While you're in the area...

[Gallo de Cielo]

All,

I received an email this morning from one of the Rangers at Fort Jesup, a nearby historic site close to our location in the Kisatchie Forest District. Mr. Gremillion, on the staff at the fort, writes "We have a beautiful 22 acre historic site located 15 to 20 minutes drive from the Kisatchie National Forest and would welcome any of your participants to come and set up camp at our site before or after the event."

I'm putting this up for public consumption. Any of you who care to visit or spend a night or two at Fort Jessup prior to coming on-site Wednesday for Banks' Grand Retreat would likely enjoy your stay.

The area of the state we will be in is certainly not on the radar of many guests. Any attention we can share to sites in the area would no doubt be highly appreciated.

Kind regards,

Fred Baker

[Spinster]

Re: While you're in the area...

Also of interest in the area, Fort Jean Baptiste, in nearby Nachitoches.

http://www.southalabama.edu/archaeology/jean_baptiste_natchitoches.htm

This site is staffed by interpreters on a daily basis, and shows life and work at the French fort in the early 1700's.

On the weekend immediately prior to Banks Grand Retreat, the Fort will have a large encampment with 18th century French soldiers and Indians from throughout the Southeast. Its one of the stops some civilians will be making, as we will be on the BGR site from Sunday to Sunday.

Also in the downtown area is a bayou home represenative of the housing of the subsistance farmer/fishermen of the area.

[Old Reb]

Re: While you're in the area...

Let's not forget in our "love the French" moment that Los Adaes was the Spanish captial of Texas and the Spainish community was just as important to the area as that of the French. Spain ordered a pull back from Los Adaes after it took control of the area in 1765, but many of the folks either didn't leave or soon returned. Many of the strangely French sounding names are actually Anglo interpretations of Spainish names. Any one traveling south on I-49 will observe a large, very flat area just north of Natchitoches. In the days before the log jam was cleared on the Red River, this was known as Spanish Lake. My point, while the French did influence settlement in the area, so did the Spanish. And, don't forget the Caddo. If they had so desired, they could have snuffed out both the Spanish and French but chose instead to live in peace. For there loving ways, they had dwindled to a handful of poor souls by 1800.

[HighPrvt]

Re: While you're in the area...

http://www.crt.state.la.us/parks/iFtjesup.aspx

[Spinster]

Re: While you're in the area...

Let's not forget in our "love the French" moment that Los Adaes was the Spanish captial of Texas and the Spainish community was just as important to the area as that of the French.

:D Uncle Tom--you're not privy to the inside joke amoungst us ladies in the Winston Free-State. Our 'other' time period is French Fort Toulouse, just northeast of Montgomery, Alabama, active from the early 1700's until the 1760's. For us, stopping by Baptiste is just an excuse to get a look at more men in breechcloths. :D