The A NewsletterTraveller of the Bartram Trail Conference Spring, 2017 Dorinda Dallmeyer and Philip Juras visited the new Bartram Trail marker located in the Plains section of Zachary, Louisiana. featured the unveiling of a brand-new Members of the Baton Rouge organizing committee with the new Bartram Trail marker at Magnolia Bartram Trail marker. Mound Plantation. L to r: Terry Tuminello, Pam Sulzer, Michéle Deshotels, Cheryl Stromeyer, Peggy Coates, Randy Harelson. The Saturday program, at the East Baton Rouge Parish Main Library, um. There were tours of the homes and included a Silent Auction of donated, T.R. Henderson grounds of Magnolia Mound Planta- interesting items and a number of President, Bartram Trail Conference tion and LeJeune House. For the artist, very well presented talks which took he Bartram Trail Conference a Friday afternoon tour of The Special attendees into the Mississippi River 2017 took place in the beautiful Collections at LSU Hill Memorial world as seen by William Bartram; EastT Baton Rouge Parish Main Li- Library featured works by John and Taylor McGaughy: Peregrinations to brary on March 24 through the 26. William Bartram, Mark Catesby, John Pontchartrain: William Bartram’s West- The building, facilities and grounds James Audubon, and several original erly Wanderings—an explanation and were well suited for the conference. water colors by Margaret Stones, from overview of Bartram’s visit to the area. There is even a newly installed Bar- her Flora of Louisiana project. Taylor is a Fothergill grant recipient. tram Marker on the grounds. A Friday afternoon meeting be- Dennis Jones: Sweet Home Alabama: Baton Rouge was found to be a tween representatives of the National Evidence for an 18th Century Native wonderful location for lovers of colo- Park Service and BTC officers and American Occupation at the Chatsworth nial history, archaeology, gardens, art, board members was very promising Plantation Site (16EBR192) in East good food and gracious people—all concerning the potential for NPS rec- Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana—The things Bartram. ognition of a national Bartram trail Native American group called the Speaking of gardens, tours for the corridor—something we should all be Talapoosa of the Alabama Tribe left long weekend included Hilltop Ar- excited about. the Tallapoosa River area of the future boretum, Burden Gardens, Windrush A Friday evening reception at the State of Alabama approximately 1772 Gardens, and LSU Rural Life Muse- beautiful Magnolia Mound Plantation to settle on the Mississippi River at 1 land Seen and Unseen by William Bar- tram—a glimpse into the cultural and economic scene in the Baton Rouge region of the late eighteenth century. Sunday morning was a tree stroll and brunch at LSU Hilltop Arbore- tum, where the food was of local in- spiration and most excellent. The stroll was packed with information about local flora and was a very pleasant way to spend the morning. Afterwards was a short road trip up the river to Point Coupee Parish for a visit at the beau- tiful home and garden of Le Jeune House and nearby St. Francis Chapel. The Bartram Trail Conference and the LSU Hilltop Arboretum spon- During Friday of the conference, participants were treated to a free tour of Magnolia Mound Plantation and gardens. sored the 2017 conference with the cooperation of the following partners: present day Baton Rouge, and were at very effective use of drawing to repre- East Baton Rouge Parish Main Li- this location at the time of Bartram’s sent his experiences in the field. brary, Magnolia Mound Plantation, visit. Randy Harelson: Native Flora of Recreation and Park Commission for Dorinda Dallmeyer: White Cliffs, Louisiana: the Watercolor Drawings of the Parish of East Baton Rouge, Bo- Deep Time: William Bartram and Ge- Margaret Stones—an engaging exami- tanic Garden at Independence Park, ology—an excellent explanation of the nation of some of the work of Stones LSU Shirley C. Tucker Herbarium, white cliffs and the historic curiosity and discussion of favorite plants repre- LSU Libraries Special Collections, about the origin. sented in Stones’ work. Burden Museum and Gardens, Visit Peggy Davis Coates: Louisiana’s Thomas Hallock: Remembering John Baton Rouge, and a special grant from Bartram Trail Revisited—the revival of Hall: The Work of the BTC and the Good Georgia-Pacific. interest in Bartram in the area and the Nature of Environmental Education— Thank you to those who spent the six recently installed Bartram markers. A remembrance of Bartram’s signifi- last eighteen months working out Sam Carr: Regional and National cance to us all, how we connect to the the program, plan and logistics, and Bartram Trail Efforts—success on the natural world, and how John Hall re- then making it happen: Peggy Davis St. Johns River of Florida, and efforts minded us of that