Alvan Lafargue
Encyclopedia
Alvan Henry Lafargue, Sr. (October 14, 1883 – February 11, 1962), was a Louisiana
physician
, politician
, and civic leader. His medical practice exceeded fifty years. He was also served as mayor
of his adopted city of Sulphur
for twelve years, located in Calcasieu Parish
in the southwestern portion of the state.
, the seat of Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, to Adolphe Jolna Lafargue, a state court judge
, and the former Annie Winn Irion, the judge's first wife. When she died died, the judge married Emma, her sister. Alvan Lafargue's maternal grandfather was U.S. Representative A. B. Irion of Eola in Avoyelles Parish. In 1843, Lafargue's paternal grandfather founded the Marksville Weekly News, which claims to be the oldest still publishing weekly newspaper in the state of Louisiana. Lafargue's father, Judge Lafargue, continued to publish the newspaper. Lafargue's brother, Walter Strong Lafargue, was the superintendent of schools in Lafourche Parish
.
Lafargue was educated in the Avoyelles Parish schools, Louisiana State University
, the Tulane University Medical School, and the Memphis
Hospital Medical School, since the University of Tennessee Medical Center
, from which he graduated in 1910. He married the former Florestine Richard of Baldwin
in St. Mary Parish
, Louisiana, daughter of Arthur Richard, a sugar
planter, and the former Blanche Dumesnil. The couple had four children, Alvan, Jr. (1913–1994), Myron J. Lafargue (1914–1973), Irene (1917-1969), and Prudence (1924-2009).
, Baldwin, Franklin
, and, finally, Sulphur, where he located in 1915. In Baldwin, as the physician for a sawmill
, he treated accident victims and often performed operations and amputations with whisky
as the only available anesthesia
. Lafargue opened his office in the Paragon Drug Store in Sulphur. He covered an area of some twenty-five miles by horseback, buggy, and later, a Model T Ford.
In Lake Charles
, Lafargue was the Calcasieu Parish health officer from 1934-1938. He thereafter served as the Sulphur municipal health officer. He was a director of the Lake Charles Charity Hospital (now known as Moss Regional) and was on the staff of St. Patrick and Memorial hospitals as well. He was instrumental in building the West Calcasieu-Cameron
Hospital in Sulphur, of which he served as the first president. He was the physician of the Southern Pacific Railroad
. In 1960, he was honored by the Louisiana Medical Society in Baton Rouge for fifty years of medical service, A memorial light was placed on the Sulphur water tower to recognize his delivery of five thousand babies. At the ceremony, Lafargue said, "Fifty years of being a doctor adds up into lots of buggy trips on cold nights and hot days, long hours of waiting for babies to be born, tears, laughter, and a heap of satisfaction."
, Lafargue was the mayor of Sulphur from 1926 to 1932, during which time he initiated many municipal improvements. The town was in debt, and he made so many visits to a bank in Lake Charles that people there thought he worked at the bank. In time, Sulphur was put in the financial black column.
A Roman Catholic, Lafargue was a member of the men's organization, the Knights of Columbus
. He was active in Rotary International
and Woodmen of the World
. In 1925, Dr. Lafargue founded the Calcasieu-Cameron bi-parish fair and served many years afterwards as president of the organization. He developed the Businessmen's Club of Sulphur, which later became West Calcasieu Association of Commerce. He won the Silver Beaver award
from the Boy Scouts of America
. He was also a director of the American Red Cross
. He was president of the Gulf Beach Highway Association, which promoted the construction of U.S. Highway 27. He was vice-president of the Louisiana Division of the Old Spanish Trail Association, which lobbied for the extension of U.S. Highway 90 from the Atlantic
to the Pacific
coasts.
Lafargue died in Sulphur at the age of seventy-nine. He is interred at Orange Grove Cemetery in Lake Charles
. Dr. Lafargue once said that his great accomplishment was having never turned away a patient in need.
