed the largest operation in cypress manufacture and is considered among the six largest lumbering operations in the world, and as such any map put together by Downman Interest deserves special attention.
Swamp Lands Map by Henry Dowman interest
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| Route of Atchafalaya River through the Basin |
Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album route of selected photographs
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album route down Grand River Corridor |
Picture 1 - The Big Store
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Jack Miller's store |
How do we know that this picture of ‘The Big Store’ is the Jack Millers store at the confluence of Bayou Plaquemine and Grand River?
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| Illustration by Stan Routh |
My research came up with this illustration of Jack millers store, by Mr. Stan Routh, renowned architect.
An exact match.
Picture 2 - Grand River, LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Grand River, LA. |
I grew up at Bayou Pigeon along Grand River, on it almost every day until I was 18 years old. This picture could have been taken anywhere along Lower Grand River from Bayou Sorrel to Bayou Postillion, the cottonwood trees, wax myrtle and swamp privet scrub shrub very similar to this picture. Especially in the area known as Punkin Point / Chopin Chute .
Picture 3 - Bay Natchez ?
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Bay Natchez- LA. |
This picture is somewhat of a mystery to me. Bay Natchez would be south of Punkin Point a mile or two at most. I know of no houses or an area that looks like this in what is known as Bay Natchez today.
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| Modern USGS Grand River, Bay Natchez, Bayou Goddell area |
It certainly looks like this picture could have been along old Bayou Pierre Part. Was it mis-labeled by the photographer, maybe. But it is in the Tate collection, same format as the other pictures.
Picture 4 - Petit (Little) Göddell, Originally ‘Bayou Go To Hell’ from Civil war era … shorten over the years by the Cajuns
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Petit (Little) Göddell, |
The photographer obviously was trying to capture something about the terrain , but the picture being B&W, it may have lost something that caught of the eye of the beholder or was it the palmettos. The description does say ‘from the forward deck’ , indicating the photographer was in a large boat other than a bateau.
Picture 5 - Steamboat Owens sunk in Big Göddell, LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Steamboat Owens sunk in the Big Göddell… |
This picture is most interesting, a steamboat in the Goddell! Rare good photograph of a steamboat on the bayous of the Atchafalaya, outside of the Carrie B Schwing and the F.B. Williams Sewanee mostly what you see are drawings / illustrations.
Note the handwritten spelling of Goddell in this picture and the one just before… obviously same handwriting but different spelling. Double d’s and l’s is the way USGS map spells it.
Can we validate this is the real steam boat 'Owens'.
Double stacks, looks like the same boat to me !
Picture 6 Belle River, LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Fishermans Camp - Belle River LA. |
Without any landmarks in the photograph it is impossible to determine exact location. Due to the width and breath of Belle River in this photograph, I would say it somewhere south of current day Graveyard Island.
USGS MAP - Belle River below Graveyard Island - 1931
Note the 4 structures on the map, 10 years after the fact.
Picture 7 - Fisherman's Camp Belle River, LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Fishermans Camp - Belle River LA. |
Without any landmarks in the photograph it is impossible to determine an approximate location of Photograph 7. However the same location as picture 6 is likely, note the trees.
Picture 8 The Camp - F.B.W. Cypress
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album The Camp F.B.W. Cypress |
This is the photograph that caught my most attention in the Tate collection. The Lana Laws Downing, Heaven & High Water, 2011, self published book relates first hand information from her mother who was raised in the Williams Skidder camp on East Lake Verrett. It is of the exact time period 1922- 1928, of the Tate photograph Collection.
It is hard to tell if this is Lake Verret, but there are subsequent Tate collection pictures that corroborate that it is.
USGS Map F.B.Williams timber camp Location
Picture 9 - Manhattan Elevated #151 in Lumber Camp, LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album |
On Railway Preservation News - Surviving Elevated steam locomotives – James Hefner; posted March 17 2004.
