CROATIAN OYSTER FISHERMEN IN LOUISIANA

 

Adam S. Eterovich

 

In 1945 Father Edward J. Kammer, Ph.D., De Paul University, wrote an excellent study of Slavonian (Croatian) Oyster Fishermen in Southeastern Louisiana in the Bulletin of the Polish Institute of Arts and Sciences in America Vol. II1. April-July 1945, Nos - 3-4. The study gives one of the best descriptions of how Croatian oystermen and their families lived in Plaquemines Parish. All of the Slavonians were Croatians.

 

The general cultural pattern in southern Louisiana is French, notably in the rural areas..Land is measured in arpents. Everywhere the soft patois of the Acadians (corrupted to Cajun) is heard. Even at baseball games the umpire is jeered at in French. Men of many nationalities have come into this section and have been absorbed into its culture, even their names changed into a French spelling or pronunciation. But there is one group which has resisted absorption, maintained their ethnic identity, and have continued a way of life which is foreign to those living around them. This group is the Slavonian (Croatian) oyster fishermen of Plaquemines Parish. This paper should properly be called a syllabus for research because it leaves many gaps in knowledge about them and asks questions for which so far no answers have been found.

 

The word "Slavonian" is applied to these fishermen because it is used by them. They call themselves Slavonians, and always with pride. Inquiry shows that more than ninety per cent of them come from the islands of the Dalmatian Archipelago  (Croatia). Every one of these islands, even the smallest, has at least one representative. The Louisiana Slavonian will tell you that he himself, or his father, or grandfather, or even great-grandfather was a fisherman in the old country. It was quite natural, then, for the immigrant to seek his livelihood in a way he knew. And this way was much better and made adjustment to his new country much easier than the way of the immigrant with a rural background who found himself plunged into the slums of a city or company town to earn his living in factory or mill.

 

The number of oyster fisherman is not large, even when compared with the total population of Plaqemines Parish which was 12,318 in 1940. Their number is estimated at about 1,200. The vast majority of them are citizens of the United States. Though this number is relatively small, their place of abode and way of life are unique enough to deserve attention.

 

Practicaly, the whole coast of Louisiana is deltaic plain of the Mississippi River. Plaquemines Parish itself is a peninsula extending into the Gulf of Mexico. Its cultivable lands lie entirely along the banks of the Mississippi. The land is highest along the river and gradually slopes into marshland. This marshland is traversed by tortuous bayous bordered by natural levee ridges and is dotted with innumerable shallow lakes and bays. The upper portion of the marshland is composed of soft, saturated and partially saturated peat, mud, and silt. Exceptions are the most striking features of the coastal prairie. They comprise: (1) the long, narrow strip of high, solid ground immediately adjacent to and on both sides of the river and the bayous; (2) the lines of growing barrier beaches that fringe the coast; and (3) the land islands a mile or more in diameter that rise above the general level of the surrounding marshes. The marsh itself presents a view of waving grasses taller than a man. Occasionally, where the ground is high and seldom covered with water, there are thickets of oaks and other trees.

 

It was into this floating prairie that the first Slavonians came. The exact date of their coming is not known. The first Baptisms in the parish church of Our Lady of Good Harbor at Buras were conferred December 4, 1864, on Louise Buras and Josephine Zibilich. Zibilich is obviously a Slavonian name and descendants with that name still live in the area. Other Slavonian names appear in subsequent entries in 1864 and 1865 not only in the register for Baptisms but also in the registers for marriages and funerals. Consequently there was at least a small group in Plaquemines Parish at that time. One grandfather interviewed maintains that there have been Slavonians in the Delta for at least 150 years.

 

Even then the more desirable land was along the river. The place to go for fish and game was away from the river into the marshes and along the coast. The only land solid enough for a dwelling was along the banks of the many bayous and it was here that dwellings were erected. And they were erected in a peculiar way--on stilts or pillings so that they would be safe from water in time of flood or storm. These houses, jutting above the flat prairie, can be seen for miles.

