Etienne de Boré
Encyclopedia
Etienne de Boré was the first person to hold the title of Mayor of New Orleans.
Though born in Kaskaskia
, Illinois, he was sent to Europe to be educated and spent most of his life there. On leaving school he entered French
military service in the King's Musketeers, and, later, after a visit to Louisiana, on business, was transferred to the cavalry. He left the army with the rank of captain. He owned a great plantation a few miles above the City of New Orleans. There he had originally cultivated indigo
. But when this product lost its market as a result of competition from Guatemala, he turned his attention to the manufacture of sugar. On his estate he set up a sugar mill and there, in 1795, had, with the aid of two Cubans, Mendez and Lopez, succeeded in producing the first granulated sugar
ever known in the colony, with the result that agriculture was completely revolutionized.
He was appointed mayor by Governor William C. C. Claiborne in 1803; he resigned to look after his personal affairs the following year. He died at around 80 years old, and is buried in New Orleans' Saint Louis Cemetery
No. 1. One of his daughters was the mother of Louisiana historian Charles Gayarré
.
Though born in Kaskaskia
Kaskaskia, Illinois
Kaskaskia is a village in Randolph County, Illinois, United States. In the 2010 census the population was 14, making it the second-smallest incorporated community in the State of Illinois in terms of population. A major French colonial town of the Illinois Country, its peak population was about...
, Illinois, he was sent to Europe to be educated and spent most of his life there. On leaving school he entered French
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
military service in the King's Musketeers, and, later, after a visit to Louisiana, on business, was transferred to the cavalry. He left the army with the rank of captain. He owned a great plantation a few miles above the City of New Orleans. There he had originally cultivated indigo
Indigo
Indigo is a color named after the purple dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria and related species. The color is placed on the electromagnetic spectrum between about 420 and 450 nm in wavelength, placing it between blue and violet...
. But when this product lost its market as a result of competition from Guatemala, he turned his attention to the manufacture of sugar. On his estate he set up a sugar mill and there, in 1795, had, with the aid of two Cubans, Mendez and Lopez, succeeded in producing the first granulated sugar
Sugar
Sugar is a class of edible crystalline carbohydrates, mainly sucrose, lactose, and fructose, characterized by a sweet flavor.Sucrose in its refined form primarily comes from sugar cane and sugar beet...
ever known in the colony, with the result that agriculture was completely revolutionized.
He was appointed mayor by Governor William C. C. Claiborne in 1803; he resigned to look after his personal affairs the following year. He died at around 80 years old, and is buried in New Orleans' Saint Louis Cemetery
Saint Louis Cemetery
Saint Louis Cemetery is the name of three Roman Catholic cemeteries in New Orleans, Louisiana. All of these graves are above ground vaults; most were constructed in the 18th century and 19th century....
No. 1. One of his daughters was the mother of Louisiana historian Charles Gayarré
Charles Gayarré
Charles Etienne Arthur Gayarre was an American historian born in New Orleans, Louisiana. A historian and a writer of plays, essays, and novels, he is chiefly remembered for his histories of Louisiana....
.
External links
- Boré biography on New Orleans Public Library site
- Boré's tenure as mayor (in Kendall's History of New Orleans, Chapter 4)