Cane River Creole National Historical Park ⓘ

A Planter’s Son Goes to War, written by park volunteer Thom Brennan, is a brief biography of Jacques Alphonse Prud'homme, focusing on his war time experiences. Grandson of Oakland Plantation founder Emmanuel Prud'homme, Alphonse survived the war and went on to inherit Oakland Plantation in 1865 upon the death of his father. Alphonse owned Oakland Plantation through the turbulent years of Reconstruction into the early 20th century. A free copy of this booklet may be picked up at the Oakland Plantation Store.

The fascinating story of William Smith, the son of enslaved Oakland Plantation blacksmith Solomon Williams. During the Civil War, Smith escaped from plantation slavery and enlisted in the United States Army. At war’s end, Smith migrated to New Orleans, where he was one of the first to enlist in the 9th U.S. Cavalry, part of the famed Buffalo Soldiers. He served with the cavalry in west Texas during the tumultuous years of Reconstruction. After completing his military service, William Smith married and started a family. They were living in Galveston when it was struck by the worst hurricane in American history. Smith survived, and spent his final years in the delightful seaside town of Monterey, California. A Blacksmith's Son Goes to War was written by park volunteer Thom Brennan. For his efforts Thom received the 2016 National Park Service Southeast Region Hartzog Volunteer Award. Pick up a free copy of the booklet at the Oakland Plantation Store.

Oakland Plantation was founded on a 1785 Spanish-era land grant by Jean Pierre Emanuel Prud’homme and his wife Catherine Lambre. A small enslaved work force grew tobacco and indigo. From domestic and agricultural workers to craftsmen such as blacksmiths, carpenters and masons, the skills and strengths of enslaved Africans were vital to the survival of the plantation. The proficiency of enslaved blacksmiths including Philippe and Solomon Williams, for example, can be seen in iron latches and hinges, in numerous iron cross grave markers, and in a collection of skillfully made well-drilling tools found on Oakland Plantation. The invention of the cotton gin in the early 1790s made the growing of large amounts of cotton profitable. Emanuel Prud’homme purchased a mechanical gin making cotton the plantation’s main crop. As textile mills increased their demand for cotton, the use of enslaved labor increased. In 1795 the enslaved population was 38, but in less than fifty years it had nearly quadrupled to 145 persons. By the Civil War, nearly 160 enslaved individuals labored here. African American labor sustained Oakland Plantation and contributed to the wealth of the Prud'homme family.

After the Civil War and into the 1900s, life continued to revolve around cotton. Descendants of the enslaved remained as sharecroppers, tenant farmers, and day laborers and new families moved here for work to support their families. The legacy of these families, including Helaire , Metoyer , Williams, Toussaint, Shields , and others remains as many of their descendants continue to reside nearby. The plantation survived the Civil War, Reconstruction, boll weevils, and the Great Depression. Increasingly machines replaced the need for draft animals and farm workers; what began in the 1930s accelerated after World War II bringing the end of the plantation era. The last tenant family moved off the plantation in the early 1960s. Today, nearly 60 historic buildings of Oakland Plantation remain, set within a rural cultural landscape. Because of the integrity of the resources here, the site has been designated as a National Historic Landmark. The cook's cabin, mule barn, store, overseer's house, tenant cabin and various other outbuildings are open Wednesday through Sunday for self-guided tours. The main house is open for self-guided tours only on Saturday and Sunday.

The state bird of the Louisiana, the White Pelican, is one of the largest North American birds. Majestic in the air, the birds soar on broad black-and-white wings. White Pelicans eat mostly small fish in shallow wetlands. Sometimes, groups work together to heard fish into the shallows where they can easily scoop the fish up into their pouched bills.

This dove has many common names: pigeon, rock dove, rock pigeon, racing pigeon, homing pigeon, domestic pigeon, among others, but rock pigeons are actually doves. Commonly, the word "pigeon" is used with the larger doves while the term "dove" is usually reserved for the smaller and more delicate birds of this group. Rock pigeons were introduced to North America from Europe in the early 1600s and are now widely spread across the continent. This familiar bird has had long had a relationship with humans who have used them for food (squab), to carry messages (carrier pigeons), and for recreation (homing pigeons and the breeding of fancy pigeons). Oakland and Magnolia Plantations both feature Pigeonniers (pigeon houses) where the birds were raised for food.

Slender-bodied gray birds, the Northern Mockingbird, may be identified by listening for its song which usually mimics numerous other birds at once. These birds sing all through the day, and often into the night. Northern Mockingbirds continue to add new sounds to their repertoires throughout their lives. A male may learn around 200 songs throughout its life. Northern Mockingbirds eat mainly insects in summer but switch to eating mostly fruit in fall and winter.

A spectacularly marked, sociable, noisy waterfowl. Often rests on low snags above water, and may perch high in dead trees. In North America found mostly near Mexican border, but has increased in numbers. Flocks come to harvested fields to feed on waste grain, also to prairies and overgrown pastures. In shallow water may wade to reach emergent plants, or may dabble at surface or tip up to reach under water.

Cane River Creole National Historical Park is home to various plants that are an integral part of the Louisiana experience. To gain an understanding of the diversity, one must visit the park during all four seasons. In summer, visitors find solace from the heat under the branches of the park’s live oak trees. The oaks lining the entrance to the main house at Oakland are especially magnificent. These trees are believed to have been planted in the early 19th century. The allée that they form was intended to act as a “breeze way” in order to keep the main house cooler. Fall is the time for pecans. Visitors can stroll the grounds of Oakland and Magnolia and pick up handfuls of this Louisiana favorite. The park contains smaller native pecans, and larger hybrids. Pecans have played a constant role in the story of both plantations. During the 1940s the Oakland yard-man, Leo Metoyer financed a Model-A Ford with a season’s worth of pecans that he had harvested. As winter arrives, the Resurrection Fern which grows on the limbs of live oaks will still appear vibrant and green. This plant is not at the will of the seasons or temperatures, but at the amount of rainfall. So when the cold, rainy winter claims many local plants, the Resurrection Fern flourishes. Spring is a vivacious time along Cane River. Visitors are often enchanted by the variety of colors produced by the camellias and crepe myrtles, and one cannot ignore the scent and sight of the blooms dotting the southern magnolias, Louisiana’s state flower.

No matter what time of year, there is much to do within the park and in the surrounding area. Please visit our calendar for a list of activities and events within the park. We offer guided tours Wednesday through Sunday for both small and large groups. If a guided tour isn't for you, self guided and audio tours are both available. Many plantation buildings are open to view, a few including the plantation store and the quarters tenant cabins, are historically furnished to the 1960s era. The official NPS app can help plan and enrich your visit to Oakland and Magnolia Plantations. While at Oakland Plantation visit the park store Wednesday through Sunday for park related items. The plantation grounds, trails, outbuildings, and visitor restrooms are open Wednesday through Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. The Oakland Plantation Main House is only open on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. for self-guided tours. The park is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays and all federal holidays.

Enhance your visit of both Oakland Plantation and Magnolia Plantation using the NPS app.

We offer guided tours on a regular basis for both small and large groups. Check out our current offerings.

The park store has a wide range of books, media, historical toys, Louisiana specialties, original artwork, and other items available.

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