Week 11

This was a very busy week of "mixing business with pleasure."  Monday morning we taught the Alexandria seminary class at 6:00 am for the last time.  We really enjoyed substituting for those six days, but we're glad the new teacher is on board. 

On Tuesday morning we drove the hour up to Natchitoches to attend that 6:30 am seminary class.  Then we spent the day in town so we could attend the institute class that evening at 5:30.  Just a quick note to any reader in the deep freeze of winter weather, camellias start blooming here at this time of year, and these bushes are outside the church building:

Could get used to flowers blooming in December!

After studying for a while at the church, we went to see Oakland Plantation about 10 miles out of town.  This is one of two plantations at the Cane River Creole National Historic Park, and is one of the best preserved entire plantations in the area.  The plantation was started in 1753 growing tobacco and indigo.  Worms killed the indigo, and the bottom dropped out of the tobacco market, but in 1793, the cotton gin was invented and the plantation turned to cotton shortly after that.  The cotton gin ("gin" is short for engine) separated the seeds from the cotton bolls, which made the crop worth growing. 

Cotton plantations were dependent on slavery for labor, and they prospered until the Civil War, when Confederate troops burned the harvested cotton before the North could seize it, and later Union troops burned whole fields and homes.  Many of the freed slaves stayed on the land to work as share croppers, and many of the house slaves became domestic servants.  The history is fascinating.

The home and some outbuildings--plantation owners had fancier "town houses" for entertaining; this is the plainer home

Inside--notice mustache cup on left of tea set; to keep the mustache out of the coffee or tea; mosquito netting a must on beds

Slave then later tenant cabin

Overseer's cabin

Natchitoches is called the "city of lights" because of it's Christmas celebration.  After institute class on Tuesday night, we viewed the light display along the Cane River (there are fireworks on the river every Saturday in December--we missed those, but enjoyed the lights reflected in the river). 

One last Natchitoches picture--we went into the general store (mentioned in previous post) to buy a white elephant gift for the Christmas Zone Conference, and noticed this cool cash register:

Still works!

We visited the Many seminary class at 5:30 pm on Wednesday (about 90 minutes away), then the next morning we went to the 6:15 am seminary class in Leesville (an hour away in the other direction).  We came home and took care of some tasks, then began the next leg of business and pleasure.  

Natchez, MS is almost two hours away, so when we visit that 6 am class we stay overnight.We left about 11 am on Thursday, and ate lunch right on the Mississippi river bank when we reached Natchez.  The American Queen river boat was docked there when we arrived.

For a Mississippi River Paddleboat Cruise

Cloudy cool day on the river

Before the Civil War, one half of all the millionaires in the entire country lived in Natchez, Mississippi.  Most of them became wealthy from owning multiple cotton plantations in Louisiana, while living in Natchez.  There are about 450 antebellum homes in Natchez, of which about 75 are mansions (unofficial--haven't read those numbers anywhere, but tour guide told us), so most homes were not opulent, but the wealthy had amazing lifestyles.  

In the war, Natchez surrendered very quickly, so avoided much of the devastation of many other Southern cities.  That's why so many homes and mansions are intact and available for tours.  About 50 antebellum homes have been converted to bed and breakfast spots.  

On Thursday we visited Longwood--it was built in 1860-61 and is the largest octagonal home in the US.  It was completely framed and the first floor finished in 18 months, then the Civil War started and the other five floors were never finished.   The wealthy owner was left in poverty after the war, and died soon thereafter.  His wife and children stayed on at Longwood, but could never complete the home.

Longwood

Unfinished upper floors and cupola 

After seminary Friday morning, we went to the Natchez National Cemetery and the old city cemetery.  The rows upon rows of markers to unknown soldiers were a solemn reminder of the high human price of war.

So many unknown soldiers--Union and Confederate

Next on our tour was a home that's only open for Christmas tours--not a mansion, but the home of the first Methodist minister in town.  The owner is just wild about Christmas decorating so opens her home.  Quite amazing.  It's called Sunnyside.

There were at least 10 Christmas Trees in the house

Not far from Sunnyside is Forks of the Road.  It was the second largest slave trading area in the South.  Not a pretty part of our history, but part of it nonetheless.  

Our next mansion is called Stanton Hall, built in 1857.  Again built by a wealthy cotton king who was bankrupted by the Civil War.

Stanton Hall

The final mansion we visited was actually the first of the big mansions built in Natchez.  Rosalie was built in 1820 by a man who owned five cotton plantations.  It became sort of a model for other mansions because of how beautifully and functionally it was constructed.  Members of the second family to own it lived here until 1958.  The Daughters of the American Revolution obtained it in 1938, then maintained it, letting the sisters live there until their death.  All of the furnishings are original to the 1850 owners, and they are amazing.

Rosalie

On the grounds at Rosalie

At the mansions you can't take any pictures inside, so that's why there are only outside pictures and you can't get a glimpse of the opulent interiors we saw.

It was a busy week, but we certainly managed to fit in some fun history touring with our other labors.  

On the weather front, it rained all through the night Friday and all day Saturday.  The high today was 43 degrees.

Today I was called to be the Gospel Doctrine teacher in Sunday School.  That's something I always enjoy, and it will be especially interesting to work with the entirely new format for Sunday School next year.  We have both thoroughly enjoyed the current teacher.  She was an atheist until she joined the Church 10 years ago, and she does a beautiful job of teaching.  She's now a counselor in Relief Society.  I shouldn't say "a" I should say "the"--we only have one.  It's a small branch so everyone pitches in.  Elder Kerr is the unofficial instructor in Elder's Quorum.