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September 2014 Articles

• “Louisiana’s Oldest City Turns 300!”
Just Rambling September 2014

(2 articles found)

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“Louisiana’s Oldest City Turns 300!”

“Louisiana’s Oldest City Turns 300!” announces the headline on the website of Natchitoches, Louisiana. Natchitoches, the first permanent settlement founded within the borders of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, celebrates this year its Tri-Centennial. Indeed, on a recent visit to the city, I noticed row upon row of blue and white Tri-Centennial flags lining Natchitoches’ Main Street, each of them imprinted with the dates “1714 – 2014” to commemorate this historic occasion. As always in Natchitoches, I relished the sight of the lazy Cane River drifting sleepily through the town, and my dinner at The Landing – the meat pies, the duck and grits, the bread pudding – left me as satisfied as if it were the first time I had eaten there. Better yet, I had the feeling as I stood here in these red-brick streets, of visiting a site of historic importance, and of existing in the presence of memories and stories that, although I might never know them, would be commemorated here in the spirit of this year’s special celebrations.
The history of Natchitoches begins in 1714, when the French, under Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, established a small outpost on the Red River to facilitate trade with Spanish-controlled Mexico. The outpost took its name from a nearby village of Natchitoches Indians, and in time, became a thriving settlement. Then, in the wake of the 1803 Louisiana Purchase, American settlers began to migrate into the Natchitoches area, creating a population boom that inaugurated the age of the great plantations laid out along the banks of the Red River. Many of these magnificent homes can still be visited today, namely Oakland, Melrose, and the Magnolia plantation complex. Another attraction is the Cane River National Heritage Area. Established by Congress in 1994, this 45,000 acre rural landscape provides the visitor with a glimpse of dozens of Creole-style houses and structures. Of course, these sites are but a few of the many other historic attractions in the Natchitoches area that the curious traveler might visit.
Speaking of visits, the Natchitoches website lists the many special events still to come in the year-long celebration of the city’s founding. According to the webpage, Natchitoches will celebrate special events on the second Saturday of each month, and though these events began in January, there are still four to come. The next event occurs on September 13th, with a festival celebrating the city’s founders, including a gospel extravaganza and the Annual Natchitoches Meat Pie Festival. In October, there will be a Creole Heritage celebration, a Fall Tour of homes and plantations, and a “Return to the 50’s” Antique Car Show. November will be dedicated to honoring our veterans, and December will continue Natchitoches’ famous Christmas traditions with the 88th Annual Natchitoches Christmas Festival, ranked by Yahoo.com as the 3rd best holiday light-show in the country. Clearly, there is much to see and do in Natchitoches during this historic Tri-Centennial year. I will try to visit again sometime in the next four months, and I encourage you to do the same. Cody Bennett

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