Marco Givanovich-Plantation-1860

MARCO’S CROATIAN PLANTATION

By Adam S. Eterovich

www.croatians.com

Marco Givanovich: While reviewing the 1860 United States Census of Population for Natchitoches, Louisiana, a place not known as a Croatian center, four Croatians were listed for the whole county. A. Marinovich, age 27, was a merchant worth $1000; F. Radisich, age 40, was worth $6200; Mattia Baziza, age 46, was worth $100; and Marco Givanovich, age 34 was listed as a planter with $150,000 in real estate and a personal worth of $250,000. This included slaves.

One could easily come to the conclusion that this was undoubtedly the richest Croatian Colony for any county in America if you divided the $400,000 by four lone Croatians, making a per capita worth of $100,000 at least!

Nicolas Gracich built the place in 1820 and called it the "Home Place." Its name was changed to "Marco Plantation Home" when it was purchased by his nephew, Marco Givanovich, in 1863, for the sum of $325,000.

Marco Givanovich, a bachelor not nearly the cultivated gentleman that his uncle had been, led a free rollicking life with the result that many in the vicinity claimed to be his descendants. He had made a fortune and also, in his spare time, raised a family of quadroon children. The Plantation, located on the Cane River, was a going concern until his death in 1896. The will showed that the entire estate was left to a nephew in Dalmatia with the nephew dying in 1926 and leaving the estate to seven children.

The will of Marco Givanovich was probated February 24, 1896. W. Hyams, Clerk at Natchitoches, La., No. 22918, Book 94, page 52 dated Feb. 24, 1896.

The Marco House was of the high basement type plantation home, with very wide central hallways on both floors, the one on the ground floor being paved with brick, similar to the ones in the French Quarter of New Orleans. It was a splendidly constructed old house with large rooms and French windows, with transoms and shutters, with a typical outside stairway on the right as one faced the building. The house was extremely attractive and held great allure for those interested in good architecture of an earlier date.

Today his descendants own much land along Cane River. It is good to hear that a Croatian "made it" in America and "enjoyed it." Perhaps one or two of his descendants along the Cane River can still give us a "dobar dan" or "kako si" if we ever pass through. I have run across Croatian- Indians in the 1860's in California, Nevada, Oregon and Washington. Colored Croatians are unique, especially with French blood.