My Familys Sugar Plantation circa 1825

[FarmerDan]

My Family's Sugar Plantation circa 1825

I've been a bit quiet lately. I recently went to my mothers home in New Iberia Louisiana. Nearby is the little hamlet known as Patoutville. It was originally founded by an ancestor of mine ; Simeon Patout a little before 1825. It was originally planned that they would grow grapes, but the soil and climate proved to be difficult, so they started to raise cane! Sugar Cane. These are some pictures of my recent trip there. My cousins still reside there and even though I have permission to detect, I have never found anything of value there except $00.67 clad.

The first two pix are the plantation house.
Then an old cane mill, which are all over the grounds.
The front of one of the early locomotives used to move cane from the fields to the mill. It was in a locked building that I could just barely get my camera in the door to snap a shot.
They still produce sugar today and the next pic is a mountain of sugar in one of three warehouses which are 500' long, 200' wide and 56' at the peak. Lots of sugar.
An old syrup boiling pot.
A marble statue of mr Patout, in the hedge row gardens behind the house.
The old above ground wine cellar behind another home on the property. Like everything in Louisiana everything that should normally be underground is above due to the low water table. Most of the land is at or below sea level.
Two historical markers giving the plantation history in brief.
Thanks

 

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[N.O. noir et d'or]

Thanks FD - I've never seen a mountain of sugar like that. Very interesting history and photos!

 

[FarmerDan]

Others

 

[FarmerDan]

When I go back later this year I plan on doing lots more searching.

 

[FarmerDan]

Thanks FD - I've never seen a mountain of sugar like that. Very interesting history and photos!

Thanks. Something I did find lots of was excellent Cajun cuisine and Boudin !

 

[N.O. noir et d'or]

I think that's a good idea as there has to be some old artifacts there. The old what I think is a fire water pump in one of your photos is really neat. You can dig some unexpected relics at plantations. I dug a strange but interesting brass valve at a plantation north of Baton Rouge. I didn't know what it was, but it turned out to be a valve from an old steam powered cotton gin that the plantation once possessed. Definitely post photos of your finds - I'm always interested in such recoveries. Good luck!

 

[TheSleeper]

Wow what a great sight, envy you. That last picture is just crying out to me, detect here....

 

[dnewbury2]

I'd love to get my hands on that 12 pounder mountain howitzer.

 

[Davers]

Very Cool Photos.
Only 67 cent in clad huh.

Cool pic, of the 18 Wheeler tilted back like that.

A place I would love to hunt.

p.s. Don't tell buckleBoy about this place. LOL

 

[Juice in the hole]

It's amazing to me when you don't find a bevy of valuables in the ground at mansions or wealthy ancestors homes. I've been there done that and I can feel your pain. It's very frustrating because you just know in your heart of hearts there has to be untold goods in the ground. The night before your first dig in a such a place is mostly sleepless; visions of gold and silver coins dancing in your head. Several hours into that first hunt and after digging the 20th piece of junk that was giving a wonky signal, but you just had to take a chance on it, reality sets in.

Don't give up, but sometimes there really isn't much of value there. Just my experience from combing the ground of a very wealthy landowner on a historic, early 1800's farm. I really enjoyed your pics though. Discovering and exploring one's history is often the best reward.