Compiled by the webmaster in 1999 & 2000

• Nelson "Bragger" Jacob is descendent from Christian Jacob of Germany

• Christian Jacob was a tailor from Schillersdorf, Germany. Marriage documents for Christian Jacob and Marie Meel dated September 25, 1732 were found in Kirrwiller.

• Christian was the son of Hans Micheal Jacob of Kirrwiller. Marie was the daughter of Hans Meel of Kirrwiller

• Kirrwiller & Schillersdorf is near the French / German boarder which has changed during the coarse of history. This is why some will argue that the Jacob family is from France. They are from Germany.

• Christian Jacob and his brother Adam arrived in Southeast Louisiana on September 8, 1753 with their families aboard Le Cameleon. The two families settled in La Cote des Allemands. The area they settled became known as Jacobtown and is refered to as such by the older locals to this date. The Jacobs were in the second influx of German immigrants to Louisiana, the first group came in 1720.

• La Cote des Allemands means The County of the German Coast. This is present day St. John the Baptist and St. Charles parishes.

• Jacobtown is in present day Reserve, Louisiana. Reserve is made up of several small settlements, communities, and plantation properties. Some of these include Dutch Bayou, Terre Haute, Cornland & Belle Point.

• Jean Adam Jacob, one of Bragger’s ancestors, back in 1846 was proud of his accomplishments of being able to produce many different tasty sausages. One of which was the fine pork product – andouille.

• Another sausage maker in the Jacob lineage was Joseph Edward "Jake" Jacob. He was known to understand the fine art of producing good sausage. Jake was employed at the New Orleans Butcher Co-op in 1875.

• Francious Jacob was married to Celeste Duhe. Damien Jacob, their son, was a rice farmer in Jacobtown. He was married to Agatha Ellis. Damien was killed in 1906. Agatha was the daughter of Henry Bailey Ellis who owned a local newspaper. He moved back to Troy, Missouri where he was from. Agatha is thought to have moved back to Troy with her father after Damien’s death.

• Damien was Nelson "Bragger" Jacob’s father. Nelson had three siblings – Ludger "Moon", Mongay, and Verna. Nelson was 10 years old when his father died. He was then raised by the Madere family of Milesville.

• Milesville is one of several settlements, communities, and plantation properties that made up present day LaPlace, Louisiana. Others include Montz, Woodland, Laplace, and the Crevasse. Milesville was named after a black police juror, which was almost unheard of during that day and age, named Miles (a police juror is like a councilman).

• Nelson "Bragger" Jacob was born in 1896. Camile Charnet was born in 1900. Camile’s mother was a Chalmet. Bragger died in 1949 and Camile passed away in 1978.

• Nelson got his nickname, "Bragger", when hunting one day he killed many blackbirds of a large drove he came across. When asked how many blackbirds he killed, his response was he counted 999 birds lying on the ground. When asked why he just didn’t say he killed 1000 birds, he responded that he didn’t want to be called a liar for 1 bird.

• Camile became know as Mam-Bragger. In those days it was common for women to be refered to as Madam (MAH-DAHM). Many women were known only as Madam and their husband’s name. Madam was shortened to Mam – thus Mam-Bragger. Other examples are Mam-PaPaul, Madam Mac, Madam Tregre (MAH-DAHM TREGG) Mam-Pete & Madam Vicknair.

• Bragger and Mam-Bragger had 4 children, Lilly, Lucger, Robert, & Henry "Diddy".

• According to local historians, the Jacobs were selling andouille and smoked sausage from a smokehouse in their yard in Milesville since 1925.

• The Alexander Building, where the Jacob’s opened their store in 1928 is now abandoned with trees growing inside of it. The outside walls still stand on LA Hwy 44 in Milesville.

• Bragger’s brother, Ludger "Moon" Jacob, also opened a store years later in Milesville where he too sold andouille and smoked sausage. Moon’s daughter married into the Vicknair family and she still lives down the street where her father’s store was located.

• Nolan Jacob, a relative of Bragger and former employee, opened his own store in Milesville with his son.

• The Maurin building where the Jacob’s Store was move to in 1947 was on Hwy 44 in Montz. Montz was named after the Montz family who owned the Ice Factory and packaging plant. The Ice Factory buildings were destroyed in Hurricane Andrew.

• Henry "Diddy" Jacob, Bragger’s youngest son, was born in 1922. Diddy claimed to have learned to make andouille & sausage while he was learning how to walk. He was married to Francis Cali. They had 3 children, Mary Ann, Martha, & Nelson. Diddy passed away in 1982.

• Diddy also owned and ran a bar that bore his name.

• Mary Ann was born in 1943. She was married to the late Jude Lions. They had two boys, Ashley & Aaron. The current location of Jacob’s Andouille is the property where their home was located. Although retired, Mary Ann still prepares some of the items sold in the store.

• Aaron was born in 1966 and is married to Bridget Charlton. They have two beautiful daughters, Holly and Heather.

• Andouille is French for "to introduce" as in the seasoned meat was introduced into the casing. Though a French word, andouille here is a German sausage. In France, andouille is casings and stomach linings stuffed into more linings, tied off, then boiled.

• The Germans learned to speak French early on as the French were already settled here and well established. Many German items took a French name. The French changed even people’s surnames. LaBranch, Vicknair, Fabre (FAHB), Triche (TRISH), Rome, and Becnel are examples of this. In most cases they are French spellings or pronunciations of German names. LaBranch was Zwieg (ZWAAG), German for twig. Vicknair was probably Wicnor.

• Until the mid 1980’s andouille was still a very localized product. People as close as New Orleans and Baton Rouge had still never heard of it. Yet in some parts of other states and other countries, people were eating andouille shipped from Jacob’s Store back in the 50’s.

• The Andouille festival was started by the LaPlace Volunteer Fire Department as a fund raiser. Once a tax was passed by the voters of St. John Parish to generate financial income for the Dept., they sold the festival to a private organization. This organization then sold the festival again and it was moved out of the parish for a couple of years. St. John the Baptist Parish acquired a failing Andouille Festival, reorganized it, and now runs the festival successfully again.

• Senator Ron Landry designed the Andouille Festival logo.

• 1^st place winners of the cooking contests at the first Andouille Festival were Mrs. Douglas White in the miscellaneous foods, Mr. Robert Millet in gumbo, and Mrs. Joseph Hachet in jambalaya. All three used Jacob’s Andouille.

• Jacob’s Andouille was used in many winning pots over the years including "Squint" Laiche’s 1^st place gumbo at the Andouille Festival in 1976 and again in 1977.

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