It is said that America is a nation of immigrants. Even if we are ourselves native-born, most folks only have to go back a few generations to find an ancestor who made the journey from elsewhere to make a new life here. Immigrants have certainly played their part in the history of Oil City - both during its boomtown days and later when the community was more settled and sedate.
1900
At the turn of the 20th century, northern Caddo Parish was sparsely populated, with main industries being agriculture and lumber. Per the 1900 U. S. Census a total of eight individuals, representing four countries (Canada, England, Ireland, and Scotland) were listed as living in all of Caddo Parish Ward 2 (that in addition to comprising what is now Oil City includes the larger town of Vivian). Two could be confirmed to have resided in the vicinity of present day Oil City.
David S. Cairns ( 1844-1905) Davis was born in Scotland in 1844, the son of Adam and Ellen Fairgrieve Cairnes. Somewhere along the way the 'e' was dropped. In 1878 he married Rosette Hill, born in 1860 and a Wisconsin native, in Monroe, IL. The 1880 U.S. Census listed the couple in Moredock, IL, where his occupation was recorded as "farmer" and her's "keeping house."
In June 1883, a charge of operating a hotel without a license against him was dropped in a St. Louis MO court. Below is an advertisement appearing in the newspaper the following year.
By 1900 the couple, now with children Mabel and Harry (aged 15 and 13 respectively) were living in the James Bayou area of Caddo Parish, Louisiana; approximately three miles west of present day Oil City. In December 1901, David, Rosey, and daughter Mabel were listed among guests checked into Shreveport's Phoenix Hotel. David was mentioned in an apparent mortgage transaction in 1903 regarding a parcel of land.
The recap of a fishing party's activities at the Jeems Bayou Hunting & Fishing Club identified Rosey as one of the club housekeepers, along with a Mr. and Mrs. Frank Galbreath. David had died in April 1905 and is buried in the old Mooringsport Cemetery. A 02-Mar-1914 letter-to-the-editor by Mabel (then married with last name Farrell) published in the Shreveport Times referred to David as "the late D. S. Cairns" and stated Rosey at that time "has been for a number of years in charge of the club house." The purpose of Mabel's letter was to recognize brother Harry, resident of Kansas City, who had been commended by the railroad company for finding a broken rail and flagging down an oncoming passenger train, preventing disaster.
Later in life, Rosey moved to Shreveport where she passed away in 1938. Per her obituary she had been resident of Shreveport for 12 years, and had been housekeeper in charge of the club for 30 years.
Also of note, in her adult life, daughter Mabel became a published children's author. Read about her here.
Also of note, in her adult life, daughter Mabel became a published children's author. Read about her here.
John H. Murray (1853-1917) was a pioneer merchant of the area, born in Manchester, England. He operated a store near Surry (sometimes spelled Surrey) a predecessor community of Oil City located approximately a half mile south of the current downtown. The site where Land Avenue crosses the Kansas City Southern Railway tracks to intersect with State Highway 538 (Kerley Avenue) was referred to (and still is by some) as "Murray's Crossing."
His wife Hattie, an Alabama native, served as postmistress at Surry from 1898 until mail activities were later consolidated into Ananias (later renamed Oil City) in 1906.
Appointments of U. S. Postmasters 1832-1971
In 1900, John and Hattie were living in Caddo Parish Ward 2 with their sons Will(iam) and (James) Ray. Hattie died of an undisclosed illness in April 1909.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 27-Apr-1909, Page 9
The 1910 U. S. Census had John still in Ward 2 with William and James. He later married Katie Grogan of nearby Vivian. John died in February 1917. Per his obituary, he had once been a Texas Ranger.
His wife Hattie, an Alabama native, served as postmistress at Surry from 1898 until mail activities were later consolidated into Ananias (later renamed Oil City) in 1906.
Appointments of U. S. Postmasters 1832-1971
In 1900, John and Hattie were living in Caddo Parish Ward 2 with their sons Will(iam) and (James) Ray. Hattie died of an undisclosed illness in April 1909.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram 27-Apr-1909, Page 9
The 1910 U. S. Census had John still in Ward 2 with William and James. He later married Katie Grogan of nearby Vivian. John died in February 1917. Per his obituary, he had once been a Texas Ranger.
