author
Edward Avery McIlhenny
1872–1949
A Tabasco heir with a naturalist’s curiosity, he turned Avery Island into a haven for birds and helped shape wildlife conservation in coastal Louisiana. His life blended business, exploration, folklore collecting, and hands-on environmental work.
1 Audiobook
The Wild Turkey and Its Hunting
by Edward Avery McIlhenny, Charles L. Jordan
About the author
Born on Avery Island, Louisiana, in 1872, Edward Avery McIlhenny was the son of Edmund McIlhenny, founder of the family company behind Tabasco sauce. He later led the McIlhenny Company, but his interests reached far beyond business.
McIlhenny became known as an explorer, bird bander, and conservationist. He created a private bird refuge around the family estate on Avery Island—often remembered as "Bird City"—and played an important part in protecting coastal marshland in Louisiana for wildlife. He was also interested in plants, natural history, and regional culture, and wrote about subjects ranging from nature to folklore.
Remembered by many as "Ned," he lived a busy, unusual life that connected industry with stewardship of the natural world. He died in 1949, leaving behind a legacy tied both to a famous family business and to early conservation efforts in the American South.