VICTORY LETOREY, one of the most progressive and enterprising farmers in Tennessee, was born in New Orleans, January 26, 1839, being the eldest of five children born to JOHN B. AND EUPHROSYNE (CONAND). The former was a native of Burgundy, France. He came to America a poor boy, but by energy and economy accumulated sufficent money to engage in sugar planting, in which business he accumulated a large fortune. In 1853, in order that he might properly educate his family, he moved to Paris, and from that time to his death, in 1875, France was his permanent residence. His wife is still living at the age of sixty-eight years. Victor, the subject of this sketch, received a liberal education. After completing a literary course, he served for about three years as sub-assistant to PEDIGO, the renowned chemist in the Government Laboratories, and also took a complete course in pharmacy. In 1866 he returned to New Orleans, and erected a seltzer water manufactory, which proved a decided success until competition drove him from the business. Meanwhile, he spent his summers with his family in Morgan County, and, being delighted with the climate and magnificent scenery, he decided to make it his permanent home. He purchased 100 acres of land about one and one-half miles east of Wartburg, to which he has since added 700 acres. It was entirely covered by a forest, and Mr. Letorey had had no experience whatever in farming, but in the short space of fifteen years he has converted this tract into one of the best improved farms in East Tennessee. In doing this he has spared neither labor nor expense and has done a work on incalculable value to the agricultural interest of the State, and expecially of the Cumberland Plateau. He has devoted the greater portion of his time to experiments in grape culture and wine making, and has demonstrated that wines equal to the best in Europe can be made in this section. His experiments in the breeding of cattle have also proved of great value. On June 11, 1868, Mr. Letorey was united in marriage with PAULINE DE BLIEUX, a native of New Orleans, and a descendant of one of the nobility of Sourthern France. To them have been born eight children, four of whom are living, they are VICTOR JR., born in 1873: DENNIS, born in 1876; HONORENE, born in 1878, and OCTAVIUS, born in 1880.
Transcribed by Julie Cromwell
Source: History of Tennessee from the Earliest Time to the Present: Together with an Historical and a Biographical Sketch of from Twenty-Five to Thirty Counties of East Tennessee. Chicago: Goodspeed, 1887.