Washington, Louisiana: Squirrel Cookoff

Je suis desolée that I missed the Squirrel Cookoff at Willie's Campground in Washington.

But holy gee, already this past weekend I was committed to the superb inaugural Experience Louisiana Eunice festival, a visit to the Saturday morning zydeco doins' at Cafe des Amis, a musical food fest at the Opelousas Farmers Market on Saturday afternoon, put on by Wilfred Kinnerson of Briskett Baskett, the St. Landry Catholic Church cemetery tour in the evening, capped off with my first time at La Poussiere in Breaux Bridge. 

Damn it.

How did they prepare the squirrel? Did anyone offer squirrel brains? Were bushy squirrel tails somehow insinuated into the festival? Did diners have to pick buckshot out of their meals?

Washington, Louisiana: Cedar Hill Cemetery

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana. Eugene Lemontey, born in France and died in Washington.

The village of Washington, Louisiana, lists four historic cemeteries:

1. Cedar Hill Cemetery
2. Hebrew Rest Cemetery
3. Hinckley Family Cemetery
4. Old Church Landing Cemetery (aka Yellow Fever Cemetery)

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana.

One day, I took a quick look at Cedar Hill Cemetery.

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana.

I have so much appreciation for individuals who give their time and careful attention to identifying and mapping the inhabitants of graves in cemeteries. Here is a list of the deceased buried at Cedar Hill Cemetery.  The names. These families are still here, as they have been for hundreds of years. From the name list, you can click through to a photo of the person's grave. Sometimes there is additional information about the individual.

Decades ago, when my mother researched her family's genealogy, she traveled to different sites in the US and in Canada, visiting libraries, exchanging letters with people and organizations who might have the information she sought. Now - so much of this data is a click away. 

It's a beautiful thing.

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana.

I am curious about the putty-colored box in the tree above. Is it for beekeeping?

Washington, Louisiana: The Missing Dates

Important dates in Washington, Louisiana

Washington, Louisiana, is the third oldest settlement in Louisiana. From the late 1700s, the African-American population, best I can tell, has always been at least 50%.

So when I visited the Washington visitor center, I was struck by the above historic dates because of the dates that weren't on the list. 

Nothing about 1863 (Emancipation Proclamation) or 1865 (13th Amendment), when half the souls in the town were no longer considered property of the other half.

Sure, I get that the dates on the history time line are very local. But when you're an inventory item on one day and a free person the next, that's local.

It's very curious to me how Louisiana presents its history.

The French Connection: The Louisiana and Missouri Dead

Cedar Hill Cemetery, Washington, Louisiana

The French settlers in Missouri and Louisiana (and other parts of the Americas) shared a style of iron grave crosses.

I talked about this when my mother and I visited an old cemetery in what used to be Vieux Mines (Old Mines), Missouri, a village with French roots.

My own French antecedents came to St. Louis, Missouri,  by way of the Quebec area, then to what is now Kaskaskia, Illinois, and settling the town of Florissant, Missouri.  At that time, Florissant was St. Ferdinand, and it was in the upper boundaries of the Louisiana Purchase area.

The cross in the photo at the top of this page is from the Cedar Hill Cemetery in Washington, Louisiana.

The crosses in the photo below are from the St. Joachim Cemetery in Old Mines, Missouri:

St. Joachim Cemetery, Old Mines, Missouri

Here is an iron cross from the French colonial cemetery in Kaskaskia, Illinois, circa 1770 to 1880.
 

Washington, Louisiana: Ye Olde Citgo Hitching Post

Ye Olde Citgo Hitching Post, Washington, Louisiana