▁and ▁home ▁of ▁The ▁Ac ad ian ▁Museum . ▁ ▁History ▁Er ath ▁is ▁named ▁after ▁August ▁Er ath ▁( 1 8 ▁March ▁ 1 8 4 3 ▁- ▁ 1 1 ▁September ▁ 1 9 0 0 ) ▁who ▁em igr ated ▁from ▁Switzerland ▁to ▁New ▁Orleans ▁in ▁ 1 8 6 0 ▁and ▁was ▁book keeper ▁in ▁the ▁bre wer ies . ▁He ▁moved ▁to ▁New ▁I ber ia ▁in ▁ 1 8 7 6 ▁and ▁ere cted ▁a ▁bre wer y ▁there . ▁Er ath ▁was ▁later ▁mayor ▁of ▁New ▁I ber ia ▁and ▁began ▁to ▁develop ▁land ▁in ▁the ▁Er ath ▁area . ▁Although ▁August ▁Er ath ▁never ▁lived ▁in ▁Er ath , ▁he ▁was ▁close ▁to ▁rail road ▁officials , ▁which ▁brought ▁forth ▁a ▁great ▁business ▁vent ure ▁for ▁him . ▁ ▁Later , ▁Er ath ▁built ▁a ▁s elt zer ▁water ▁factory ▁in ▁New ▁I ber ia ▁and ▁an ▁ice ▁plant ▁in ▁Ab be ville . ▁In ▁ 1 8 8 4 , ▁he ▁started ▁a ▁hardware ▁business ▁and ▁purchased ▁land ▁located ▁in ▁this ▁area . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 0 5 , ▁the ▁storm ▁sur ge ▁forced ▁in land ▁by ▁H urr icane ▁R ita ▁flo oded ▁most ▁of ▁the ▁town . ▁Water ▁in ▁most ▁parts ▁of ▁town ▁was ▁up ▁to ▁six ▁feet ▁deep . ▁Over all , ▁the ▁cost ▁of ▁the ▁damage ▁total ▁was ▁estimated ▁to ▁have ▁cost ▁approximately ▁$ 5 , 0 0 0 ▁alone ▁in ▁Er ath . ▁ ▁Geography ▁Er ath