This weekend, a handful of us, including Robbie, Chandler, my father-in-law Walt Trisler, brother-in-law Pat, and several others, had the chance to go down to Davis Island. I'm not quite sure if it's an actual island, but there is a lot of water around - lakes and the MIssissippi River. The island is no longer public property, which is why it was such a treat to go. In Louisiana terms, it's a "Sportsman's Paradise" and it also happens to be the home-place of Confederate President, Jefferson Davis.
I wrote this as though there were pictures, but I am currently having technical difficulties. Sorry, no pictures.
A lot of us went there to fish. I'm not much of a fisherman, but I threw my bait in the water too, though with very little success. Actually, I had no success, and the group as a whole had very little success. Out of about 7 or 8 people fishing, we only ended up with a about 15 fish.
The alligators, on the other hand, were everywhere. You could hardly throw a rock without hitting one. Chandler, our resident wild man, swam (or waded) after one, seeking an answer to the question, "How close do you think he'll let me get?" We saw them in all sizes, including some we were willing to handle. Most of the ones we saw were in the 5-7 feet category, though we did see one that might have been over 10.
We also got to walk around the remains of the Davis plantation. Since the island has been privately owned for so long, the ruins are well-preserved and largely undesturbed. The houses were surrounded by English Live Oaks, which are like regular live oaks, only larger. The picture is what's left of Brierfield, which was the house Davis left from when he learned he had been elected president. The piers formed the basement and the main floor of the house sat on top of them. The house burned in 1931.
Seeing these historical sites was really an amazing experience. Though I've never been there, I understand that President Washington's Mt. Vernon and President Jefferson's Monticello are both well preserved and available to tour. But I'm sure you can't touch anything or really look things over. Brierfield was just there, and we could walk right through the middle of it. We could poke around in the dirt and try to find various artifacts. We could even take things home, had we chosen to do so.
I really think everybody had a good time. I'd like to go again, and I might get to, but at the same time, that might be the only time. You just never know.
Posted by at April 5, 2004 09:53 AMIt sounds like ya'll had a really good time, even though you didn't catch many fish. There is something truly special about being at a place that is a part of history. I would have enjoyed that, too.
Posted by: SonofThunder at April 13, 2004 06:38 PMCool. I've always heard about David Island, but I don't think I've ever actually been there. I remember a couple similar trips with Mr Walt, Mr Ken, Paul, Pat, and David Taylor, but it was a long time ago, and I don't remember exactly where we went. One of the traits of the South that I appreciate is the abundance of such places, especially when compared to, say, the Northwest, where the historical sites (at least the white man's) are missions and frontier stakes rather than plantations and other products of local, developed culture.
Posted by: jon amos at April 14, 2004 11:26 PMDavis Island
Posted by: jon amos at April 17, 2004 09:33 AM