Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser, December 28, 1995

STATUE TO HONOR BREAUX BRIDGE FOUNDER

By Timothy Beacham, Staff Writer

BREAUX BRIDGE -- Like many women who helped settle Acadiana, Scholastique Picou Breaux has remained an unsung hero of the area . . . until now.

Although few recognize Breaux as the founder of the St. Martin Parish community of Breaux Bridge, a group of private citizens is planning to erect a statue of the woman who founded and drew up the plans for the city.

According to city records, Breaux was married to Agricole Breaux, whose father, Firmin Breaux, built the first foot bridge across the Bayou Teche in 1799. Agricole later extended the bridge for vehicular travel in 1817.

In those days, the town of Breaux Bridge did not exist but was simply a Bayou Teche crossing point known as Pont du Breaux or Breaux's Bridge.

In 1828, Agricole died and Scholastique was left in financial dire straits. In order to settle her monetary problems, she had Plan de la Ville du Pont des Breaux drawn up and proceeded to sell lots from the land she inherited from Agricole.

On the plan were detailed drawings of planned streets, a school building, plots of land for sale and, of course, the bridge. The City of Breaux Bridge was then given its legal founding date of August 5, 1829.

Local sculptor Celia Soper has been commissioned by a group of local women to create the life-size statue of Breaux. The statue will be given to the city and given permanent residency in City Park on Berard Street.

Soper, who is the great-granddaughter of Breaux, will create the likeness of her antecedent from a composite of her own family members.

"I wasn't aware of the relationship to me until I was told Scholastique was married to Agricole who I knew was my great-grandfather, she said.

"There are no existing paintings, portraits, or pictures of Scholastique," Soper said, "so I will have to create a likeness of her based on a composite of her descendents.

"Imagination will also play a role as I try to get a feel of who she was and how she lived. "

Likening the task to the work of forensic anthropologists, who recreate facial features from skeletal remains, Soper said the task would be difficult but challenging for her as an artist because there is nothing to start from except the story of Scholastique.

"I feel she was strong and serene, calm and confident," Soper said, "A symbol of the Acadian woman. "

Breaux Bridge Director of Development Kris Dugas, who is playing a major organizational role in the project, says that the funding for the more than $20,000 statue will come from local citizens, $100 at a time.

"A bronze plaque will be at the base of the work with the names of those who donated to the project," Dugas said.

Although the names on the plaque will only be those of women, men can make donations in the names of their wives, daughters, sisters, etc.

"The statue is a tribute not only to Scholastique but also to all of the women of Breaux Bridge," Dugas said.

For more information on the project, contact Kris Dugas or Virginia Yongue at 318-332-5406.

This article is copyrighted © by the Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser and is used with permission.  This web site was originated through a grant awarded to Carencro High School (Joel Hilbun/Bobbi Marino, Grant Administrators) by the State Board of Elementary and Secondary Education from the Louisiana Quality Education Support Fund - 8(g).