History: Founders of Natchitoches Will Honor St. Denis Oct 1, 1999, Natchitoches Parish La Submitted by: Suzanne Shoemaker Many Thanks to the Natchitoches Times for allowing the LaGenWeb to use this article. ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** The Natchitoches Times article September 19, 1999 issue. FOUNDERS OF NATCHITOCHES WILL HONOR ST. DENIS OCT. 1 The dedication of granite fleur de lis marker on the Rue St. Denis Walk of Honor will open the 19th annual Founder's of Natchitoches conference Friday, October 1. The marker will honor Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, who founded the Poste de Natchitoches, during a 1:30 p.m. ceremony. A reception will follow at the Natchitoches Parish Old Courthouse Museum sponsored by the Founders, the Museum and City Bank. The public is invited to attend. St. Denis was born in Quebec September 17, 1676 and died in Natchitoches June 11, 1744. He came to this area with his nephew by marriage Pierre LeMoine or Lemoyne d'Iberville, leaving from Rockport France, September 1, 1699, and arriving at Fort Biloxi December 7, 1699. Although history records that he established Natchitoches in 1714, he arrived at the Village of nassitoches Indians November 27, 1713, and began building the fort that became Fort St. Jean Baptiste. History also records that he soon left for Spanish Tejas (Texas) on the Old Buffalo Trail, later to be known as the San Antonio Road. In Tejas, he married Manuela Sanchez Navarro y Gomes Mascorro in 1716 in Coahuila, New Spain. The Founder's annual conference will be held at Ryder Inn with registration beginning at 8 a.m. Saturday, October 2 near the Chinquapin Room. This year's theme will be FrancoFette: 1699-1999. A tribute to Louis Antoine Juchereau de St. Denis, 1676-1744. Theophile Scott of Natchitoches will speak at 9 a.m. on the Tauzin family, 1769-1999. He will be followed by Blane Ortego of Baton Rouge who will speak on the Spanish heritage of the descendants of St. Denis. Ortego was the underwriter of the $600 cost of establishing the monument to St. Denis. Ortego's ancestor, Joachin d'Ortega, married St. Denis's granddaughter Marie Damesante DeSoto y Burmeduz. Mickey Moran of Melrose will speak on the Metoyer family of Isle Brevelle, 1735-1999. A noon buffet will be served to those in attendance. Registration for the conference will be $10 and the cost of the noon meal will be $10. Annual membership for the organization is also $10. For more information on the conference contact Betty Jones, secretary-treasurer, at 352-3744 or Dr. Tommy Johnson, president, at 357-1375 or e-mail drtjohnson@cp-tel.net.