#10: Cajun-Style Settlements

Louisiana-Bound! (2008) Part 10 of 40: Cajun-Style Settlements Heading into the park, we started off in a group. Some wanted to move fast and others slowly, so we split up almost at once. Soon we seemed to be in groups of two. Villages like these are scattered all over Canada and the United States. So we expect some familiar artifacts. And sure enough we are not surprised at finding them. But it is never enough to say, "If you've seen one, you've seen them all." In fact, you have to see them all. There are many interesting and unusual ways which each particular group could claim a patent on. I enjoyed the boat-making exhibit. An older gentleman there explained some of the skills and tools used in making the small fishing boats. A pero is the name I remember from the song, "Louisiana Man." But he may have used another name or spelled it differently that spelled out the name of the boats. There were three or four fishing boats in different stages of construction and a mold, which seemed to be metal. I believe it was used for getting the wooden boards bent into the proper shape. The mold was like a smaller smooth boat, oval in shape, with straight ends. Fishing nets and hunting equipment from the 19th century were also part of the exhibits. But the most interesting part was the old-timer and his excitement when he shared his knowledge with us. Another place of interest was the doll-making shop. The lady there explained to us how she made the dolls. Little puffy circles were made in different sizes and they were put together by string or thread to make a doll. Different sizes were used for arms, legs, body and head. The lady said, "There was no toy shops back then, so parents had to make dolls for their children." For a reasonable price, a person could buy a doll-making-kit at the gift shop. And when bus loads of children came, they did just that. Unfortunately, Melanie got a slight bump on her head at the Blacksmith Shop. Accidents have a tendency to happen when we are in the process of doing something, then change directions suddenly. This was the case at the Blacksmith Shop. We were under an arch and tried to do a 180-degree turn while under the arch to reverse directions. It didn't work and Melanie bumped her head there. I felt bad about it. Fortunately she was alright. Then we squeezed through a narrow opening outside at the back of the shop. It was a tight fit. Thankfully we managed to get through. The schoolhouse kind of pulled people in. Old schoolhouses seem to affect me that way. French could not be spoken in schools in Louisiana in the early part and through the latter part of the 20th century. Sentences were written on the blackboard, first in English, then in French one way and then in French another way, or so I remember, it was like that. Forget the exact words! But it went something like this. French must not be spoken in our schools. The switch on the teacher's desk was unusual. It was thin enough to bend if used for correction and long enough to use as a pointer. Of course it was a pointer, lol! The church was different based on the 1760-style Roman Catholic churches in the state. There was a pond outside. I couldn't resist getting a close-up look, although the bank area was uneven. I did see one frog. But I bet there was a time when frogs were abundant! And guess what was served at the church picnics back then. Oh yeah, frogs! Even now it is on some menus in the restaurants we ate at. We visited many places. And the fresh air and exercise was to our benefit. Bayou Vermilion ran along the park on the north side and Petit Bayou was along the south side of the park. We managed to see most of the buildings. Then Betty got our attention from a distance and conveyed to us that time was pretty much up. We had about ten maybe fifteen minutes before we had to leave. So Melanie and I rushed to finish our tour and took the long walk back. A very pleasant walk, indeed! La Cuisine de Maman was closed and the gift shop, also. Melanie and I pulled a large wooden gate open, walked through and were back outside the fenced area. We rested on one of the bench seats. Nobody was around. I went just inside the gate to check for others, but saw none. Then a groundskeeper appeared and I asked him if he saw a group with white canes. He said, "Yes, I saw them back there." So we could just relax and wait! Then some sounds were heard and Betty popped around the corner. More people came after that. Hugs and introductions followed. Some came out of the park and others arrived by automobile. Yenter and John Lee Clark came out of the park, I think. Melanie and I met John for the first time outside Vermillion's Ville. Mark Gasaway came from the airport in an automobile with Dan. And then as most people drove away or around in a circle, we were not quite sure whom we would ride with. Ah, it turned out to be Philomena and Jessica. Boy, I wish I could have heard their jokes. They laughed up a storm on the way to where, yes, Lagneaux's. There we would observe a typical Louisiana-style Cajun dinner. Written by Harvey A. Bond May 7, 2008

 

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