No Man's Land: A History of El Camino RealNardini, Louis Raphael
History
No Man's Land: A History of El Camino Real
Nardini, Louis Raphael
El Camino Real de los Tejas National Historic Trail (Tex. and La.); Louisiana -- History
Kaffie & Frederick, Inc., formerly H. Kaffie and Bros. and S. & H.
Kaffie, at 758 and 759 Front street in Natchitoches, La., will in 1963
celebrate their one hundredth anniversary as a firm in business on Front
street. The original location was in the vicinity of the Old Darky
Statue. It was from this point that the establishment saw the arrival
and the retreat of the Union Soldiers after the Battle of Mansfield in
1864. The present building was erected in 1883 by the same firm of
contractors who built the old Court House on Second street. At the rear
of the present location was a camp ground provided by Kaffie for those
who came to Natchitoches to sell their farm produce, and camp-fires
burned day and night. The firm of H. Kaffie and Bros. was some 70 years
ahead of the modern method of a business establishment providing parking
space for its customers.
Frank Marion Kees, Jr.
Frank Marion Kees, Jr. served as Mayor of the City of Natchitoches, La.
for twelve consecutive years. He refused to run for the fourth term,
deciding instead to become President of Timberline Mfg. Inc. which he
was a coorganizer. This manufacturing company is at present producing
several designs of chairs. Timberline has again commercialized
Natchitoches as did Anthanase DeMezieres 200 years ago when he assigned
traders to the different Indian tribes. Following those same Indian
trails, which are our State Highways today, the Timberline salesmen have
customers in Louisiana, Mississippi, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma and
Texas.
Mr. Kees has served as president of the Central Louisiana Council of
Mayors and also the State Municipal Association of Mayors of Louisiana,
thus bringing added prestige to our Natchitoches area. How true is this
quotation by Mr. Kees: “The rocking chair is the worlds first
tranquilizer.” Mr. Kees wed Helen Myrtle LeBlanc of Opelousas, La.
Mrs. W. M. Knott
Much of the credit for the establishment of the Fort Jesup Museum goes
to Mrs. W. M. Knott of Many, Louisiana. The building was erected
according to the plans of the officers quarters during the time of
military occupancy. Mrs. Knott’s knowledge of landscaping is seen on the
grounds which encompass this building. She is an excellent historian,
and was a member of the Research Committee which set the markers for El
Camino Real and the Old Natchitoches-to-Natchez Trace. The people of
Sabine Parish can well be grateful that they have in their midst such a
gifted personality.
Luddie Lavespere★
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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