St. Martinville's Mardi Gras 'lots of fun' 100 years ago

There were no plans to officially celebrate Mardi Gras in St. Martinville in 1915, but then a handful of folk decided to throw a big party for the town anyway. It turned out to be a simple celebration, but a lot of fun for an unexpectedly big crowd.
The first mention of it came in the Weekly Messenger of Feb. 6, which reported in a page 1 story that the St. Martinville Brass Band and the Woodmen of the World had decided to “celebrate Mardi Gras in grand style,” and they had “gained the support and assistance of our people in this effort to make a creditable demonstration on this day of fun and pleasure.”
The editors thought that “this is the right spirit … of doing something [to] … make things look brighter and better. … It will do us good and make all the town and the people of the surrounding country happy. … It pays a town to keep lively and moving.”
A week later, the newspaper reported that “those in charge promise us a great big display and lots of fun,” and it was a promise that apparently was kept.
According to an account on Feb. 20, “The Mardi Gras celebration here last week was a brilliant success and was seen by thousands of persons coming from every section of the surrounding country. All proclaimed the celebration beautiful and expressed their admiration.
“The King arrived on the pretty little boat Dixie at half past two o’clock, when the procession was formed … [of] floats … contributed by our business firms [that] were all elegant and beautiful, and it was a hard matter to decide which was the prettier.”
The king was Sheriff Wade O. Martin and the queen was Isabelle De Laurel.
The king’s float was followed by “the beautiful float of the Woodmen of the World, Francis Bienvenu’s decorated automobile, A. J. Goula’s Float, L.J. Gardemal’s Float, L.C. Levert’s decorated automobile, Columbian Woodmen’s Float, Iphis J. Fournet’s Float, The Fine Cornet Band of Broussard, Duchamp Hardware Co.’s Float, Dr. J.S. Martin’s decorated automobile, R. J. Gary, Co., Ltd. Float, E. A. Davis’ decorated automobile, Miss Stella Greig’s Float, J.J. Burdin & Bro.’s Float, E. N. Resweber’s Float, K, Schwartz’s Float, Boys of Woodcraft Float, Geo. Greig & Co.’s Float, Duchamp & Ducrest Float, Amedee Demurger’s Float, P. A. Bienvenu’s decorated automobile, High School Float, O.P. Resweber’s Float, T. J. Labbe’s Float, Henry J. Fournet Float, Wade Martin’s decorated automobile, Louise Hotel of Cade decorated carriage, and Police Juror Domas Bernard with a fine display of vegetables.”
On Mardi Gras night “a torch light procession marched ahead of the royal party to the ball which took place at Bonin’s Hall.” The ball was opened by “a march played by the Broussard Band for the Royal party, which was followed by a waltz, and then everybody enjoyed one of the prettiest balls given here for a long time,” the newspaper reported.
Some folks from New Iberia apparently joined the celebration, and agreed with the Weekly Messenger’s assessment of it. According to an account in the New Iberia Enterprise, “The citizens of our sister town of St. Martinville entertained their community last Tuesday with one of the best little carnival attractions ever witnessed in this section of the state. There were upwards of thirty beautiful and appropriate floats in the procession and every one of which was interesting to onlookers.
“St. Martinville has no regular carnival associations,” the Enterprise reported. “The citizens simply got together within the last fifteen days and decided to keep the residents at home by entertaining them. It shows what can be done when the people get interested.
“It would pay our people next year to get together in a movement of that nature and we could draw thousands of visitors from all the surrounding country. It would be a paying investment for the merchants and business men in general. Let every business house in New Iberia equip a float next Mardi Gras and we can get up a creditable parade without much cost and there will be lots of pleasure in connection with it.”

You can contact Jim Bradshaw at jimbradshaw4321@gmail.com or P.O. Box 1121, Washington LA 70589.