The Vida Sugar Mill and the Vida Bridge

The Vida Sugar Mill was built in 1923 revolutionizing the process of sugarcane. J.B. Levert built the sugar mill, selling it too the Loreauville Sugar Co. which consisted of local businessmen John Bonin, John E. Schwing, Antoine Gonsoulin, L. Cyrus DeBlanc, John Pharr, Henry N. Pharr, S.K. Keller and F. Mudd. On Wednesday, November 21, 1923, five boilers exploded, killing eleven and injuring 16 workers. The explosion was so loud it shook buildings and was plainly audible in the nearest town of New Iberia about nine miles away. All of Loreauville turned out to pay their respect to honor their departed friends. One year later the mill was back in operation. The Loreauville Sugar Co. sold the mill to a company known as Vida sugars, Inc. in 1931. The Vida Sugar Mill was in operation from 1923 to 1974.

Historical Significance of the Vida Bridge

The first Vida Bridge was built around 1923 specifically for the Vida Mill. In 1927 the bridge was washed away by the Great Flood of 1927. Rebuilt to serve the Vida Sugar Mill, this first bridge was opened for boat traffic by mules. At the time mules pulling cane carts were the only means for farmers to bring their crop to the sugar mill. In 1938 Daniel Jeffery and Sons Inc. from Jeanerette, La. built the current Vida Bridge. Jeffery and Sons built two bridges on the same contract, the Vida Bridge and the Morbiham Bridge, for the total price of $31,560.00.

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This new bridge was constructed of timber deck on treated timber piers, together with treated timber pile trestle approaches with a structural steel truss top. This type of bridge architecture was common in this time period. But due to the now modern tractor the bridge was updated to handle the weight the farmers would carry in the wagons. At the time the mill crane would only about three tons per load of cane, with the new tractor the lifting capacity increased too handle the increasing load of cane.
           
This bridge was designed to open for boat traffic in the Bayou Teche. It was first opened manually with a key and now is set up with hydraulics. This bridge can still be opened manually with a key if needed. This is the only bridge in the Iberia Parish that has that ability. (This is another feature that makes this bridge very unique)  Jeffery and Sons built about 15 bridges along the Bayou Teche, from Daspit Rd. in New Iberia to the other side of Centerville, La. Now there are only three of these bridges left.
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The Vida Shaw Bridge as it now stands in its state of rustic and simplistic beauty, has endured numerous modifications and repairs since its installation in 1927. Replacing the bridge that was washed out during the ‘Great Flood of 27’, the bridge signifies the resilience of the Iberia Parish farm families and is testimony to the determination of these families on the North side of the Bayou to bring their sugarcane to market. As the only remaining relic of the Vida Sugar mill, this small one lane bridge is reminder to all that further up the Bayous cut bank once stood a mechanical factory that revolutionized the processing of sugarcane. Vida Sugar Mill in itself served significantly to solidify Sugar Cane as ‘King’ in Iberia Parish. A beautiful and relevant relic of the past; it is well worth preserving.

Today many Parishioners and Visitors visit the Vida Shaw Bridge to enjoy its rustic beauty, to reminisce of days gone by. The bridge remains today a place of interest and history for Iberia Parish. The future should hold no difference for this one lane bridge bears in the eye of the beholder a wonder of history and beauty that formed the very fabric of the farmers that built Iberia Parish.

This bridge is Louisiana’s oldest, one lane, steel structure swing bridge that is still in operation over the Bayou Teche. This rare, almost extinct type of bridge is possibly one of the greatest assets to Iberia Parish.