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Cane River Creole National Historical Park consists of Oakland Plantation and the outbuildings of Magnolia Plantation. Grounds of both sites are open from 8:00 a.m. until 4:00 p.m. daily, and self-guiding maps are available on-site. A guided tour of Oakland Plantation is conducted by a ranger every day at 1:00 p.m. Formal tours of the Magnolia grounds are given only on weekends, at 11:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m.

Ambrose Lecomte and his wife Julia Buard built the first Main House at Magnolia Plantation in 1850. Lecomte had been acquiring land throughout the 1820s and `30s, while at the same time shifting from food crops and small tobacco exports to large-scale cotton production. By 1860 the Lecomte’s were the largest slaveholders in Natchitoches Parish; these laborers had cleared 2,240 of the Lecomte’s` original 7,000 acres and were producing huge cotton crops. Prominently marking the edge of Magnolia Plantation is the cotton gin with its wooden screw-type press. The press is the last one of its kind in the United States that remains on its original site.

One of three plantations the family owned, Magnolia was the home site. Just as this part of Magnolia Plantation belonged to the same family for two centuries, so too do many descendants of Magnolia’s workers still live in the immediate area. In the aftermath of the Civil War fraternal organizations and freedmen’s churches helped hold the community together. One African Methodist Episcopal church, St. James, stood on Magnolia itself until the 1960s, and the congregation performed burials just across the river at St. Andrew’s Baptist Church. The influence of the plantation itself continued to be an integral part of people’s everyday lives, and not just as an employer. Baseball diamonds and bush racetracks at Magnolia and other area plantations were common ground for local groups, as were activities centered on emphasizing the strength of community at Magnolia and the plantation store.

The founder of Oakland Plantation was Pierre Emmanuel Prud’homme, a second-generation native of French descent. With his wife Catherine Lambre he established Bermuda, as it was originally known, on a land grant on the main channel of the Red River, known as Rivière aux Cannes. Like other landowners in the French colony of Louisiana, the Prud’hommes and Hertzogs harvested young pigeons for a delicacy called “squab.” Pigeonniers on the plantations reflected the owners’ wealth and status.

By the early 1800s, cotton was becoming Bermuda`s main cash crop, the labor of a growing slave community fueling its expansion. The Prud’hommes stayed in the forefront agriculturally, experimenting with crops, equipment, and techniques as most of the antebellum South moved toward a one-crop economy. When Union General Nathaniel Banks` Red River Campaign swept through the Cane River area in the spring of 1864, Bermuda was spared the worst of its ravages. A steam cotton gin was burned, possibly by Union soldiers, as were almost 400 bales of cotton, probably by Confederate troops; but the main plantation house and other outbuildings survived.

In the aftermath of the Civil War, farming went on under new conditions. A great many of Bermuda`s freed workers remained at or near the plantation. Initially, they stayed because the Union commander at Natchitoches ordered them to. In time, though, they worked the fields under Freedmen`s Bureau labor contracts, then many as sharecroppers or tenant farmers. Some, like Bermuda`s longtime blacksmith Solomon Williams, negotiated separate bargains for higher pay and a different work schedule. A plantation commissary replaced the issuing of rations with a central location to buy supplies on credit against a year’s wages. In 1873 two Prud’homme brothers partitioned the plantation, renaming the portion on the west bank Oakland. Both Prud’homme and laborers` descendants occupied and farmed the plantation until late in the twentieth century, continuing a relationship with the site spanning three centuries.

Before the first European settlers came to the Red River area, the waterways served as a network of trade routes for the Caddoan-speaking peoples. The Caddos made pottery and tools from the river’s red clay. Archeologists have discovered pottery shards at Oakland and Magnolia Plantations, but their exact origins are not yet known. The Caddo people established amicable trade with the first French-European settlers in this area. Eventually, they became allies with the French, and helped defend Saint Denis and Fort St. Jean Baptiste against the Natchez in 1729.

Oakland Plantation’s beautiful bottle garden provides not only a unique aesthetic experience, it also tells us a bit of the plantation’s history. The Prud’homme family added the garden in the 1920′s. A jug cistern at Oakland Plantation is one of the few surviving structures built in this fashion. The cistern is currently filled with dirt for safety reasons, but in its day, it could hold 5,000 gallons of water! In addition to the numerous agricultural tools and equipment, the sites also feature many interesting artifacts and household items, such as a meat grinder that was used in the 19th century to make fresh pork sausage. The interpretive program “Plantation Life: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” is designed for general audiences and offered daily at Oakland Plantation.

