It came to her in a dream.
Tammy Dupre would plant a tree for her father, who died in 2008, on her great grandfather’s property in St. Rose. Although she was living in Dallas, the property on River Road held special meaning for her father. It was on that property that he witnessed the dedication and hard work of his grandfather, Oscar Dupre Sr., a black man who purchased the property in 1915 during the Jim Crow era, and who, along with his family, operated Pecan Grove Dairy.
It was only after Tammy planted the tree, which later became a memorial garden for her father, that she began piecing the family history together and pushing for a historical marker on the property. After working with the Louisiana Office of Tourism and LSU’s Department of History, Tammy’s bid for the historical marker on Oscar Dupre Sr.’s property was finally successful. She plans to unveil the marker in a public ceremony on May 24 from 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. at 11414 River Road, Dupre Place in St. Rose.
“It’s just a beautiful, extraordinary story,” Tammy said of her family history. “This is a story about perseverance, determination and hard work.”
Oscar was born into slavery six months before the Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. By the 1890s, Oscar and his family established Dupre Pecan Grove Diary, a milking, bottling and delivery company that operated for 75 years.
The family, however, faced multiple setbacks, including being forced from their first location on State Street in New Orleans. Eminent domain laws, which allow the government to take private property for public use, forced the family to move from its location on Jefferson Highway, where Ochsner Hospital now sits.
“You know, if there was a location that said no, the average one of us today would say it wasn’t meant to be, and we would shut it down,” Tammy said. “[Oscar] just moved on to the next location. I think that was very inspiring, especially for that time. They knew who they were, and they didn’t back down from eminent domain and all the other obstacles that stood in their way.”
In May 1918, Oscar sold his half interest in the dairy business to his brothers, but he agreed to let them run the business from property he purchased in St. Rose. The company later moved back to New Orleans, but descendants of the Dupre family still own the St. Rose property, where dairy cows once roamed.
“I’ve learned a mighty lesson from this family history,” Tammy said. “They set their sights high. They knew they just had to be consistent.”
Growing up, Tammy spent time on the property in St. Rose, where her grandfather, Edward Dupre, lived. There, she tended to chickens and cooked the fresh fish her father caught. Like Oscar, Tammy’s father had a knack for business, and he ran a successful trucking company.
“[My dad] never seemed to be affected by the hard work,” Tammy said. “Because every day he had a smile on his face for his three sons and his daughter.”
Tammy said that her father often told her the story of Oscar and the family business. He admired and idolized his grandfather and his successes.
She said the unveiling of the historical marker will bring back many great memories of her father and grandfather.
“I will be very emotional, and very happy and celebratory at the same time,” Tammy said of the unveiling. “I’m very honored to be able to present [the historical marker] to the family and bring the story back to life.”
