6th Grade Field Trip

Two weeks ago Emory's class took a field trip to Cane River Creole National Historic Park just outside Natchitoches, LA. The park includes two of the most intact Creole cotton plantations in the United States, Oakland and Magnolia Plantations. 

The front gate at Oakland Plantation, which was founded by Jean Pierre Emanuel Prud'homme in 1789. 

 One of the many huge Live Oak tress on the property. This one stood just outside an enslaved houses. 

We discovered a bee hive up in the tree. If you look you can see two honey combs. 

This setee was on the porch of the big house. I thought it was an interesting design. 

In front of the big house. Everything was period to the time it was built, except the kitchen was 1950ish. 

A view of the front gate taken from the front porch of the big house. 

A huge cane syrup pot that was just outside the big house. 

After touring Oakland we drove a few miles down the road to the Magnolia Plantation. Magnolia was established by Ambrose LeCompte II in 1835, however 1753, Jean Baptiste LeCompte I received a land grant and started farming the land would later become part of Magnolia. The big or main house suffered significant damager during the Civil War, which was later rebuilt. We were not able to tour the big house as it stands today because it is privately owned. We were able to see it off in the distance and saw that it suffered some damage from Hurricane Laura which hit back in August. 

Some of the enslaved living quarters at Magnolia. 

We were able to see a cotton gin and a square cotton baler at Magnolia, both of these still stand in the barn. 

Emory standing next to one of the cotton bales. 

This is what they used to bale cotton. The park ranger told us there are only two left still standing in the U.S. This one and one that was found outside of Tyler, TX and moved to Texas Tech University. 

A view from the side. 

A view from the front. 

Emory and I took a picture of this old square hay baler to show Eli. The kids had a great time on the field trip and were able to see what they have been learning about in history.