I can never decide which pictures to leave out --- mostly because I want to refer back here and they make me so happy. So you likely get to see more than you want. I'll try and keep the wording down.
A trip down to the water's edge this morning allows me to see the mist moving across it.
I tried a little video --- hopefully you can enjoy too.
My sweetie is doing what he loves so much. His eyes are always after something I miss.
His view?
Back up the hill, the pig is out. OH MY GOSH! She's Fatsy's (the pig at our quilt retreat) sister. They could be identical twins. And this is why the doggie door is so big.WOW --- I cannot imagine having this in my house, but, hey, I don't even have dogs in my house, so there's that. Smile.
Let's get moving --- we have a full agenda and only so many hours to get 'er done in. Into Natchtoches we go and locate the historic part of the town, where hardly a movement is taking place. I didn't share that yesterday was "Steel Magnolias Day" here as it is the anniversary of the filming the movie here. One would think more activity would be present, but it's pretty dang quiet. We do notice that they are starting to put up the Christmas decorations though. As we walk the street (which is along the river) the flowers are sublime.
When you think of a Louisiana town, this place fits the bill perfectly. Agree?Natchitoches, named after the Natchitoches Tribe, is the oldest European settlement within the borders of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase and was originally founded as a French outpost as early as 1699. As I above, Steel Magnolias was filmed here and it has a 33 block National Historic District, which is what we plan to walk around this morning. I have a list of several places to see ---- one by one, but first -- coffee.
Walking down the street in search of a coffee shop, lets us view the river from above.
And the amazing floral arrangements. They are fabulous.We have gone several blocks, left the business area and are almost to the bridge. The view from there is pretty dang sweet and the day is gorgeous. It's perfect for walking, with one exception. STILL, very little in the way of activity around town. Is it because it is Sunday?
Below us is one of the many signs that the town is changing gears and preparing for the next festival.Returning back down the road on the other side of the street, we are still hopeful for a cafe. I can see a church nearby and am hoping that it is the one on my list. The Minor Basilica of the Immaculate Conception is here and I'd love a peek. I've learned a bit about the area and Catholicism has played a central role throughout the history of the Cane River region. Although many other religions have flourished in the area over the years, the legacy of the early Catholic settlers has been preserved through the establishment of several Catholic churches and a Catholic school. Having been in the area since 1716, they built Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, which remains today. The building was completed in 1892 when Bishop Durier added a dome on the tower along with a new sanctuary and sacristies, and altar, and tile floor. In 1992 a renovation was undertaken to restore the church to its original grandeur, culminating in a re-dedication in 1996.
The priest and several members of the congregation are outside as we walk inside to look around before the service begins. There are two graves inside the building, one in front of Mary's alrar and one in front of St. Joseph's altar. The chandeliers are from France and are original, installed in 1856. The communion rails are also original. The two angle stained glass windows on each side of the altar are from Austria and given by the priests of the Diocese of Natchitoches. All others are American-made.
We exit quietly and several gentlemen are still outside. They ask where we are from and a lively conversation ensues. We then ask about coffee and as straightfaced as can be, they answer us with, "You're welcome to have some with us after service or McDonald's has some." Really? A quick Google search proves them right. There is nothing nearby. Goodness.
One of the priests asks us to follow him around back so he can show us something and, naturally, we do so. Fifteen nuns of the Sisters of the Sacred Heart Convent are buried in one mass grave. Five of the nuns died of yellow fever in the epidemic of 1853.The church lost it's status as a cathedral in 1904, but during 2010 was granted the honor of being elevated to a Minor Basilica.
As we are looking at the grave, the priest goes back to his duties and we are alone taking photographs when a local man comes up to talk with us. He introduces himself as Jack Brittain, Jr. and tells us a story about the church's previous location and a suspicious fire. As we visit, he invites us up to his home to view his "mini-museum" and like the good sheeple we are, in we go. He leaves the door open as we enter and I remember thinking, "At least I have a quick exit route." There are many interesting pieces in here but one collection is large and he seems particularly proud of it. It is by Clementine Hunter, whom we have not heard of. I do spot this newspaper article that has been framed and snap a picture of it to read later as we are moving deeper into the house.
I hear him tell a story of how Clementine only painted black people and yet agreed to paint a picture of his family from a photo. The one and only time she relented, apparently.
