An Exercise in Serenity

It was a cloudy afternoon on the back streets of Grand Coteau. The grotto was hidden behind a truck and covered halfway by overgrowth. I moved the leaves, and what I saw scared the everliving daylights out of me.

Blask Star Galaxy

 May 21, 2012

Saved rain water in a big basin

To rinse my hair and make it soft and shine

Campfire with wine

The wet smoke smell of the fire in the morning

Coming through the open door of the house

journal page 2012

Yoda Prostrate at the Feet of Our Lady

Found this scene at the north Mary statue today.

Guadalupe of the Garlic Tops

Our Lady of Nuba at Prayerhouse Road

Civil War Fort at Prairie des Femmes?

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.

"Prairie des Femmes was actually named for a fort that was built to house women and children during the civil war. Although I am uncertain of the location's actual coordinates I do know it is located North of Fuselier Rd, East of Jules Lagrange Road and South West of Pointe Claire Hwy. The area is somewhere within 3 miles as the crow flies of my family home. We have found many artifacts while excavating a parcel of land bording a patch of woods. We have found Various items like dishware, utensils, the metal component of a muzzle firearm containing the firing mechanisms and trigger, grinding stones and many native American artifacts as well." 2013 TQ

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.

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:

Can you Spot the Fort?

Prairie des Femmes fence line

Buffy's Rain Gauge

Mister Buffy is a Tasse de Cafe legend. He calls into the show weekly to report how much his rain gauge collected in L'anse aux Pailles (Cove of the Straw) outside of town. What follows is a very typical conversation between him and Mister Charlie. They talk rain, have a little competition (Lanse aux Paille won this wound with 1/4 inch more rain than Ville Platte). They talk about the Tournoi Association fish fry being held at a hidden lake, which is odd because Buffy "had passed all of Evangeline Parish at one time" and never knew that lake was there. They then talk about how they miss Judge Preston Aucoin, a sentiment I share. He always knew what he was talking about!



Bonjour qui tu parles?
Hey, this here's Buffy.
Monsieur Buffy, comment les affaires?
Alright. Hey, it rained a lot in Ville Platte?
2 1/2 inches.
2 3/4s in L'anse aux Pailles.
2 3/4s!
The water's running in the ditches like you let the water out the rice field.
Kooooo!
Those who needed some rain, they got it.
Yeah, and the ones that didn't need it, still got it. hahah!

Prairie des Femmes Mary of Hickory

La Guadalupe of Grand Coteau

The Queen of Grand Coteau

The Mistic Marie of Pointe Claire

Monsieur Mistic's Mary in Pointe Claire used to be lit up by a blue light at night. Their neighbor still lights theirs up like THIS. Here is what he said happened to his statue after his "old mama" passed away:

Mr. Gene's Lady of Leonville

I admire the elegance and colors of Mr. Gene's house every time I pass. Today I got the courage to stop and ask to take a picture of his Mary statue, and then the red of his shirt just completed the primary colors of the scene.

Bye Mr. Gene!

Our Lady of Hwy 31 at Prairie Laurent

Prairie des Femmes Representin'

A BIG MERCI to Gator Custom Graphix out of Crowley for making this awesome decal!

http://www.gatorcustomgraphix.com/

I learned from these dudes:

Reppin Hard for Exit 11, the Prairie des Femmes Exit

Prairie des Femmes in Lore and History

Descendants of Michel CORMIER (1741-1790)
 

Michel, son of Pierre dit Palette Cormier and Cécile Thibodeau of Chignecto, younger brother of Joseph and first cousin of Jean-Baptiste, fils, married Anne dite Nanette, daughter of Jacques Sonnier of Petitcoudiac, sister of brother Joseph's first wife, and widow of Basile Babin, at Opelousas in c1769.  Anne died in early 1773, and Michel remarried to Catherine, daughter of German Creole neighbor Johann Georg Stelly, at Opelousas in c1774.  Michel remarried again--his third marriage--to Madeleine, daughter of fellow Acadian Charles Breaux and widow of Étienne Benoit, at Attakapas in February 1789; Madeleine was 20 years younger than Michel and was his wife for less than two years.  Michel and his wives did well on the Opelousas prairies.  In March 1768, he, along with brother Joseph, were among the 11 signers of a petition addressed to Spanish Governor Ulloa requesting assistance in the form of oxen and plows to help them grow wheat in the district; in April, the governor, now angry with all Acadians in the colony, rejected the petition.  After the revolt against Ulloa, in which he and his Opelousas comrades probably did not participate, he signed with his mark an unconditional oath of allegiance to Spain in December 1769.  In the years that followed, he became a cattleman, not a wheat farmer.  In August 1771, Governor Unzaga granted him 253.04 arpents of land, to be occupied and cultivated, on Bayou Bourbeaux between present-day Leonville and Arnaudville, St. Landry Parish.  His house at Prairie des Femmes on Bayou Bourbeaux, "built prior to 1773 ... on ground level with 'poteaux-en-terre, ... had bousillage walls, and a dirt floor, and a gallery or porch surrounding the house."  In 1771, the year he received his land grant, Michel owned 28 head of cattle.  Three years later, he owned 20 head of cattle, 6 horses and mules, and 16 pigs.  In 1777, he owned 50 head of cattle, 16 horses, and 16 pigs.  His fortunes increased dramatically in the 1780s.  In 1788, on his vacherie at Prairie des Femmes, Michel owned a herd of 130 cattle and 15 horses.  He also owned seven slaves.  Meanwhile, as was his duty, he served in the Opelousas company of militia.  He was a fusileer in 1776, described on the militia roll as 5 feet, 4 inches tall, an inch taller than his brother Joseph.  Three years later, in their late 30s, Michel and Joseph participated with their company in Governor-General Gálvez's attack against the British at Baton Rouge.  Michel died at his home at Prairie des Femmes in December 1790, without benefit of sacraments; he was only 49 years old.  According to family tradition, he was buried in what became the old yellow fever cemetery at present-day Washington, St. Landry Parish.

