The west florida rebellion

When Julius Freyhan died, his obituary in the New Orleans newspaper said, “Through his energy and business acumen, he was able to build up one of the largest supply houses in the states, and during the hard times which swept over the country at various periods, he was able to keep the farmers on their feet until the price of their crops rose.” As hard-working immigrants like Julius Freyhan prospered, the South became the center of Jewish population in the country, and the Jews shared their prosperity in great philanthropies, funding museums and civic improvements, hospitals and public schools for both black and white students.

Upon his death in 1904, Freyhan left $8,000 to help build the first public school in St. Francisville, a legacy increased by his widow by another thousand, and in 1905 the eight-room slate-roofed brick structure of 2½ stories opened to great public acclaim.

Imagine the horror, then, of the townsfolk when, on the evening of February 8, 1907, the magnificent new