Magnolia Plantation Through the Eyes of Someone Who Lived There

Magnolia Plantation has been so important to our area that local libraries abound with historical references. But there’s nothing like talking to someone who actually lived there. This past week, I visited Magnolia and spoke with Ms. Betty Hertzog about her experiences growing up on the plantation when it was still a very active and diversified agribusiness.

At one time, 45 families lived at Magnolia either working as tenant farmers or day laborers. Animals were everywhere and essential to the wellbeing of those families. Hogs were kept in a raised log pen behind the big house, and slaughtered in the winter. Crocks of sausage sealed with fat kept remarkably well. Chickens, geese and turkeys provided both food and entertainment.

Before tractors came along, mules shouldered the plowing load. The family enjoyed exploring the countryside on horseback and had a strong racing heritage.

Remembering work and daily life

Some of Ms. Betty’s most vivid memories were from this time of year, when plowing and planting occurred. The major crop was cotton. Corn was also raised and in the fall would be processed at the plantation’s grist mill, with meal and grits being ground on alternate Saturdays. She still has both the mill and the memories of how it was used back then.

I guess what intrigued me most about our conversation is how isolated plantation life could be, and yet in some ways it was more social. In a Facebook era, it’s hard to imagine a trip to town as a rarity, or having family members visit for weeks at a time.

Family would come from as far away as Shreveport and Alexandria on Sundays, and more frequently during the summer. The dinner table was often full at the Big House. This was back when dinner meant a full meal during the time of day when we’re usually eating fast food in our cars in modern times. The family cook provided a variety of delicious soups and biscuits for these meals using primarily fresh ingredients from the farm.

Returning to manage Magnolia

Ms. Betty majored in accounting at Northwestern, and later in business at LSU. She was scheduled to interview with Texaco in Houston when the call came that her father had a heart attack. Though she didn’t intend to come back to Magnolia, family loyalty prevailed and she took over the plantation books and store operations during his extended recovery. This could be a complicated ordeal, settling accounts, ordering farm necessities, and keeping track of store inventory. At that point, she would make almost daily treks to Natchitoches to handle payroll.

In the hour-plus that we chatted, Ms. Betty told me a number of stories about life on the plantation, and I’ll share more of them in my next column, along with some of the interesting research that has been done at Magnolia.