Cheaper and easier to produce than sugar, rice grew in importance, with cultivation eventually shifting from the Mississippi River to the southwest Louisiana prairies. Picture this: it's August of 1864, the Civil War's raging, you're a Union soldier in a Confederate state and you find a very wealthy friend in the remote plains of central Louisiana. Known as the "Louis XIV of Louisiana," he was reputedly the wealthiest person in the South. Its located two miles southwest of Sunset Louisiana on the Bayou Bourdeaux. Located on 650 acres of land in St. Francisville, the homestead was built in 1796 by General David Bradford. On word that Union troops were about to descend on the plantation Virginie reportedly buried 3 wooden chests containing approximately $100,000 to $500,000 worth of gold and silver coins and jewelry in her garden. My name is Leland Kent and I have had an interest in abandoned places ever since I was a kid. The French explorer Ren-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle came to Louisiana in 1682 and claimed Louisiana for France. Italianate and Greek Revival home, built about 1846. Union General Nathanial Banks and his troops stopped at the plantation for a brief stay. So if you head to Lincecum make sure you bring yourself a reliable gold metal detector like the Garrett AT Gold. Los Adaes is considered one of the most important archaeological sites in the United States for the study of colonial Spanish culture. The American Civil War (18611865), Federal occupation, and the emancipation of enslaved people dramatically altered life on plantations and in New Orleans. 302735N 911222W. From the time of the first explorers to Louisiana until the early 20th-century you will be amazed at how many lost treasures are awaiting discovery in Louisiana. Rosedown Plantation is an 8,000 square feet historic home and former plantation. The slaves then buried all the treasure that they took from the plantation house somewhere on the plantation. This spot was used during the Civil War as you guessed a popular camping area for southern refugees and Confederate soldiers. The Frisby Plantation was owned by Confederate Colonel Norman Frisby during the Civil War. Together the couple had three daughters, Cornelia Gale, Jane, and Mary Octavia. This plantation is particularly interesting to me since it is: So if you are ever on one of these islands bring along a sand scoop and metal detector and you might come away a happy treasure seeker! Then, as revenge for the two little girls, an angry mob of both black and white men and women took her and hung her from a tree on the location grounds. $37.22 - $101.80 5 Used from $37.22 1 New from $101.80. Jean Lafitte was born in France in 1780. Her punishment was cruel. Over the years gold and silver coins and bullion washes ashore on these two islands which are from the two shipwrecks in the waters there. The Conrad Plantation is located near Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The town was established in 1903 and grew to contain more than one hundred structures before the mill was shut down in 1916 and the company buildings removed for reuse elsewhere. Paperback Bunko. Perrault, Stephanie L., Carey L. Coxe, Sara A. Hahn, Thurston H. G. Hahn, III, Dayna Lee, Katherine M. Roberts, and Joanne Ryan. Soon after the officers were killed by Union troops and the treasure is said to still be buried there on the Estate. Ravaged by. Inland steam navigation rapidly expanded in the following decades. A gymnasium covered the site until it was damaged and removed after Hurricane Katrina. The Napoleonic Wars and the Embargo Act of 1807 restricted European trade, which did not recover until the end of the War of 1812 in 1815. Some plantation quarters remained in use well into the twentieth century, occupied after the Civil War by freedmen and their descendants, imported Chinese and Italian laborers, families of Acadian descent, and even Polish, Latvian, and Lithuanian refugees following World War II. It constitutes one of the few Confederate naval vessels in the country to be discovered and studied. We love to hear your memories of these Only in Louisiana trips! While sugar records exist that document sugar yields by plantation, the records contain nothing about the number or type of engines, boilers, pumps, or kettle trains employed, or the various materials used to fuel them. In antebellum Louisiana the average sugar plantation had a value of $200,000, whereas even the largest cotton plantations were worth only half that. Soon after he was killed while defending his property from the advancing Union troops. Sometime during the Civil War Confederate soldiers were being pursued by Union troops and they buried $20,000 in gold and silver coins close to a spot named Old Camp Place. Hunter, Donald G., Summer L. Shuman, Brenda Rykels, and Wayne Lawrence Coco. Over the years treasure seekers have found large amounts of gold and silver coins that date from 1802 to 1809 on the