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
physician
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, and civic leader. His medical practice exceeded fifty years. He was also served as mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of his adopted city of Sulphur
Sulphur, Louisiana
Sulphur is a city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 22,512 at the 2000 census. Sulphur is a suburb of Lake Charles, and is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
for twelve years, located in Calcasieu Parish
Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana
Calcasieu Parish[p] is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Lake Charles. As of 2010, the parish population was 192,768...
in the southwestern portion of the state.
Early years
Lafargue was born in MarksvilleMarksville, Louisiana
Marksville is a city in and the parish seat of Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 5,537 at the 2000 census. Louisiana's first land-based casino, Paragon Casino Resort, opened in Marksville in June 1994...
, the seat of Avoyelles Parish in south central Louisiana, to Adolphe Jolna Lafargue, a state court judge
Judge
A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as part of a panel of judges. The powers, functions, method of appointment, discipline, and training of judges vary widely across different jurisdictions. The judge is supposed to conduct the trial impartially and in an open...
, and the former Annie Winn Irion, the judge's first wife. When she died died, the judge married Emma, her sister. Alvan Lafargue's maternal grandfather was U.S. Representative A. B. Irion of Eola in Avoyelles Parish. In 1843, Lafargue's paternal grandfather founded the Marksville Weekly News, which claims to be the oldest still publishing weekly newspaper in the state of Louisiana. Lafargue's father, Judge Lafargue, continued to publish the newspaper. Lafargue's brother, Walter Strong Lafargue, was the superintendent of schools in Lafourche Parish
Lafourche Parish, Louisiana
Lafourche Parish is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, which consisted of the present parishes of Lafourche and Terrebonne. The parish seat is Thibodaux...
.
Lafargue was educated in the Avoyelles Parish schools, Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University
Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, most often referred to as Louisiana State University, or LSU, is a public coeducational university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The University was founded in 1853 in what is now known as Pineville, Louisiana, under the name...
, the Tulane University Medical School, and the Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
Hospital Medical School, since the University of Tennessee Medical Center
University of Tennessee
The University of Tennessee is a public land-grant university headquartered at Knoxville, Tennessee, United States...
, from which he graduated in 1910. He married the former Florestine Richard of Baldwin
Baldwin, Louisiana
Baldwin is a town in St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 2,497 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area....
in St. Mary Parish
St. Mary Parish, Louisiana
St. Mary Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Franklin. As of 2000, the population was 53,500.The Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area includes all of St. Mary Parish.-Geography:...
, Louisiana, daughter of Arthur Richard, a sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
planter, and the former Blanche Dumesnil. The couple had four children, Alvan, Jr. (1913–1994), Myron J. Lafargue (1914–1973), Irene (1917-1969), and Prudence (1924-2009).
Medical practice
Lafargue practiced medicine in CheneyvilleCheneyville, Louisiana
Cheneyville is a town in Rapides Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is part of the Alexandria, Louisiana Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 901 at the 2000 census....
, Baldwin, Franklin
Franklin, Louisiana
Franklin is a city in and the parish seat of St. Mary Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 8,354 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Morgan City Micropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
, and, finally, Sulphur, where he located in 1915. In Baldwin, as the physician for a sawmill
Sawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
, he treated accident victims and often performed operations and amputations with whisky
Whisky
Whisky or whiskey is a type of distilled alcoholic beverage made from fermented grain mash. Different grains are used for different varieties, including barley, malted barley, rye, malted rye, wheat, and corn...
as the only available anesthesia
Anesthesia
Anesthesia, or anaesthesia , traditionally meant the condition of having sensation blocked or temporarily taken away...
. Lafargue opened his office in the Paragon Drug Store in Sulphur. He covered an area of some twenty-five miles by horseback, buggy, and later, a Model T Ford.
In Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
, Lafargue was the Calcasieu Parish health officer from 1934-1938. He thereafter served as the Sulphur municipal health officer. He was a director of the Lake Charles Charity Hospital (now known as Moss Regional) and was on the staff of St. Patrick and Memorial hospitals as well. He was instrumental in building the West Calcasieu-Cameron
Cameron Parish, Louisiana
Cameron Parish is the parish with the most land area in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Cameron and as of 2010, the population was 6,839...
