History: Our Natchitoches, Natchitoches Parish Louisiana Source: The Natchitoches Times, April 3, 1958, Article by Louis Nardini Submitted by: Gaytha Thompson ********************************************** Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ********************************************** OUR NATCHITOCHES Between the years 1740-1765, there lived in Natchitoches three doctors...Jaubare, Pain and Bonnafons. Had they depended solely on their profession as a livelihood, they would have starved to death. I know this statement sounds a bit unusual, so explanations are definitely necessary. The good King Louis XIV of France personally signed the papers of commission of doctor surgeon for the three above mentioned doctors. The first was Dr. Jaubare. Three years later, Dr. pain received his, and Dr. Bonnafons got his commission three years after that. Each doctor receive his chest of medicine and instruments, a goodly portion of paper, some ledgers, his year's salary in advance ($90) and a one-way ticket to Natchitoches with the blessings of the king. There was also an understanding that two years from departure date, the doctor would receive additional equipment and his salary. The commission identifying the doctor surgeon also pointed out that the doctor was to treat the soldiers of the Natchitoches post, their families, and all other government officials there. The doctor was also to supply necessary aid to the Indians of the locality, and inhabitants of the post were to pay for his services if they were not connected with service rendered at the army post. Although this commission must have sounded good to the doctors who were sent to the different French outposts in Louisiana, they found their disappointments on their arrival at the posts. Listed as occupations in Natchitoches at that time were trapper, trader, commercial hunter, grocer, druggist, farmer, cobbler, blacksmith, tailor, baker, carpenter, cabinet maker, barber, undertaker and butcher. People occupied in this work were naturally connected with the post so were entitled to free medical aid. Trappers and traders were considered connected with the post since they were the "good will ambassadors" among the Indians; the commercial hunters brought in fresh meat to sell the post; and so on down the line. They rendered services to the post so the good commandant naturally saw that each person got his share of the government business. Dr. Jaubare must have been surprised to find there was no one to pay for his medical services, but he treated the people at the post. When his year was up, he sent his resignation to the king and became a grocer, druggist and farmer. His resignation took roughly a year to reach King Louis, but the king had meanwhile recruited Dr. Pain. I am sure Dr. Jaubare explained the situation to Dr. Pain upon his arrival. After his year was up, Dr. Pain too, resigned and became a lawyer, farmer and druggist. When the horn sounded or the church bells rang announcing trading boats and newcomers up the river, Dr. Pain and Dr. Jaubare joined the people and went to meet the boats. They probably were not half so surprised to see the new doctor as Dr. Bonnafons was to find two doctors already in this small community. After learning the situation from Drs. Pain and Jaubare, Dr. Bonnafons went to the post commandant, DeBlanc, and explained that the doctor's office inside the post was too small. He told DeBlanc that as the king's representative it was his duty to furnish a proper building. Dr. Bonnafons must have been a "real smoothie" because a new building was erected for him outside the fort. In addition to his medical practice, Dr. Bonnafons became a barber as a sideline. He could also be a druggist, and, as such, belonged to the grocery business so could sell "stuffs" (bolts of uncut cloth). Sieur Ignace Anty added onto the doctor's building and moved his shoe shop there. Another building...with only a shade tree separating it from Dr. Bonnafons'....was erected by a gunsmith named Nicholas Largnon and a blacksmith named Jean Baptiste Martin. A soldier and baker, Jacque Turpeaux, also used Dr. Bonnafons' store when he had extra bread to sell. Undoubtedly, the doctor probably had Turpeaux bake bread....using the post's supplies and ovens. A man of Dr. Bonnafons' caliber would probably have plenty of bread, cheese and wine available for those who wanted a quick lunch. (The cheese, incidentally, was supplied by families living at Campti, Louisiana. It was their trading goods when they came to the post.) As the doctor's business grew, so did his building. Since he often erected these additions himself, he thereby classed himself as a carpenter and cabinet maker. But, even with all these activities Dr. Bonnafons wasn't satisfied. He had an eye out for more business, and reasoned that "where there is a demand, there should be a supply. About 20 years preceding Dr. Bonnafon's arrival in Natchitoches, some area farmers had obtained slaves from New Orleans. Originally from Santo Domingo, there slaves believed in voodoo and for a generation sold their charms, amulets, love portions and cure-all charms to the Indians and white inhabitants. Although he didn't believe in voodoo. Dr Bonnafons soon added a trinket department to his tore and sold voodoo charms along with small mirrors, necklaces and earrings. He reasoned that since slaves were not allowed to have money, according to law, he might just as well try to put them out of business. Commercial traders bought supplies and trinkets from Bonnafons and advertised the doctor's wide variety of services. Included among the traders were Jean Comoin, Pierre Gargnie, Lantailac Nicholas Tibaud, Thomas Marin and Francis Gueno. As the following bill testifies, Dr. Bonnafons served Natchitoches well. The bill concerns the services rendered to the young son of Pierre Fausse, inhabitants des Natchitoches. 1. Pour 6 boutilles de quillendive per Pordre du chirurgiens. (Note: This medicine became popular among the doctors at that time, according to a large book in Dr. J. N. Brown's office at Campti) Quillendive meant seeds of certain plants, not just one particular plant or herb. When administered, the medicine caused nausea. 2. Pour 6 denier (6 articles of merchandise). 3. Pour 12 boutilles d'eau de vie. (Note: This is a brandy used as a sedative to settle nerves or upset stomach). 4. Pour 6 boutilles de medacine laxatif (Laxative). 5. Pour le cerceuil de defuna (making coffin). The child was give 6 bottles of nausea medicine, 12 bottles of sedatives (undoubtedly the child had help in disposing of the brandy), then 6 bottles of laxative. This was enough of such treatment to kill any patient.....and that is just what happened. Dr. Bonnafons, being a carpenter and cabinet aker, made the coffin, too. Dr. Bonnafons met the majority of the demands and needs of the Natchitoches inhabitants by the year 1765. In addition to his various trades and services, he became the first wholesale operator in Natchitoches when he suppled the commercial traders with merchandise. All of which proves on thing, Natchitoches has always had possibilities for the right sort of man. Likewise, these so-called one stop shopping centers are nothing new to this area!