Jack is talking to Mister and I spy another interesting tidbit. He was in Steel Magnolias. Now I have to watch again and see if I can find him. They have moved out onto the balcony, which overlooks the street and Jack invites us to come visit during the Christmas Festival and we can watch the parade from here. What a gracious man. It does have a good view of the Old Courthouse, which Jacks tells a funny story about. He is a lawyer, so I have some faith in this one --- apparently the original courthouse was built without a courtroom. How funny is that? The first Natchitoches Courthouse was built upon this site about 1828 and was demolished in 1895 to allow for the present historic courthouse, which was built in 1896. The courthouse cost $20,555 to build. This Richardsonian Romanesque structure has house the offices of Clerk of Court, the Assessor, the Sheriff, the School Board, the Judge, and a Courtroom. In 1933, the attic, courtroom, and tower clock were extensively damaged by fire. In 1979, the old building was restored, as near as possible, to its original appearance. This building houses a museum of the rich history of Natchitoches Parish and its people. The museum opened in July, 1996 on the 100th birthday of the courthouse, but is no longer open to the public.
Another great picture, here is his family tree, up to his father. I wish I had one of these.It's time for us to be on our way, but we thank our host for the great tour and once again begin our pursuit of breakfast.
Back down on street level, Mister moves up to the courthouse window for a peek. I'm too short to see in, but this is what his camera shows. Look at this cute dollhouse, complete with quilt over the porch rail.
We go behind the courthouse and find ourselves in a cute little nook. It houses the Natchitoches Parish Veterans and Memorial Park and is a peaceful, beautiful little hideaway.
Looking up and across from the memorial --- love the turret type architecture.
Just down the road is the First Baptist Church. They don't build 'em small here.
And across from it is Trinity Episcopal Church, built in 1858. This was the scene of Truvy's church in Steel Magnolias.
Like this.
Look close --- very cool. It's all over the place.
Continuing on -- the Prud'homme-Rouquier home, circa 1796, comes into view. It is one of the largest known Bousillage buildings in the nation. It was built by Francois Rouquier and his wife, Marie Louise Prud'homme.
Just down the way a bit further, we come to this marker over a small inlet. I gotta tell ya -- this cracked me up. In case you can't read it, "Bayou Amulet - During the French and Spanish Colonial Period 1714-1803, This bayou emptied into the Red River, now Cane River Lake. It was the rendezvous when the river trade from New Orleans met the pack animal trains from Old Mexico. Because of many mules usually tied up along its bank, the stream was named "Bayou A Mule" on early maps. Later changed to Bayou Amulet." Love it so much.Next up is the Steel Magnolia House. This is the Eatenton House, where Shelby lived with her family. It is now a charming B&B. It was built around 1841 and apparently is quite difficult to get a room as it is booked most of the time at $200 a night. Wow.
Our bellies have finally got the best of us and while walking we did spot a cafe that said they opened for breakfast. It turns out it is Mexican and the best we can do is a burrito and bad cup of coffee. It's sustenance right? I think we need to move here and open a coffee shop. While trying to pay for breakfast, Mister discovers that he left his credit card at the restaurant last night. A quick phone call and we can go pick it up. Our car is at the other end of the road though, leaving us a walk back, perhaps quicker than our trip this direction.Peeking in windows here and there is always fun, even when the shops are closed. Here's a glance into the Kaffie-Frederick General Mercantile Store --- I'm betting a lot of time could be spent in here. So, so much stuff.
Now for the view of the lake during the light. Isn't it lovely?
Mister's credit card is retrieved and we are moving on. Today is a plantation day. I'm super interested in the history of this area and fortunately, they are equally interested in preserving and sharing it. Oakland Plantation is first and I'm learning that some names just keep popping up over and over. This home was built by the Prud'homme family in 1821 and it is one of the nation's best and most intact examples of a French Creole cotton plantation complex. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 2001 and is now owned by the National Park Service. Oakland Plantation was founded in 1785 and a small enslaved work force grew the original cash crops of tobacco and indigo. From agricultural workers to craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carpenters and masons, the skills and strengths of enslaved African Americans were crucial to the plantation's survival. After the invention of the cotton gin in 1793, the main crop became cotton. As textile mills increased their demand for cotton, the use of enslaved labor increased. They lived in one-room cabins; these were converted to tenant housing after Emancipation. The Civil War had a profound effect on the plantation community. During the Red River Campaign of April 1864, Union troops occupied the plantation and burned the Gin Barn. After the Civil War and into the 20th century, life continued to revolve around cotton. Descendants of enslaved workers remained as tenant farmers and sharecroppers to support their families."
Let's walk and I'll share what I see - or at least try to. The two pictures below are of pigeonniers - or perhaps better knows as dove houses. These served to emphasize teh wealth of the planter, and served a practical purpose as young pigeons were eaten as a delicacy call "squab."
Looking away from the main house. This shows the Pigeaonairre, behind left, the mule barn, behind right and the carpenter's shop in the front. The Mule Barn was built in the 1820s as a smoke house but was adapted to house mules after the original barn burned.
Towards the main house. It is a raised Creole cottage and was built by enslaved workers of cypress with bousillage-filled walls.
The Tractor Shed - The bays of this shed testify to a time when tractors were smaller.