Hospital in Sulphur, of which he served as the first president. He was the physician of the Southern Pacific Railroad
Southern Pacific Railroad
The Southern Pacific Transportation Company , earlier Southern Pacific Railroad and Southern Pacific Company, and usually simply called the Southern Pacific or Espee, was an American railroad....
. In 1960, he was honored by the Louisiana Medical Society in Baton Rouge for fifty years of medical service, A memorial light was placed on the Sulphur water tower to recognize his delivery of five thousand babies. At the ceremony, Lafargue said, "Fifty years of being a doctor adds up into lots of buggy trips on cold nights and hot days, long hours of waiting for babies to be born, tears, laughter, and a heap of satisfaction."
Political and civic matters
An active DemocratDemocratic Party (United States)
The Democratic Party is one of two major contemporary political parties in the United States, along with the Republican Party. The party's socially liberal and progressive platform is largely considered center-left in the U.S. political spectrum. The party has the lengthiest record of continuous...
, Lafargue was the mayor of Sulphur from 1926 to 1932, during which time he initiated many municipal improvements. The town was in debt, and he made so many visits to a bank in Lake Charles that people there thought he worked at the bank. In time, Sulphur was put in the financial black column.
A Roman Catholic, Lafargue was a member of the men's organization, the Knights of Columbus
Knights of Columbus
The Knights of Columbus is the world's largest Catholic fraternal service organization. Founded in the United States in 1882, it is named in honor of Christopher Columbus....
. He was active in Rotary International
Rotary International
Rotary International is an organization of service clubs known as Rotary Clubs located all over the world. The stated purpose of the organization is to bring together business and professional leaders to provide humanitarian service, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help...
and Woodmen of the World
Woodmen of the World
Woodmen of the World is a fraternal organization based in Omaha, Nebraska, United States, that operates a large privately held insurance company for its members....
. In 1925, Dr. Lafargue founded the Calcasieu-Cameron bi-parish fair and served many years afterwards as president of the organization. He developed the Businessmen's Club of Sulphur, which later became West Calcasieu Association of Commerce. He won the Silver Beaver award
Silver Beaver Award
The Silver Beaver Award is the council-level distinguished service award of the Boy Scouts of America. Recipients of this award are registered adult leaders who have made an impact on the lives of youth through service given to the council...
from the Boy Scouts of America
Boy Scouts of America
The Boy Scouts of America is one of the largest youth organizations in the United States, with over 4.5 million youth members in its age-related divisions...
. He was also a director of the American Red Cross
American Red Cross
The American Red Cross , also known as the American National Red Cross, is a volunteer-led, humanitarian organization that provides emergency assistance, disaster relief and education inside the United States. It is the designated U.S...
. He was president of the Gulf Beach Highway Association, which promoted the construction of U.S. Highway 27. He was vice-president of the Louisiana Division of the Old Spanish Trail Association, which lobbied for the extension of U.S. Highway 90 from the Atlantic
Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean is the second-largest of the world's oceanic divisions. With a total area of about , it covers approximately 20% of the Earth's surface and about 26% of its water surface area...
to the Pacific
Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean is the largest of the Earth's oceanic divisions. It extends from the Arctic in the north to the Southern Ocean in the south, bounded by Asia and Australia in the west, and the Americas in the east.At 165.2 million square kilometres in area, this largest division of the World...
coasts.
Lafargue died in Sulphur at the age of seventy-nine. He is interred at Orange Grove Cemetery in Lake Charles
Lake Charles, Louisiana
Lake Charles is the fifth-largest incorporated city in the U.S. state of Louisiana, located on Lake Charles, Prien Lake, and the Calcasieu River. Located in Calcasieu Parish, a major cultural, industrial, and educational center in the southwest region of the state, and one of the most important in...
. Dr. Lafargue once said that his great accomplishment was having never turned away a patient in need.