Take Me to the Rice Paddies: Natchitoches Wrap-Up

Ten questions and answers to sum up our Natchitoches adventure.

The ten travelers from San Franciso, Washington, DC, and New York City enjoy dinner in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
June 2015

Q: Did you find Willie Clark's farm?

Sort of. The church and cemetery location are in a very rural location. As Carlton put it, the road to Willie's farm was just a "goat trail" off of what is now "Eight Mile Loop". We knew we'd be looking for a needle in a haystack, but we also knew it had to be right in the vicinity of the church. Looking at Google maps, we have a good idea where it was, based on Carlton's recollection of a watering hole and the installation of a gas pipeline, which is still marked today, as well with the information from the 1940 census. We are pretty sure it has simply grown over.

Carlton suggested going up to a house and asking, but the rest of us were reluctant. We were in such a rural area, and it was so familiar to Carlton generally, that nobody felt at a loss for not having an exact street or GPS location.

Even if we had found the exact farm location, this is likely what it would have looked like.

Q: Why did Carlton, Paul and Andrew live with their grandparents?

Carlton's father left segregated Louisiana to find work in the early '40's in California. He found work as a longshoreman in San Francisco. Carlton's mom went out to take care of her husband when he fell ill and sent the boys to live with Willie and Sarah Jane in Natchitoches. The boys eventually joined their parents in California and attended high school at Galileo High School in San Francisco.

Carlton would go on to enter the California Highway Patrol.

Q: Was Carlton's mother also from Natchitoches?

Carlton was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana, his mother's hometown. Many folks from Lake Charles wound up in San Francisco. Those of you from the Bay Area (and Berkeley grads especially) may recall the "Waving Man". His name was Joe Charles. He, too, was from Lake Charles and is a distant relative of Carlton's. This video from On The Road With Charles Kuralt (3 min. 40 sec.) on Mr. Charles is fun and great piece of Americana. My dad would have loved this guy.

Q: What did you learn about genealogy and history?

Wow! There's a reason there are so many history books, historical fiction, and "chick lit" novels about life in Louisiana. I can't sum up everything here. I'll simply say that I understand in greater depth the meaning of Creole culture. The African, Native American, French, and Spanish influence is evident in Natchitoches.

Even with all of this literature, it was hard to find information about rural, black farm life that wasn't specifically connected to an old plantation.

I enjoyed Clementine Hunter's artwork because it was charming and accessible, just like the Melrose Plantation. But, the fact that they were "charming" concerned me a bit. Americans may want to gloss over their unpleasant past, but history is what it is, but I think we should learn from it, and shouldn't ignore the dark side of even our most lauded forefathers. Tourist attractions may not want to make their visitors feel queasy, but they shouldn't avoid the difficult truth. I couldn't help but feel like parts of the story were missing at the historic sites I visited.

We were very saddened to find the New Town cemetery in its current condition. The cemetery was neither charming nor a pleasant sight, but it did tell us a compelling story.

The New Town Church

The New Town Cemetery

Q: What was your favorite restaurant or dish in Natchitoches?

I think Mama's Oyster House and Papa's Bar & Grill, two different, but adjacent spots (with the same owner) were the all around favorites for both food and atmosphere. The creole seafood sauce they use for a couple dishes was unbelievably delicious (the Cane River Pasta with pistolette was the big hit for Carlton). The Landing was perfect for our first celebratory big group dinner. Mariner's Restaurant has nice lakeside setting and great gumbo, Lasyone's was old school and delicious. Merci Beacoup was contemporary and wonderful (high marks from Carlton for the red beans and sausage), and in Shreveport, at the Superior Grill, we found tasty Mexican food and strong margaritas.

Yes, it really is fried alligator!

As a bonus, as parents traveling with a kiddo, we definitely appreciated the "go cups". This is not just a New Orleans thing! Every city should approve this policy, if only for parents traveling with small children!

Q: What else did you do?

Exploring the museum.

Cole and I spent a couple hours exploring the Louisiana Sports Hall of Fame and Northwest Louisiana History Museum and Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site. You won't need more than an hour or so for each. I really enjoyed the history and special collection areas of museum, but the Fort wasn't as compelling as other sites we visited this weekend. However, Cole got to hold a real musket while at the Fort, which made it his favorite location of the day. We really wanted to visit the Alligator Park, but they were suffering from recent storms and flooding. I did get a (not very good) drive-by photo of the Steel Magnolia House, which is now a bed and breakfast.

At Fort St. Jean Baptiste

Q: How hot was it?

Northwest Louisiana is flat, hot, wet and green. It was in the 90s and a brief storm or two passed through while we were there. If you go in the summer, pack shorts and tees, and pack two outfits for each day if you want to feel tidy for dinner! You'll sweat through your clothes in no time.

Q: What did you buy?

In addition to the items I picked-up at the farmers' market, how could I leave without a Cane River Cookbook? I think 3 copies of this book went home with our group.

Cole bought himself an alligator tooth necklace and Auntie Leslie spoiled him with toys from a local toystore and the Kaffie-Frederick, Inc. General Mercantile, the oldest continually operating general store in Louisiana, established in 1863.

Q: Should I go to Natchitoches?

Yes! This would be a great weekend spot, 2 nights, 3 at most if you're not looking for your Grandpa Willie's farm. One of the hotel staff members told us they get a lot of European tourists passing through on tours of the American South. While geographically and culturally different, the town has a feel similar to Annapolis or Cooperstown. You'll find it charming.

Q: Do you have any more pictures?

Yes! I actually forgot to bring my camera adapter on this trip, so all of the earlier blog posts only feature pics from iPhones. My collection of pictures can be found here on Flickr. Enjoy!

Click photo to link to Flickr. Photo: Along the Cane River, Natchitoches.

Bonus!

The Library of Congress has a collection of digitized photos, in both color and black and white. The pictures were taken as a part of a Farm Security Administration - Office of War Information in an effort to record of American life between 1935 and 1944. You can find black and white pictures of 1940's Natchitoches here. Here are some 1940 color photos you can find in the Library's Bound for Glory: America in Color digital exhibition.