Never Settle

Jean Leon Beaucondray was born in France, as was his young wife, Eulalie, but I can only wonder if their families knew one another back in the 1850s.  These two young people had been experiencing a lot of history in their nation, before deciding to leave.  Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte (Napoleon III) was the current Emperor... The Treaty of Paris had just ended The Crimean War.  There was a great deal of formerly French property that had become a part of the United States.  Perhaps one of them already had relatives settling there.  For whatever reason... they left.

Vintage Statue of Liberty
Post Card

Maybe they were married before ever leaving for America.  Maybe they hadn't even meet until arriving in New York.  However it happened, they married, and their son John Leon Jr was born there in October of 1858.  A second son, August, was also born in New York in 1860.  But for whatever reason... they left.

Maybe they were attempting to ride out the America Civil war in New Jersey, as their son Camille was born there in 1861, and their son Adolph, in 1865.  Jersey soil saw no battle action, but the state was a leader in providing troops and equipment for the Union.  A year or two later, somebody was bitten by the travel bug, and they left.

Like so many other families at that time, they headed west.  They could've taken the steam train, but passenger tickets were expensive.  Not to mention they were traveling with young children and most likely, a household of personal belongings.  Under these circumstances, the best and only way to accomplish long distance relocation, was by good old fashioned wagon train:  Ingalls Style!   

Are We There Yet?



In November of 1868, the Beaucondrays are found in Kentucky, where their next son, Emile was born.  Two years later, in September of 1870, their daughter Eulalie "Lilly" was born in Missouri, where Jean Leon was a tailor. 

Their last two children arrived after the family settled in New Orleans, Louisiana.  Daughter Rose was born in 1873, and son Anatole in 1878.  Here is where they stayed, and Jean-Leon managed a country store.  In the 1880 Census, August is no longer with them.  Did he die along the journey, or during one of their many temporary stops?  Was it illness, or Indians?  In the 1900 census, Eulalie explains that there had been two other children that were born and died in those lost moments, between recorded documents. 

Jean-Leon died in 1897 and Eulalie, sometime after 1900, but most of their family remained, and planted permanent roots in New Orleans.  They never left. 

New Orleans in 1880