1910
By 1910 however, oil and gas had been discovered and production was in full swing, bringing an influx of people from outside of the state of Louisiana. In that year's census, natives of 23 states were residents of the enumeration district (subgroup of ward) that included Oil City and immediate surrounding area. Representing 11 foreign countries were a total 21 persons identified as having been born outside the United States.
Those countries/individuals are as follows:.
Austria
Lazures (Lazarus?) Bloom, 52, merchant, general store; Korcy (wife), 52, no occupation given; Benjamin, 21, merchant, general store; Harry, 18, salesman, general store (sons)
A September 1911 article mentioned certain aggressive behavior in Oil City by women of ill-repute.
The (Shreveport) Caucasian 07-Sep-1911,Page 1
The (Shreveport) Caucasian 07-Sep-1911,Page 1
Whether related to described in the article is not known, but a few days later it was reported that "Oil City Queen" Grace Mansfield had been arrested on the charge of vagrancy.
The 1910 U. S. Census identified Grace as approximately 19 years old and a native of Austria; who was living alone in Oil City, having the occupation of nurse. Resolution of her case and/or what became of her could not be found.
Jacob Ober, 26, merchant, general store; Ida (wife) 24, no occupation given.
Jacob Ober (1884-1951) was named postmaster of Caddo City, LA on 05-Mar-1915. A native of Lemberg, Austria (now Lviv, Ukraine),he emigrated to the U. S. in 1902 and, while an Oil City resident, became an American citizen in 1911. His occupation per the 1910 census was "merchant - general store."
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| From "Appointments of U.S. Postmasters - 1832-1971" |
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| Jacob Ober - Passport Photo 1923 |
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| Jacob Ober - Draft Registration 1918 |
Ober replaced Robert L. Anderson, who assumed the position when established two years prior. In 1930 mail handling was transferred to the Oil City post office. He later moved to Shreveport and got into various business activities, including oil drilling. He is buried in the Agudath Achim cemetery, located there.
Bulgaria
Theodore Mikoff, 57, laborer, lumber yard
Canada
William Buente, 28, gauger, oilfield
Charles Worden, 52, laborer, oilfield
Denmark
Peter Matson, 43, engineer, oilfield
England
L. Mugford, 46, tank builder, oilfield
John Murray, 54, farmer, general farm (previously described)
Germany
Matt Streibel, 34, laborer, railroad construction
Ireland
Frank Graham, 43, teamster, job hauling
Patrick Moran, 29, tank builder, wooden tanks; Mary (wife), 29, no occupation given
Patrick Joseph Moran (1881-1925) and wife Mary (Gavin) were from Castlebar, Ireland. He was eventually elevated to vice-president of Cypress Tank Company.
In Feb-1917, Pat and family moved to Houston.
Shreveport Times 04-Feb-1917, Page 9
In Feb-1917, Pat and family moved to Houston.
Shreveport Times 04-Feb-1917, Page 9
Russia
Isaac Muslow, 36, merchant, groceries
Isaac "Ike" Muslow (1879-1926) Below are excerpts from his obituary.
He is buried in Hebrew Rest Cemetery in Shreveport.
Alexander Andrews, 54, engineer, machine shop
Sweden
Al Johnson, 42, tie maker, railroad
Wales
A. H. Jones, 35, laborer, pipe gang
1910 U.S. Census Louisiana, Caddo Parish, Ward 2, Enumeration District 0030 (Southwest half)
Also that year, a Chinese restaurant on the east side of the railroad tracks was ransacked when a group of roughnecks became excessively drunk and went on a rampage, trashing several businesses.
Shreveport Times 12-Dec-1910, Page 7
A year later the restaurant was destroyed in one of several fires that swept downtown Oil City over the years. This one was suspected to have been started intentionally, but does not appear to have been violence directed specifically at the Chinese owner(s) (never mentioned by name), as other similar businesses likewise burned.
Shreveport Times 02-Dec-1911, Page 10
In October 1911, a public notice announced that Yuen and Quong (no first names given), had purchased the White Front Restaurant.
The 1910 U. S. Census listed a Kuong (no first name), age 44, living in Shreveport with boarders Jhon and Dam, all from China and having the occupation of restaurateur. Whether any are the persons mentioned in the notice can't be determined. Quong, Kuong, and Kwong are various spellings of the original surname. In 1924, Lee Yuen was operating a restaurant at 1005 Fannin Street in Shreveport, while Robert J. Quong had grocery store on Pierre St. in 1940.
