A Place in History: Back Brusly Oak

Back Brusly Oak located in Brusly, West Baton Rouge Parish, LA

According to the Town of Brusly website, this old tree is one of the town's historic symbols.  As of 2002, the tree was more than 350 years old and had been enrolled in the Live Oak Society in 1969 through the efforts of Mrs. Ethel Claiborne "Puffy" Dameron.  

According to the Chronicles of West Baton Rouge (Kellough & Mayeux, 1979), "this old oak tree served as a congregating point for persons in the community for many years.  It was the ideal spot for exchanging gossip, business talk, and even meeting lovers.  The oak tree was a favorite spot for political discussions.  Many a campaigning politician would pass the word to meet under the oak tree, and he was assured of having a sizable gathering for his oration".  

In the early 1900's, a dance hall sat next door and several "Mom and Pop" stores were situated within walking distance from the tree.  People would come to town and purchase the things they needed then gather with others for conversation beneath the tree.

A memorial marker was dedicated to the historic place on October 1, 1976, during the 75th anniversary of the Town of Brusly.  Between July 4 and July 8, 2002, the marker was dug up and hauled off. Over $1200 in rewards were offered for its’ safe return. Thanks to the efforts of the news media and the Town officials, the marker was recovered from the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway near Morley Marina. It was cleaned and re-erected to its’ original location beside the Back Brusly oak where it stands today (bruslyla.com).

A Place in History: Madonna Chapel

Madonna Chapel- Smallest church in the world!

Annual Mass at one of the smallest churches in the world, the Madonna Chapel, is held on August 15th in celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Mother.  The church is located in Bayou Goula, Louisiana along River Road.  The original church was built with lumber donated by area residents in rural Bayou Goula.  The land was donated by Anthony Gullo in 1903.  The church was built as a tribute to the Blessed Mother, and is only 8 square feet.

Interior corner of Madonna Chapel

Tradition states that when the eldest son of Anthony Gullo, a poor local Italian sugar farmer, became seriously ill the father pledged a chapel to the Madonna if the boy recovered.  He did recover, and Anthony Gullo kept his promise.

The Madonna Chapel was cared for by Mr. Gullo until he moved away.  Since, the church has been cared for by local patrons.  Previous caretakers of the church were Ms. Ostino Cashio, Mrs. Rita Zito and Mr and Mrs. A.J. Roppolo.

Robert Ripley brought the church additional fame when he featured it in "Ripley's Believe It or Not".

Inside, the chapel has room for only the Priest and two alter boys.  Patrons gather outside the tiny church each year on August 15 for traditional mass.

Madonna Chapel is located just a few miles from Nottoway Plantation and the drive along River Road is beautiful.  It's been several years since I last visited the area but I enjoyed the scenery and tranquility of the area while there.  You don't want to miss this if you're ever in the area :)

A Place in History: Plaquemine Locks

I wrote a post about the historical Plaquemine Locks in my other blog, The Family Snoop, but I thought it was important to post it here because of its significance to the history of Iberville Parish.  

Plaquemine Locks, early 1900's

In 1895, construction of the Plaquemine Locks began after many delays.  Several years later they finally finished the project, in 1909.  The Plaquemine Locks were designed by Colonel George W. Goethals, who eventually became the Chief Engineer and Chairman of the Isthmian Canal Commission.  He also designed and constructed the Panama Canal.

Plaquemine Locks were needed to join Bayou Plaquemine with the Mississippi River, thus creating an "avenue" for local industry and trade to deliver their "goods" on a major waterway- the Mississippi River.  The majority of all water traffic made its way through the Plaquemine Locks to access major ports along the Mississippi River during the early 1900's.  The locks had the highest fresh-water life of any lock in the world at the time it was completed.  It was modernized to keep up with the heavy demand of traffic in the late 1940's by installing hydraulic pumps.  

So how do the pumps work exactly?  To give you a visual image of the Locks, imagine a large, tall concrete wall worn from the river's swift movements with the huge iron gates.  The Locks controlled the water levels but a boat could not enter until the level of water in the chamber was the same level as the Mississippi River.  At this time, the gates would open up and the boat would be able to enter Plaquemine Locks.  After the gates closed, the valves in the bayou side of the gates would open.  Water could then flow from the locking chamber into Bayou Plaquemine.  The water flowed by the force of gravity alone.  It never needed pumping out.  When the water in the lock chamber reached the level of Bayou Plaquemine, the emptying valves would close and the gates would again open on the bayou side.  The boat could then leave the Locks and continue on its journey.