Remains of a cypress logging locomotive are located in the Atchafalaya Basin, Lying in its final resting place on private property on the south shore of Lake Verret ... this locomotive was accidentally derailed and landed on its side. The wheels, fittings, cylinders, and other parts were salvaged; and the wooden cab has since rotted away leaving only parts of the frame and boiler lying on the embankment.
"This engine, when seen by Judge Ford, a recognized authority on South Louisiana Logging railroads in the early 1960's appeared to him to be a old elevated locomotive. As mentioned above. These rather strange tank engines came south after the big cities electrified their elevated lines and were used on logging and quarry lines. The engine appeared to be a Napoleon Cypress Co (ex-Manhattan El Forney) class E #156... If this is true, this may be the oldest locomotive remains in the state of Louisiana. It was sold to Napoleon Cypress Co. in July 1904"
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| Remains of Locomotive in Skidder Canal - Cliff LeGrange June 6, 2020 |
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| Cliff LeGrange at the Remains of Locomotive at Skidder Camp site ; June 6 2020 |
From Lana Laws Downing, Heaven & High Water, 2011, self published book ... "Uncle ed's career as the driver of engine #30 was cut short when he wrecked the train while operation under the influence ..he was immediately fired ... but was asked to return because no one else knew how to operate the remaining train... the remains are still rusting undisturbed at the site"
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| Steam chambers, matches description of Manhattan Elevated locomotives |
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| The entrance Canal at the Skidder Camp, Lake Verret entrance in background June6, 2020 Cliff LeGrange |
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Picture 10 Logging Road through Cypress Swamp LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Logging road through Cypress Swamp LA. |
Since it same background coloring and handwriting it is logical that this is a spur of the rail line of the Timber Camp on Lake Verret.
Picture 11 - Hauling out and Loading
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Hauling out and Loading |
Again, since it same background coloring and handwriting it is logical that it is part of the rail line of the Timber Camp on Lake Verret.
Picture 12 - Tying Dead man in Lumber swamp
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Tying deadman in Lumber Swamp |
Again, since it same background coloring and handwriting it is logical that it is from the Timber Camp on Lake Verret.
Picture 13 - Just Waiting
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album Just waiting |
Again, since it same background coloring and handwriting it is logical that it is from the Timber Camp on Lake Verret.
Picture 14 Morgan City - LA.
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| Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album |
From the Lake Verret skidder camp , the Tate expedition , continued to Morgan City.
Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album
It’s hard to follow the route of the Tate photograph route and not yearn to have seen the landscape at that time period.
Lake Verret Cypress Timber Camp - Abandoned But Not Forgotten
Swampers were plagued in their work by alligators, snakes, extreme temperatures, mosquitoes, bears, hurricanes, floods and low water.
The process was, cut trees were hauled to the rail line via steam-powered winches on a device known as a skidder. They were then loaded onto special flat cars via a steam-powered log loader. Logs were hauled by steam locomotives to the shore of Lake Verret and drop into the Lake from the rail cars causing a big boom ! . Where they were bound together by chains and spikes and hauled away by steamboats to the sawmill in Patterson, LA. It was sunup to sundown hard and dangerous work.
The Col. Joseph S. Tate Photograph Album was documenting the 'Last Stand', the end of an era... for Atchafalaya Basin cypress lumbering industry, albeit he did not realize that. The multimillion-dollar cypress industry that boomed in the Louisiana swamplands from the 1880s to the 1930 was ending. .
In 1928, when the FB Williams Lake Verret Cypress Timber Camp pulled out it was one the last operating old time timber camps.
Expensive camps for boating, fishing and hunting now make up the area of the timber camp...
The isolation of the Timber Camp on the Lake Verrett shore (only travel to / from was by boat) made for independence from the rest of the outside world produced a strong-willed breed of people. A trait that followed the swampers of the camp when the camp closed. Described so well by Ms. Lana Laws Downing’s book, “Heaven and Highwater, self-published 2011.
"The Ghosts of the Past Speak to All Who Will Listen"
Preserve The Heritage
enjoy the virtual tour...
