Matilda Gray Stream, who was celebrated for her work as a philanthropist, a connoisseur, a preservationist and an environmentalist, died Saturday at her home in Lake Charles. She was 99.
Ancestor Project honours lives of those enslaved in Louisiana
by Maria Clark, Usa Today/The American South, The Associated Press
Posted Feb 13, 2021 1:48 am EDT
Last Updated Feb 13, 2021 at 1:58 am EDT
EDGARD, La. Frederick Baconnais was born during the peak of the sugar cane harvest season at the Evergreen Plantation in Edgard, Louisiana. At 5 a.m. on Dec. 12, 1852, he drew his first breath, according to historic records. His mother, Victorine, a house slave at Evergreen, was 18 years old.
He was only two when she died.
But Baconnais would name one of his daughters Victoria in remembrance of his mother.
Their stories are among several recounted through photos and narratives in Evergreen’s Ancestor Project.