I left the house and felt like visiting the cross track (if there was one) of the ancient Atchafalaya Basin route of the Southern Pacific RR and the New Iberia to Port Barre route belonging to the Missouri Pacific or it was probably called the New Iberia etc, etc RR at that time. The story of the Atchafalaya route is in the making and I wanted to contribute. I have been promising Mark, a co-contributor, that I could open the doors to the ultimate pictorial portion of that story and have not. I was going to Ramah but figured it fruitless without preplanning and I hadn't preplanned as I had promised. So, the cross track had to do. He did go to Ramah and I've yet to hear that story, though I did get a email exclaiming that the trestle was still there. Yea!
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The Atchafalaya route went that a way. I never start with my
best pictures. I call this portion of the write the "weeding out"
part. I usually shuck most heathens by the second picture leaving
the good stuff for the truly appreciative.
Having gotten my cross track fix, it was time to move on up the line.
Next, being in Arnaudville, I thought it appropriate that
I shoot the grain operation that once sat next to the Missouri
Pacific (Iberia, etc, etc) tracks thinking that by chance I had
never done so. Fat chance. I shoot everything 10x and forget
I did.
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Reaching US 190, east of Port Barre, I looked down the tracks
toward Opelousas. I knew that I've only touched on all there
is to see in that historical town. I knew it was time for more.
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The place to start is the wonderful historical park just west of
I-49 on US 190, accessible from east or west bound lanes of
US 190. It's called the Jim Bowie something or other.
I pulled in to look at the Opelousas Depot.
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Seems some money is being spent here.
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It appears they still have a lot of the same stuff. Where
did the rails come from? I think I have an idea.
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I'd been here six or seven years ago. I had to look twice,
but, this is the same depot and the same engine.We'll look
at her new face in a bit. This was the scene years ago.
That is what it looked like. The pile of stuff was larger. Shamefully,
I did not get a full shot of the old depot back when she
was obviously in original colors and condition. The new version
might be dainty, but she's lost originality. Something happens
when you remodel. Restoration should only go so far, then......
When you smell new paint instead of the embedded cigar smoke
of old, history has been lost. I know, compromise has to be tolerated.
The "Orphan Train" story is a poignant one. Google it.
Here's the little engine all spiffed up.
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She still has the whack in the back. I guess knocking that out
would be a chore. Her name is Mary Jane, ah, Sweet Jane.
Now I'm humming Lou Reed melodies.
Here's the pile of stuff. An old fire extinguisher is to the left and
some kind of press is to the right.
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Rails and plates. My restraint was tried.
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Here are 2 more shots of this idyllic place. It has a museum
which lends a lot of space to Jim Bowie, former resident of
Opelousas and the Boeuf Valley. By the way, during the
Civil War, Opelousas was the state capital for a while.
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This place needs to be seen. The buildings have been moved
in from the surrounding area and they are a realistic look back.
I see a store here and an old home or school there, still surviving
out in the country. No where do I see this many assembled in one spot.
Possibly Vermilionville has an equal collection. I haven't been
there in a while. I don't think they have a depot or old engine.
Much more of Opelousas on the next page. Yes, I found the
the route of the Opelousas and Gulf Railroad and spoke to a man that
remembers it. I also evoked two trains to come by. My power
has returned.
Mark, a lifetime resident of the area sent this:
Mary Jane used to be on display at the courthouse square ever since I was a very young boy, across from the Delta theater. The Depot was relocated from South Railroad Ave. a few years ago. One of the buildings at the "town" at the tourist center was Doctor N.C. Lafleur's office, relocated from Prairie Ronde just north of Octave Fontenot's store on La.103, you have a picture of his home. I use to see this old time country doctor in the days when a doc was a doc and didn't need umpteen tests to tell him you had a fever!
Back to South Railroad Ave. by the depot...when I was young, my dad had a tractor implement store, St.Landry Tractor Co. All the tractors, combines and International trucks would come by rail. I would tag along with "Ben" to reload them on a flat bed bob tail truck. Ben was an old black fellow who worked for the family his whole life. He was my hero, he could roll a cigarette from a bag of Kite Tobacco with one hand while he drove with the other....NO BULL!
Then Andy added this about the Jim Bowie connection:
I think it was in '94 that two friends of mine and I went to Washington , Arkansas to find and check out Black's Blacksmith. This place was one of the ones that developed the Bowie Knife for Jim. They had a roadhouse duplicate of where the travelers used to stay when coming through. Really neat. What was funny was that we were trying to find this place in Washington and ask at a local convenience store and the girl working there didn't have a clue about who Jim Bowie was, or where Black's or the roadhouse were.
We met the guy running and restoring the blacksmith place and it was very interesting hearing about the history of the knife. He even brought out some he had made for show (2000 bucks a hit). I never did ask him what it would cost for a common one. He asked where we were from and what kind of work we did. When I told him I was offshore Louisiana, all he wanted to talk about then was a few charter fishing trips he had done. I got evil looks from my 2 buds after that. Have not been back that way since so need to check it out on one of my excursions up there.
Thanks for bringing back some old memories!
CLICK HERE for page 2.