beaches there. But Chloes plan went horribly wrong. St. Joseph Plantation was bought and sold to different families over the years, however, the history of this estate is intact. Agriculture and industry improved during the World Wars but suffered during the intervening Depression. The great majority of the South's plantation homes have been destroyed over time, and many have long been forgotten. Im sure there is much more treasure that can be found on the beaches and in the water near Islands #82 and #83. While the British system of metes and bounds, or the public land survey system of 640-acre squares, were used in most other states, Louisiana was partly surveyed using the French arpent system, resulting in long, narrow (and sometimes pie-shaped) parcels of land oriented perpendicular to navigable waterways. Louisiana's planters, both white and free black, were among the wealthiest in the South. [1] Since then many cultures have lived and thrived in the Louisiana area. Long lots dictated where people would livetypically along the waterfront, and this is where most early archaeological sites are located. The Plantation was owned by descendants of Ann Plater Key, mother of Philip Barton Key. Plaisance (16IV165) and Arcadia (16IV171) Plantation Sugarhouses Phase III Archaeological Investigations, Iberville Parish, Louisiana. To get a first-hand look at the estates of Louisianas colonial and antebellum past, visitors only need to take a tour down River Road. It is said that one of the owners Hippolyte Chretien buried many large chests containing $650,000 in gold and silver coins on the property. Surviving documentary sources were produced by, and represent only, the small fraction of the population that could read and write (and chose to do so) prior to the twentieth century. Limerick Plantation landsofamerica.com Another location near Monroe, LA, where treasure was supposedly buried at the old Limerick Plantation. Raised plantation home along False River representing the early Creole Greek Revival period. Photo by Joanne Ryan, courtesy of Coastal Environments, Inc. Excavations of the Plaisance Plantations boiler room foundations help archaeologists understand the layout, functions, and changes to the Iberville Parish sugarhouse over time. Until the development of the steamboat, transportation of goods on major rivers was generally accomplished either with barges or flatboats, floated downstream or pushed upstream with poles or by hand using overhanging tree limbs. The many curious surviving outbuildings are testament to rough industry. This is another location where the pirate Jean Lafitte reportedly stored some of his treasuretreasure that would be hard to locate after the collapse of a salt mine in this area. Louisiana's plantations offer a fascinating look at lifestyles of the past and a crucial period in the history of the United States. Built in 1830, by Benjamin Kendrick. A man named Evans was said to have buried his life savings in the 1900s in two half gallon jars. The surviving plantation homes range from relatively modest dwellings to opulent mansions, some containing original furnishings and many with period furniture. In my opinion, the treasure was probably unearthed by the Union Troops that were camping in her garden. Offering a huge array of gardens and event spaces, Houmas House is a favorite pick for weddings and other special events. There are so many I just cant write about all of them in this article. Until next time Happy Treasure Hunting! Franois-Gabriel "Valcour" Aime (1797-1867) was a slave owner, sugar planter, philanthropist, and pioneer in the large-scale refining of sugar. One refuse deposit at the homes original site contained undisturbed, late-eighteenth- and early-nineteenth-century artifacts. Lincecum was once a bustling lumber town. Have you ever visited one of these spots or found anything special when you were digging around our state? Amazon and the Amazon logo are trademarks of Amazon.com, Inc, or its affiliates. Cultural Resources Investigations in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana. This was replaced with a brick parking garage around 1915. Known as one of the most haunted places in America, Myrtles plantation attracts visitors and curious explorers year round. There is also a cemetery on the property. Visible Anyone can find this group. Historical archaeology helps researchers flesh out and personalize the story of the states historic past. One-Year subscription (4 issues) : $20.00, Two-Year subscription (8 issues) : $35.00, 64 Parishes 2023. I have bought several books to learn more.Any chance you would check out CENTRAL STATE in Millegeville Georgia?Thanks Janie. 