a VERMILION PARISH article

Cultures of Acadiana
a look at the French, Cajun, Creole, and Native American cultures of south Louisiana
(a project of Carencro High School (721 West Butcher Switch Road, Lafayette, LA 70507)

Lafayette (LA) Daily Advertiser, June 24, 1997

August Erath sold beer, ice

by Jim Bradshaw

August Erath was one of six brothers who came to America from Switzerland and settled in New Orleans. He moved to New Iberia in 1876, became a successful businessman and served at one time as mayor of the town.

He was instrumental in bringing the railroad to Abbeville and establishing a town on the route that was named for him.

One of the businesses started by August Erath in New Iberia was the Erath Ice and Bottling Co., which was the agent for Anheuser Busch keg beer and the "cerebrated" Budweiser bottled beer.

A branch of this business was opened in Abbeville on the southwest corner of State and Concorde streets, opposite the courthouse. Besides serving as a saloon, the business provided the town with bottled soda water, ice, and coal.

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).