For 20 years, Eunice has watched her city

Sept. 11 is a significant date in Eunice for more than the World Trade Center attack of 2001.
On Sunday, Sept. 11, 1994, 20 years ago today, the city’s iconic Eunice Pharr Duson statue was dedicated by the Xi Beta Theta Chapter of Beta Sigma Phi Sorority.
Since then, from the corner at Park & Second, she’s looked down on parades and street dances, festival and fairs, lines at the Liberty and library patrons coming and going; she’s welcomed Santa every year and greeted Eunice High and St. Ed’s alums back for homecomings.
Her dedication coincided with the city’s centennial celebration.
Co-chairs of the project were Lou Myers and Joan McManus.
Two decaces later, the co-chairs think the enduring project was well worth the time and effort to make it a reality.
McManus and Myers both agreed, “ We firmly believe that the project was worth the effort. And are totally satisfied with the location of the statue. We feel that the statue represents a cultural part of Eunice, and we wanted to honor the woman behind the city-- a name sake.”
At the ceremony, emceed by Vernon McManus, Myers introduced sorority members and Mrs. McManus introduced Pharr Duson relatives on hand.
Those relatives included C. Pharr Duson, grandson of Eunice Pharr Duson, and Stephen Pharr Duson, great-grandson, who performed the statue unveiling.
The statute’s sculptor was Jerry Gorum of Glenmora, a friend of the-Mayor Curtis Joubert, and whose work stands at sites across Louisiana.
According to an article in the Eunice News, dated Sept. 8, 1994, “Gorum grew up in Central Louisiana. After high school, he sought formal art training at McNeese State University. Gorum now enjoys the demands of both national and international recognition of his artistic talents; however he believes that the diverse culture and rich history of Louisiana could keep him busy for a lifetime.”
The keynote speaker on the program 20 years ago was the late Mary Alice Fontenot Riehlm, a well- known author of children’s story books “Clovis Crawfish series,” and feature writer for the Crowley Post Signal in the 70s.
The purpose of the statue was to signify and give honor to the founding woman of the city.
The sorority launched the project fully a year prior to the unveiling.
“We thought that Eunice should have some kind of honor, recognition of some sort of art work. We then thought a sculpture art would look great,” said Myers and McManus.
Thus the project began.
There were phone calls made, newspaper articles written, information spread by word of mouth, and monies were raised. “We asked women who wished to have their names printed on the bronze plaque below the statue of Duson to donate $300.
The plaque includes 159 names.
The statue stands six feet and rests on a five-foot high granite base. The bronze has been cleaned once over the years, Myers said.
The sorority raised nearly $50,000 for their centennial project. Myers said, “This included everything... the bronze statue including the name plaque, plus all additional costs of everything-- the granite base that statue stands upon, the brick way leading to the statue, and a bound book of the women’s names located inside Eunice Library, took all the monies raised.
The project involved doing extensive research about Eunice, who was the wife of the city’s founder, C.C. Duson.
McManus and Myers added, “We chaired the project together. We did a great deal of research on Eunice Pharr Duson. The sorority took on the project - and it took us over a year to complete it.
Location of the new statue was important as the sorority wished to have it located in the heart of Eunice.
Myers said, “We wanted the statue to stand out and be near Second Street, the heart, the downtown historical area of Eunice.. thus we found the spot.”
As part of the dedication ceremony, the sorority printed programs for the public, and the program included printed names of 159 women, both living and deceased, who through their loyalty, support and devotion to their loved ones and their community, have made the Prairie Acadian area what it is today.
Researched history about the First Lady of the Cajun Prairie was printed in the program.
(Some excerpts: “Mary Eunice Pharr was born on January 20, 1872, to Elias A. Pharr and Amelia Gall. Her maternal grandfather was Jasper Gall (born at sea) who lived in New Iberia and served as the second mayor of that city. Her father, who was born in North Carolina, was known as Captain Pharr. He served as New Iberia’s fire chief for many years.
“Her family lived at Spanish Lake near New Iberia. They operated a large timber business, owning much timberland and a sawmill. They also owned farmland that extended to Weeks Island, where they grew sugar cane.
“They were wealthy individuals who spoiled their three daughters, and seven sons. Eunice was the oldest of ten children. Her brothers were Bert Pharr, Fitzgerald Pharr, Gall Pharr, Dr. John Newton Pharr, Milton Hamilton Pharr, Walter Pharr, and Will Pharr. Her sisters were Alberta Pharr White and Martha Pharr Romero. Mary Eunice graduated from the Opelousas Feminine Institute on March 21, 1890.
“In June of 1893 she married Cornelius Curley Duson, a widower, one of the most powerful, respected and admired men in the state.
“He served for 14 years as sheriff of St. Landry Parish, then was elected to the Louisiana Senate. He was one of the leading members of the Southwest Louisiana Land Company, and the organization of Acadia Parish is due greatly to his influence.
“He and his brother, W.W. Duson, were large land owners and were among the largest rice growers in Southwest Louisiana.”
“C.C. Duson and his brother founded our city and named it after his new bride of one year ‘Eunice.’ The first lots of this Prairie Cajun Capitol were auctioned off at the train depot on Sept. 12, 1894. The lots sold that day became the sites of homes, businesses, schools, and churches that now form the city of Eunice as we know it today, one hundred years later.
“Eunice Pharr Duson had two sons, Curley Pharr and William Herbert. She helped raise five of C.C. Duson’s children from his first marriage. Eunice preceded her husband in death and died at the age of 35 of tuberculosis on September 1, 1907 in Alpine, Texas.
“For several years before her death, Eunice Duson had been an invalid, but such was her quiet and uncomplaining bravery that few beyond her innermost circle of friends were aware of it. She was deeply devoted to her husband and children and her life was spent with and for them.”
She was buried in the Rosehill Cemetery in New Iberia, as was her father, Elias, who died in 1906 at the age of 67, and her mother, Amelia, who died in 1940 at the age of 87.