2023 Louisiana Office of Tourism. Two occupational strata were identified. Are you ready to dive deep into Louisiana history? The trees were shorn of limbs and oriented with their tops downstream. She gathered some leaves from an Oleander plant and boiled them in water. Side-scan sonar was used to determine that part of one of the cribs in the upper dam remained intact. Your email address will not be published. Near Breaux Bridge, Louisiana off of County Road 31 in St. Martin Parish. Near New Roads Louisiana in Pointe Coupee Parish. None of which has been recovered. This ghost town lies 21 miles south of Marrero, Louisiana. In antebellum Louisiana the average sugar plantation had a value of $200,000, whereas even the largest cotton plantations were worth only half that. The later part of the Industrial and Modern Period includes sites dating to the World War II era, such as military installations, prisoner-of-war camps, and shipwrecks. Yakubik, Jill-Karen and Rosalinda Mndez. Most sites, however, exhibit nothing above ground except a scatter of brick rubble. Things like, if there were new slaves being brought onto the property, or which slaves were to be sold or traded to another owner. Sometimes called the most opulent plantation in America, San Francisco plantation attracts visitors for its amazing architectural details. Ardoyne Plantation House was built 1894 and added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 1, 1982. If its still there it would be an amazing find. In the late 1800s, Mark Twain noted on his adventures down the mighty Mississippi that there were so manyestatesand dwellings along the river that it looked like a spacious street. Pearson, Charles E. and Thomas C.C. Artifacts found at the site include aboriginal pottery, French ceramics, gunflints, glass beads, and bottle fragments, as well as a coin minted in 1722 in La Rochelle, France. Archaeological and Biological Analysis of World War II Shipwrecks in the Gulf of Mexico: Artificial Reef Effect in Deep Water. Excavations also took place at the Poland Avenue Streetcar Barn site in New Orleans in 2011. Take a guided tour to see three memorials dedicated to telling the story of slavery in Louisiana, as well as an original slave cabin and church. The surrounding wooded areas provided game for food and furs, wood for fuel and lumber, raw materials . By the time the Civil War came to Louisiana, the once-tiny plantation had grown to a massive 2,640 acres. Built in 1830; French-Creole Architecture. These are just a few of the many lost treasure stories that come out of the state of Louisiana. Chretien Point plantation still stands today. The latter may be found at Evergreen (St. John the Baptist Parish), Laurel Valley (Lafourche Parish), and Magnolia (Natchitoches Parish) Plantations. For him, it is an expression of the resilient culture of formerly-enslaved people: "The genesis of a new language on the plantations of colonial Louisiana is testament to the fact that those enslaved people were just that, people. This plantation is one of the largest plantations in the United States built by and for free people of color. If you have experience treasure hunting in Louisiana and have stories to tell or questions please leave them below. The U.S.S. In Lost Plantations of the South, Marc R. Matrana weaves together photographs, diaries and letters, architectural renderings, and other rare documents to tell the story of sixty of these vanquished estates and the people who once called them home. Your email address will not be published. But that's just one of at least 17 plantation cemeteries Martin has documented. The girls have been seen playing about the house, (usually upstairs), and on the grounds. It is said that many of those outlaws buried their loot here. Many slaves were skilled blacksmiths, masons, and carpenters who were often contracted out. Let us know your findings in the comments below and thanks for sharing! The award-winning tour at Laura Plantation transports visitors into the Creole world of Laura Locoul (4th generation of the Laura Plantation family), exploring the complex relationships of four generations of one family, both free and enslaved. and artifacts to understand and interpret the past. Somewhere on this plantation, it is believed that $50,000 in gold coins, family plates, and jewelry is buried here. In 1808, after Bradfords death, Clark and Sarah moved their family into the Myrtles home. Along the waterways, cotton and sugarcane cultivation persisted, and cattle ranching became more commonplace. The mission was intended to convert the indigenous Adai to Catholicism, and the fort to counter the French military presence in nearby Natchitoches. Whitney Plantation has closed for the time being; the management is seeking donations for what will be expensive repairs. Select search scope, currently: catalog all catalog, articles, website, & more in one search; catalog books, media & more in the Stanford Libraries' collections; articles+ journal articles & other e-resources Although searching for the lost wooden chest of treasure has been done by the family the chest just might still be there in the garden waiting for discovery. Outlaws camped and hideout here during the 1800s. Baton Rouge: Coastal Environments, Inc., 1991. Built