The WPA writers project in 1937 interviewed John B. Filhiol, who told the following story.
Paul and Agatha were two of the slaves owned by Edward Landry Grammont Filhiol, son of Don Juan. Being of French blood, Paul and Agatha were great lovers of gumbo file. They smoked garfish in their chimneys to preserve them with the many herbs used in French cooking. When the slaves died, they were buried on a mound on the Filhiol Plantation. As a result of their having eaten so much gumbo file and spiced garfish during their lives, sassafras trees sprang up on their graves. They are still there and no one planted them.
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 
I looking for information on the Dunn brothers, (Richmond and William) who were given there freedom by there owner/father and given most of his land including a Cotton Gin. They eventually settled in Monroe where Richmond became the first Black Police Juror and Justice of the Peace. Any information you can provide will be greatly appreciated. By the way, William Dunn was my great-great-grandfather.
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I see Richmond Dunn mentioned a lot in the Monroe area papers (I use Newspapers.com to search). Mainly he served on the Police Jury, was a Democratic Delegate and several times had the first bale of cotton in Ouachita parish. The book “Contributors of Ouachita Parish: A History of Blacks To commemorate the Bicentennial of the United States of America” by the Black Bicentennial Committee of Ouachita Parish in 1976 has a couple of paragraphs about the Dunn family on page 26.
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Hello, have you heard about Amanda nabors or Jake Nabors or Charles McLaughlin? McLaughlin was Amanda Nabors father and slave master.
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I am not familiar with the Nabors name, but the McLaughlin name is an old one in the parish. I will try to remember to check the book “Founding Families of the Ouachita Valley…” when I get back to work tomorrow!
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Here is what the Founding Families book has (not much):
McLawchlin, Charles
[Transcript of the 1820 and 1830 Ouachita Parish census entries]
Charles McLawchlin md. in Ou. Par. on 23 July 1819 by Rev. Ashley Hewitt, to widow Elizabeth Ginn, with Isaac M. George, John Ferrell, and J.M. McGlothlen (McLawchlin), wits. (Ou. Par. Conv. Bk. F, p. 34 & 366)
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Thank you very much for checking for me. Is there anything else you might tell me about the McLawchlins? Or a place I might search for their/my history in the parish?
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I don’t know if they were connected to Charles, but there was a James McLawchlin who was a surveyor for the Spanish government who came to the Ouachita settlement around 1793. He was from Scotland. He may have been the J.M. McGlothlen who was a witness for your ancestor Charles’ wedding. James died in 1826 and left behind about 10 kids. He may be another avenue to study. I would try to research the McLawchlins at the Ouachita parish Clerk of Court office for any records they may have left behind. That would be my next step.
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