Day Forty Two: rest day

I went downstairs for breakfast at 7:45, having forgotten that last night was the time change. Bonnie had just started the preparations.

There were a couple of other people there, Mike and Bonnie Meaux, from Baton Rouge.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

Both were very pleasant people. Mike, still working, was raised here in Jackson. Bonnie retired when her mother became ill. She is interested in bioidentical hormones and we chatted about that for a while. They come here occasionally on weekends to get away from the big city. It's so relaxing that it's like therapy. So far, I have to agree. It IS really relaxing here.

I will NOT be riding my bike any where today, so I decided to follow Mike's advice and take a walk toward the old college.

There area lot of old houses here. I walked up the street and took a few pictures.

This is the Pipes House...

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

The Greenlea House (1840)...

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

And the McBrannon House (1835)...

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

On the way back down the street I stopped at the Centenary College Museum. There I was met by Nathan, the tour guide. I was the only one there, and for an hour and a half he talked about the history of not only the school, but of the city, region, and state as well. He's been doing this for five years, and today is his last day. He'll be starting a graduate degree in history. In addition to enjoying history, he's lived in "all five states in Louisiana." According to him, there are five very distinct areas which are very culturally different from each other. He's lived in all of them, having moved fourteen times in his twelve years of schooling.

From Mark on a Bike 08 2

Before Centenary College (originally called College of Louisiana) was built, in order to go to school you had to be either Catholic or rich. People who were neither Catholic nor rich were leaving the state, so in 1825 the state government decided to build the college. It was initially very successful, having as many as 350 students yearly, and there is still graffiti on one of the outside dormitory walls which has the names of former state governors, senators, and a number of other notable figures.

The college began struggling during the Civil War, and the October 7, 1861 faculty minutes have only three lines covering an entire page, written in a large bold hand: "Students have all gone to war--College suspended, and God Help the Right!"

During the war the school was used as a Confederate hospital, and was captured and recaptured by both sides during the conflict. There was even a battle on the campus itself.

The college never fully recovered after the war and, in 1895, the trustees were so desperate that they allowed women to enroll. (Though the women didn't receive diplomas, just "certificates of completion." Not even the ones who were valedictorians!)

Eventually the school merged with another college and moved to Shreveport. It is the 43rd oldest school in the country. When the East wing of the school was torn down, the bricks were used to make the Centenary Inn.

In addition to the school's history, Nathan let me know a few other facts about the town, such as there are 123 homes on the National Historic Register in Jackson, and nine out of ten are still private residences. Most of them are still owned by the same families who built them. The same family has been running the pharmacy for four generations: the town's pharmacist is a fourth-generation pharmacist.

I ate at the Bear's Corner this afternoon. More eavesdropping on the only other people in the room:

"The book of Revelation tells us that the beast will have a mark on it.... the number 42. Obama is 42 years old.... "

I got a call from Klaus today. He's in DeRidder and will be staying there for several days. He picked up a cold and isn't feeling well. Hi did say that he'll listen to all of the songs that people recommended.


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