03/20/2025
SPRING LUNCHEON, NORTH LOUISIANA HISTORICAL ASSOCIATION
MANSFIELD, LA. 10:30-1:00, APRIL 12, 2025
Prepare to be Amazed, with History all around us!
Saturday, 10:30 a.m., April 12, 2025, the North Louisiana Historical Association will gather at Mansfield, Louisiana, for a tour, luncheon, and battle reenactment!
First up, arrive at 10:30 for a tour of the Mansfield Female College Museum. 101 Monroe Street, Mansfield. Founded in 1855 by the Methodist church, this was one of the first female-only colleges west of the Mississippi. The buildings became a triage hospital during the Red River campaign, with about 3,500 casualties in the Battle of Sabine Cross Roads that raged nearby. Museum manager Van Reach will give a short tour of the exhibits and genealogical library.
DeSoto Parish Tourism is graciously allowing the use of the Clista Calhoun Center for our Spring Luncheon. It adjoins the museum.
Our meal will be fresh-made deli sandwiches, cookies, chips, and cold drinks, catered by Sunrise Cookies of Gloster, La. This “mom & pop” caterer bakes all their own bread and cookies, and makes their own sandwich spreads. Customers nation-wide order their cookies, king cakes, and breads. At the Luncheon, NLHA members will pick from chicken salad, tuna salad, ham & cheese, and turkey & cheese on trays. Pay at the door or send a check in advance, $15.00 per person.
IMPORTANT: Please email NLHA Vice President Dr. Jeffrey Owens at [email protected] to let him know you’re coming, so we can give the caterer a heads-up on the number to be provided.
Our speaker is Jeffrey Girard of the Louisiana Archaeological Society. He is a well-known speaker in North Louisiana: professor emeritus, Northwestern State University; and emeritus regional archaeologist for the Louisiana Division of Archaeology. He conducted an archaeological dig at Mansfield Female College and will describe the findings.
Girard is the author of The Caddos and Their Ancestors: Archaeology and the Native People of Northwest Louisiana, and co-author of Caddo Connections: Cultural Interactions within and beyond the Caddo World. His most recent project pertains to organizing collections and records at the Williamson Museum at Northwestern State University, through a grant from the Cane River National Heritage Area.
After the Luncheon, all are encouraged to make a short drive to the 45th Annual Battle of Pleasant Hill Reenactment. This is 3 miles north of Pleasant Hill at 23271 Hwy. 175, Pelican, La. Admission is $5.00 per person with children 5 and under, free. Free parking with a shuttle provided. Guests should bring blankets or lawn chairs. The Opening Ceremony is at 1:30, and the Battle Re-enactment is at 2:00. Sutlers, historical demonstrations, vendors, and food trucks will be in place all day beginning at 11:00 a.m. At 7:00 there is a Period Ball and Court Presentation with a Luminary Memorial Ceremony. For more details about the reenactment, see www.battleofpleasanthill.com. Or call 318-658-5785. An ATM will be located at the property for those who find something irresistible.
