L.S. Spears shares knowledge of history, civil rights, and farm life in St. Helena Parish

L.S. Spears
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

A few years ago, I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Spears and his wife Mrs. Arizola Ernest . They both had so much wisdom and knowledge to share. I could have sat and talked with them for hours.  I didn't want to  overstay my welcome. They are now in their nineties and doing well. Since COVID prevented me from visiting their home, I often wondered how they were doing. During the past two weeks, I've been documenting syrup making at the Womack Mill in St. Helena. 

I met his nephew, Byron Parks. Byron needed to process four loads of sugarcane into syrup. In our conversation, Byron mentioned that Mr. Spears was his uncle's wife and that she was doing well. "There is one thing to keep in mind in rural communities: you should always establish who your family is. That's one of the most frequently asked questions." 

I didn't get to the mill the next day, so I contacted Byron by phone about some photographs he sent me. He told me that Mr. Spears was at Womack Mill. The thought of seeing him made me want to get into my car and drive to the mill. We both enjoyed hearing each other's voices when Byron put him on the phone. The following day, I planned to meet with him. Eddie Ponds was invited to join me on this trip for a few interviews for The Drum Newspaper. 

Mr. Spears at Womack Mill
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

 My eyes were delighted  to see Mr. Spears driving and getting around very well for a man who had just turned ninety-six. We noticed that he dressed as if he was going somewhere else other then the syrup mill the moment he stepped out of the truck. Very neat with his shoes matching his belt and you could smell his cologne. Eddie Ponds and I took out our cameras and started taking pictures and interviewing him. He was born in 1926 in St. Helena Parish to Carter Spears and Leona Rankins Spears.  According to the 1940 United States Federal Census, he had six siblings; Myrtis Spears, Hazel Spears, Reba Spears, Inez Spears, Arnell Spears, Fennel Spears,  and Carter Spears, Jr.  

His first words were that he was still bush hauling on his tractor around his house. Although Mr. Spear did other public work to support his family, he grew up on a farm. In addition to driving a truck, he also worked in construction. He talked about how hard it was back then in St. Helena Parish and the racism they encountered. "We used to sit around and sing gospel hymns in the evenings when people would come over to our house," said Mr. Spears. We had a good old time just talking and singing he said. Whenever the people were ready to go home, we would walk them half way home and talk. He laughed when he thought about them turning around and walking back with them. 

There were times when the old folks would pray so hard in the house that you thought God was just around the corner. In those days, times were hard, but they were good as well. He said things have changed now. During his season of making syrup, he would make two to three hundred cans. Our meat was kept in a smokehouse. There is no comparison between meat today and the meat we had in the past. 

The civil rights movement was one of the topics I asked him about. They protested for equal rights in schools, he said. As a civil rights leader in St. Helena, his mother-in-law Pearl and her sister Martha Thomas were very active. In fact, Andrew Young and other members of The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) attended Pearl's funeral. It was some hard time he said. 

Mastering Syrup Making with Floyd Womack with St. Helena Parish

Floyd Womack
Photo Credi: Antoinette Harrell

The season for making syrup is a very short one. It may last two to three weeks and it's over until the next year. For the past two weeks the Womack brothers have spent long days and hard hours grinding and making cane syrup. It took me a couple days to learn the routine of each person. Floyd is somewhat a quiet man and the master cook as far as I'm concerned. He is the one who get the pans and the fire ready for cooking,

When the juice from the sugar is pumped into a 55 gallon barrel, he is ready to light the fire. Using fat pine from aged pine trees. Older people call it lighter knots. I know it works very well at getting a fire started because I used it in my fireplace. Floyd works for approximately five to six hours cooking, skimming the foam that accumulates on top of the syrup as soon as he gets the cane juice into the pan. I was amazed at how he knew how much wood to use and how he operated all three pans. He didn't stop until the job was finished and no one 

By looking at everything, he gauges everything. I asked him how he maintains the temperature of the second pan. The pieces of wood are thrown under the second pan, he explained. The same thing for the third pan. I also asked him if he ever messed up any syrup while cooking it. "Yes! Many times", replied Floyd. Through trial and error, you learn to become better he said. 

Floyd Womack making syrup
Photo Credit: Antoinette Harrell

He reminds me of a master chef - a man who knows his craft well. As soon as he gets the heat under the pans right and they start boiling, he's working over the hot steaming pans. At that point, everything is in his hands. He wants to ensure that the syrup batch is good. Not too thick and not too watery. Hats off to the chef, as they say. Hats off to the master syrup maker in this case. He spent years and learning to master his skills. 

 My attention was drawn to the fact that he was the only one cooking. It is my hope that someone will learn syrup making from him so that this cultural preservation can continue for as long as possible. There aren't many people left in St. Helena Parish who still make cane syrup. 

The importance of preserving and highlighting these types of crafts cannot be overstated. Quilt makers, basket weavers, wood carvers, and other crafts that people enjoy. The Womack men enjoy making syrup as a hobby.  There are a lot of areas in Louisiana that are known for their culture, food, music, and crafts. The Strawberry Festival, the Oyster Festival, and the Sicilian Festival are held every spring in Tangipahoa Parish. The Dairy Festivals in Kentwood, Louisiana were often mentioned by others. As far as I know, St. Helena Parish does not have any festivals. Through video and photography, I documented the process this season. It is my second time documenting the process. When I first visited a syrup mill about five years ago, James Baker was the master syrup maker. He has stopped making cane syrup, I was told.