in 1805, this Creole plantation is only one of fifteen in existence with this particular building style. Fearing she would certainly be sent out into the fields now, Chloe hatched a plan to save her current status. Thank you! The Confederate Officers are said to have buried this treasure on the Estate of Walter C. Flowers which was located between Madisonville and Chinchuba, Louisiana. The high water table in South Louisiana prevented buildings from having basements, while frequent flooding required many to be raised up to a full story off the ground. Archaeologists recorded a one-hundred-foot segment of the tree dam during low water. This unique plantation gives visitors the opportunity to experience what picking cotton in the fields was actually like. The names of the ships are Oregon and the John Adams who both hit the same obstruction in the water. These are just a few of the many treasure stories of Jean Lafitte in Louisiana. Ryan, Joanne and Thurston H.G. We showcase libraries, societies, and genealogy businesses so researchers will find these great resources and the industry will flourish. He lived between the Cobar Farm and the residence of Riverboat Captain Joseph Boisseau. Most of the artifacts from this site consisted of metal ship fittings and fasteners and cabin accouterments, but tools, engine parts, and armaments, including solid and canister shot for the ships single thirty-two-pounder cannon, were also recovered. Ceramics were imported from France (faience), Spain (majolica), Great Britain (delft, creamware, and pearlware), Germany (salt-glazed stoneware), and China (porcelain) before local production could meet demand and tariff restrictions were imposed. The sugarcane fields outside of Baton Rouge are home to over a dozen forgotten cemeteries. These coins are presumed to be washing ashore from the numerous shipwrecks in the area. Built circa 1856, the Arrow was a low-pressure, side-wheel steamer built for the Lake Pontchartrain and Gulf Coast trade. However, one day Chloe got caught. Furthermore, while narratives still promulgated at these leisure attractions are disturbing, they are not surprising. Many planters were good businessmen, buying and . Louisiana has lost many of her plantations through the years (fires, age, Civil War) but others have been restored or actually maintained through the years allowing us to see their history in the present times. On the Mississippi river just below New Orleans, Isle Derniere is located across from Terrebonne Bay which is south of Houma, Louisiana, Lincecum is on the Mississippi River close to Dupont, Louisiana. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Get more stories delivered right to your email. Although the Hernando de Soto expedition passed through northwest Louisiana in the 1500s, it left little behind but disease. Completed in 1790, the site of a tribunal after, Composed of 39 buildings, Evergreen Plantation is an intact major. Legend has it that Jean Lafitte buried a large cache of gold near the Amite River which is across from the ruins of Galvez town. Just 20 miles outside ofNew Orleans,Destrehan Plantationdates to 1787 and is the oldest documented plantation in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Today, you can tour the home and its gardens, visit The Great River Road Museum onsite, and dine at one of their restaurants. Below ground, the seven sugarhouse sites that have been extensively excavated contained hundreds of intact features. Historical background of the plantation era, Magnolia Plantation (Schriever, Louisiana), Oakland Plantation (Natchitoches, Louisiana). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. [citation needed], Due to poor transportation and slow industrialization, plantations tended to be somewhat self-sufficient, growing most of their own food, harvesting their own timber and firewood, repairing farm implements, and constructing their own buildings. Today the grounds of the plantation is home to Nicholls State University." The Arcadia Plantation was a historic plantation house in Thibodaux, Louisiana, U.S.. Bradford was forced to flee from President George Washington's army in 1794, because of his leadership role in the Whisky Rebellion. This location unfortunately burned down due to stupidity recently but rumor had it that the pirate Jean Lafitte used the old barn of the plantation to store treasure. Taensas avoyel-taensa.org The Taensa, indigenous people to Louisiana, supposedly buried their treasures when the Spanish invaded. Linguist Oliver Mayeux, the son of a Louisiana Creole, is a devoted supporter of Kouri-Vini's resurgence. Therefore, the arrival and settlement of the French in 1699 is generally accepted as the beginning of the historic period in Louisiana. These Native American peoples used the land as sacred burial grounds. There was more than $300,000 in gold bullion and coins onboard. On Honey Island on the Pearl River close to the town of Pearl River, Louisiana. St. Joseph