Jean Lafitte remains one of American history's most mysterious and intriguing figures. Indeed, as pointed out by Joseph Geringer in his excellent on-line biography, Jean Lafitte: Gentleman Pirate of New Orleans, even the correct spelling of his surname is a matter of dispute, with most historians spelling it "Lafitte" although he himself apparently spelled it "Laffite". However, the greatest mystery surrounding Lafitte is the time and manner of his death. Most historians believe that he died around 1826 either of the plague in Yucatan or somewhere else in battle. But Geringer notes that:

"The book, Louisiana - A Narrative History by Edwin Adams Davis cites a rather new and surprising theory that spots Lafitte’s final years in America’s Midwest. Claimants say he married in Charleston, moved west with his wife, bore children and died in Alton, Illinois on May 5,1854."

It is not our desire to dispute the conclusions of those more learned that ourselves, but we believe that Lafitte's final years were, in fact, spent in Alviso, California. According to our records--which are available for inspection at our corporate offices in Taratupa, the Seiber Islands--a man we believe to be none other that Jean Lafitte arrived at the Embarcadero de Santa Clara in 1834. At that time, according to Eric Carlson's excellent on-line essay Old Port of Alviso

"The Embarcadero de Santa Clara served as a port for the shipment of cow hides, tallow, and other goods marketed by Spanish settlers and the Mission de Santa Clara. In 1835, Richard Henry Dana, author of Two Years Before the Mast, purchased hides from the Mission, loaded them onto a boat at the Embarcadero, and relayed them to his ship in San Francisco Bay."

What Mr. Carlson's essay does share however, is that the boat used by Dana had been repaired by the local blacksmith and boatwright, one "Jean Saint-Dominique", who had arrived the prior year with his wife and children and a small number of companions. In 1838, the Mexican Governor, Juan Bautista Alvarado, granted the Rincon de los Esteros Rancho to Ignacio Alviso. Alviso--who has been described by Carlson as one of the "adventurers, led by Captain Juan Bautista de Anza, who first trooped into the area in 1776"--was apparently a good friend of "Saint-Dominique" since he soon offered him the opportunity to move his business to a site closer to San Francisco bay. This site, which "Saint-Dominique" named "Nueva Barataria", eventually became part of the town named after his benefactor, Alviso.

"Saint-Dominique" manged to hold onto Neuva Barataria during the transition from Mexican to American rule in the 1840's, changing the name of his company to the now famous "Barataria Boat Works". In 1848, when news of John Marshall's discovery of gold reached him, "Saint-Dominique", now 68 years old, wisely resisted the temptation to join the "Gold Rush" himself, sending his two sons and three grandsons in his stead. Their success is reflected in the ability of the Barataria Boat Works to survive both the economic and ecological ups and downs of Alviso during the next 150 years.

On January 8, 1854--40 years to the day after the Battle of New Orleans--"Jean Saint-Dominique"--now 74 years old--went to Sunday mass with his family. He asked the priest to return home with him, where he died peacefully after confessing his sins. There are some witnesses who report that this took over an hour, but family members claimed it only took 10 minutes. The priest, of course, had nothing to say.