Natchez in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
Maker of Most Things Wood
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 2, 2023
1. Maker of Most Things Wood Marker
The carpenter was an important craftsman. Carpenters built and repaired houses, barns, and shops. The Carpenter Shop, built of hand- hewn timbers held together with half-dovetail notching, may be one of the oldest remaining structures as it was needed to build everything necessary to operate the plantation.
Using only hand tools, these artisans joined wood together using only the wood itself. Young men learned carpentry by spending time in the shop with family members and through apprenticeships.
Enslaved carpenter Solomon Wilson was furnished with the tools of his trade including a set of augers, five planes, an adze, and a trimming hatchet. With these tools he crafted doors, cabinets, moldings, and shingles. Wilson lived at Oakland until 1873.
Photo Caption
Marie Wilson, Solomon's wife, in 1935 at the age of 104. According to the Prud'homme family, Marie was a nanny for many of the Prud'homme children. Prior to the Civil War the enslaved nanny lived in a room on the lower level of the Main House.
Erected by National Park Service.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic
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Location. 31° 39.911′ N, 93° 0.169′ W. Marker is in Natchez, Louisiana, in Natchitoches Parish. It can be reached from Louisiana 494 near Louisiana 119 (Louisiana Route 119). Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 4386 LA-494, Natchez LA 71456, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Central Louisiana. It is also in the American South, specifically in the Deep South, and in the Piney Woods. Globally, it is in North America, a Gulf of Mexico state, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain, the Viceroyalty of New France, the territory of the Mississippian Culture, the Louisiana Purchase, one of the Confederate States of America, and the Antebellum South.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Meet "Natchez" the Oakland Mule (here, next to this marker); The Sound of Time (a few steps from this marker); A French Connection (a few steps from this marker); The Enslaved Nanny's Room
Photographed by Cajun Scrambler, July 2, 2023
2. Maker of Most Things Wood Marker
More about this marker. Located on the grounds of the Oakland Plantation, part of the Cane River Creole National Historic Park
Credits. This page was last revised on February 25, 2024. It was originally submitted on February 25, 2024, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana. This page has been viewed 171 times since then and 29 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on February 25, 2024, by Cajun Scrambler of Assumption, Louisiana.
