Dracos Anthony Dimitry

Dracos Anthony Dimitry
Carencro Councilman
In office
May 4, 1891 – May 1, 1893
Preceded byG. H. Guilbeau
Succeeded byDr. F. W. Courtney
Mayor of Carencro
In office
May 1, 1893 – May 1, 1899
Preceded byDr. F. W. Courtney
Succeeded byHon, E. L. Estilette
Personal details
BornSeptember 17, 1858
New Orleans, Louisiana, US
DiedOctober 24, 1918(1918-10-24) (aged 60)
New Iberia, Louisiana
Resting placeSaint Peter's Cemetery
Spouse
Lizzie D. Ruth
​
(m. 1882⁠–⁠1918)​
Parents
  • John Baptiste Michael Dracos Dimitry (father)
  • Sophia Powers (mother)
ProfessionPolitician
Railroad Station Agent
RelativesAlexander Dimitry
Marianne Celeste Dragon
Michel Dragon
Charles Patton Dimitry
John Bull Smith Dimitry
Ernest Lagarde
Theodore John Dimitry Jr.
George Pandely
FamilyDimitry Family (Creoles)

Dracos Anthony Dimitry (September 17, 1858 - October 24, 1918) was a mixed race Louisiana Creole councilman, mayor, solicitor, and railroad station agent. His grandmother was Marianne Celeste Dragon and his first cousin was George Pandely. He was a member of the prominent New Orleans mixed Greek Creole family known as the Dimitry Family. The family underwent countless hardships of racism throughout the 19th century two major incidents involving the family were documented in court entitled Forstall, f.p.c. v. Dimitry (1833) and Pandelly v. Wiltz (1854). The Creole family was heavily pressured to pass as white because during the Jim Crow era laws became more severe including segregation and eventually the one-drop rule was adopted in Louisiana by 1910.[1][2][3]

Dracos was born in New Orleans to Creole educator Jean Baptiste Michael Dracos Dimitry and Sophia Powers. Jean Baptiste was the fifth child of Marianne Celeste Dragon and Andrea Dimitry. Both Dracos' parents and grandparents were involved in interracial marriages.[4] Dracos' uncle was Creole author and diplomate Alexander Dimitry and the family was extremely educated six members attended Georgetown between 1820 and 1870 including Dracos' father and older brother Theodore John Dimitry.[5] Dracos was the mayor of Carencro from 1893 to 1899 and the railroad station agent of Carencro, Jeanerette, and New Iberia.[6][7][8][9]

Dracos participated in countless organizations in his local town most of the fraternal organizations were for whites only some included: New Iberia Lodge No. 554, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 39, and the Knights of Honor Lodge No. 3155.[10][11][12][13][14] Dracos won several awards for maintaining his railroad station to the highest standard. He died in New Iberia, Louisiana at 60 years of age and his wife, Lizzie lived another twenty years.[15]

  1. ^ Horton, Fasching-Varner & Martin 2016, p. 56.
  2. ^ Pilgrim 2024.
  3. ^ "At the municipal election held at Carencro" (PDF). The St. Landry Democrat, Volume 14, No. 17. Opelousas, Louisiana: The St. Landry Democrat. May 9, 1891. p. 1, col. 1. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  4. ^ Christophe 2018, pp. 8, 15, 19.
  5. ^ Maxwell 1916, p. 111.
  6. ^ Pecquet du Bellet 1907a, p. 175.
  7. ^ "The following municipal ticket was elected on May 3" (PDF). The Lafayette Gazette, Volume 5, No. 11. Lafayette, Louisiana: The Lafayette Gazette. May 15, 1897. p. 1, col. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  8. ^ "The Following ticket was Elected last Monday to serve the ensuing two years" (PDF). The Lafayette Gazette, Volume 3, No. 10. Lafayette, Louisiana: The Lafayette Gazette. May 11, 1895. p. 3, col. 4. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  9. ^ "Carencro Town Election" (PDF). The Daily Picayune, Volume 57, No. 98. New Orleans, Louisiana: The Daily Picayune. May 2, 1893. p. 12, col. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 22, 2024. Retrieved June 22, 2024. The following ticket was elected: Mayor D. A. Dimitry
  10. ^ Mjagkij 2001, p. 146.
  11. ^ "New Iberia Lodge No. 554" (PDF). The Weekly Iberian, Volume 15. New Iberia, Louisiana: The Weekly Iberian. April 3, 1909. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  12. ^ "The Elks last Night" (PDF). The Daily Enterprise Leader, Volume 4, No. 251. New Iberia, Louisiana: The Daily Enterprise Leader. February 5, 1909. p. 2, col. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  13. ^ "Iberia Lodge No. 39, Knights of Pythias" (PDF). New Iberia Enterprise, Volume 26, No. 36. New Iberia, Louisiana: New Iberia Enterprise. November 5, 1910. p. 3, col. 3. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  14. ^ "The following members of Knights of Pythias Lodge No. 39" (PDF). The Times Democrat, Volume 46, No. 18,517. New Orleans, Louisiana: The Times Democrat. December 27, 1908. p. 3, col. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.
  15. ^ "Jeanerette" (PDF). The Times-Democrat, Volume 43, No. 17,330. New Orleans, Louisiana: The Times Democrat. September 26, 1905. p. 3, col. 5. Archived (PDF) from the original on June 23, 2024. Retrieved June 23, 2024.