Plantation is one of the few fully intact sugar cane plantations in Louisiana. Other notable examples of slave housing can be found at the Laura Plantation in Vacherie and at the San Francisco Plantation House in Garyville. Many guests of the home claim to have seen ghosts and heard sounds, such as footsteps. In our blog we encourage people to find and share their family histories to make meaningful connections with other peoplepast, present, and future. Its well-preserved archaeological remains illustrate the interaction of the Spanish, French, and Native Americans on the Spanish colonial frontier. Privately owned by descendents of the Gosserand. Destrehan Plantation is an antebellum mansion, in the French Colonial style, modified with Greek Revival architectural elements. The largest antebellum mansion in Louisiana, Nottoway plantation is one of the favorite spots for visitors to frequent. Circa-1850 home on former sugar plantation, scene of a, Early 19th-century plantation, joined in 1890 with, This page was last edited on 25 February 2023, at 00:44. Archaeology revealed that the cribs, normally built of logs and filled with stones, were actually constructed of hewn timbers from nearby buildings and filled with clayey sand, capped with stone, brick, and part of at least one sugar kettle. Jean Dorville Landry. He died in 1851. There were almost no improved roads in the U.S. or in the Louisiana Territory and the first railroads were not built until the 1830s. After the Embargo Act of 1807 Lafitte and his brother moved operations to the island of Barataria, Lousiana. $2.5 million and $450,000 in gold bullion. At least one cabin had a fenced-in yard for a garden and/or livestock. Whitney Plantation is now known nationwide for it groundbreaking and completely transformative slavery museum, marking the memory of this dark chapter in our history by documenting the lives of those who lived as slaves at the plantation. Remotely operated vehicles were used to explore and map the submarine in 2014 and determined that the bow of the vessel was destroyed. Aboriginal pottery, some of which imitate European forms, and animal bone constitute most of the artifact assemblage from this site. The cabins were located behind the plantation main house, in two rows paralleling the road to the plantations sugarhouse. Ryan, Joanne and Stephanie Perrault. For instance, the archaeological remains of the Grand Houmas Village (17131785), depicted on French period maps, were identified in Ascension Parish in 1983. Isle Derniere was used by pirates in the 1700s. These and other contemporary sites show the types of European goods valued by Native Americans and reflect the economic relationships required to obtain them. A trial at the Destrehan Plantation sentenced 45 men from the uprising to death or to go to New Orleans for future trials. Along with these many plantations, there are numerous stories of buried treasure that have been hidden on them. One French concession that has been identified archaeologically is the 1718 Paris-Duverney Concession in Iberville Parish. Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Bailey, a Union engineer and former lumberman, designed a dam to raise the river level and free the ships. Required fields are marked *. $399,900. The Great Mississippi River Road is about70 miles in length, located on each side of the river between Baton Rouge and New Orleans, and is home to a collection of Louisiana's towering antebellum homes nestled in large patches of moss-draped oak trees. It originally was an indigo plantation and later changed to cotton and sugarcane. The main house was built circa 1791 and was enlarged and renovated in 1802-1805. The infamous Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana is widely considered one of the most haunted places in America. Three-quarters of the population, roughly half of them enslaved men, women, and children, resided in rural areas. New Orleans: Earth Search, Inc., 1995. The plantation was once the center of a 900-acre operation not far from the Mississippi River in Baton Rouge. The Code also instituted forced heirship, which legally guaranteed a child a share of his or her parents estatea factor that greatly affected land-use practices in Louisiana over time. [16] After the American Civil War in 1865, the United States of America had abolished slavery, and the architecture changed for laborers on plantations to include more space, one example of this is found at the Allendale Plantation in Port Allen.[16]. These vessels were manufactured in New Orleans between 1900 and 1916. It is rumored that $470,000 in silver, gold, and jewels were hidden or buried on the Destrehan property during the Civil War. Stone is rare in this alluvial environment; most structures were built of wood, mud, and brick, which are more ephemeral materials that dont always survive in the archaeological record.

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lost plantations of louisiana