Living in the South ~ New Orleans

I can't write about Louisiana and the South and not mention New Orleans.  We visited there on several occasions. Never at Mardi Gras but we did go one Halloween. Now that was F*U*N!! We haunted the French Quarter on that occasion. There was a Halloween parade complete with Vampires throwing beads through the streets of the French Quarter. And the people who were "Haunting" the Quarter that Halloween night were dressed in costumes of every size, shape and species. We had a good time just sitting on a bench and watching the Ghoulies go by.


New Orleans was everything I had imagined and then some. We did some exploring in the Garden District - an area of New Orleans with some of the best preserved historic Southern mansion in the US. But the French Quarter was where we felt at home. The air was thick with history. The streets echoed with the thousands of feet that had once trod on their stones. The buildings teased and taunted with the stories that were held within their walls. 


We rode streetcars and riverboats. We had beignets and cafe au lait. We saw the Superdome. We visited the site of the Battle of New Orleans. We had a drink in the bar that was once the Pirate Jean Lafitte's blacksmith shop. But one of the most memorable things we did was visit the cemeteries. (Go figure....) The crowding of souls contained in the walls of those cemeteries could be felt even in the heat of the day. But the cemeteries were neither sorrowful nor gloomy but almost had an air of gaiety about them. Perhaps a perpetual party was taking place - it was once a Southern tradition to enjoy a picnic lunch at the cemetery. Relaxing and passing the time on the ancestors' graves. Perhaps those picnics were still taking place.... 

*** I'll continue my Southern ramblings next Tuesday. So don't touch that dial! ***

St. Louis Cemetery I ~ Giveaway Day 4

Well, you know us.... We couldn't visit just ONE Cemetery while in New Orleans.

We also went to St Louis Cemetery I. It is situated only one block away from the French Quarter. And has been in continuous use since its formation.

Covering only one city block, it is the resting place of over 100,000 dead. This cemetery was not laid out with any amount of symmetry and the paths between the tombs can be a maze.

Many notable New Orleanians are interred here including the renowned Voodoo Queen, Marie Laveau. Who is believed to be in the Glapion Family Crypt.


Visitors will leave small gifts for her and the crypt is covered with hundreds of rusty X's. It is believed that marking an X on Marie's tomb will ensure that the believers' wishes will come true.

Near St. Louis Cemetery I is the oldest surviving church in the city of New Orleans, Mortuary Chapel. It was built in 1826 as a burial church for the victims of yellow fever. It is now called Our Lady of Guadalupe and is the official chapel of the New Orleans Police and Fire Departments.

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More juicy tidbits tomorrow about the cemeteries of New Orleans!

Same Time, Same Station! See Ya Then!

Lafayette Cemetery I ~ Giveaway Day 3

Of all the places I've visited, New Orleans is one of my favorites. Specifically the French Quarter. The air is thick with charm, ambiance, and history. And what would a visit to New Orleans be without a trip to at least one cemetery?

Lafayette Cemetery I is one of the oldest cemeteries in New Orleans. Built in what was once the City of Lafayette, the cemetery was officially established in 1833. The area was formerly part of the Livaudais plantation, and that square had been used for burials since 1824. In 1852, New Orleans annexed the City of Lafayette, and the graveyard became the city cemetery, the first planned cemetery in New Orleans.

Yellow fever (a mosquito born disease) struck New Orleans hard in the 1800's. In 1841, 241 victims of yellow fever were buried in Lafayette Cemetery. In 1847, 3000 people died of the disease and at least 613 were interred there. The worst outbreak occurred in 1853 with more than 8000 people succumbing to yellow fever and bodies were often left at the gates of Lafayette Cemetery.

Wall vaults, or "ovens" line the perimeter of the cemetery here. A Family would own only one (sometimes more, if they were wealthy enough) vault.

When a family member would die, the vault would be opened up and the old remains pushed to the back of the tomb and the new body interred. The name of the newly deceased would then be inscribed at the bottom of the list of names. It is not unusual to see dates spanning over 150 years on the slabs covering the vault openings.

Brigadier General Harry T. Hays of the Confederate Army is buried here.

Cemeteries and grave sites were not looked upon as dreary, morbid places back in the 1800's. Quite often an area would be planted with grass and maybe a shrub or tree would be added so that a nice 'picnic area' would be created. The Family would often pack a lunch and go spend the day there - much like we use a park today.

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More tidbits and trivia about Lafayette Cemetery I later in the week.
So DON'T TOUCH THAT DIAL!