Near Highway 119, 1 mile north of Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Pigeonniers (pee-zjuhn-yay) were once
common on Louisiana Creole plantations. Constructed of timber framing with bousillage infill, it is one of the most direct links between French and Louisiana architecture. Originally built as coops to raise . . . — — Map (db m227432) HM
On Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Louisiana's abundant rivers and
bayous provided essential paths
for travel and trade. Merchandise,
people, animals, communications,
and even diseases were carried on
the waters by dugouts, barges
and steamboats over the centuries.
The Red . . . — — Map (db m227880) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
The roar of the fire and the ring of hammers filled
the air as the blacksmith moved from forge to anvil
heating and shaping iron. Many African cultures had
an iron-working tradition which they passed down
from father to son. Plantations . . . — — Map (db m227429) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right.
"Around December... I can hear [Dad] and Mom talking. 'Didn't break even;
didn't break even....when he finished at the end of the year, he owed them
money, rather than them owing him money, and that's exactly what it meant." The Store, . . . — — Map (db m227426) HM
On Louisiana Route 119, 1 mile north of Louisiana Route 1.
After harvest and while still
on the cob, corn was placed in
the Crib to dry and be stored.
The Crib, constructed around
1850, had no chinking between
the logs allowing air flow to
promote drying.
Corn was an essential
component in the . . . — — Map (db m227427) HM
Near Louisiana Route 119, 1 mile north of Louisiana Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Although written documentation is scarce, Magnolia Plantation
is associated with an escape by enslaved Africans during an
1804 Insurrection from Rivière aux Cannes (Cane River), where
at least 30 enslaved people, including six men, one woman . . . — — Map (db m227818) HM
Magnolia Plantation is associated with an 1863 freedom seeker
named Arnold who escaped with two others named Anderson and
Alfred from adjacent plantations. Arnold belonged to Ambroise
LeCompte (or LeComte), and Anderson and Alfred belonged . . . — — Map (db m227821) HM
Although almost bare of plantings
now, former Quarters residents
recall gardens, bushes, and
flowering fruit trees that provided
food, color, and shade. The area
around each cabin was space
tenants could treat as their own.
They planted . . . — — Map (db m227820) HM
Forced to remove cotton seeds by
hand, each enslaved worker could
pick seeds from only one pound of
cotton per day. The hand-cranked
cotton gin (short for engine),
patented by Ell Whitney in 1794,
revolutionized the industry by
removing . . . — — Map (db m227823) HM
On Highway 119, 1 mile State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Rarely do you encounter
original outbuildings where generations
of the same families of workers and
owners lived and worked. Here people
produced the wealth that supported
Magnolia for more than two centuries.
Ambrose LeComte . . . — — Map (db m227457) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1.
Cane River Creole National Historical
Park was established by Congress in 1994, along with the
Cane River National Heritage Area. The park consists of Oakland and
Magnolia Plantations, which are located within the heritage area. In establishing . . . — — Map (db m227422) HM
On Route 119, 1 mile north of Louisiana Route 1, on the right when traveling north.
A few miles upriver, Oakland
Plantation was founded on a 1785
Spanish-era land grant by Jean Pierre
Emanuel Prud'homme. A small
enslaved work force grew tobacco and
indigo. From domestic and agricultural
workers to craftsmen such . . . — — Map (db m227523) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Plantations resembled small
towns with numerous buildings
surrounded by fields, pastures,
and gardens. Planters added,
re-purposed, or removed buildings
as the needs of the plantation
changed. The original outbuildings
are where generations . . . — — Map (db m227881) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Recreational opportunities were
abundant for those living on the
plantation in the 1800s. Planter
Ambrose LeComte was known for
his fine racehorses Horse racing
remained popular in the 20th
century and most plantations
including Magnolia had . . . — — Map (db m227462) HM
Near State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Though far from the fighting for most of
the Civil War, the Red River Campaign in
the spring of 1864 brought the war and
its destruction to Magnolia Plantation.
Retreating Confederates contributed to
the first wave of destruction in . . . — — Map (db m227835) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
The Cotton Gin was central to the
economic life of the plantation.
By 1820, the U.S. grew over 30
times more cotton than when
Eli Whitney's gin was patented,
making it the world's leading
supplier, Meeting the demand of
textile mills of New . . . — — Map (db m227879) HM
Near State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
Built as early as 1845, as many as
twenty-four brick cabins stood here
as housing for the enslaved workers,
of which eight remain. Originally
housing two enslaved families, each
cabin was constructed with
locally-made brick, dirt . . . — — Map (db m227813) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
The bell marked the times of day for the
enslaved laborers. Most planters or overseers
used bells to communicate with their workers.
It could be rung to signal that it was time to
start the day's work, time to break for meals,
time to quit . . . — — Map (db m227420) HM
On State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
In January 1939, a tornado
ripped through Magnolia
Plantation. A newspaper article
noted that
"Ten persons were reported
injured, one mule was killed,
and much other livestock
injured by flying debris."
According to Betty Hertzog, . . . — — Map (db m227526) HM
Near State Highway 119, 1 mile north of State Highway 1, on the right when traveling north.
The Quarters was home to generations of
workers, enslaved and tenant, but the cabins
give few hints into the lives of the people. Oral
traditions, historical papers, and archeological
artifacts provide insight into life in . . . — — Map (db m227815) HM