The Plaquemine Locks were shut down permanently in 1961 soon after the opening of a more modern set of locks in Port Allen, Louisiana.  The original locks were placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1972.  The present levee, built in 1974 by the Army Corps of Engineers, stretches across the mouth of Bayou Plaquemine at the Mississippi River.  This closed off access to the Mississippi River through Bayou Plaquemine, but also provided greater flood protection and stability for the historic structure.  Ownership of the Locks was transferred to the State of Louisiana in 1978 by the U.S. Army of Engineers.

Present day view of the Plaquemine Locks

The site is located off La. 1 in downtown Plaquemine in Iberville Parish, 13 miles south of Baton Rouge and 8 miles north of Nottoway Plantation in White Castle. The site is on historic Main Street directly across from Iberville Parish Museum and historic St. John's Church.

As a young boy, my husband and his friends spent a lot of time along the levees near the Plaquemine Locks.  He walked the grounds surrounding the locks often and has many memories connected with the historic place.  At one time, his family resided just around the corner from the Plaquemine Locks, therefore, he holds this place in close reverence to his boyhood memories.

Cut Off Settlement: History & Residential Illustration

After the Great Flood of 1927, residents of the Sardine Point settlement in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana were "cut off" from the protection of flood waters when their levee system was destroyed and the federal government built a new levee at the neck of the peninsula.  It forced residents to abandon their homes and seek a new life.  Some of the residents "rolled" their houses from Sardine Point into nearby lands which had at once been rice fields.  Others rebuilt their homes on the abandoned rice fields.  This area was called the Cut Off by those who then inhabited it.  Until the late 1980's, many of those families remained in the Cut Off. 

1930 Residents of the Cut Off settlement, head of households listed (numbers coincide with above illustration):

1.   D. Guidry  (Domonique Guidry)

2.   Yves Tullier

3.   Valarie Hebert

4.   Norton Smith ( Norton William Smith, son of Samuel M. Smith and Julia Ferbos, married Bertha Thompson)

5.   Gervais Comeaux

6.   Howard Tullier

7.   Vincent Tullier Jr

8.   Vincent Tullier Sr

9.   Fermin Tullier

10.  Duclede Tullier

11.  Joseph Bourg

12.  Dave Simms

13.  Thomas Johnson

14.  J. H. LeMay

15.  David Comeaux

16.  Alcee Comeaux (married Laura Dupuy)

17.  Charles Tassin (married Xavier Bourgoyne, daughter of Allen Peter Bourgoyne and Marie Eugenie Tullier)

18.  Allen Bourgoyne (Allen Peter Bourgoyne, married Marie Eugenie Tullier)

19.  Albert McCullum

20.  Lionel Bourgoyne (Lionel Arthur Bourgoyne, married first Henrietta Allain, married second Jeannie Lucille Allemond)

21.  Victor Bourgoyne (married Cecile Marie Brady)

22.  Henry Bourgoyne (married Genevieve Lillie Smith, daughter of Samuel M. Smith and Julia Ferbos)

23.  Anatole Bourgoyne (married Margueritte Tullier)

24.  Romain Fryoux

25.  Alex Tullier

26.  Ernest Comeaux (married Julie White)

27.  L.M. Marionneaux  (Louis Murrell Marionneaux Sr)

If anyone has additional information on these families please contact me:  susanbourgoyne@yahoo.com, Thanks!

Sardine Point: Residential Illustrations

I'm not sure who drew this illustration depicting the Sardine Point settlement, but it was among the copies of family history I received from Mark DeVillier several years ago.  It is of my opinion that the drawings were penciled by Sue Fryoux Blanchard, who also wrote about the history of the area.  

These illustrations give me a "visual record" of the residential and business organization of the settlement.  By viewing these documents, I acquire a sense of knowledge about where the residents lived and who their next door neighbors were.  

Many of the residents in Sardine Point were related to our Bourgoyne family.  I am slowly establishing the connections between the various families on the Point, but there is still much more information to gather! 

