Northwestern State University Historians and The Natchitoches’ National Center for Preservation Technology and Training Gave Presentations at the 2023 Louisiana Historical Association Meeting.
Natchitoches academics made a strong showing at the 65th Annual Meeting of the Louisiana Historical Association held in Alexandria March 16-18. Jason Church and Isabella Jones of the National Park Service’s National Center for Preservation and Training gave presentations on their projects preserving and documenting the Juke Joints and Dance Halls of Natchitoches Parish.
Northwestern State University history professors James MacDonald, Kent Peacock and Christopher Gilson took part in a session honoring the late Mary Linn Wernet, who was a leading figure in the study of our area’s history as well as serving as the head archivist at NSU until her death. The presentations centered on North Louisiana and Southern History.
Christopher Gilson’s talk was titled “Crisis and Consequence: The 1849 Red River Flood in Louisiana.” James MacDonald’s presentation was “Printed by George Roulstone for John Sibley & Company: The Fayette Gazette Runaway Slave Advertisements.” Kent Peacock spoke about “Looking Forward at Twenty-Five Years: The Creole Heritage Center at Northwestern State University.”
Northwestern State University History Professor Charles Pellegrin served as the 2022-23 President of the Louisiana Historical Association. He gave the Presidential Address, “Kent and Phoebe Courtney: Far Right Activism in Louisiana, 1954-1970” on Saturday evening. At the close of the conference, Dr. Pellegrin turned the presidency over to Dr. Daniel Usner of Vanderbilt University.
