Sugar cane production is a vital part of the history and economy of South Louisiana. Sugar cane has been grown in Louisiana since its introduction by Jesuit priests in the mid-eighteenth century. Étienne deBoré introduced a variety of cane, which grew better in Louisiana in 1794. Norbert Rillieux refined the method of making granulated sugar, making the process less labor-intensive and more efficient. These developments in the rich history of sugar cane farming and production provide insight into the history of Domingues Farms, which has been growing cane for over one hundred years.

By the twentieth century, the Domingues family had established themselves in Vermilion Parish, Louisiana, where their family ancestor, Felicien, initially farmed land after the Civil War. Felicien was a descendant of Louisiana Isleños who trace their ancestry back to the Canary Islands. Felicien's grandson, Reista Domingues, began farming sugar cane in Erath in 1918. According to the Vermilion Parish Clerk of Court, Domingues Farms was officially founded in 1919. Today, Reista's descendants continue to operate Domingues Farms. They include Reista's grandson Dewey, great-grandsons Little Jim, Errol, Tyler, and Philip, and second-great-grandsons Austin and Blake.

Following his service in WWI, Reista returned to Erath, where he founded Domingues Farms. To make ends meet, he spent the winters trapping at his camp in the marsh south of the Intercoastal Canal. According to grandson Dewey, Reista would leave early one morning and live for a week with only “a couple of sweet potatoes, dried shrimp, and water.”

The Great Depression brought hardship to many farming families in the area; the Domingues Family has preserved stories that explain what life was like for the community. Little Jim remembers his grandparents telling him how families rationed sugar and coffee, which were essential for his grandparents. He even relates how his great-grandparents would make cheerleading uniforms from the sacks of rationed coffee beans for the local high school.

Edward Domingues, another grandson of Reista, remembers working on his grandfather’s farm. Reista’s two mules, Brodie and Mitchell, did most of the work. The brothers Dewey and Edward relate how there was an art to plowing with the mules. The mules were highly trained and could follow Reista’s commands, telling them when to turn. Reista purchased his first tractor in the 1950’s. Farmers in Erath shared the machinery they owned during harvest season. Dewey explains how everyone in the family came together to load the cane until the introduction of a derrick with its winch operated by the rear differential of a truck. “Farming was vital to life, but life was hard. Everyone was poor until the Texaco plant helped boost the economy… It marked a great change for farmers in the area," says Little Jim.

In the 1950s, a distribution hub on the natural gas pipeline system in Erath brought economic relief and opportunities to the community. Little Jim recalls his grandmother saying, “[Natural gas] made the cows fat and the cane green.” With the introduction of the Texaco natural gas hub, large farms and mills began to adopt mechanized methods. The Erath Sugar Mill was the leading purchaser of sugar cane from 1943 until its closure in the 1970s. Several mills purchase raw cane from local farmers today, including Cajun Sugar Company in New Iberia and LASUCA in St. Martinville.

Little Jim explains that despite mechanization and modern technology, much of the sugar cane planting and harvesting process remains unchanged. As in Reista’s time, Domingues Farms is still a sharecropping enterprise. The family owns a portion of the land farmed, while others own the majority. Today, the family is proud of its heritage as sixth-generation farmers in Vermilion Parish. Sugar cane farming remains an esteemed profession for Dewey, Little Jim, Errol, and their families, who continue their ancestors' legacy.

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Sam Guarino & Son Inc., a historic blacksmith shop in Abbeville, Louisiana, traces its roots back to the early 20th century. Founded by Sicilian immigrant Salvadore "Sam" Guarino, the business initially operated as a blacksmith shop, serving the agricultural and industrial needs of the local community. Sam, born on May 24, 1892, in Cefalu, Sicily, Italy, learned the blacksmithing trade from a young age, working alongside his father and later apprenticing under another blacksmith.

In 1905, Sam immigrated to Abbeville, Louisiana, with his family at age twelve. After working at various locations, he opened his own blacksmith shop in Abbeville in 1911. The Abbeville Meridional reported on May 4, 1911, "Having been closed for more than a year, the old blacksmith shop on State Street, formerly run by William Castanie, has been opened by Sam Guarino, who has already secured a fair run of customers." Sam married Jennie LaBruzzo in 1912, and together, they had five children, including Tony Guarino, who would later join his father in running the family business.

Over the years, Sam Guarino's blacksmith shop became vital to the community, offering essential services such as brazing, welding, and metalwork. Despite the arrival of electricity, Sam continued to work primarily with hand tools, passing down his expertise to his son, Tony. A repurposed engine from a Model-T initially powered the shop's operations before transitioning to electrically operated machinery.

To efficiently meet their customers' needs, the Guarino family maintained a well-stocked warehouse containing a variety of metal goods and materials. This dedication to quality service earned them widespread respect and appreciation in Vermilion Parish.

After Sam Guarino's passing in 1979, Tony carried on the family legacy until his retirement in 2004. Following Sam Guarino & Son Inc.'s closure, the Guarino family donated the blacksmith shop to the City of Abbeville in 2005. The city recognized the establishment's historical significance and undertook efforts to preserve it as a museum dedicated to twentieth-century metallurgy and Sam Guarino's legacy.

The shop's relocation to its current location to South State Street in 2006 marked the beginning of preservation efforts. City officials enlisted Jerry Baker, a blacksmith from Broussard, LA, to assist in cataloging, cleaning the machinery, and setting up the shop as it was before the move. The city's commitment to preserving the building reflects its recognition of Sam Guarino's contributions to Abbeville's history and culture.

