Batture Dwellers Association records, 1949-1958 | Louisiana Research Collection

By LAC Group

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Collection Overview

Title: Batture Dwellers Association records, 1949-1958

ID: LaRC/Manuscripts Collection 305

Primary Creator: Batture Dwellers Association.

Extent: 1.0 Boxes

Arrangement: The collection is arranged by topic as follows: correspondence (1955-1956), notices and broadsides, membership lists, auditor's report, press coverage, legal documents, newspaper clippings (1954-58), claim sheets and receipts, photographs, and a map of the Orleans levee district. The collection consists of one box and two oversize folders.

Subjects: Batture Dwellers Association., Housing -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., Levees -- Louisiana -- New Orleans., New Orleans Batture (La.), Squatter settlements., Trials (Eviction)

Forms of Material: Circulars (fliers), Clippings (information artifacts), Correspondence., Pamphlets., Photographs., Scrapbooks.

Languages: English

Scope and Contents of the Materials

The collection includes correspondence, meeting notices, lists of activities, membership lists and other items related to the Batture Dwellers Association and the eviction controversy. There are materials that pertain to the court actions and hearings, including claim sheets and receipts of the Batture residents, which their lawyers based their case upon. Also included are pamphlets, photographs, newspaper clippings, and two scrapbooks of Batture Dwellers materials (1952-1954) compiled by Elizabeth Cousins Rogers, recording secretary of the Batture-non-Batture committee to secure justice for the evicted Batture Dwellers.

Biographical Note

The Batture Dwellers Association represented the people living in the area in between the Mississippi River channel and the levee protecting the city from floods in houses built on stilts. Since this land was considered part of the river and therefore owned by the federal government, it was considered rent and tax-free. The Army Corps of Engineers wanted to raise the levees and needed to evict the dwellers and clear off the houses to do so.

Subject/Index Terms

Batture Dwellers Association.
Housing -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
Levees -- Louisiana -- New Orleans.
New Orleans Batture (La.)
Squatter settlements.
Trials (Eviction)

Administrative Information

Repository: Louisiana Research Collection

Access Restrictions: Collection is open to the public. No known restrictions.

Use Restrictions: Physical rights are retained by the Louisiana Research Collection. Copyright is retained in accordance with U.S. copyright laws.

Preferred Citation: Batture Dwellers Association records, Manuscripts Collection 305, Louisiana Research Collection, Howard-Tilton Memorial Library, Tulane University, New Orleans, LA 70118.

Finding Aid Revision History: Finding aid information entered in Archon by LAC Group in 2011.

Other Note: OCLC Number: 741375478

Box and Folder Listing

Browse by Box:

[Box 1: Correspondence, legal papers, newspaper clippings, photographs and other papers],
[Oversize folder 1: Records, 1952-1953],
[Oversize folder 2: Map of Orleans levee district],
[All]

Box 1: Correspondence, legal papers, newspaper clippings, photographs and other papers

Folder 1: Correspondence, 1955-1956
Folder 2: Batture controversy broadside, undated
Folder 3: List of activities and materials, 1955-1956
Folder 4: Meeting notices, 1954-1957
Folder 5: Association notices, 1955-1956
Folder 6: Membership of association, 1954-1955
Folder 7: Auditor's report, 1957
Folder 8: Press coverage
Folder 9: Information concerning lawyers on case
Folder 10: Convictions, 1954-1955
Folder 11: Hearings before judges, Hall and Yarrut, 1953 June-October
Folder 12: Legal documents and references in court case
Folder 13: Newspaper clippings, 1954 October
Folder 14: Newspaper clippings, 1953 September-1954
Folder 15: Newspaper clippings, 1954 November-December
Folder 16: Claim sheets
Folder 17: Bongard receipts, 1953-1954
Folder 18: Newspaper clippings, 1956-1958, undated
Folder 19: Other papers, 1949-1957
Folder 20: Other papers, 1955, undated: List of newspaper references to cases: write-ups of the Dwellers, miscellaneous reports on who lived in the house.
Folder 21: Photographs for use in a brochure called: "These Were Our Homes", undated
Folder 22: Printed matter, 1955, undated
Folder 23: Newspaper clippings, 1955 April-December
Folder 24: Newspaper clippings, 1955 January-March

Tulane University Special Collections