Laura Plantation - Vacherie, LA (The Slave Trade)

2247 Highway 18

Vacherie, LA 70090

30.008502,-90.725387

www.lauraplantation.com 

            As unfortunate as it was, slavery was a regular fixture of everyday life for much of the south during the 1700’s and 1800’s. Without this massive workforce, much of the south would have starved and been homeless. Many, if not all, of the grand plantations of the south were built by the hands of slaves. These same hands would harvest crops from thousands upon thousands of acres of farmland. Fortunately, many now recognize the hard work that these poor souls were forced to put forth, as they played a crucial role in building the south. Yes, slavery was wrong and many were mistreated, but diaries from former slaves have acknowledged that such was not always the case. Not all plantation owners were violent sadists who gained great pleasure in the misuse of their slaves, such as the previously mentioned Madame LaLaurie. In many instances, even once slavery was abolished, some black families actually chose to remain on the plantations that they called home for so many years. Especially in the case of the house maids, who had literally raised many of the plantation owners’ children; they were often considered a part of the family.
            For many of these massive plantations, workforces commandeering hundreds of slaves were needed to keep the homes and land operating. To house such large groups, slave quarters were built in numbers that often caused them to become their own small villages of sorts. To the rear of the larger homes, these quarters were placed in rows with a main road down the middle. As with our next location, where slave quarters grew to fifty or sixty, these makeshift communities would have their own cooking areas, farmland, livestock and even commissaries.

St. Louis Cemetery #1 - New Orleans, LA (The Gravesite of Marie Laveau)

300 North Claiborne Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.959107,-90.071276

www.arch-no.org

As unique as New Orleans food, architecture and overall way of living, so are its cemeteries. Used in many types of artwork and for backdrops in numerous movies, there is definitely a certain lore that cannot be found anywhere else. Huge ornate crypts lined in rows seem to come alive at times, with a unique amount of personal touches often added to them. Obviously, the wealthier the family, the more luxurious and decorative the tombs were. Above ground burials in New Orleans are the basic norm. Most people think the sole reason for this is due to the low-lying land, as no one wants to see the deceased pop out the ground after the first good flood. Although that is a major reason, this method of burial is equally associated with French and Spanish tradition.

Strolling through any given cemetery in the city, it appears that there is no such thing as a new cemetery or even a new grave for that matter, as everything seems to be so old. One of the reasons for this is, quite simply, the fact that they are all that old! Burial land in New Orleans lessens while people continue dying. As time goes, the gap grows! Most families have been forced to recycle most tombs, which is another advantage to having above ground crypts. Poor old Grandma Edna has been at rest for forty years. She was loved, she will be missed, but she needs to scoot over and make room for Uncle Normand. Bluntly put, but it is true; the older remains are often shoved down a back compartment to allow a new casket to be put in its place.

LaLaurie Mansion - New Orleans, LA (The House of 1,000 Screams)

1140 Royal St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.962006,-90.061122

            Of the thousands of haunted locations throughout the country, what better place to start than with a location so notorious and shrouded in mystery. It's history is one of the most interesting and gruesome you will ever hear so why not start with the LaLaurie Mansion! The events that took place here would go down in the annals of American history as something that could have easily been coined from a horror movie. As a matter of fact, I believe much of this story influenced the season of American Horror Story that took place in New Orleans.

            I was first made aware of the LaLaurie Mansion as a young teenager. Strolling the urine and stale beer-filled streets of the French Quarter on a raucous Saturday night, my cousin and I were inclined to take one of the many haunted history tours that were offered in the area. I mean come on...where else could under aged kids walk around with drinks in our hands while listening to the mad and macabre that makes up New Orleans? I was all in! We paid for our tickets and met at a local bar that could have well been from a third-world country. To this day, I don't think I ever saw a filthier toilet in my life. I don't think I would even let my dog take a crap in there, for the fear of dysentery and staff infections that would have been obtained in there!