High Adventure on the Torras Peninsula p.1

Having really gotten bogged down over at Claiborne, I wanted to just take a ride. I knew if I went by myself I'd again get into some big investigative mission and have to come back here and write it all out, complete with research, combining the proof with the pudding. To avoid this, I called up C.Alphonso deLaSalle to see if he would lead my proposed no purpose ride as I consider him the man for the job. Maybe I should introduce you to C.Alphonso, first? You may know him if you've visited here at any length. C.Al is responsible for the great "Couyan Goes Fishing" trips and a few other articles over in the Back Woods Riding Dept. Those were written during his few attendances to work. Most of the time Al lives in the swamp with his five dogs and a raccoon named Willy. You may ask, what does the "C" stand for? It's "Couyan". His parents added that name after he got a little older. He doesn't know why, but we do. Enough introduction. You'll get to know C.Al better as we move along.

I told him that this was totally his trip and to go where he wanted. He wanted to go to the ferry at St.Francisville. That was fine. There are a number of places I can revisit over and over without tiring. The ferry is one of those places. Regretfully, it will not be with us much longer.

We were off to the ferry. Arriving there, we found it closed. Nothing can squash Al's enthusiasm. He immediately saw the situation as a Kodak opportunity. He wanted his picture taken while holding his trademark half filled coffee cup so that he'd have something to show Willy, and, of course, the dogs, who I knew he was already missing. Maybe I had bitten off more than I could handle?



After Al's big moment, he came apart. I tried to reassure him that the reason I wanted him to come along was that I didn't want a plan. He said he was lost and wanted to go home. I consoled him and told him that we would head that way with a few stops at places I felt he would like to see. He conceded, and we moved on. I would extend the "return trip" northward to what I call the Torras Peninsula, one of two peninsulas that jut into the Mississippi River between the Morganza Spillway and Simmesport.

Here's the first map:



We went north on La.1, crossed the Morganza Spillway and immediately turned east on La. 972. If you look at the map you will see the original location of 972 before the Spillway was built in 1958. BTW, the original La.1 can be seen from the new elevated La.1. The concrete, even after being flooded for 50 years, is still in pretty good shape. Somehow we un-learned road building.

I stopped where I'd seen this machine. I asked Al if he had an idea of what it could be. Al sees and understands stuff. He guessed it to be a part to an old oil rig, seeing a well head across the road. He did correctly identify it as a oil burning twin cylinder engine.



In a lonely place atop a rise where 3 levees came together, a pickup stopped beside us. A man leaned out of the window and said that the engine was part of an old cotton gin. Then he disappeared down the road. I guess we had that look?

The gin was part of the LaCour plantation. I had recently found the LaCour Spur that came off of the main line and went to the plantation. Next, we'd find the LaCour's home, Old Hickory.





I was again at the focal point of one of my favorite landscapes.



Here's the next section. Points of interest seen along here are the old sugar mill stack across La.1 which is very close to 418 near Innis and St.Stephen's Episcopal Church.



Al seemed to think the top of the stack had been broken off making it look stubby.



Next up was St.Stephens and its graveyard.



The cemetery contains the famous statue memorializing the Confederate soldiers of Pointe Coupee Parish.



Here's an augmented version of a side view. I tried to get the windows to show up.



Next was our visit to the Angola Prison landing. More on it later.



At this point, Al shot down to the shore exclaiming that he needed to touch the water. He turned and spread his arms. My jaw dropped.



As I flashed on this:



It is de LaSalle discovering and placing a cross on the shore of the Mississippi. We are now in the middle of an intense study of Al's genealogy. He has explained his need to explore repeatedly. The only piece of the puzzle that doesn't work is his proneness to being homesick.

That's it for today. Tomorrow it will be on to Torras Landing and a lot of train history that kept this place shaking for many years.

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