http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lewis_Strong_ClarkeLewis Strong Clarke, Sr. (November 7, 1837 – July 5, 1906), was the owner of a sugar plantation in St. Mary Parish and a leader of the Republican Party in the U.S. state of Louisiana in the latter part of the 19th century.
Clarke was born in Southampton in Hampshire County in west centralMassachusetts, a son of Oliver Clarke and the former Elizabeth Strong. In infancy, he moved with his family to Springfield in Clark County in western Ohio, where he was subsequently educated in public schools. After working for a time as a produce dealer in Cincinnati, Ohio, Clarke and his friend, George Steele, purchased a sugar plantation on Bayou Teche near Patterson, Louisiana. This area is now part of Bayou Vista in St. Mary Parish in south Louisiana. Clarke and Steele named the plantation "Lagonda" after Lagonda Creek in Springfield, Ohio.[1]
In 1878, George Steele and Oliver Clarke, Lewis Clarke's younger brother, died in a yellow-fever epidemic. With his partner gone, Lewis Clarke became sole owner and operator of Lagonda. In the late 1880s, as part of his sugar-refining operation, Clarke established one of the first effusion plants in Louisiana.[1]
On February 28, 1888, at the age of 50, Clarke married 23-year-old Lillian Keener Lyons (born 1865), daughter of Dr. Johnson J. Lyons and the former Frances Augusta Equen. Their six children were Lewis Strong Clarke, Jr. (born 1889), George Steele Clarke (born 1890), Elizabeth Clarke (born 1891), Walter Lyons Clarke (born 1894), Oliver Lyons Clarke (born 1897), and Frank Delmas Clarke (born 1900).[1]
Clarke became active in politics in 1894 through a faction of moderate Louisiana Republicans sometimes called the "New Party." In 1896, Clarke managed the gubernatorial campaign of John Newton Pharr, the Republican nominee who received 43 percent of the vote against the incumbent Democrat Murphy James Foster, Sr., who won a second term in office.[1]
Clarke was the Louisiana Republican national committeeman from 1900 to 1904. He died in New Orleans and was buried first at Lafayette Cemetery I. Thereafter, he was re-interred at Metairie Cemetery in New Orleans.[1][2]
http://www.elmoreratliffreunion.com/handy-elmore-family.htmlFamily Legacy of Elihu Handy Elmore and Nellie Ratliff Elmore
While it is recognized that our names came from the slave owners representing various plantation owners, we are the extremely PROUD descendants of our ancestry forefathers and foremothers. And, we are coming together again to Celebrate - having a celebration of what God has done in our ancestors and thru us. See you there June 26 - 28, 2015!
Much of the following information was provided by Andrea Wilson Hilliard in the 2000 Family Reunion History Booklet. Supplementary information was done by Sheena Wilson Coleman over time since 2000.
Elihu was born on about July 1874 on Lagonda plantation in Louisiana. His parents Daniel and Addie Elmore had about nineteen children. This is still being researched. He was 19 years of age when he met Nellie on Hope (Delmas Plantation) Plantation known by some as Delmas Plantation. It was owned by Mrs. A. Delmas . It was next to an oak tree that hung gently over into the Atchafalaya River. Nellie was born on about January 1875 on hope Plantation After a substantial courtship, they were married in 1896 nex to the oak tree from which they first met. Out that marriage came ten children:
Emily Elmore Perry
Amanda Elmore Wilson
Arthur Elmore
Mary Elmore Brandon
Steve Elmore
Cora Ada Elmore Montgomery
Westley Elmore
Sadie Elmore Wilson
Chanie Elmore Veal
Ida Belle Elmore Clemmons
Elhu was a day laborer farmer. He could read and write and was known to be taught by his parents Daniel and Addie Elmore. He lived in a rental home on the plantation with his family. The home had three rooms: the main room, and two bedrooms. This home housed twelve people. Elihu also worked on a farm refinery in Port Arthur, Texas in 1922. Note: many of the Elmore siblings migrated to Port Arthur, Texas for employment
He worked at the Pattersonville Sawmill now named Patterson, Louisiana. He taught his children to read and write after he would return from the fields in which he worked. He would give them homework on their slate and when he returned home that afternoon their homework was expected to be completed. Once he checked and went over it with them, he would give them another assignment for the next day. . After Elihu :Handy” would retire for bed, the children would stay up late playing their favorite game. They did not have wallpaper, but they used newspaper as their wallpaper. Their game would go like this: one of the children would say I'm thinking of a word that begins with a letter "M" and ends with letter "N" , if no one would guess the word, then another clue was given, such as saying "Ma" and ends with the letter"N". The word would bey Mason. Once one of the children would guess the word they would take over and give another clue. Sadie Elmore Wilson recalled her brothers and sisters playing this well into the late night hours.
Elihu moved his family across the river in town because he did not want his children to travel on the boat twice a day across the Atchafalaya River to attend school. He was a member of the New Salem Baptist Church. After marrying Nellie, he joined Saint Luke Baptist Church where his wife was a member. Her family was one of the founders of Saint Luke Baptist Church.
Elihu was a tall and dark skinned man. He wore a hat and overalls. His voice as deep and soft and he was know to have a mustache. He could sing and so could his children. The Elmore Family had a piano in their Patterson home, and he played the piano well.
This history is work in progress, we welcome all addendum to our family legacy.
GOOD LUCK