1990: Lake Rosemound
The early development of the little paradise on the water north of St. Francisville
This story was selected by the Country Roads magazine editorial team as the representative piece for 1990 in the archival project "40 Stories From 40 Years"—celebrating the magazine's 40th anniversary on stands. Click here to read more stories from the project.
When my family and I moved to West Feliciana Parish two years ago, we were excited about our new home and living in a place of such magnificent beauty and matchless serenity.
Almost forty-four years ago another man and wife moved to the Felicianas excited about a vision to develop a private park of some would-be 2,256 acres. The man, Lloyd Lindsey, Sr., a former member of the LSU National Championship Basketball Team, retired from the East Baton Rouge Parish School System, retired Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and enthusiastic sportsman, along with a partner, W. E. Groves, is responsible for a very uniquely special place known as Lake Rosemound.
This special place actually began as an idea that Mr. Lindsey had back in 1940, while quail hunting on the Barrow Plantation near Wakefield, Louisiana. The land on which he was hunting was for sale at the time and began to envision a plan to buy and develop it, but military service and family came first. In 1960, Mr. Lindsey bought another piece of land from the Babers Family. 1,257 acres, and began to develop what is now Lake Rosemound.
Lake Rosemound is located 13 miles north of St. Francisville and 8 miles south of Woodville, Mississippi, just off U.S. Highway 61. Lake Rosemound actually comprised of two large man-made lakes approximately 190 acres in size. One lake is for fishing, swimming and sailing only; the other is a fishing, skiing and boating lake.
Lake Rosemound is operated by a board of directors, a non profit corporation elected by the lot owners. This board sets up rules concerning the operation of the private lake area.
The name Lake Rosemound, was given to the area since it is part of the original 4,200 acre Rosemound Plantation owned by the Babers Family. Many of its roads contain the name rose or have been given names of hybrid roses.
The beautiful woodland area around the two lakes is filled with flowering dogwood and azaleas. Squirrels, chipmunks, and many different species of birds can be seen here regularly. Just last week, while my family and some neighbors were in the yard, a hen turkey flew atop a large oak tree next to our house. Deer are also frequent visitors coming to drink from the lakes or sometimes to help themselves to someone’s fruit trees.
A very special place at Lake Rosemound is the local store. Here can be found friends and neighbors stopping by just to chat or to have their day’s catch weighed, since the lakes are stocked with bream, bass, and sac-a-lait. As one enters the store, the inside right wall is devoted to pictures of “great fishermen” with their prize catches. There are also pictures of other victors with their game. Rosemound Grocery has been a very important part of the Lake area since the 1930’s.
Lake Rosemound also has an excellent volunteer fire department of all the 300-plus lot owners in this area are proud and thankful.
Equally unique to its beauty are not only the people responsible for developing this area, but all the people who live at Lake Rosemound. There is a special community spirit among the varying families. The doctors, lawyers, teachers, merchants, artists, and who knows, maybe even an Indian Chief.