1913
1913
Published in March 1913 in a Marshall, Texas newspaper was notice of a letter forwarded to a local resident, a Mr. F. Farahal, by J. Xenos, identified as Greek, of Oil City. It was sent to Xenos by a J. Stamos, stated to have left his confectionery business in that town to return and fight for Greece against the Ottoman Empire in what was known as the First Balkan War. It was stated he planned to resume his business after the war's end.
Marshall (TX) Messenger 04-Mar-1913, Page 1
The prior year, newspaper ads were posted by a Jim Xenos of Oil City - one about a mule that had strayed, and another offering a team of mules and a wagon for sale. In 1915, a same-named person was convicted of operating a grog shop without a license in Red River Parish.
Brothers Jack Stamos (1894-1944) and James Stamos (1890-1967) were later living in Shreveport and either was of an appropriate age at the time to have been the J. Stamos away fighting. Both were restaurateurs, also making either likely candidate to have been someone in the "confectionery" business, though so far a direct connection to Oil City has not been confirmed..
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| Jack Stamon (left) and James Stamos |
Both were active in local Greek social and fraternal organizations, as well as the Greek Orthodox Church.
Dr. Naum George Nasif (1889-1981) was a native of Lebanon who came to America in 1909. He practiced medicine in Oil City in 1913.
Read more about him here.
Italian laborers shown below were brought from Pennsylvania to work on a gas pipeline between Naborton (an unincorporated area in DeSoto Parish, Louisiana) and Oil City.
While not specifically identified in the caption of the picture below, based on appearance and circumstances, the men standing in the foreground and in the ditch are likely also Italian, while the white shirts in back are owner and/or contractor management.
Fuel Oil Journal Nov-1914, Page 54
A back story reported about the Italian laborers working on the pipeline. Note Vivian is misspelled, and the firm that hired them was actually Booth & Flinn, a Pittsburgh firm. Though written with a socialist slant, i.e., portraying business owners as oppressors and workers as exploited, the story's details are still very likely true.
International Socialist Review v 14 (1913-1914), Page 667
1917
Canadian-born and naturalized American citizen Robert Murray died in Oil City on Christmas Day, 1917.
Shreveport Times 01-Jan-1918, Page 14
The 1910 U. S. Census listed him, wife Effie (a native of Texas), and their five children as residents of nearby Vivian.
He is buried in the Vivian (La.) Cemetery.
The last reported whereabouts of Mexican national Edward Sies was identified as Oil City, in an article about aliens who failed to respond to a government follow-up inquiry after having previously registered for the World War I draft.
Santa Ana (CA) Register 05-Apr-1918, Page 7
1920
In the census that year, 11 countries, represented by 34 individuals were noted. The poor resolution quality of records for that year makes some names incomplete or impossible to identify.
Austria
Jacob Feurstein, 43, merchant, mercantile (see also below)
John P?, 69, no occupation given
The 1920 U. S. Census lists one John P? who was a 69 year-old single man originally from Austria. Due to the poor quality of the source document, his full name wasn't discernable. It turns out he was John Pesche (1851-1925), who came to America in 1883 and became a U.S. citizen in 1891.
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| John Persche Passport Photo - Dec-1920 |
The Dixie Mercantile (partially cut off) and Phoenix Hotel are shown in the background to the left in this 1912 photograph of the Kansas City Southern Railways depot.
Louisiana State Oil & Gas Museum, by way of North Caddo Parish, by Sam Collier (2007)
The hotel was offered for rent in 1914.
John and Mabel eventually divorced and he sold the hotel in 1918. She continued running a boarding house, possibly in Caddo City, as her name is associated with a property there. John had been also dealing in oil properties and his occupation on his Dec-1920 passport application is listed as "oil broker."
Mabel died 29-Apr-1923 in 1923, and her body was shipped to New Orleans for burial. John passed 15-Apr-1925 and is buried in Evans Cemetery.
