Lafargue family papers

The Lafargue family is a distinguished French Louisiana family known for its contributions in a wide variety of fields, including government, journalism, justice, law, medicine, and politics. Arnaud Lafargue (1775-1850), from the southwest corner of France, had a distinguished military career, participating in campaigns in Italy, Germany, Russia, Prussia, Bohemia, and Belgium. He was a lieutenant in the twenty-sixth regiment, rose to captain in the seventeenth, and served as colonel of the twelfth. After retiring from active service, he became adjutant-major of the National Guard of the Department des Basses Pyrénées. His son, Pierre-Adolphe Lafargue (1818-1869) participated in one of the last waves of direct French immigration to the Avoyelles and Natchitoches Parishes areas. He settled in Marksville and became superintendent of Avoyelles Parish. Later, he became publisher and editor of the Pelican, which later became the Marksville Villager; he also served as mayor of Marksville. One of his sons, Adolphe Jolna Lafargue (1855-1917) studied law at the University of Louisiana in New Orleans, then returned to Marksville and published and edited the Marksville Bulletin. He married Annie Winn Irion (1860-1889), the daughter of Marksville congressman Alfred Biggs Irion. His brother, Arnaud D. Lafargue, a state legislator, arranged for him to be named clerk of a legislative committee. In 1884, Governor McEnery, for whom he campaigned, appointed him parish assessor. Adolphe Lafargue then received a gubernatorial appointment as clerk of court. In 1899 Governor Foster appointed him judge of the tenth judicial district, and in 1912 he was elected judge of the fourteenth. His son, Alvan Henry Lafargue (1883-1962) became a noted physician, civic leader, and politician in Sulphur and Lake Charles, Louisiana. After receiving his education at Louisiana State University, Tulane Medical School, and the Memphis Hospital Medical School, he served as a parish and city health official, was a director of Lake Charles Charity Hospital, and served as a Southern Pacific Railroad physician.