Swans

Prairie des Femmes may 2016

On Bayou Fuselier Road

swamp rose may 2016

The life of Pdf

Mother's Day 2016

Prairie des Femmes is a Lil Prairillon

At first I feared this place. While building our house Louis lived in a 70's pull camper out in the field. Sometimes at night we sat in the round of light that came from the sliding doors and illuminated our tiny half moon of the prairie. I was aware of the animals and the alive feeling of the praire at night. In 2005 after the hurricane came we came straight to the Prairie des Femmes, no place felt safer. 

prai·ril·lon

noun \prāˈrilyən, preˈrilən\

-s

Full Definition of PRAIRILLON

:  a small prairie

Origin of PRAIRILLON

AmerF, dim. of F prairie — more at prairie

Stories of other Prairie des Femmes

 In search of the Prairie des Femmes, I found this snip from a book from the year 1867. Different Prairie des Femmes (in Germany) but it is the only mention of her I have found that is not in Louisiana:

 "C'est là, dans la Prairie des Femmes
(Idisiawizo), vraisemblablement entre Hameln et Rinteln, que les Romains livrèrent la plus grande bataille dont les annales germaniques fassent mention."

"It is there, in the meadow of women
(Idisiawizo), likely between Hameln and Rinteln,
that the Romans fought the largest battle which the Germanic Annals do mention."

"Dictionnaire De La Conversation Et De La Lecture Volume 1" by William Duckett (fils)

 Distance from Rinteln to Hameln

From Oregon Pioneers by Francis Ermatinger.

In the Flathead country he (Ermatinger) had made camp somewhere near Evaro or Arlee,  Montana...to settle down and trade with Salish tribes.... In order to get rid of his stock of goods and trinkets he knew he would have to get the tribes into a good mood before any serious and profitable business could be done. He devised an idea of a foot race, the contestants to be the women of the camp. The winner was to get an assortment of trade trinkets as prize. Being born gamblers the Pend d’Oreilles and Flatheads were ready for the fun. Forty or so hopeful girls lined up on a race course laid out on a trail. They were to race to a large pine tree and back, about two and a half miles. On a signal from Francis they dashed off, amid cheers and encouragement from the husbands and admirers, some of which excitedly galloped off with them on ponies. Mary Three Dresses (Cha - teel - she - nah) and her sister, Che - la - sil - shin - nah, were possibly some of the racers. The winner of the foot race was the “young and beautiful” Eugenie “E - sha - nee” (or Silemongelopo) Bear Tracks, wife of Charles LaMoose. Who won a pile of cloth, beads and trinkets for her victory . Mrs. LaMoose was famous afterwards as the “race woman” in Flathead folklore. She was fleet of foot even in later years. When her young grandson playfully shot her in the back with his little arrow, she amazed him by hoisting her buckskin skirt and running him down.” Francis gave consolation gifts to all the racers, and as a result he was able to carry on some very good trading. For years afterwards the place of the race was called “Course* des femmes” meaning "Prairie of the Women. “Ellen Big Sam, a full - blood of 71 years, says the race was held on a flat at the top of the Evaro Grade. The Indians call it Sin - shel - oi, which means “Place where water flows two ways.” Men and Trade on the Northwest Frontier as shown by the Fort Owen Ledger, George Weisel, p 26 - 27 Course des Femmes Creek is now called Finlay Creek, near Arlee, Montana. Arthur L. Stone wrote in the “Missoulian” as part of the “Following Old Trails” in 1913 , “that Armintinger used to describe the race with keen zea l .” Some say the race was at Arlee on the southern edge of Jocko Valley but others that it was at Evaro.

*I understand course means race, track not prairie as stated above. -PDF