John Leonce Guidry

John Leonce Guidry for his civic leadership and lifelong efforts to improve his community of Galliano, LA. Perhaps the most important, yet often unnoticed, impact one can have on their community and neighbors is civic leadership. John Leonce Guidry with his wife Lillian Lefort Guidry impacted almost every facet of the community of Galliano, LA in south Lafourche Parish. Throughout his life, Leonce devoted himself to helping his neighbors and improving his community. What he accomplished in one lifetime is almost unimaginable - a true legacy to his life. After suffering a disabling injury as a young man, Leonce built a general merchandise store at his hometown Galliano. Later he constructed rent houses for the oilfield workers, salesmen and tourists, an appliance and furniture store, an ice cream parlor, a saloon, a boarding house for the teachers and a theater. He brought the first natural gas to south Lafourche Parish and built three narrow, low-draft boats to bring supplies to the trappers in the marsh. In his large safe he kept money to cash checks for folks and to store the money of trappers, fishermen and workers until they needed it. He provided land for a new school. He built and operated the first ferry across Bayou Lafourche at Galliano. He later built the first pontoon bridge across the bayou. Leonce built the first baseball field and organized the first professional baseball team in Galliano. In 1933 he introduced electricity and the radio to Galliano. After serving his community for most of his life, Leonce died in 1952 at 56 years of age. Lillian died in 1955 at 57 years of age. Their names are still revered in the small south Lafourche parish town of Galliano.