The Cane River National Heritage Area extends westward from Interstate 49 to the Red River and includes everything in between. The Heritage Area’s north/south boundaries are marked by the City of Natchitoches on the north side and Monette’s Ferry to the south. Some of the sites in the heritage area include the Kate Chopin House and the state commemorative areas of Los Adaes, Fort Jesup, and Fort St. Jean Baptiste. Total acreage for the Heritage is approximately 116,000 acres. The congressionally designated heritage area also includes the Natchitoches National Historic Landmark District, six other National Historic Landmarks, and the National Historical Park. Cane River Creole National Historical Park was established by the United States Congress in November, 1994. At present, not all facilities can be accessed by wheelchair, but they are working to correct this deficiency in their construction and development projects. Programs are available in sign language with advance arrangement.

The park’s physical resources consist of over 67 cultural resources, 42 of which are historic vernacular buildings. Impressive cultural plantation landscapes; family and plantation records; and an extensive collection of farming tools, equipment, historic furniture, and family personal items left behind by the large number who lived at the plantations over time. The imposing two-and-a-half story cotton press and double-row of brick slave quarters are among the compelling structures of Magnolia.

The park’s resources include the massive live oak trees found on both plantations.

Members of the Natchitoches Art Guild host free painting workshops for park visitors. Musicians, storytellers, and craftspersons use the historic Oakland and Magnolia Plantation stores as enchanting stages for their performances and programs.The Pavilion at Oakland Plantation is a popular place for family reunions, special events, and informal meetings.

Self-guided tour maps are available at the Main House. Visitors are welcome to take a stroll around the grounds every day from 8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m., on this self-guided visit. Their small, but dedicated staff will assist you if you have questions, just look for the National Park Service uniform or nametag.

Oakland Plantation’s beautiful bottle garden provides not only a unique aesthetic experience, it also tells us a bit of the plantation’s history. The Prud’homme family added the garden in the 1920′s. A jug cistern at Oakland Plantation is one of the few surviving structures built in this fashion. The cistern is currently filled with dirt for safety reasons, but in its day, it could hold 5,000 gallons of water! In addition to the numerous agricultural tools and equipment, the sites also feature many interesting artifacts and household items, such as a meat grinder that was used in the 19th century to make fresh pork sausage. The interpretive program “Plantation Life: Yesterday, Today and Tomorrow” is designed for general audiences and offered daily at Oakland Plantation.

The park’s physical resources consist of over 67 cultural resources, 42 of which are historic vernacular buildings. Impressive cultural plantation landscapes; family and plantation records; and an extensive collection of farming tools, equipment, historic furniture, and family personal items left behind by the large number who lived at the plantations over time. The imposing two-and-a-half story cotton press and double-row of brick slave quarters are among the compelling structures of Magnolia.

Natchitoches sits 130 feet above sea level and enjoys a semi-tropical climate with a complete seasonal cycle. Winter months are usually mild with cold spells of short duration. Summer months are quite hot and humid. Precipitation averages around 5″ monthly.

 Current Park Weather

Natchitoches sits 130 feet above sea level and enjoys a semi-tropical climate with a complete seasonal cycle. Winter months are usually mild with cold spells of short duration. Summer months are quite hot and humid. Precipitation averages around 5″ monthly. Comfortable walking shoes and casual clothing are highly recommended. Umbrellas or sun hats are encouraged. Personal water canteens and sunscreen are also a good idea for visits on hot days.

The enchanting grounds of Oakland and Magnolia Plantations present challenges to visitors, such as uneven or muddy trails, fire ants, and an exciting variety of reptiles. It is always a good idea to watch your step.

There are currently no fees for this park.

There is no camping within the park. Camping is available in nearby Kisatchie National Forest. More information is available from their Provencal visitor center at (318) 472-1840.

Cane River National Heritage Area is 4 miles away, New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park is 263 miles away, Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve is 263 miles away, Natchez National Historical Park is 132 miles, and Kisatchie National Forest is 2 miles away.

Natchitoches is situated between two commercial airports: Alexandria (50 miles south) and Shreveport (65 miles north).

Cane River Creole National Historical Park has three sites: Park Headquarters and Conservation Facility in Natchitoches, LA; Oakland Plantation in Bermuda, LA; and the outbuildings of Magnolia Plantation in Derry, LA. Park Headquarters is at 400 Rapides Drive in Natchitoches, LA.

To reach Oakland Plantation on Highway 494 in Natchitoches Parish, take I-49 to Exit 127, the Flora/Cypress exit. Head east one and one-half miles on Highway 120, then cross over Louisiana Highway 1 on to Louisiana Highway 494. Proceed four miles on Highway 494 to Oakland Plantation. The plantation will be to the west.

Approximate Mileage from the following major cities to Cane River Creole National Historical Park:

By Car:

Lafayette, LA – 146.78 miles

Baton Rouge, LA – 198.36 miles

New Orleans, LA – 277.62 miles

Houston, TX – 263.51 miles

Dallas, TX – 255.61 miles

Little Rock, AR – 288.82 miles

Jackson, MS – 230.40 miles

Cane River Creole National Historical Park, 400 Rapides Dr., Natchitoches, LA 71457
Headquarters 318-352-0383
Tours/Information 318-356-8441
By Fax 318-352-4549

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