Property owners (heads of households) and businesses along the fourteen-mile settlement area were- the numbers below coincide with numbers on the above illustrations:

1.   Australia Plantation

2.   J.M. Bourgoyne (Joseph Mames Bourgoyne married Mary Estelle Lessard)

3.   Lionel A. Bourgoyne (Lionel Arthur Bourgoyne, married first Henrietta Allain, married second Jeannie Lucille Allemond)

4.   Joseph A. Tullier

5.   Anatole Bourgoyne (Joseph Anatole Bourgoyne, married Margueritte Tullier)

6.   Mrs. H. Frioux and Vincent Tullier

7.   Anatole Bourgoyne (Joseph Anatole Bourgoyne, married Margueritte Tullier)

8.  Dorval Tullier (married Adelaine Hermine LeBlanc, daughter of Faustin S. LeBlanc and Juliene P. Bourgoyne)

9.   Vincent Tullier

10.  Police Jury of West Baton Rouge

11.  M.J.L. Breaux Estate

12.  Wm. Robeau Estate  (William Robeau); House rented by Samuel Thompson

13.  V.C. Comeaux  (Victorin C. Comeaux)

13A. Cleanwood School  

13B. Store

13C. Rudolph P. Comeaux (married Sybil Rivet)

13D. St. John the Baptist Catholic Church

14.  Ernest Comeaux (married Julie White)

15. Griffon Estate 

16.  Alcee Comeaux (married Laura Dupuy)

17.  V.C. Comeaux Sr.  (Victorin C. Comeaux Sr, married Marie Henriette Braud)

18.  L.M. Marionneaux  (Louis Murrell Marionneaux)

19.  J. Raoul Robeau (Joseph Raoul Robeau, Sr married Vivia Comeaux, daughter of Victorin C. Comeaux and Marie Henriette Braud)

20.  V.C. Comeaux Jr.  (Victorin C. Comeaux Jr, married first Myrthe Boudreaux, married second Elizabeth Jones)

21.  Fideles Tullier Estate

22.  Yves Tullier

23.  C.C. Thompson Estate; Resident Gervais Joseph Comeaux

24.  C.T. Tullier  (Charles T. Tullier)

24A. David P. Comeaux Sr

24B. Abel Loubiere

25.  Eliza Plantation; E.L. Caldwell  (Elbert Lee Caldwell)

25A.Wallace Hebert

25B. Mrs. Julie Smith Estate  (nee Julia Ferbos, married Samuel M. Smith)

If you have further information on the above families, please contact me!  I would greatly appreciate photos, memoirs, family history, and more.  I may be contacted by email:  susanbourgoyne@yahoo.com

Sardine Point: Effects of The Great Flood of 1927

The Great Flood of 1927 ultimately decided the fate of the thriving, self-supporting settlement of Sardine Point.  The flood had devastating effects on the already weakened levee system which surrounded the Point.  In 1932, the federal government decided to build a new levee.  The decision was based upon the fact that it was more economically feasible to build a one-mile levee than to repair the fourteen-mile levee.  The new levee was built at the neck of the peninsula, resulting in the evacuation of the peninsula and the loss of the culture known to Sardine Point.  The residents were paid for the rights to flood their property yet they would retain ownership of the land and continue to pay taxes on it.  By not rebuilding the fourteen-mile levee, the land was unprotected against flood waters.  The government decision forced the residents to abandon their homes and seek a new life.  As early as 1928, people began to leave Sardine Point and within ten years the settlement was deserted.  

The Tullier family were among the firsts to leave the Point, in 1930-31.  When they left, they "rolled" their house out.  This was a long, tedious process.  A long cable was attached to the house and a long pole anchored in the ground.  A horse or mule was then harnessed to a turn-table and the animal would circle around and around the gear box to pull the house forward.  The house, already placed on logs for rollers, was then pulled forward as the horse wound the cable around the pole.  When they reached the pole, the process had to be repeated, and more logs placed under the house.  The entire process could take days to complete.  Most people moved their houses to Brusly or Plaquemine.  Some of the houses were dismantled and rebuilt, but each process took time and work.  Most of the houses were rolled out.  By 1936, when the Victor Comeaux family moved, all residents had been relocated.  As the last family left, the land was left to the ravages of the mighty Mississippi River.  Since, the land has flooded many times, resulting in the loss of hundreds of pecan and fruit trees.  

