"Enterprise" in the title refers to Enterprise Plantation and Mill. Explaining further, when we say "mill" it is understood that it is a sugar mill. Enterprise is located at Patoutville, La. Explaining further, the Patout family owns the mill and always has. The community of Patoutville is an outgrowth of the plantation.
Mark, contributor and co-rider on occasion, being a responcible Enterprise stockholder, attended this year's meeting. It was a tough call which he faced bravely knowing the hardship ahead. First a little background.
The Patouts got here early.
This is the "Big House". It does not have the stark mass
of the Greek Rivivals, but reflects its own time and is similar
to others I've seen that were built in that period in this area.
This was Mark's "motel" room. He used the word,
"garconierre", which I had to look up. The simple
definition is this, "a bachelor's apartment or quarters".
In some instances, entertaining was done on the first floor
and the bedroom was on the second.
There are the stairs. It seems they were built to use a
minimum of space.
Le boudoir. Actually, that's a lady's bed room in French.
I have to use what French I know. In fact, it's probably
"la boudoir". I'll go one further. Maybe a man's bedroom
is "le boudierre".
This is the upstairs.
Mark said this is the "restoration project" and did not
elaborate. I think it has probably been expensive.
A stone walkway wanders down to a low area originally
dug out for a lake to supply water incase the mill caught fire.
No story here can be without a railroad moment. The
work horse diesel, "M.A. Patout", was hard at work
shuffling cars about. I have put in a request to take a ride
when the the season is over. Would you like to come along?
CLICK HERE to visit Patoutville and the ladies in the barn.
Understand, this is a very old article. Some of the info
is wrong but I'm too lazy to change it. Nevertheless, you
will get to see what few have the priviledge of viewing.
And, I didn't have the benefit of knowing Mark at the
time. I just blundered in. This is quite a place and it is
linked to so much of the history I've been interested in,
such as the Franklin and Abbeville Railroad, the Olivier
Plantation and store and Lydia, the town, a Patout, and
a narrow gauge steam engine.
Of interest may be this page: CLICK HERE
One more thing, Mark says there were pictures taken
at the post meeting late night party in Lydia, the town.
Below is a description as I can't find my picture of the
place, a local monument, where the meeting was moved.
