Jean Lafitte - Legacy

Legacy

Davis writes that Lafitte's death prevented his becoming obsolete; by 1825 piracy had been essentially eradicated in the Gulf of Mexico, and "the new world of the Gulf simply had no room for kind". Given his legendary reputation, there was much speculation about whether, or how, Lafitte had died. Rumors abounded: he changed his name after leaving Galveston and disappeared; he was killed by his own men shortly after leaving Galveston; or, he rescued Napoleon and they both died in Louisiana. In 1843, Mirabeau B. Lamar investigated many of the Lafitte stories and concluded that, while there were no authentic records of death, Lafitte was likely dead. By this time, Lafitte's only known son, Jean Pierre Lafitte, had died in October 1832 during a yellow fever epidemic in New Orleans.

Ramsay compares the numerous legends related to the life and death of Lafitte to those about King Arthur and Robin Hood. Lafitte is rumored to have buried treasure at many locations, including Galveston and sites along coastal Louisiana, such as Contraband Bayou in Lake Charles. Ramsay believes that over time, almost "every foot of Grande Isle has been spaded for pirate gold". In 1909, a man was given a six-year prison sentence for fraud after swindling thousands of dollars from people, by claiming that he knew where the Lafitte treasure was buried and taking their money for the promise to find it.

In the mid-1920s, a private search for the treasure of Lafitte extended to the draining of Indian Bayou. As an arm of the Natalbany River in Springfield, Louisiana, the entire bayou was dyked and drained. The work was financed exclusively to search for the treasure of Lafitte. An Indian dugout canoe found at the time is displayed at the Cabildo in New Orleans. Under unknown circumstances, the crew and all the workmen broke camp and left one night after several weeks of work.

• Since 1957, the city of Lake Charles, Louisiana devotes an annual festival, Contraband Days, to Lafitte. Held during the first two weeks of May, the festival celebrates Lafitte's exploits and the legend of buried treasure. The festival features actors who portray Lafitte and his pirates. They sail into the city's lake, capture the mayor, and make him "walk the plank." No such event is known to have occurred.
• A fishing village along Bayou Barataria in Louisiana was named for him.
• Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve was named for him.