 

All along the Louisiana coast natural oyster reefs are to be found, usually in the saline waters of the Gulf of Mexico. Some unknown genius discovered, however, that if oysters are placed in a spot where they will get both salt and fresh water their flavor is vastly improved and so the cultivated oyster business was founded.

 

Before the oyster reaches the ultimate consumer a tremendous, amount of backbreaking work has been performed. The natural reefs are dredged, or the oysters are taken 'from them by long-handled tongs that resemble two rakes bolted together. Then they are transported to a spot where the ideal water conditions prevail. Here they are carefully spread out with shovels in water from three to six feet deep and are left for a period of two years. Once again they are tonged up and dumped into flat-bottomed boats thirty feet long.

 

These are towed to the camp for culling. In culling, the worker sits on a little stool and with a hatchet separates the oysters from one another. Empty shells and small oysters are kept in the boat to be rebedded. Market-size oysters are thrown into  the bayou to keep them fresh. After a boatload has been culled, those in the bayou are tonged up again and placed in sacks. Three times a week the sacked oysters are loaded on a lugger and taken to Buras or Empire, where they are loaded on trucks for transportation to New Orleans.

 

This brief description can give no adequate idea of the amount of work involved. The owners of bedding ground must work every day throughout the year spreading shells, culling, and even repairing fences. Underwater fences are a novelty, to say the least, but they must be used to keep out drumfish. These fish are large and are equipped with massive jaws that can crunch through an oyster shell as easy as a human cracks a peanut The have a special prediliction for oysters and a school of them can destroy an unprotected oyster, bed in a very short time.

 

The fisherman seldom works alone. He hires workers, also Slavonians, although there is a sprinkling of other nationalities, who receive from $70.00 to $90.00 per month plus board, lodging tobacco, and wine. (These wages are for normal times. At present, workers are receiving $200.00 per month.) The wine is a potent concoction made of raisins, water, sugar, and yeast. Around the porch of every camp are to be seen huge demijohns of this wine in various stages of preparation. It is served at every meal in pitchers and drunk like water.

 

The local word ""camp" has been used to describe the dwellings of the fishermen. These camps are really substantial dwellings, sturdily built to withstand the gales and hurricanes of the Gulf. They are all isolated from the nearest settlement. The only way to reach them is by boat, and the trip takes two hours. The camps are not heated in winter because it is alleged that the change from a heated camp to the wet work would cause colds. Cooking is done on oil stoves and only the best ingredients are used. For water they depend on cisterns which are filled with rain water.

 

The only women in the camps are the wives and grown daughters of the owners. Up until a few years ago it was the custom for the men to save their money and then return to Europe for a bride. Two factors have put a stop to this custom. The first, and perhaps the less important, is the situation in Europe. The second is that now there is a sufficient number of Slavonian girls to make acceptable brides. By an  acceptable bride" is meant one who will work hard and raise a large family. As soon as the children attain school age, the mother moves to New Orleans so that they may go to school. Of course, this does not make for normal family life. When the children have been educated, the mother returns to the camp where they spend the rest of their days.

 

Both girls and boys marry quite young. A boy of eighteen is fully capable of earning as much as any man in the marsh. There is very little formality with the engagement. In many cases, consent of the parents is not asked but merely taken for granted. In such cases the parents do not feel slighted, but they have known all along of the state of affairs and only wait to be told that marriage is intended. The giving of an engagement ring to the betrothed is exceptional. However, it is a rigid rule that once a girl becomes engaged she must not be accompanied to any social function except by her fiance. Even at dances she may not dance with anyone but him. If any man dare violate this code, he must be prepared to step outside and defend himself.

 

It is the expected thing that after the wedding ceremony there be a celebration at the home of the bride, with food and drink in abundance, followed by a dance at the nearest hall at night where at least beer is served to the guests. No invitation is necessary to attend the ceremony, the reception-though it does not bear that formal name --or the dance. Everybody is welcome, and only the unfriendly stay away. There is always a wedding cake, more or less elaborate, which the bride cuts. It is considered good luck to get a piece of this cake. At the wedding dance that man is honored who dances with the bride.

 

Large families are the expected thing. The average number of children per family is about five, and larger families are not exceptional. A childless marriage is considered a tragedy.