The store and post office. It's open, so we go inside to look around. Opened after the Civil War, sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and locals continued buying supplies until the early 1980s. The Post Office, located inside, was in operation until 1967. Inside the store is a gift shop/bookstore, as well as the park passport stamps.
Behind the building is the gas station. Mister walks back to check it out.
And a giant sugar kettle. I'm not joking about the size. Look at Mister standing next to it. It is massive. As we are walking, a National Park guide calls to us and says if we come into the house right now, she can give us a tour. Awesome!!! We didn't think we'd get to see the inside. But first --- the Bottle Garden out front. Apparently this was quite the thing. The front garden was once bordered with boxwood hedges. Inverted bottles were later added to decorate the edges.
The Main Entrance.
Looking out from the porch. The road used to come right through these trees. Yep, just like in the movies.
Inside, our first view is a LONG hall with doors on both sides, all the way down.Into the parlor. "This parlor is a time capsule of life here in the 1960s. Throughout the house over 95% of everything, from furniture and clothing down to an ashtray or small box, belonged to the Prud'hommes. Few historic homes have this level of original family items on public display. When the French garrison disbanded with Spanish rule in 1763, many soldiers began farming, initially tobacco and indigo. The invention of the cotton gin in the early 1790s made cotton profitable, but it dramatically increased the use of slave labor to produce the wealth. In 1795 this plantation's enslaved population was 38, but in less than 50 years it had nearly quadrupled to 145 persons." Many Prud'homme generations lived here and many descendants of theirs and those of the laborers still live in the area.
The Boys Room - "It was common for the boys of the family to live in the back of the house or even in an "out" building;this goes back to an old French tradition of having their own space. AS the boys got older, they certainly had more freedom than their sisters did. That freedom would come at a price - this is the hottest part of the house. This tradition was still intact in the 1870s and 1880s. The three boys who grew up in this room were tutored until they were 15. Being French Catholics, they attended college at Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana. Through the far door is the Stranger's Room, inside the armoire in the "strangers" room is a "style chart." During the mid-20th century two bachelor uncles lived in this room (the doorway was cut out to allow access to the house). The prevailing thought at the time was that because they had no wives - then they had no style. The "style chart" is a color wheel that could be turned. Once the tie was picked then the shirt and suit would match."The Kitchen - "After the Civil War, a new wing with a new kitchen and pantry was built just off and connected to the rear gallery, providing much more convenient access between the house and its kitchen. The present kitchen was built in 1948 by enclosing the space on the gallery between the house and the kitchen wing built after the Civil War, creating the first kitchen to actually be inside the Main House itself. This up-to-date kitchen and breakfast space was the last major addition to Oakland's big house and is equipped with everything the hired cook needed to prepare any meal. When the house was built, most cooking was done over an open flame. This meant an increased risk of fire and increased the amount of heat in the house on warm days. For this reason, the original kitchen for the house was located outside, nearly 50 yards to the rear. The original kitchen also doubled as the home for the enslaved cook."
The Dining Room - One of the original four rooms of the house, the dining room was the social hub of the house. Family meals were taken here, and guests were entertained in this room. Like the parent's bedroom, the dining room was expanded in the 1830s. Hanging from the ceiling is a punkah, sometimes called a "shoo-fly". The punkah was operated by an enslaved child of 8 or 10 and functioned as a fan.
Original access to the Stranger's Room.
The back side of the house --- to the left is the new kitchen area.
Out buildings: poultry sheds, a wash house, and privy. Around the house are buildings important to the plantation's self-sufficiency. Chickens were bred, hatched and fattened in the poultry shed. An enslaved laundress worked in the wash house.
Way, off there in the back right is the original kitchen. The Cook's Cabin was moved from behind the main house in the 1920s to serve as a rented "fishing camp." The Prud'hommes' also raised minnows in a pond dug behind the cabin to sell as bait, and rented rowboats. The blacksmith's shop stop in the field between the cabin and the river.
The corn crib. Built in the 1820s of hand hewn cypress logs with carved Roman numerals, the corn crib stored dried corn. Rain water was channeled from the roof into the jug cistern which can hold nearly 5000 gallons of water.
Overseer's House - Later used by Sharecroppers. "Most plantations employed an overseer who was responsible for day-to-day operations and supervised the enslaved laborers. After the Civil War, the sharecropping system relied on former slaves to provide the labor. In return, they received a cabin and an account at the plantation store. Although sharecroppers had more control over their daily lives, the overseer still determine when to plant and harvest, and deducted services, such as plowing or ginning from the sharecroppers' accounts. by the 1920s, the overseer focused more on yard work and caring for the livestock."
There are only a couple of slave cabins still standing. These structures are all that remain of a larger community. After the Civil War, sharecroppers and tenant farmers continued to live in the quarters as late as the 1960s.
That's the end of this walk and we're quiet for awhile, taking it all in. We'll be back with the second half of today in another post.
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