Natchitoches in No Man's Land

No Man's Land

Fort St. Jean Baptiste NatchitochesNatchitoches was the first permanent settlement in Louisiana, and was a vital part of the trade within No Man's Land when no king or country claimed the neutral strip between the United States and Spanish territories. Natchitoches was founded by a French Canadian, Louis Antoine Juchereau de St.Denis, in 1714 while he was en route to Mexico from Mobile, Alabama, on a trade mission. When he reached the village of the Natchitoches Indians on the Red River, he had two huts constructed within the village and left a small detachment there to guard the stores and trade with the inhabitants. This became the first permanent European settlement in the territory later known as the Louisiana Purchase.

You can visit history at Fort St. Jean Baptiste State Historic Site, stop in at the Grand Ecore Visitor Center and points all along the Cane River National Heritage Area, as well as explore the historic main street area, by foot or a charming carriage ride!

Find out more about Louisiana's No Man's Land at VisitNoMansLand.com.