According to a local lady, the Prairie des Femmes was named for a fort located there during the American Civil War used to house women and children away from the battles along the Bayou Bourbeux, which borders the Prairie.
| Battle of Bayou Bourbeux |
While I like the romantic idea of a fort, the name Prairie aux Femmes (!!!) can be seen on this 1806 map by B. Lafon, which predates the Civil War by more than 50 years.
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Lafon’s General Map of Louisiana (1806)Prairie Aux Femmes |
The notion that the Prairie des Femmes has been a place of refuge for women and children is prevalent in all of the local lore about it, and the old-timers will site that it was where the women and children took refuge during the Civil War or other dangerous times. Was there really a central place, a fort or enclosure, possibly built by the men, where women stayed safe, or is this a misunderstanding of the meaning of place of refuge?
Here is a very approximate location of the fort at Prairie aux Femmes:
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| Can you Spot the Fort? |
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| Prairie des Femmes fence line |
Wow, this is more that just dabbling; you have really done a formidable bout of work here. The maps, aerials, and ground stills really form the picture of La Prarie Des Femmes. Thanks for what you do. Geo
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