significance. Coates, Kathryn Braund, Brad Sand- to play off what was learned there to Forty Years on: The History of the Bar- ers, Dorinda Dallmeyer, Diane Sand- establish a national trail or heritage tram Trail Conference—a roundtable ers, Anna Humphries, Randy Haral- corridor. discussion featuring charter mem- son, Michéle Deshotels, and Sam Carr. Andy Ross: Within a Few Inches of bers of the Bartram Trail Conference Your Eye: Visual and Narrative Medita- from Louisiana—Charles Fryling, Bartram Trail Conference Board tion in Bartram’s Travels—the recipient Sally Daigle, and Polly Williams— 2016–2018 of a Fothergill grant, discussed Bar- discussed their early adventures and President, T. R. Henderson tram’s artistic rendition of his observa- their hopes for the future of the Bar- Vice President, Sam Carr tions and how his work draws readers tram Trail Conference. Moderated by Treasurer, Anna Humphries into being observers and participants Chuck Spornick. Interim Secretary, Chuck Spornick in his experiences. The keynote speaker for the banquet Board Members: Elizabeth Athens: A Lively Ani- on Saturday night at the East Baton Brad Sanders (Membership Chair), mated Picture: William Bartram and Rouge Parish Main Library was Dan- Dorinda Dallmeyer (Newsletter Drawing Ad vivum—the recipient of iel H. Usner: “A prospect of the grand Editor), Joel Fry, Kathryn Braund a Fothergill grant, discussed Bartram’s sublime:” The Louisiana-Florida Border- 2 Jean Louis du Mesnil de St. Pierre Downtown Willington, South Carolina Pierre, a French gentleman, who by Brad Sanders received and entertained us with n Chapter V of Travels, William Bar- great politeness and hospitality. The tram writes of commencing his trip mansion-house is situated on the top toI Mobile in the company of a group of a very high hill near the banks of of traders, the river Savanna, which overlooks his very extensive and well cultivated BEING returned from the Cherokee plantations of Indian Corn (Zea) country to Dartmouth, I understood Rice, Wheat, Oats, Indigo, Convol- that the company of adventurers for vulus Batata, &c. these are rich low West Florida were very forward in lands, lying very level betwixt these their preparations, and would be ready natural heights and the river; his gar- to set off in a few weeks, so that I had dens occupy the gentle descent on one but a little time allowed me to make side of the mount, and a very thriving provision and equip myself for the vineyard consisting of about five acres prosecution of so long and hazardous a on the other side. journey. Bartram’s host was Jean Louis du OUR place of rendezvous was Mesnil de St. Pierre, a prominent citi- Sara Juengst at the Willington History Center at fort Charlotte, on the opposite side zen of New Bordeaux, South Carolina. of the river Savanna, and about a His plantation was successful and his They were given land in the Huguenot mile from fort James. Having a desire house was well known in the area for community of New Bordeaux, in Hills- to make little botanical excursions it was painted during a period when borough Township ninety miles north towards the head of Broad river, in most houses were not. St. Pierre was of Augusta, and £1,197 for their sup- order to collect some curiosities which I a native of Normandy and leader of a port. The Bounty Act of 1761 provided had observed thereabouts, which being group of French Protestants that sailed a cash payment for anyone who estab- accomplished, from England in 1768, bound for Nova lished settlers in the Upcountry where JUNE 22d (1775) set out from Scotia, but forced to land in Charles- they could serve as a barrier between fort Charlotte in company with Mr. ton because of bad weather. St. Pierre the populous coast and the Cherokee Whitfield, who was chief of our cara- and his fellow passengers resolved to Nation. van. We travelled about twenty miles stay in South Carolina and petitioned The community of New Bordeaux and lodged at the farm of Mons. St. the government for a grant of land. was established in 1764 at the forks of 3 young men of the community. Waddel, being a fluent speaker of French, be- came the minister to the nearby French congregation in New Bordeaux. In 1804 Waddel moved his academy six miles to the town of Willington. This is meant in the literal sense as the physical building was rolled to the new location, which was chosen for its freedom from ma- laria. The Willington Academy became prominent for educating the sons of prestigious families from Georgia and South Carolina. Waddel purchased St. Pierre’s house, known as Orange Hill, for his family’s residence. The house burned sometime in the early twenti- eth century and the land is now prop- erty of the Army Corps of Engineers. Waddel left Willington for ten years, 1819–1829, to help revive the founder- ing Franklin College in Athens, Geor- gia (later the University of Georgia).