Historical Heroes
Margare
t Haughe ry:
At the intersection of Prytania and Camp Streets, near Clio, stands “The B read Wo Margaret Place. In the midst of the Park is a statue simply labeled: men of N ew Orlea “Margaret.” Erected in July of 1884, it honors Margaret Haughery, known as the “Bread Turning T ns” ragedy in Women of New Orleans.” Only the second statue erected in the United States honoring a woman, t o T r iumph it was crafted by artist Alexander Doyle who also did the statues of Robert E. Lee at Lee Circle and By Kevin Brown P.G.T. Beauregard at the entrance to City Park. Margaret was born in 1813, in Tully, Carrigallen County Leitrim to William and Margaret O’Rourke Gaffney. They left Ireland in 1818, landing in Baltimore. The six month ship journey was besieged by storms and those aboard were limited to one cracker per day as rations diminished. Shortly after gender. At her life’s end she donated landing, Margaret’s younger sister died. Four years after their arrival in the New World, Margaret’s parents died in the yellow fever epidemic a p p r o x i m a t e l y of 1822. Young Margaret, now nine, was an orphan and was taken in by a Welsh woman who met $600,000 to charity, her family on the ship journey to the United States. She became a domestic, washing clothes for the a formidable sum at that time. Despite wealthy. Margaret never learned to read or write. At age 21 she met and married Irishman Charles Haughery. Charles, in failing health, moved with her prosperity, it was Margaret to New Orleans in pursuit of a warmer climate. As his health continued to fail, he traveled said that she never to Ireland, promising to send for Margaret and their newborn daughter, Frances at a later date. He owned more than two dresses, one for died soon after. Then Frances died, and Margaret was alone again. Margaret went to work in the St. Charles Hotel as a washerwoman. While there she had an epiphany: daily wear and the she would spend the rest of her life dedicated to the cause of the orphans of New Orleans. She made other for church. Some of the contact with the Sisters of Charity and began to divide her days between work and the Poydras charities she either Orphan Asylum serving alongside the Sisters of Charity. She proved so effective as a fundraiser that the Sisters hired her founded or supported include: Margaret Haughery Statue in the Irish Channel - full-time. Ultimately St. Teresa of Avila Church and Orphan the First One Erected for a Woman she became an Asylum Protestant Episcopal Home administrator of 7th Street Protestant Orphan Asylum several orphanages. German Protestant Orphan Asylum Meanwhile, German Orphan Asylum Margaret purchased Widows and Orphans of Jews Asylum two cows and began Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent DePaul selling milk from a cart. Within two years Margaret died in 1882. Her obituary was she had purchased a featured on the front page of the Picayune, herd of 40 cows and was running a highly the city’s largest newspaper. Her funeral was profitable business. so well attended that the casket could barely She took over a make it through the aisle of the church. bakery that was in In 1956 the Mississippi Bridge Authority financial trouble and it also became constructed the Camp Street Ramp, a huge success. effectively hiding Margaret’s statue from Upon converting view. By 1994, when the ramp was removed, the bakery to steam the damage to the statue was extensive. power she created the Currently there are efforts underway to first steam-powered repair it. bakery in the south, Margaret Haughery stands testimony to which led to her moniker “The Bread St. Paul’s words in Romans 5:3-4: “Not Woman of New only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces Orleans.” As her businesses perseverance; perseverance, character; and flourished, Margaret’s character, hope. Her triumph over adversity p h i l a n t h r o p y provided hope for an entire generation of increased. She fed New Orleanians. orphans and those To find out more about Margaret down on their luck. She opened new Haughery: orphanages and Great Characters of New Orleans by Mel contributed to others. Her wisdom and Leavitt, 1984. Margaret: Friend of Orphans counsel were sought by Mary Lou Widmer, 1996 http://www.facebook.com/pages/ by many throughout the city regardless Beloved-Margaret-Haughery-of-Newof race, class or Orleans/208149613587 17
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