There are many old plantations along the river just west of New Orleans including the famous Oak Alley. We drove by it, but elected to visit Laura Plantation, a Creole plantation.
I always thought Creole meant mixed blood, like some French, some Spanish, and some African blood, but here it means folks born in the New World, right here in Louisiana. The parents could be from anyplace, but if you were born here, you were Creole.
The land that became Laura Plantation was granted to the French Navy officer Guillaume Duparc in 1804. He died soon after, so the plantation was run thereafter by four generations of women: his wife, his daughter, his grand daughter, and his great grand daughter, Laura Locoul.
The bright colors of the house and fine furnishings inside reflect this family's culture and wealth.
Although Laura's family treated their slaves more kindly that most plantation owners, the slaves' homes were still a world away.
Haunting, isn't it?
1 comment:
Haunting, indeed.
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