A visitor to the Point today would never know that it had once been a thriving, bustling place filled with life.  The casual observer would see Sardine Point as a wasteland, fit only for grazing cattle.  However, to a former resident, many memories of a happy life remain.  Some wonder what it would have been like if the government decided to rebuild the fourteen-mile levee.  

The images and words in this video greatly detail the devastating effects of the Great Flood of 1927 on residents in Louisiana:

Lyrics:  Louisiana 1927 by Randy Newman:
What has happened down here is the winds have changedClouds roll in from the north and it started to rainRained real hard and rained for a real long timeSix feet of water in the streets of EvangelineThe river rose all dayThe river rose all nightSome people got lost in the floodSome people got away alrightThe river have busted through clear down to PlaqueminesSix feet of water in the streets of EvangelineLouisiana, LouisianaThey're tryin' to wash us awayThey're tryin' to wash us awayLouisiana, LouisianaThey're tryin' to wash us awayThey're tryin' to wash us awayPresident Coolidge came down in a railroad trainWith a little fat man with a note-pad in his handThe President say, "Little fat man isn't it a shame what the river has doneTo this poor cracker's land".Louisiana, LouisianaThey're tryin' to wash us awayThey're tryin' to wash us awayLouisiana, LouisianaThey're tryin' to wash us awayThey're tryin' to wash us away

Photo of a house on Patureau Lane in Plaquemine during the flood

Photo credit:  Margaret Bourgoyne Blanchard

Patureau Lane in Plaquemine

Sardine Point: Social Life

Cleanwood School was a small one-room school erected on land donated by Victorin Comeaux in 1893.  Grades 1 through 7 were taught.  The school room was divided by a movable partition.  There were two teachers- one whom taught grades 1 through 4 and another who taught grades 5 through 7.  Teachers who were employed at Cleanwood School from 1893 through 1932 were:  Anna Hebert, Irene Germany, Iona Dardenne, Leda Mellon, Miss Kirkland, Miss Gassie, Ruth Kornegay, Aline Foret, Roberta Hebert, Lewis Landry and Evelyn Vaughan.  

St. Francis Chapel was erected in 1888 on land donated by V.M. LeFebvre, who then owned Australia Plantation.  Father Eugene Royer, of St. John the Baptist Church in Brusly, celebrated 7 a.m. mass on the first Sunday of each month at St. Francis.  He said Mass, performed marriage rites, baptized infants and conducted funerals.  On the other three Sundays each month, Sardine Point parishioners came on horseback or by horse and buggy to St. John's in Brusly.  In 1927, a new chapel was built but was dismantled and moved to Brusly in 1932, where it served for catechism and a meeting hall for St. John the Baptist.  In addition to her teaching duties at Cleanwood School, Miss Anna Hebert taught catechism to the students.  There were no Protestant churches on the Point at that time.  

Traditional customs observed on the Point were similar to the norm for most communities during that era.  When a woman's husband died, she went into a period of mourning for approximately one year.  She was not allowed to attend public affairs, such as dances, until her period of mourning was over.  Pregnant women did not make appearances in public when their condition became obvious.  Young girls were not allowed to go on a "date".  If they went somewhere, it was with a chaperone, usually a sister or neighbor.  On Sundays, it was customary to walk along the levee and stop to visit with friends along the way.  Another custom, now forgotten, is the chivaree (or charivari)- a surprise "party" was given for newlyweds upon their return home after the wedding.  When the lights went out, people from the village would surround the house, banging pots, pans and whatever would make noise, until the groom exited and invited them in for coffee or a drink.  Once appeased, the villagers would leave the couple in peace.  Occasionally, a groom would become annoyed with the revelers and would come out firing a shotgun.  Usually the revelers would get the message but returned later to annoy the couple.  