 

Divorce is not accepted among the fishermen. A divorced person is made to feel social disapproval. This ostracism is aimed especially at the women, because they are blamed for the divorce. It might be expected that where there are so many early marriages a divorce would be condoned on the basis of a mistake made by youthful impetuosity that should be corrected. But such it not the case. Even among the young people marriage is considered as a most serious affair, so that their attitude towards divorce is the same as that of their elders.

 

Children soon learn that they live in a man's world. It is considered a man's privilege to become drunk, and it is no disgrace for a man to be seen drunk in public. But the girl or woman who demeans herself in this way is held in contempt by both men and women. Prestige is earned by purely physical accomplishments. The man who can shoot better than his neighbors, paddle a pirogue faster, tong more oysters, or hold more liquor, is admired for these accomplishments. At Buras the influence of the assistant pastor was enhanced because he was a crack shot. Cuts, bruises, aches, and pains are endured with a stoicism that is amazing. It comes as a surprise that this cult of courage and

physical prowess has not produced a legendary figure like Paul Bunyan or John Henry. Foolhardiness, however, is regarded as contemptible. This is especially the case regarding stormy weather. What wind and heavy sea can do to a boat has been impressed upon them by bitter experience and by stories of the great hurricanes of 1893 and 1915. Any man who ventures out In a boat when all the weather signs point to a storm is a fool and richly deserves the worst that may befall him. They may grab a bull alligator by the snout when he sticks his head out of a hole in the bayou mud, or crush the head of a deadly cotton-mouth moccasin with their heel; but they stay inside when the weather gets rough.

 

It is the man who makes the contracts with the outside world. Many cases are found where the woman can speak only Slavonian, while the man is bilingual. The man does the bargaining for the sale of his oysters. If the wife is present, she keeps a discreet silence. She may berate her husband for making a bad bargain, but only in the privacy of the home. It would be unseemly for her to enter the negotiations and, what is worse, a reflection on the man’s ability to conduct his own business.

 

The religion of the oyster fishermen is Roman Catholic, at least nominally. So many live at such a distance from the nearest church at least two hours by boat-that regular attendance at religious services is out of the question. They display, however, an admirable anxiety to have their children baptized as soon as possible. A prominent place is given to statues and pictures of saints in their camps and in the cabins of boats.

 

Two religious feast days loom large in their lives. The first of these is the Feast of the Nativity of St. John the Baptist, June 24th. The day is celebrated with eating, drinking, singing, and. bathing. There is something ceremonial about this bathing, but the explanation is lost. One young man, who has been in this country only six years, informed the writer that on his island there was ceremonial bathing on this day because it was considered unhealthy to go bathing sooner. There is an obvious connection, of course, between St. John the Baptist and bathing. The second religious celebration is that of Christmas Day. All come in from their camps for Mass and sing Slavonian Christmas carols in front of the church. All of Christmas week is then celebrated with eating and drinking and visiting among relatives and friends.

 

A quite common attitude is that religion is something for women and children. The men feel that they do not have the time to attend services regularly. Sometimes, this indifferentism shades off into out right hostility toward the church and its priests. But the blame cannot be laid entirely on the laity. In the past the Church has suffered from scandals of various kinds given either by pastors or visiting priests. These scandals have had a harmful effect in the localities where they occurred,  the usual result being a drop in church attendance or even abandonment of religious practices altogether. The present pastors have to heal the deep wounds inflicted by those scandals. Their task is not an easy one.

 

The oystermen have kept their language and their interest in the homeland. Slavonian newspapers published in Chicago, New York, and Pittsburgh have many subscribers in the marsh area. This is in striking contrast to their French-speaking neighbors who have no newspapers published inFrench and manifest little or no interest in foreign affairs. The language barrier has tended to make the Slavonians clannish, but they are not hostile in their relations with other groups. Like other groups, they also have a nickname-Tako. It is derived from the word -tako," meaning "in this way," which is used as loosely and freely as the American O.K.  Like all nicknames it is best used with caution or not at all by strangers.