Today, the Sam Guarino Blacksmith Shop Museum is owned by the City of Abbeville and overseen by the Friends of the Sam Guarino Blacksmith Shop committee. The museum stands as a testament to Sicilian pride in Abbeville and serves as a reminder of the hard work and dedication of its founder, Sam Guarino. Additionally, the committee organizes the annual Sicilian Festival of Abbeville, celebrating Sicilian culture and its impact on the community. Sam Guarino & Son Inc. continues to be revered as one of the oldest businesses in Vermilion Parish, leaving behind a lasting legacy of craftsmanship and community service.

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Construction of the Veranda Hotel began in 1845 as a courthouse by Catholic priest and founder of Abbeville, Père Antoine Désiré Mégret. The hotel underwent a tumultuous journey of evolution and transformation, marked by fires, acts of violence, and eventual modernization.

Construction of the courthouse was interrupted in 1848 during a legal dispute over the location of the parish seat. After Père Megret died in 1853, Joseph Gallet purchased the building and opened it as the Veranda Hotel. The hotel quickly became a hub for traveling professionals, including dentists, salesmen, and jurors.

Incidents of violence were not isolated to the hotel; they constituted significant events in the town's history. Notable among these was the 1874 duel between Sheriff G.B. Shaw and State Representative Paulin Fontelieu, which followed a disagreement in the Veranda coffee shop. Another incident occurred in 1876 involving the shooting of Carl G. Schneider by Frank R. King over a dispute concerning fraudulent land transactions. Additionally, there was the near-deadly stabbing of Veranda proprietor Joseph Bouriague by a rival hotel owner, Theodule Theriot, in 1889.

Fires also plagued the Veranda Hotel, with a blaze in 1917 requiring renovations. The following year, the Flu Epidemic of 1918 took its toll, claiming the life of Maria Lydia Boudreaux, daughter of proprietress Desire Trahan. Economic strains resulting from the epidemic affected the hotel and other businesses throughout Abbeville.

By 1927, the police jury saw a need for a new hotel with modern amenities, so they decided to replace the Veranda Hotel with a more contemporary establishment. The Veranda Hotel was demolished, and construction began on the new Audrey Hotel, which opened in 1928 under the ownership of J.B. Miller.

On the day of the grand opening, The Abbeville Meridional reported, “The opening of the Audrey Hotel, today, after nearly eight months of patient waiting, marks an epoch in the development of Abbeville and Vermilion Parish. And it may be truthfully said that the completion of this splendid building is of special interest to all classes: agricultural, industrial, and commercial – representing as it does, a new era in the economic and social life of the community.” The Audrey Hotel symbolized progress and economic growth for Abbeville, boasting modern amenities like an elevator and hosting glamorous parties and events in the rooftop garden.

However, the hotel's prosperity was short-lived, as post-World War II economic challenges led to its eventual closure in the early 1960s. Today, the Veranda and Audrey Hotels remain a valuable part of Abbeville's history. The former Audrey Hotel stands as Abbeville City Hall. The building is a testament to the city's continuity and transformation, from its humble origins as a courthouse to its height as a bustling hotel and, finally, to its current role as a seat of municipal governance.

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Abbeville, Louisiana, is renowned for its rich history as an agricultural community along the Vermilion River. The city was founded by the French Catholic priest Père Antoine Desiré Megrét in 1843. As the town’s population grew and its economy developed, a pressing need arose to establish a banking institution in the heart of the city. The first bank opened on August 10, 1894, under the name of the Bank of Abbeville. It was situated in the sheriff’s office within the Abbeville courthouse. The Abbeville Meridional reported in 1894, “The new bank has purchased all necessary supplies including a safe and will open up for business about the 10th instant. For the time being the bank will be located in the sheriff’s office in the courthouse.” However, this location was only temporary, and the new bank building was completed in May 1896. According to the local newspaper, the Bank of Abbeville enjoyed early success. In 1899, The Abbeville Meridional reported, “The bank is in a flourishing condition and has added a large number of depositors to its list and declared a 20 per cent dividend.” The Bank of Abbeville continued to thrive and expand until a devastating fire ravaged parts of the city in 1903. The Concord Street fire occurred on February 19, 1903, destroying the Bank of Abbeville. Consequently, its operations were temporarily relocated to the courthouse. In response, the Abbeville Investment Company was established to acquire land and erect a second bank building. Completed in 1903 by architect George Honold, this new building still stands on the corner of Concord and Jefferson Streets in Abbeville. The Great Depression inflicted severe hardships on agricultural communities throughout Louisiana, including Abbeville. On February 3, 1932, the Bank of Abbeville was forced to cease operations. However, it reopened six weeks later under the new name Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company. During its reopening, the bank’s president, L.O. Broussard, exchanged telegrams with President Herbert Hoover—each assured cooperation between the bank and the federal government in the wake of the Great Depression. The Bank of Maurice also became a branch of the Abbeville Bank and Trust Company. Since its recovery from the Depression Era, the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company has undergone numerous transformations. It has embraced the modernization of banking technology and undergone renovations to both its interior and exterior. Renovations of the building took place in the 1980s, and architect Paul J. Allain renovated the building again in 2015. The main offices of the Bank of Abbeville and Trust Company are still located in the original bank building, with an additional drive-in portion adjacent to it. The original branch in Maurice continues to operate to this day.

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