Sundays were a special day on the Point, a time for family and friends to gather and enjoy each other's company.  They would often meet at someone's home for a time of dancing and eating.  Infrequently a band entertained the crowd.  In such instances, the school house was utilized.  Everyone, except the families in mourning, would attend.   The dances were usually limited to the 2-step or a waltz.  When the Tango was introduced, the residents were shocked!  It was not allowed on the Point.  Two favorite bands were the black bands of Toot Johnson and Claiborne Williams, very popular in 1910 and later.  They charged as much as $35.00 per night to play at the dances.  Often the dances were held in the big houses with the owners opening their ballrooms to white members of the public.  Romaine Fryoux's half-sister Emma and her husband, Uncle Willie Bourgoyne, had a band.  Uncle Willie played violin, Aunt Emma played guitar, a son played bass and two other children played additional instruments.  Some families had their own band for private entertainment.   In 1910, the arrival of a showboat in the area sparked the interest of the residents.  The arrival of the showboat was heralded by music, which could be heard long before the showboat was even seen.  Calliopes were playing, and soon everyone knew the showboat had arrived.  When the showboat docked, the showboat band paraded down the main street.  The attention they attracted peaked the interest of the people and soon everyone wanted to go to the showboat.  Admission was 5 cents and the show was worth every penny.  There was a vaudeville show, complete with comedians, dancing girls, bands, gambling for those who desired it and fun for everyone. Politcal gatherings were also popular on the Point.  After a political rally, a supper was served which usually consisted of gumbo and baked sweet potatoes.  Such a party was called a "hoo-shaw".    A great treat for the residents was a trip to Plaquemine to attend a movie.  Until the advent of automobiles on the Point, the trip was made by horse and buggy.  Another diversion was swimming.  There was an island in the river out from the Point and the people would row out to the island to swim.   Other common social activities on the Point included baseball, marbles, horseshoes, and playing card games such as bunco and lotto.  Mrs. Ella Comeaux Dupont recalled playing on the levee with small friends on sunny days and on rainy days she played paper dolls or helped with housework.  During recess at school, tag and hopscotch were favorite games.  

Sources:
Sardine Point- A Lost Culture, Sue Fryoux Blanchard
West Baton Rouge Parish History, Joseph D. Chauvin DeCharleville
Chronicles of West Baton Rouge, Elizabeth Kellough and Leona Mayeux

Sardine Point: Plantation Life

There were three large plantations on Sardine Point- the Australia, which was the largest, the Eliza and Medora.  All three of the plantations grew sugar cane.  Many of the residents were employed in the sugarhouse on the Australia until 1917, when the last grinding of sugar was completed there.  Rice was grown on the Eliza plantation for a few years and the men were paid twenty-five cents to cut rice all day in the early 1920's.  After the rice venture faded out, Eliza grew cotton and had a cotton gin. In addition, Eliza operated a dairy on its plantation for nearly a decade. The Australia and Eliza plantations operated commissaries and Victorin Comeaux also owned a small store on the Point.  All the merchandise that came to Sardine Point to be sold was transported by boat from New Orleans.  

Fishing was one of the primary means for earning a living, as well as providing food for their families.  River shrimp and fish were obtained from the Mississippi.  Shrimp boxes were plentiful. Some residents earned a living by catching logs floating down the Mississippi River.  A towboat would then bring the strapped logs to Plaquemine where they were sold to the sawmill.  Others sold pecans and dried moss which was used to stuff mattresses and furniture.   All the homes had a small garden where seasonal vegetables were grown for family consumption and for sale off the Point in nearby towns, Plaquemine being one.  However, refrigeration was a problem.  Meat that was not cooked the day it was acquired was either salted or smoked for preservation.  Freshly slaughtered meat was brought to the Point by means of a horse-drawn screened wagon, complete with scales.  Milk was boiled in summer months for safekeeping.  Those residents who had open wells could keep their containers of milk cool in the well water.  Most residents raised chickens, hogs and cows for their own use.  The diversity of occupations enabled most people to be self-sufficient.

The most common foods for consumption were staples such as beans and rice, meat when available, fish, fritters, gumbos and stews, couche-couche (fried cornmeal), lost bread (French toast), tot-tot (popcorn), cayai (clabbered milk), sugar cane syrup, cane sugar and coffee when available.  

There were three boat landings on the Point.  River boats came quite regularly to the settlement, delivered supplies and picked up cotton, rice and sugar or syrup that was to be sold for the residents or large landowners.  The expectations of the arrival of a riverboat were joyful and the people would flock to watch the unloading of supplies. 

Prior to the advent of automobiles, transportation was provided by horseback, horse and buggy, or horse and wagon.  A skiff was used to accomplish a trip across the Mississippi.  One of the residents, Mr. Smith, owned a large skiff and was hired by people who desired to cross the Mississippi into Burtville on the East Baton Rouge side.  From there, a train could then transport them to New Orleans.  According to some local historians, Mr. Smith was one time rowing some colored men who worked on the levee from the Baton Rouge side back to Sardine Point when the skiff overturned and one of the colored men drowned.  The accident was attributed to the weight of silver coins, the payroll for the levee workers.  In later years, a ferry boat was available for transport across the river.  There was also a train station at Addis, which was the hub for the Texas & Pacific, with a round house to service the departure of the freight trains.  