 

This sketch will be completed with a description of the recreation taken by the fishermen. A dance of any kind is their favorite form of amusement. The dances are attended by persons of all ages. Very seldom now does one hear old folk music; the tunes come rather from Tin Pan Ally by means of a juke box or an orchestra brought down from New Orleans for special occasions. The radio has brought the outside world into their seclusion; every camp and every boat has its radio operated by batteries. A stranger is always welcome at their camps if he is not too inquisitive and will be shown courtly hospitality. Occasionally they will take a day off to hunt ducks or geese or alligators. Fishing is not considered a sport; it is done to provide food.

 

At some not too distant future date this sketch may be used as an obituary. Oil has been discovered in Plaquemines, Parish. Each year since 1938, when the first well was brought in at Golden Meadow, Lafourche Parish, the number of oil rigs has steadily increased. Brine and other waste from the drilling pollute the waters. At least one lawsuit has resulted from damages done to oyster beds by an oil company. Should the oil fields spread much farther gourmets will have lost a fruitful source of a succulent food and Louisiana will have lost some of its most picturesque characters.

 

From 1800-1870 we have identified over 150 Croatian oystermen-fishermen in Plaquemines Parish, Louisiana. This number can safely be tripled to 450 due to inadequate record keeping and errors of nativity made by the Census takers. Most in Plaquemines lived in stilt houses over the water and were in isolated areas of the Bayous. Many moved in and out of Plaquemines to New Orleans, Louisiana and were not counted. (Eterovich 2005)

 

NAME                                     YEARS            OCCUPATION          ORIGIN

 

BAPTISTE, JOHN                    1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BARBAZA, FRANK                  1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BARBIN, LUCAS                     1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BARICH, PETER                     1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BENDICH, MARCO                 1859                Oysterman                Dalmatia

BENDICH, NIKOLA                 1870                Mariner                     Dalmatia

BENDICH, PETER                   1870                Oysterman                Dalmatia

BONTARDIC, MARIANO         1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BOZANICH, NATALI                1863                Oysterman                Vis

BUBANJ, CHARLES               1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BUBANJ, LUCAS                    1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

BUBANJ. LOUIS                     1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CAMOVICH, JOSEPH             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CARTOVICH, NICOLI              1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CASCARICH, JOSEPH            1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CATACH, GEORGE                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CATACH, SIMON                    1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CATANOVICH, GEORGE         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CATOVICH, ELI                      1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CEHEOVICH, A                       1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CHURELICH, JOSEPH           1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CIBILICH, JOSEPH                1850                Fisherman                Duba

CIBILICH, NICOLA                 1860                Fisherman                Duba

COGNEVICH, IGNACIO          1870                Fisherman                Konavle

COGNEVICH, STEPHEN         1844                Fisherman                Konavle

CONIVICICH, P                       1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CORNAVICH, JOHANN           1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

COSA, LUCA                           1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

CUSEVICH, ELIAS                  1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

DABELICH, NICOL                 1850                Fisherman                Mljet

DACOVICH, MARCO               1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

DASOVICH, LOUIS                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

DULCICH, VINCENT               1870                Fisherman                Hvar

FRANKOVICH, M                    1870                Mariner                     Trpanj

FRANOVICH, NIKOLA             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

GOBELICH, SPIRO                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

GRANDOLICH, GEORGE        1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

GRANICH, ANTHONY             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

GRANICH, IVAN                      1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

GUSMANOVICH, N                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

HOICH, ANDRE                      1863                Oysterman                Dalmatia

ILISICH, HYACINTHE             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

ITIRINICH, LUKA                    1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JANCOVICH, MICHAEL          1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JANCOVICH, PIETRO             1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JASPRICA, ANTHONY             1870                Fisherman                Janjina

JOVANOVICH, MARK             1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JUCUROVICH, IVAN              1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JURETICH, ANDRE                1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JURETICH, FRANCOIS           1863                Oysterman                Dalmatia

JURETICH, FRANK                 1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JURICH, ANDRE                    1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JURICH, STEFAN                   1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

JURISICH, LUKE                    1855                Oysterman                Duba

JURJEVICH, PAUL                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

