Pointe Coupee man knows history

Brian Costello knows more about the history of Pointe Coupee Parish than just about anybody. And what he doesn’t know, he’s trying to learn — which means spending hours leafing through court records and poring over decades-old, handwritten family histories. The 42-year-old abstractor who lives with his wife, Mary, just outside New Roads in what was once known as the town of Mix, came by his interest in parish history early. “My grandparents would always have visitors over and they would always talk about the past,” Costello said. “I was fascinated.” He grew up in a house just across La. 1 from False River, sandwiched between his grandparents’ home and that of a great aunt. He lives now in the house that was formerly owned by the great aunt. The conversations Costello overheard as a child made a deep and lasting impression, he said. One gentleman in particular, Murray LeBeau, was a weekly visitor who always had entertaining stories to share, Costello said. He described LeBeau, who died in 2007 at 98, as “an oral historian and raconteur.” Costello said he eventually recorded LeBeau’s accounts on cassette tapes. Costello graduated with a major in history from Louisiana State University, edited the local newspaper, the Pointe Coupee Banner, for a time and set about writing a series of books about Louisiana, the parish and its people. Costello’s first book, “New Roads: A Community in Retrospect,” was commissioned by the town and published in 1993. His most recent, “Desolation Unmeasured … The Tragic History of Floods in Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana,” was published in 2007. There would be 15 other books in between, including a biography of Julien Poydras, an early settler of Pointe Coupee Parish and prominent philanthropist. Poydras left a lasting stamp on Louisiana as it transitioned from Spanish, French and English hands to become a part of the United States.

[Aristide Marshall]

My grandfather was Aristide Langlois with both white and black relatives.His father's name was Victorin Langlois a frenchmen and His mother's name Marie Jean Pierre a Haitian.

[Islandude]

My grandfather was Stanislaus Hymel Jr with all white relatives....His father was Stanislaus Hymel Sr...owned Esperanza Plantation at one time.

You point is....?

:D

[minsky]

Perhaps he thinks that he is Creole aristocracy...

[Islandude]

ahhhh....maybe so

gotta be proud of something i guess

[Aristide Marshall]

I am proud of my heritage. No point is necessary.

[Blue Cloud]

Ha! Shut you two up, didn't he!

[minsky]

Blue Cloud...uh, NO!

[Islandude]

Yeah, let me brag about other meaningless stuff (meaningless in that others really, really don't care)

But hooray for you anyways

can we get a topic in here?

Maybe like why Brian is growing that bush under his nose?

[minsky]

Brian looks like a little kid with a fake Halloween goatee and mustache.

[minsky]

Aristide Marshall wrote:

I am proud of my heritage. No point is necessary.

Well, congratufuckinglations!

[Islandude]

minsky wrote:

Brian looks like a little kid with a fake Halloween goatee and mustache.

I love the guy but, yanno, some people just can't carry the 'stache...

me being one of them...I look like a seal with the flavor-saver

[Aristide Marshall]

minsky wrote:

<quoted text>
Well, congratufuckinglations!

I love his superior use of the English language. I would like to buy Mr. Costello's books.Could you tell me where I can purchase them? I would like to have a cup of coffee with minsky! He is a smart ass! I am one too!

[Ridiculous People]

Islandude wrote:

Yeah, let me brag about other meaningless stuff (meaningless in that others really, really don't care)
But hooray for you anyways
can we get a topic in here?
Maybe like why Brian is growing that bush under his nose?

Stop being a dumb axx!

[Creole Belle]

Aristide Marshall wrote:

<quoted text> I love his superior use of the English language. I would like to buy Mr. Costello's books.Could you tell me where I can purchase them? I would like to have a cup of coffee with minsky! He is a smart ass! I am one too!

I too am of similar lineage (and proud of it). You can find Mr. Costello's book, "The Creoles of Pointe Coupee" at Still Waters on Main Street.

[Aristide Marshall]

Creole Belle wrote:

<quoted text>
I too am of similar lineage (and proud of it). You can find Mr. Costello's book, "The Creoles of Pointe Coupee" at Still Waters on Main Street.

Thank you! I can tell you have a similar background.

[Aristide Marshall]

I just recently published my first book about my family in point coupee parish. The title is "The Trumpet Talked with Me! and the ISBN:HARDCOVER 978-1-4415-5911-1 SOFTCOVER 978-1-4415-5910-4. My grandfather was Aristide Langlois with a french father and haitian mother.