He had arrived in Louisiana after hitchhiking and was invited onto a Spanish vessel due to his determination and loyalty to volunteer and work freely for the Spanish Empire. He was a Sephardic Jewish trader of either Basque-Spanish or Venetian-Italian origins.

Lake Charles was founded by merchant and tradesman Marco Eliche (or Marco de Élitxe) as an outpost. On March 7, 1861, Lake Charles was incorporated as the town of Charleston, Louisiana.

Main article: History of Lake Charles, Louisiana Ryan Street in Lake Charles, 1903 Downtown Lake Charles, c.