Louis Herman Marrero (July 17, 1847 – February 26, 1921) was a prominent American soldier, politician, businessman, banker,

chief of police Chief may refer to: Title or rank Military and law enforcement * Chief master sergeant, the ninth, and highest, enlisted rank in the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Space Force * Chief of police, the head of a police department * Chief of the boa ...

, and landowner. During his lifetime, he served in many political offices, such as governor of

Saint Bernard Parish St. Bernard Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Bernard; es, Parroquia de San Bernardo) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of ...

(1884–1896),

Sheriff A sheriff is a government official, with varying duties, existing in some countries with historical ties to England where the office originated. There is an analogous, although independently developed, office in Iceland that is commonly transla ...

(1896), President of

Jefferson Parish, Louisiana Jefferson Parish (french: Paroisse de Jefferson; es, Parroquia de Jefferson) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. As of the 2020 census, the population was 440,781. Its parish seat is Gretna, its largest community is Metairie, and its ...

(1884–1916) and Louisiana state senator (1892–1896). He also served as the President of the Jefferson Commercial & Savings bank (in

Gretna, Louisiana Gretna is the second-largest city in, and parish seat of, Jefferson Parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. "Gretna, Louisiana (LA) Detailed Profile" (notes), ''City Data'', 2007, webpage: C-Gretna "Census 2000 Data for the State of Loui ...

), and president of the Marrero Land and Improvement Association, Ltd.

Biography

Louis H. Marrero was born on July 17, 1847, near Kingston, in

Adams County, Mississippi Adams County is a county located in the U.S. state of Mississippi. As of the 2020 census, the population was 29,538. The county seat is Natchez. The county is the first to have been organized in the former Mississippi Territory. It is named ...

. His father, Bastian A. Marrero, was born in

St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana St. Bernard Parish (french: Paroisse de Saint-Bernard; es, Parroquia de San Bernardo) is a parish in the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat and largest community is Chalmette. The parish was formed in 1807. St. Bernard Parish is part of t ...

, while his mother, Anna Lydia (Swayze) Marrero, was born in Adams County, Mississippi. He was the eldest of five siblings. His siblings were Alonso, F. William, Eugene C. and Frank G. His paternal great-grandparents were Spanish settlers, Bartolomé Marrero and Josefa Sosa, who originated in the

Canary Islands The Canary Islands (; es, Canarias, ), also known informally as the Canaries, are a Spanish autonomous community and archipelago in the Atlantic Ocean, in Macaronesia. At their closest point to the African mainland, they are west of Morocc ...

and arrived in Louisiana from

Santa Cruz de Tenerife Santa Cruz de Tenerife, commonly abbreviated as Santa Cruz (), is a city, the capital of the island of Tenerife, Province of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, and capital of the Canary Islands. Santa Cruz has a population of 206,593 (2013) within its admi ...

in October 15, 1778, with their daughters and other

Canarian Canary Islanders, or Canarians ( es, canarios), are a Romance people and ethnic group. They reside on the Canary Islands, an autonomous community of Spain near the coast of northwest Africa, and descend from a mixture of European settlers and abor ...

settlers.Dr. Gilbert C. Din (August 1, 1999). ''The Canary Islanders in Louisiana''. Louisiana State University Press. Settlers in Louisiana from the Canaries are known as

Isleños Isleños (Spanish: ) are the inhabitants of the Canary Islands, and by extension the Kinship, descendants of Canarian people, Canarian settlers and immigrants to present-day Louisiana, Texas, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Puerto Rico ...

. Louis H. Marrero mainly studied at the Potter Private School and the preparatory department of the

Centenary College of Louisiana at Jackson The original campus of Centenary College of Louisiana is located along College Street in Jackson, Louisiana. It is operated and preserved as a museum by thLouisiana Office of State Parksas the Centenary State Historic Site, offering educational in ...

. When he was 15 years old, he enlisted in Company C, 25th Louisiana Infantry, and fought at the Battle of Farmington as well as the

Second Battle of Corinth The second Battle of Corinth (which, in the context of the American Civil War, is usually referred to as the Battle of Corinth, to differentiate it from the siege of Corinth earlier the same year) was fought October 3–4, 1862, in Corinth, M ...

. He also fought alongside Bragg's army in the state of

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

, in

Nashville Nashville is the capital city of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the seat of Davidson County. With a population of 689,447 at the 2020 U.S. census, Nashville is the most populous city in the state, 21st most-populous city in the U.S., and the ...

and

Murfreesboro Murfreesboro is a city in and county seat of Rutherford County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 152,769 according to the 2020 census, up from 108,755 residents certified in 2010. Murfreesboro is located in the Nashville metropol ...

Tennessee Tennessee ( , ), officially the State of Tennessee, is a landlocked state in the Southeastern region of the United States. Tennessee is the 36th-largest by area and the 15th-most populous of the 50 states. It is bordered by Kentucky to th ...

