A few years ago, I moved to Paris to study French. There was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting in cafés and listening to all of the stories being told around me. So when my brother, Joey, told me that he went to a café every morning, I thought I might be able to relive my time in France. But when he told me that I would have to meet him at 6:45 a.m. and that we’d be going to a feed store in Kaplan, I had the feeling that I was in for a whole other experience.
Joey led me passed sacks of bran and corn to a rectangular shaped table in the corner of Premier Farm and Ranch Supply. Surrounding it was a group of men who smiled and looked up when we walked in.
“Everybody,” Joey said. “I’d like to introduce you to my brother, Jacques.”
One of the gentlemen, Mr. Donald Greene, told me that he’d read an article I’d written about Gueydan, and wondered if I was going to write one about Kaplan.
“That’s why I’m here,” I said. “There’s a group of men over there that meets and drinks coffee and they call themselves the Knights of the Round Table. Do you guys have a name?”
“Yeah,” Owner, Scott Esthay said. “They’re the, “One Foot in the Grave,” club.”
I pulled a chair up to the table and drank coffee while the men spoke about everything from the price of bailing hay, to farm supplements, to the good old days when the train pulled into Kaplan and people gathered around to purchase and collect goods.
When I asked Mr. Esthay why he set up the coffee pot and table, he responded, “I just like having the company, and I learn a lot of things about the cattle and farming industry by listening to the people who have been around for years.”
Since I was wide-awake and began to feel hungry, I drove on over to the Donut Queen (Veterans Memorial Dr.) owned by the husband and wife team, Makay and Sophanna Akanhay. I tried the jalapeno kolache, which was delicious. Makay told me I should try their special boudin kolache, but I scrunched up my face and shook my head from side to side.
“A lot of people make that same face when I suggest it to them,” Mr. Akanhay said. “But once they have a bite, they order another one. Even the people who don’t like boudin.”
I told him I’d try one the next time (and I will be back) and then decided to head over to Comeaux’s French Market for some fresh fruits and vegetables. Decorated with hand painted signs, the little stand is reminiscent of ones I’ve seen along the French countryside. I was waited on by Ruby and Paula Hargrave, who have worked there for over thirty years.
“My husband and I opened the fruit stand in 1975,” said Mrs. Ruby Hargrave. “After he passed, I sold the business to Russell Comeaux and Joel Howard. I’m happy to still be able to work here.”
I wanted some fresh air, so I strolled through the rows of the market’s outdoor inventory of flowering plants and trees. I was enjoying my time outside, and so walked across the street to Backyard Pottery and Plants. Once Margaret Abbott’s private garden, it is now an opened aired space filled with fountains, outdoor art, and peach and pecan trees. I joked with Mrs. Abbott that I might come back with some lemonade and sit right in the middle of her store.
“Feel free,” she laughed. “I want people to enjoy their time here.”
I decided I wanted to see some great architecture, and so I headed to the home of Henri and Carol Ann Deshotels. The 4,000 square foot house is not only fascinating because of its grand porch and stairway, but because it was originally purchased out of a Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog back in 1909.
“Most of it is original,” said Mr. Deshotels. “I still have a catalog with pictures of the houses you could buy.”
I knew a trip to Kaplan wouldn’t be complete without a visit to Le Musee de la Ville on Cushing. I was very excited to learn that although the Louvre may have Mona Lisa, the Kaplan museum has Gladys, a mannequin who sits in front of an antique telephone switchboard.
“She just looks like a Gladys,” said museum representative, Velma Touchet. “She and a lot of the antiques were donated by the late Lytle Turnley. He’s also the one who donated the building.”
Ms. Touchet showed me displays of beautifully crafted Mardi Gras gowns, paintings by local artists Beth Mouton and Dustin Schexneider, and a display honoring musicians like Klaby Meaux, Sammy Kershaw, Cedric Benoit and Shel Reaux.
“Music is a big part of Kaplan,” said museum representative, Betty Girouard. “In fact, the Smithsonian is having an exhibit here this fall.”
The exhibit entitled, “New Harmonies,” examines the roots of music and its tremendous affect on society. Kaplan is one of six Louisiana towns, which will host the event.
As I drove out of town, I realized that although I hadn’t exactly relived my time in Paris, I had experienced something special. I’d discovered innovative cuisine, historic architecture, beautiful gardens and a plastic woman named Gladys. But more importantly, I met some of the warm and friendly people who give Kaplan that certain, “Je ne sais quoi.”
For more information on Kaplan, you may call the Chamber of Commerce at 643-2400, City Hall at 643-7118, or the Vermilion Parish Tourist Commission at 898-6600. If you have any old pictures of Kaplan and would like to share them, please call Mr. Deshotels at 643-7100.
No comments:
Post a Comment