Original newspaper submission dated 2008-10-16. Festival and exhibition details are preserved as historical records, not current announcements. newspaper issue date not recorded here.
Fall is a busy time for the Natchitoches heritage community. From home tours and cemetery tours to galas and exhibits, there’s something you can do just about every weekend to explore local heritage.
Autumn Preservation Activities
I’ll start with breaking news. The Natchitoches Historic Foundation (NHF) has set the date for its Fall Preservation Gala. The event will take place on Nov. 9 at the “Secret Garden” home at 330 Williams Ave. This home is a must-see example of what a thoughtful restoration plan can accomplish. The gala is free to attend and food and drinks will be served.
If you’re picking up the paper on Saturday, you can catch NHF in action tonight at American Cemetery. NHF’s Haunted History Tour takes place from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 per person and are available at American Cemetery during the tour. While there, you’ll hear the stories of citizens past, told by actors portraying them. It’s a neat twist on the haunted house, where you and your family get to learn about real people and local history.
Archives and Community Exhibitions
If course, one of the best places to learn about local people and history is the Cammie G. Henry Research Center. Since October is American Archives Month, Mary Linn Wernet and her staff would like to remind everyone that they can donate items related to their family history to the research center. Donations are cataloged and stored in keeping with stringent archival standards. In particular, the center is looking for material from African American, Irish, and Scottish families of this area.
The research center is also hosting and exhibition called “BA ARTIST.” The exhibit features work from Natchitoches photographer, painter, potter, and jewelry designer, BA Cohen. Cohen’s work will be displayed in 13 cases on the third floor of the NSU Watson Library through December 19. Additionally, Cohen is the featured artist for the third annual alumni art exhibition that is held in celebration of NSU Homecoming. “Living in Louisiana Eden” is being displayed through Oct. 31 in the Orville J. Hanchey Gallery at NSU.
There’s even more on the exhibit scene at the Old Courthouse Museum. On Oct. 25, the museum will host a public event welcoming artists Gilbert D. Fletcher and John Allen LeBlanc. The works of Fletcher and LeBlanc are featured in the exhibit “Cane River Creole Legacy.” For more on this event and any of the stories making news in Natchitoches heritage, visit www.natchitochespreservation.ning.com.
What Remains
The autumn events reported in 2008 offer a snapshot of how Natchitoches organizations combined exhibitions, tours, and local archival work. The Cammie G. Henry Research Center continues to describe and share regional collections, while the Natchitoches Historic Foundation still offers public preservation activities, including a 2026 Christmas tour schedule. These continuing institutions do not establish that all the particular exhibitions mentioned here survive, but they provide leads for researching the photographs, artifacts, and records those displays brought together. NSU archival collections · Historic Foundation.
Updated October 2026
Article Catalog CardView the manuscript record, provenance & surviving materials
| Artifact | Original Natchitoches Preservation Network newspaper column. |
|---|---|
| Source | Dated email newspaper submission, 2008-10-16. |
| Role | Heritage columnist, folklife and community media practitioner. |
| Publication evidence | Manuscript recovered; newspaper issue copy not yet matched to manuscript. |
Critical Questions + Add to the Record
Application here: A season of tours and exhibitions can connect visitors to archival evidence when the events explain what objects and places actually mean.
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