Henry C. Castellanos was a prominent New Orleans citizen whose avocation was
writing about the New Orleans he had known and loved for seventy years. He was a
distinguished attorney and judge, a teacher, and a journalist, serving for
several years on the editorial staff of the Louisiana Courier. At the
time of his death in 1896, Castellanos was planning on writing a series of books
on the unwritten history of Louisiana. Because of ill health, he was only able
to complete one book, which endures today as a testament to his genius. His
romantic description of the uniqueness of the French Quarter was influential in
the creation of a society to preserve ancient city landmarks in the late
nineteenth century.
First published in 1895, New Orleans As It Was vividly
records episodes of antebellum Louisiana life. Due to the political and social
upheaval of the time, Castellanos recognized he was living in a time of
important transition. He believed he could serve as a “connecting link
between the present and a generation long extinct.” Written during a period
of recuperation, his book offers accounts of events he witnessed, as well those
unwritten tales he remembered hearing in his childhood from his mother and
grandmother. His sole ambition with this book was to “revive and to
perpetuate these recollections, which may be termed the ‘Unwritten History’
of New Orleans.” Thus, facts, events, and personalities of Castellanos'
tales were drawn not only from old records and archives, but also from oral
recitals and traditions.
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