Houses on the Point were well constructed with cypress and galvanized (tin) roofs.  The wealthier residents owned some of the large, two-story houses on the point while most had simple houses with two rooms, a parlor and a bedroom, arranged in "shotgun" style.  The kitchen was usually connected by means of a "dog run",  a ramp or walkway that separated it from the main house.  If a fire occurred in the kitchen, it was usually confined to just that one room.  The kitchens usually consisted of a wood stove, a table and chairs, a counter which partially extended out of the window, providing fresh air for drying dishes or pots and pans.  There was no running water or refrigerators.  Water was usually collected from rain in a cistern, a large open container with a spigot at the bottom.  A drain spout from the roof was often connected to the cistern.  Some families had a shallow well with a hand pump for pumping the water from the ground.  The house parlor usually had a sofa and chairs stuffed with dried moss and very comfortable.  The bedroom had a large bed with a mosquito bar.  No one had windows, not even the wealthy people, so mosquito bars were necessary.  A dresser with a marble top was often in the bedroom, along with a pitcher and bowl for personal hygiene.  There was also a chamber pot, no one had indoor bathrooms.  The houses on the Point were located on the north and south inner sides of the low, narrow levee.

Sources:
Sardine Point- A Lost Culture, Sue Fryoux Blanchard
West Baton Rouge Parish History, Joseph D. Chauvin DeCharleville
Chronicles of West Baton Rouge, Elizabeth Kellough and Leona Mayeux

Sardine Point, The Beginning of Our Research Journey

Historical Markers were placed on site in May, 2011

Photo credit:  Eunice Parker

Sardine Point was located in West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana.  Across the Mississippi River from the present site of Louisiana State University, a community once thrived which contained several large plantations and small settlements.  The peninsula on which the community was built was surrounded by a fourteen-mile levee which protected the land from flood waters.  A dirt road followed the levee.  Bayou Bourbeaux, a drainage canal, ran through the middle of the peninsula.  

Since the 1300's, this point of land had been known by many names- Manchac Point, Australia Point, Sardine Point and the "Cut Off".    Additionally, it was known as the Medora site by the Plaquemine Culture who once built ceremonial mounds upon its land.  By the 1780's, French, English, Spanish and Acadian inhabitants occupied the land.  After the 1780's, a thriving self-supporting community grew around the plantations.  

According to former residents of Sardine Point, the community was so named because of the large schools of shad, a sardine-type fish, that were caught offshore at certain times of the year.  It is said that the residents didn't remember eating the shad, but rather used them for bait to catch the larger fish.

  

Sardine Point was composed of people from various backgrounds.  Some were Acadians while others came to the area directly from France.  Most of the residents were of French descent and of the Catholic faith.   

In her writings about the settlement, Sue Fryoux Blanchard shared this story:  

"Francois Fryoux, a Petty Officer boatswain, and his son, also named Francois, a cabin boy, were aboard the ship La Bergere when it docked in New Orleans, Louisiana, on August 15, 1785.  Francois, Sr., was ill, and was put off ship in New Orleans.  When the ship prepared to return to France on August 23, 1785, Francois, Sr., was still too ill to board.  He and his son were left in New Orleans, where the elder Fryoux died.  Francois, Jr., drifted from place to place, going to Donaldsonville, and to Plattenville, where he died in 1824.  His descendants eventually settled on Sardine Point."  

Surnames commonly found in the community were Bourgoyne, Comeaux, Fryoux, Hebert, Robichaux, Smith, Tullier and more.  

It is my goal to share research about the community and the people who once lived there.  This is my husband's heritage- the Acadian and French people of Sardine Point, whose descendants would later settle in the nearby towns of Port Allen, Brusly, Addis and Plaquemine.  

An incredible journey awaits as the research will take us back in time.  The journey begins with Sardine Point and it will take us along the Mississippi River, to the port of New Orleans and eventually to the lands of    eastern Cananda and France.   It's going to take quite some time to get there, but I'm looking forward to what's ahead :)