LAPOVICH, ADAM                  1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

LIDOTICH, LUKA                    1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

LITOVICH, PETER                  1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

LUSICH, GEORGE                  1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

LUSICH, LEO                          1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MACHELA, MATEO                 1870                Oysterman                Vrucica

MALOSCICH, BOSKO             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MARGODICH, IVAN                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MARICICH, ANTON                1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MARKOVICH, P                      1850                Blind                         Dalmatia

MARTOVICH, JOHANES         1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MASCOVICH, JOSEPH           1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MASICH, JOSEPH                  1870                Fisherman                Sreser

MATANICH, H                         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MATONICH, R                         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MATOVICH, FRANK                1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MATULICH, GAJTAN              1860                Fisherman                Brac

MATULICH, NIKOLA               1855                Fisherman                Brac

MERLICH, PIETRO                 1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MESTROVICH, GEORGE        1870                Mariner                     Kuna

MILADIN, THOMAS                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILANOVICH, ADAM              1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILANOVICH, BOGDAN         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILANOVICH, C                     1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILASOVICH, JACOV            1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILOSEVICH, J                      1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILOSOVICH, MARCO           1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILOVICH, JOSEPH               1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MILOVICH, THOMAS              1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MISABORICH, GEORGE         1870                Mariner                     Dalmatia

MLADINEO, NICHOLAS          1870                Fisherman                Hvar

MOJAVICH, CARBINI             1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MUMANOVICH, P                   1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MUNICH, ANTHONY               1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

MURINA, MATEO                    1860                Fisherman                Duba

MUSELIVICH, BLAS               1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

OZMANOVICH, ANTHONY      1860                Fisherman                Hercegovina

PARGOLICH, FRANCISCO      1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PASTROVICH, LUKE              1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PATOVICH, MARKO                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PAYITICH, ANTHONY              1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PEDERICH, VINCENT             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PENDO, ILIA                           1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PERAG, TONY                         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PEROVICH, PETER                 1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PETANOVICH, ANTHONY       1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PETROVICH, JOHN                1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PETROVICH, MARCO             1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PETROVICH, PERANI             1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PETROVICH, PETER               1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PICOLICH, PETER                  1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PIGNOLO, JOHN B                 1835                Fisherman                Perast

PILOTICH, PETER                   1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PIROGADA, PEDRO                1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PIVEY, ANTONIO                    1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

POLICH, BARB                       1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

PORTOVICH, LUKA                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

RADOVICH, LAZARO              1868                Resident                   Dalmatia

RAFFALICH, NIKOLA              1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

RAJNOVICH, MICHEL            1850                Ship Peddler             Dalmatia

RANA, VLAHO                         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

RASTIANOVICH, BOSKO        1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

RASTOVICH, R                       1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

SANSOVICH, VINCENT           1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

SCOBEL, LUKA                      1870                Mariner                     Dalmatia

SCOKENCOVICH, P                1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

SOSICH, ELI                           1863                Oysterman                Dalmatia

STANOVICH, JOHN                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

SUICH, CHRISTOPHER          1850                Fisherman                Brac

SUICH, NICOLE                      1860                Fisherman                Brac

TALIANCICH, PETER              1870                Fisherman                Igrane

TANOVICH, NICOLAS             1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

TERTORICH, GASPAR            1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

TOMASICH, V                         1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

TOSICH, ILIA                          1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

TROYANI, SAM                       1867                Fisherman                Dalmatia

UBIRICHICH, JOHN               1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

UBIRICHICH, KRISTO            1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia

VIDACOVICH, ANTONINE      1850                Resident                   Dalmatia

VIDACOVICH, GEORGE         1870                Ship Pilot                  Dalmatia

VIDACOVICH, JUAN               1863                Oysterman                Dalmatia

VUCINOVICH, JOHN              1870                Mariner                     Dalmatia

VUKOVICH, ANT                     1850                Fisherman                Dalmatia

VUKOVICH, JOHN                  1860                Fisherman                Dalmatia

VULICH, ANTHONY                1870                Fisherman                Dalmatia