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Articles by Floyd Knott:
 

 In the mid-1900s, some of the favorite places to dance to Cajun music were the Silver Slipper and the Happy Landing in Pecaniere. It was there, as a youngster, that I met many people from Prairie des Femmes (femmes is French for women). Prairie des Femmes is a community between Grand Coteau, Arnaudville and Opelousas. I was always amazed at the large number of girls from the same family at the dances. One family had eight girls and only one male. Although to a smaller degree, I observed the same pattern with other families. So it was easy to make the assumption that the community was so named because females outnumbered males.

Recently I met Mrs. Marks, an elderly lady from that community. When she introduced herself as coming from Marks Bridge of the Prairie des Femmes area, my curiosity was again aroused. She joked about all the Marks, Quebedeaux, and Lagrange girls in her neighborhood when she was young. So I asked her if she knew the reason why it was so named. I was familiar with the origin of the Marks Bridge name but Prairie des Femmes was only speculation — and indeed when I posed the question she gave me a different explanation from the one I had assumed.

She told me that her grandfather had always told her that during the Civil War most battles were fought along Bayou Teche and Bayou Bourbeau and that before the battles, the menfolk would move the women and children to the safety of the prairie and that was the reason it was called Prairie des Femmes.

Read more: TecheToday.com - Les Vieux Temps by Mr. Floyd Knott

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Oral history is sometimes not entirely accurate. One of the many enjoyments I get from writing articles about old times is the many comments from the readers about different versions of events from the past that they have heard from there elders. Such was the case about the origin of the name Prairie Des Femmes, a community in St. Landry Parish. Apparently the version expressed earlier about the name coming as a result of the Civil War battles was not correct because additional research indicates that the name was in use as early as 1809. Father Hebert’s earliest document in which Prairie Des Femmes was mentioned was a memo written in 1809 from the cattle warden. A document, “Police des Animaux,” which authorizes the picking up of all stray cattle in the District of Grand Coteau, Prairie Des Femmes and Carencro, was signed by George King, parish judge. Prairie Des Femme was mentioned quite frequently by Father Hebert in his research from 1809 to 1830 – years before the Civil War.

David Lanclos has a different explanation:

“I have also heard a version of the story about how the place came to be called by that name. The story goes that as Indian groups traveled through their hunting grounds they often set up camps on the various prairies that bordered Bayou Teche. According to the story, Indians had set up a camp at the place we know today as Prairie Des Femmes. When they decided it was time to move on, there were several women who were too old or too sick to travel. As was often the custom of these Indians, the old women were abandoned at that place, where they were eventually discovered by early settlers who lived in the area. The place thus came to be called Prairie Des Femmes.”

Is this the true story? Who knows, but if we keep exploring it, sooner or later, a definitive version about the origin of the name Prairie Des Femmes is bound to emerge. If anyone has heard a different version, please contact me.

Read more: ZacharyToday.com - Les Vieux Temps by Floyd Knott

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Here is the earliest documentation on a map of the Prairie des Femmes that I have found on the Carte générale du Territoire d'Orléans comprenant aussi la Floride Occidentale et une portion du Territoire du Mississipi by Barthélémy Lafon.

See Prairie des Femmes in the crook of the bayous under the last S of Oppeloussas (Deail of Carte générale du Territoire d'Orléans comprenant aussi la Floride Occidentale et une portion du Territoire du Mississipi, 1806)

Carte générale du Territoire d'Orléans comprenant aussi la Floride Occidentale et une portion du Territoire du Mississipi
1806; engraving by Barthélémy Lafon;
The Historic New Orleans Collection, bequest of Richard Koch (1971.52)

Our Lady of Meche Road

Our Mother of the Sunset Herb Festival

May Crowning in the Prairie des Femmes

Two Mary Statues

The Passion Chez Delius Meche

Our Ladies of Instagram 2

Our Lady of Louisiana Avenue