Joseph Thompson, 56, machinist, iron work (See Joseph Tomcsanyi below)
Bulgaria
Unknown, 39, pumper, oilfield
Canada
Unknown, 73, no occupation given
James F. Stewart, 45, agent, real estate
Denmark
Catherine B(oman?), 57, no occupation given
England
Charlie Robinson, 59, house carpenter
? Smith, 60, tank builder
Germany
Augusta E?, 62, no occupation given
Jacob Specht, 62, shoemaker, shop
Frank ?, 51, foreman, oilfield
August Tirpitz, 27, merchant, general mercantile
unknown, 42, house carpenter
Freda ?, 30, no occupation given; husband was a machinist
Holland
Peter Westfield, 44, house carpenter
Ireland
Anna Dougherty (sister of Patrick and Thomas Moran), 25, no occupation given; husband Edward a rig builder from Pennsylvania
James ? (contains gg, e.g. Duggan or Dugger; or perhaps Goggin), 42, oilfield laborer
Tom Moran, Tank Builder, Mary (wife), no occupation given
Thomas Joseph Moran (1883-1938), brother of Patrick (see above) was also from Castlebar, Ireland, and later founded Moran Tank Company in Shreveport. After his death in 1938, wife Mary and sons continued its operation.
Italy
Milo? ?, 33, merchant, confectionary
Mexico
Manuel ?, 34, laborer, railroad; ? (wife), 21; ? (daughter), 2; Manuel (son), 4 months
L? Michal, 49, laborer, railroad
A? Martinez, 20, laborer, railroad
Raphael C?, 27, laborer, railroad
Raphael ?, 43, laborer, railroad
Jesus Guzman, 25, laborer, railroad
Alphonso B?, 48, laborer, railroad
Amilia Gui?, 27, machinist, machine shop
Jessie Brown, 41, housekeeper, private family
Sweden
Fred Forslef, 33, rig builder; Jennie (wife), 28, no occupation given
John Olson, 34, house carpenter (Fred's brother-in-law)
1920 U. S. Census, Louisiana, Caddo, Ward 2, Enumeration District 0036 (Ward 2 excluding Vivian)
1930
Six countries and 16 persons as follows:
England
Charlie Robinson, 78, no occupation given
William Southard, 53, laborer, oil wells
France
Rosa Vernois, 65, salesperson, dry goods
Germany
Isadore Holland, 63, bookkeeper, public account
Jacob Specht, 72, proprietor, shoe repair shop
Mexico
Eugenia Denton, 9, child, granddaughter of Ida Carter, noted as an American citizen
Poland
Feurstein family - Jacob, 51, retail, general merchandise (came to U.S. in 1913, others in 1921); Hanna, 50 (wife); David, 26 (son), salesman; Mollie, 23; Celia, 21; Ida, 18; Freida, 16 (daughters)
Some family members are profiled below:
Syria
Nick George, 37, storekeeper; Martha, 27 (wife), and Nicholas, 89 (father)
1940
Eight residents represented six countries as follows:
Austria
David Feurstein (See below) Listed from Poland in 1930 census, however east European borders were fluid at the time.
France
Rosa Vernois, 75, no occupation given. Also appeared in the 1930 census.
Germany
Henry Groce, 50, carpenter foreman, bridge construction. This man was in town temporarily and involved with construction of the Highway 1 overpass on the Kansas City Southern railroad tracks south of town.
Dora Imbert, 78, no occupation given, mother-in-law of longtime OC resident William R. Pickle (Emmett's father)
August Tirpitz, 49, pumper, oilfield
Hungary
Joseph Thompson, 76, no occupation given; Rose (wife), 61, no occupation given (See Joseph Tomcsanyi below)
Poland
Zegmuna Landun, 49, used pipe dealer, oilfield supplies, listed as Russian/Poland (See Zygmund Landau below)
Syria
Nick and Martha George (see below)
1940 U. S. Census - Louisiana, Caddo Parish, Ward 2, Oil City
Charles Stevens (1961-1941), reported to have been born in England, died in Oil City 29-Dec-1941. State death records indicate he was 80 years old. Though the article mentioned his burial was to have taken place in Evans Cemetery, there is currently no evidence of this. Perhaps his marker deteriorated over the years.
Shreveport Times 31, Dec, 1941, Page 7
Other Immigrant Current/Former Residents
Nick George, a native of Syria, was World War I veteran, a charter member and one-time commander of Howard Fortson Post No. 138 of the American Legion. He and wife Martha, also from Syria, operated a grocery store for several years.
David Feurstein (1905-1961) was employed by the Texas Company (Texaco) in Oil City. His wife, the former Kathryn "Katie" Pope, worked as a clerk in his sister's and brother-in-law's store (see below).
