Friday Afternoon

I know you're eager for some foodie pictures. Don't worry, they're coming, but in the meantime, there's more history and local connections to share.

Leslie Clark at the NGHA

Carlton told us he had attended the New Town School, but darned if we could find any reference to it online. Andy had contacted the Creole Heritage Center and I'd contacted the library at Northwestern State University with not much luck (despite generous efforts by folks at both places). Leave it to Ms. Shirley!

Ms. Shirley had found reference to the New Town School in the earliest recorded minutes of the Natchitoches Parish Public Schools. Carlton's 2-room grade school had a history that dated back to at least 1895.

By the end of the day, Ms. Shirley had given use new facts, new clues, gave us a few historical nuggets, and put in our hands directions to the New Town area where we believe the school once stood and is the site of the cemetery where we believe Willie Clark is buried.

Later that day, we thought we'd try to find the Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University. We found it, but we also (not surprisingly) found an empty university campus on a summer Friday afternoon. In the meantime, Deanna, Andy's cousin had arrived in town and told us she was at a nearby flower shop. Flower shop?

A friend of hers in New Orleans had put her in touch with Mr. Scarborough, who they thought might also be helpful in connecting some dots for us. So, we pulled up some chairs and chatted with Mr. Scarborough while he filled some orders.

Mr. Scarborough has even offered to take us out to the New Town area on Saturday. The generosity of strangers here in Natchitoches has been overflowing.




 NEXT

Posted with Blogsy