Introduction by Robert Harling 

Nestled on the banks of Louisiana's Cane River and founded in 1714 as a French colonial settlement, Natchitoches boasts brick streets, venerable architecture, and a charming ambiance that draw visitors from around the world. Nearby, a magnificent plantation country and the Creole community of Isle Brevelle amplify the area's allure. This stunning gallery of photographs by Phillip Gould, along with edifying articles, documents the varying cultures of the Cane River region, one of the state's oldest and most historically French areas.