Shreveport Times 20-Oct-1961, Page 4-A
Ida Feurstein Goodman (1912-1984) taught elementary grades at Oil City High and later Junior High School.
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| Ida Feurstein as a Centenary College student |
Mrs. Goodman later in life.
1965 Oil City Jr. High Bengal (yearbook)
Rosemarie "Rose" Duddeck Hopkins, wife of former mayor and state representative Roy M. "Hoppy" Hopkins, and mother of former OC mayor Todd Hopkins is originally from Germany. Now retired, she served as librarian of the Oil City branch of the Shreve Memorial Library.
Freida Feurstein Kottle (1914-1992) attended Centenary College.
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| Freida Feurstein as a Centenary College student |
In 1937, she married local merchant Nathan Kottle.
Shreveport Times 03-Oct-1937, Page B5
For years she worked in the family business before passing away in 1993.
Nathan Kottle (1904-2001) was originally from Polona, Russia. He came with his parents and siblings to the U.S. in 1921. For years his department store in Oil City was a "must go" place for serious shopping events such as the holidays, as well as preparation for the new school year. Many young lads started to school wearing stiff, dark blue denim Levis purchased oversized to allow for spurts of growth from the jovial merchant.
Shreveport Times 24-Jun-1968, Page 8-A
Nathan, wife Frieda, and store employees are pictured in front of their new store in downtown Oil City that opened in July 1940. An earlier wooden structure located a block away burned in August 1939.
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| L-R: Nathan Kottle, Frieda Kottle, Mildred Pine, Minnie Thompson, Nick Smith |
Photo above courtesy of Janice Robinson, granddaughter of Mrs. Nick Smith.
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| Nathan's sign shown behind Rives, a character played by John David Carson |
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| Looking northeast across the railroad tracks (tan building) |
Per his obituary, after Freida's death in 1993, he moved to Birmingham, AL to be near family.
Nathan and Freida are buried in Agudath Achim Cemetery; Shreveport, LA.
Zygmund Landau (1884?-1947) was a dealer in used pipe and junk.
Note at various times his first name appeared as Sigmund, Zigmund, and Zgmund; however Zygmund (which we'll use here) was how he as a young man signed his World War I draft registration. In his brother Louis's obituary, he is referred to a "Sam," perhaps what he went by.
There are also conflicting dates regarding his birth. Referring again to his WWI draft registration, he was listed as a junk buyer, living in Shreveport, and born 17-Oct-1884 in Russia. However during registration for World War II, he was listed as born 15-Jul-1888, self-employed, and from Kielcha Pilesia, Poland. That place could not be found and may have actually been Silesia, a region in Poland.
Little else is known about him. It was once reported that he was charged with illegal possession of liquor in Nov-1926 (this was smack dab in the middle of Prohibition). In 1939, he was mentioned associated with the L. R. Skidmore No. 1 oil lease located in section-township-range 01-20-16. While the specific location is not known, that area covers most of current downtown Oil City and extends a mile north to Caddo City.
Zygmund passed away on 8-Dec-1947. Per his obituary below, he had no remaining family. Brother Louis, an unmarried scrap metal dealer, died in 1942 and was buried in the Marshall (TX) Hebrew Cemetery. Other members (another brother and four sisters) in Poland were reportedly victims of the Holocaust during World War II.
Zygmund passed away on 8-Dec-1947. Per his obituary below, he had no remaining family. Brother Louis, an unmarried scrap metal dealer, died in 1942 and was buried in the Marshall (TX) Hebrew Cemetery. Other members (another brother and four sisters) in Poland were reportedly victims of the Holocaust during World War II.
Obit: Times 20-Dec-1947, Page 12
Interment: Orthodox Cemetery; Shreveport, LA (per obit)
With no living family in America, Zigmund's secession was handled by Morris Anisman. No relation was found but, given that both men were Jewish and investors in the Caddo-Pine Island field, they were likely friends and/or business associates.
Brothers Isaac "Ike" (1871-1928) and Julius Maritzky (1868-1921) were born in Russia and came to America as children. They operated a general mercantile store in Oil City - Julius in the 1910s, and Ike in the 1920s. Julius was also an director of the Murray Production Company.
