Nicole Explains It All

While my father is not of Creole descent, my mother sure is. My ancestors are american indian Chocktow, on my material grandmother’s side, and free peoples of color in Louisiana. Most notably the LaBranche family.

The LaBranche family’s significance in America primarily stems from their deep roots in Louisiana colonial and political history, their impact on the sugar industry, their contributions to the African American community in New Orleans, and their later influence in finance on the New York Stock Exchange.

Louisiana Planters and Politicians

The family’s American story began in 1721 when the Zweig family (a German name meaning “twig” or “branch”) immigrated to Louisiana and subsequently Gallicized their surname to LaBranche.¹

• Political Influence: Several family members were prominent in Louisiana politics.²
  • 3rd Great Grandfather – Alcée Louis La Branche (1806–1861) served in the Louisiana House of Representatives (including a term as Speaker) and was appointed by President Andrew Jackson as the first U.S. chargé d’affaires (diplomat) to the Republic of Texas.³ He played a role in negotiating the border and commerce agreements between the two nations and later served one term in the U.S. House of Representatives for Louisiana.⁴
  • 4th Great grandfather, His father, Alexandre La Branche, was a delegate to Louisiana’s first constitutional convention in 1812 and fought in the Revolutionary War and the Battle of New Orleans.⁵
  • Octave La Branche also served as Speaker of the Louisiana House of Representatives.⁶
• Plantation Economy: The family were major sugar planters on the German Coast in St.⁷ Charles Parish, Louisiana. The LaBranche Plantation was one of the grandest in the region.⁸ The surviving LaBranche Plantation Dependency House is on the National Register of Historic Places as a rare and superior example of the Creole architectural style and an early 19th-century residential dependency.⁹

Contributions to the African American Community

In the 20th century, a different branch of the family made a significant contribution to the African American community in New Orleans.¹⁰

• LaBranche’s Drug Store: Emile J. LaBranche Sr. opened LaBranche’s Drug Store in 1907.¹¹ This pharmacy was a vital part of the thriving Black community on North Claiborne Avenue. The store was known for fostering the careers of other Black pharmacists and medical doctors and served as an important social hub.¹² LaBranche Sr. also served on the boards of Dillard University and Flint-Goodridge Hospital, helping to raise funds for a new hospital.

Wall Street Finance

The LaBranche name has also been historically significant in American finance.

• LaBranche & Co. Inc.: Founded in 1924, LaBranche & Co.¹³ Inc. became one of the oldest and largest specialist firms on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE).¹⁴ As a specialist firm, they acted as a “broker’s broker,” responsible for maintaining orderly markets in the stocks they traded, including those of major companies like AT&T and Exxon.¹⁵ In 1999, it became the first specialist firm to become a publicly owned corporation.¹⁶

The importance of the LaBranche family is demonstrated by its multi-generational impact across politics, architecture, civil rights, and finance, particularly in Louisiana.

The significance of the LaBranche Plantation Dependency House as an architectural relic of the family’s Louisiana history is described in this video: Roadside Attraction Series: LaBranche Plantation Where Hitlers Horse is Buried – YouTube.