Many people have asked me where exactly in Louisiana does the Cajun Series take place. Since the family saga begins in 1765, many of the towns in Louisiana no longer exist. Most, however, do. And some are confusing.
Take Natchez, for instance. In Emilie, the family travels to the Spanish fort at Natchez located miles upstream from New Orleans. When I first learned about this site in my historical research, I had assumed it was Natchez, Mississippi, on the other side of the river. The Spanish fort was located in what is now Concordia Parish in Louisiana. Both were named for the Native Americans who inhabited the area.
See map below from the Center for Louisiana Studies at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette.
Here's a map that shows all the places in Louisiana that the Gallant family visited. Opelousas remains, the third oldest post in the Louisiana territory and today the hub of great zydeco music (you can read more about Opelousas in Rose). La Pointe is now St. Martinville, the site of the largest influx of Acadiana immigrants to Louisiana in 1785, a group that arrived from France (you can read more about this in Delphine). St. Gabriel remains, including the church the Cajuns built when they arrived. Donaldsonville is the town where Cabannocé existed.
And I don't think I have to explain New Orleans.
Map below created by David Norwood.