Joan Burke Moore (1934-2015), a native of Edinburgh, Scotland; served on the OC town council and twice ran unsuccessfully for mayor. Known to some as a "citizen watchdog" she led a recall campaign that removed the Oil City police chief in 1999.
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| During her political days |
Mrs. Moore was born October 1, 1934 in Edinburgh, Scotland. She moved to the US when she was 20 when she married Malcolm Moore, on June 5, they celebrated 61 years of marriage. She lived in the oil city area most of her life. She was a member of First Baptist Church Oil City. She received her citizenship in 1976.
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| Joan Burke Moore |
Joan is interred in Chapelwood Memorial Gardens, Vivian, LA..
Alex Pourteau (1873-1929), a native of Bordeaux, France; came to Oil City around 1909. He operated a restaurant for twenty years, that was continued after his death in 1929 by son, Bertrand.
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| Alex shown behind bar, wearing white shirt |
Here is his obituary.
Shreveport Times 06-Apr-1929, Page 22
He is buried in Saint Joseph Cemetery, Shreveport, LA.
Joseph Tomcsanyi (1964-1948), going by Joseph Thompson, came to Oil City around 1918 and lived there for over 20 years. He was born in Saros Revesce, Hungary in 1864 and came to America in 1887. He became a citizen in 1892 and applied for a U. S. passport in 1908. Per his great-great grandson, who I contacted through Ancestry.com, Joseph once owned a bank in Homestead, PA and was accused of mishandling funds - even possibly serving prison time. The 1910 U. S. Census listed him living in Homestead with wife Ilona and their six children.
Source: Ancestry Contributor
Some time in the 1910s he divorced his wife and moved south, perhaps seeking a fresh start, as per the 1920 Census he was identified as age 56, single, a native of Austria (at that time Austria and Hungary were joined), a machinist working in iron works, and living in the section of Caddo Parish, Ward 2 that includes Oil City.
Did Joe Thompson conceive the idea for social security and workers compensation? His suggestion outlined in a letter to the editor of the Shreveport Times proposes a two percent-of-employees earnings tax to be paid by employers that would go into the U. S. Treasury to cover sick benefits, medical treatment, and pension funds. Mr. Thompson, who noted he had lost four fingers on his right hand in a job-related incident, for which he was ultimately laid off; stated he would not expect to benefit from such a program if enacted. He instead proposes it for the benefit of others.
Times 08-Oct-1923, Page 6
Did Joe Thompson conceive the idea for social security and workers compensation? His suggestion outlined in a letter to the editor of the Shreveport Times proposes a two percent-of-employees earnings tax to be paid by employers that would go into the U. S. Treasury to cover sick benefits, medical treatment, and pension funds. Mr. Thompson, who noted he had lost four fingers on his right hand in a job-related incident, for which he was ultimately laid off; stated he would not expect to benefit from such a program if enacted. He instead proposes it for the benefit of others.
Times 08-Oct-1923, Page 6
He acquired land around the area, as a newspaper article from 1926 about improvements around town refers to cottages on the Joe Thompson row being spruced up with new coats of paint. Today those no longer exist, but there is still a subdivision listed on the Caddo Parish property tax rolls known as Joseph Thompson's Land. This is comprised of the lots, now mostly containing mobile homes, located between North Land Avenue and the railroad tracks north of the Museum Street intersection and south of Main Street.
In 1940 he was still living in OC, now 76, with another wife named Rose, age 61, also of Hungary. He has no occupation listed, as by that time he was retired. Later that year, he was mentioned in the Stroller section of the Shreveport Times where it was stated that he sent examples of southern plants (cotton, sugar cane, pecans, etc.) to his granddaughter, Helen Tomcsanyi; who was a schoolteacher in Coudersport, PA. She showed these to her students who in turn wrote letters of thanks back to Mr. Thompson. Also in the article he claimed to have shaken hands with three Presidents - McKinley, (Teddy) Roosevelt, and Taft. It was this article that revealed that Thompson = Tomcsanyi! Again per his great-great-grandson, most of his family adopted the Americanized version, though Joseph's son (Helen's father) retained the original spelling.
In 1941 he took some sort of sea trip, as it is noted he arrived in New Orleans from an unknown port onboard the S. S. Toloa, a merchant ship of the United Fruit Company. On the manifest, he's listed as being from Oil City, LA. Joseph passed away in 1948 in Mena, Arkansas and is buried in the Pinecrest Memorial Park there.
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