Lower Mississippi Trip
Apr 28 - May 9, 2022
May 3, 2022 Nottoway Plantation
This morning we listen to a talk about the history of New Orleans. It is a long complicated history of ethnic groups. The historian for our program is Brian Attoway and he gives the talks. Our cruise director, Lyndel, is also knowledgeable about New Orleans History. "Everyone in New Orleans knows each other" she tells us."This is because everyone's family goes way way back and they all know each other."
This afternoon Al and I hop on the bus and off we go for a tour of Nottoway Plantation. Nottoway is said to be the largest remaining antebellum mansion in the South. This was a sugar cane plantation using many slaves for labor in the field and in the home. Currently the buildings on the grounds serve for a B&B and a venue for events.
We woke up this morning to find our boat nosed into the levee. Two lines forward kept the bow in, while one line aft kept the boat from blowing away from the levee. All three lines were secured to sturdy trees. One gangway had been swung over allowing passengers, crew, and the golf cart to get to shore. Except for a couple of motor coaches waiting for us, there was nothing else to see.
The days of plantation houses with lawns leading down to the river are long gone. The river is lined with levees on both sides, usually a ways back from the river. The land between the river and the levees regularly floods. I was talking about this with a docent at Nottoway and he explained that Nottoway would regularly flood to about 4 to 8 ft up the foundation walls, but there was nothing of value in the basement. The river would soon go down, leaving the farmland coated with a fresh layer of rich silt.