(where he was wounded) and in

Jackson, Mississippi Jackson, officially the City of Jackson, is the Capital city, capital of and the List of municipalities in Mississippi, most populous city in the U.S. state of Mississippi. The city is also one of two county seats of Hinds County, Mississippi, ...

. On November 25, 1863, he was captured and imprisoned at

Rock Island, Illinois Rock Island is a city in and the county seat of Rock Island County, Illinois, Rock Island County, Illinois, United States. The original Rock Island, from which the city name is derived, is now called Rock Island Arsenal, Arsenal Island. The popul ...

. He remained there until March 1865, when he was taken to

Richmond Richmond most often refers to: * Richmond, Virginia, the capital of Virginia, United States * Richmond, London, a part of London * Richmond, North Yorkshire, a town in England * Richmond, British Columbia, a city in Canada * Richmond, California, ...

and put on probation. After the war ended, Louis H. Marrero was devoted to planting and marketing. Later, in 1867, he moved to St. Bernard Parish where he served as sheriff for many years. In 1881, he continued this job in the Jefferson Parish. He was an active member in the Democratic party, being elected to several charges: the

Police Jury In the U.S. state of Louisiana, the typical governing body of the parish is called the Police Jury ( French: ''le Jury de Police''). Not every parish is governed by a Police Jury, but 38 of the 64 parishes use this system. The Police Jury is the ...

Jefferson Parish Jefferson may refer to: Names * Jefferson (surname) * Jefferson (given name) People * Thomas Jefferson (1743–1826), third president of the United States * Jefferson (footballer, born 1970), full name Jefferson Tomaz de Souza, Brazilian foot ...

(1883–1896), serving as President (1884–1896), member of the

Louisiana Senate The Louisiana State Senate (french: Sénat de Louisiane) is the upper house of the Louisiana State Legislature, state legislature of Louisiana. All senators serve four-year terms and are assigned to multiple committees. Composition The Louis ...

(1892–1896), member of the

Lafourche Parish Lafourche Parish (french: Paroisse de la Fourche) is a parish located in the south of the U.S. state of Louisiana. The parish seat is Thibodaux. The parish was formed in 1807. It was originally the northern part of Lafourche Interior Parish, whi ...

Levee Board (1892–1896), Jefferson Parish

(1896-1920), and member of the Constitutional Convention of 1898. He also had many other occupations, most notably as president of the Jefferson Commercial & Savings bank,''Times-Picayune Obituary''. 02-27-1921, page 65 in

, and as president of the Marrero Land and Improvement Association, Ltd. During his administration in Jefferson Parish, he attracted companies to the region and founded stores devoted to the sale of agricultural products to benefit the local farmers.Betsy Swanson (Second edition: February, 2004)
Historic Jefferson Parish: From Shore to Shore
Pelican Publishing Company. Page 122. Marrero served as the President of the Jefferson Commercial & Savings bank since its founding. Simultaneously he also served as the President of the Marrero Land and Improvement Association. He died on Saturday, February 26, 1921, of "heart disease" at his home on Barataria Boulevard, in Marrero. Services were held at Immaculate Conception Church on February 28, 1921, and interment at

Metairie Cemetery Metairie Cemetery is a cemetery in southeastern Louisiana. The name has caused some people to mistakenly presume that the cemetery is located in Metairie, Louisiana, but it is located within the New Orleans city limits, on Metairie Road (and f ...

Personal life

In 1868, Louis H. Marrero married Elodie Marrero, his second cousin. They had four children: sons Leo A., William Felix, and Louis H. Jr.; and a daughter who died prior to 1892. He was Catholic and a wealthy landowner. In the late nineteenth century, he obtained a large plot of land, located near the Ames Plantation, and he

lease A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are leased. Industrial ...

d or sold small land's plots to vegetable farmers. He and his son, Leo A. Marrero, along with other relatives, founded the Marrero Land and Improvement Association, an organization that encompassed much of Westbank (particularly the Marrero and

Harvey Harvey, Harveys or Harvey's may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Harvey'' (play), a 1944 play by Mary Chase about a man befriended by an invisible anthropomorphic rabbit * Harvey Awards ("Harveys"), one of the most important awards ...

areas).

Legacy

* The Marrero town and the Louis H Marrero Park, both located in Jefferson Parish, were founded after him.Mapcarta: Louis H Marrero Park Map - Louisiana - Mapcarta
* The Marrero Road (a road localized between Ames Boulevard and Barataria Boulevard) was founded after him. The Marrero Road was built at the ''principal land'' of Louis H. Marrero.Earl Higgins (2011)
Metairie, Ames, High: The Streets of Jefferson Parish
Pelican Publishing Company. Page 85.

References

External links

Louis H Marrero Park (in Jefferson Parish, LA)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Marrero, Luis H. 1847 births 1921 deaths People from Adams County, Mississippi Louisiana Isleño people American people of Spanish descent Louisiana Democrats American bankers 19th-century American landowners Catholics from Mississippi 20th-century American landowners