Northwestern State University - Potpourri Yearbook (Natchitoches, LA)

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IN THE VERY BEGINNING

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POTPOURRI This book belongs to you, the students of Northwestern. It is an account of your campus ac- tivities during the past year. Nat- urally, it is impossible for us to cover every facet of your college life, but we hope that now, and in the future, you may fondly thumb through this book, recall- ing many pleasant memories. A.SOMS NORTHWESTERN STATE COLLEGE NATCHITOCHES, LOUISIANA

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There was a wonderland wilderness, covered with virgin forests, thriving in fertile untilled soil. Nature was generous with her bounteous gifts on this hill, and a spot of lasting beauty was created after years of earth building. It was into this mystical land that the white man first ventured in 1714. On the banks of the Red River a settlement was established — the first in the land which would later be a part of the great Louisiana Purchase. The colony of Natchitoches endured and in time became a thriving community, a focal point for busi- nessmen and traders. As the need arose, churches and schools were established. As the quest for education moved into Natchitoches, a group of soft-spoken nuns established the Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1856. The land which they acquired was a part of the old Bullard Mansion, built in the 1830 ' s. The progress of the academy was shattered with the onset of the Civil War, and in 1875 the school was abandoned. In 1884 the Louisiana State Normal College was established on these same grounds. The initial aim of the school was to prepare students for teaching in the public schools of Louisiana. This scope was eventually broadened and in 1944 the name of the institution was changed to Northwestern State College of Louisiana.