A good name is everything. For example, why call something the Neutral Strip when you could call it the No Man’s Land? Both terms refer to a portion of the blurry edges of the old French province of Louisiana; in the old days, borders were seldom perfectly delineated, and it wasn’t quite clear where Louisiana ended and New Spain began. When the United States bought Louisiana in 1803, along with the port of New Orleans, most of the Great Plains, and a whole lot of crawfish beds, it also acquired this border disagreement, and for another sixteen years, the territory remained disputed, with Spanish and American forces occasionally tussling before “agreeing to disagree” and leaving the strip neutral. Eventually, the land that became De Soto, Sabine, Natchitoches, Vernon, Rapides, Beauregard, Allen, Calcasieu, Jefferson Davis, and Cameron Parishes, in part or in full, was recognized as American, under the gradually enacted Adams-Onìs Treaty of 1819—but with Mexico becoming independent from Spain, Texas becoming independent from Mexico, and the Civil War brewing, this part of Western Louisiana maintained a reputation for wildness for decades longer.
Linda Curtis-Sparks, Director of the Sabine Parish Tourism Commission, says that this history, and the fact that it means the area had a longer and more recent frontier experience, is still visible in the local culture. Louisiana’s famous for having culture distinct from the areas around it, and in some ways the old No Man’s Land is like Louisiana’s Louisiana—a little more rugged, a tad more determined, and especially outdoorsy, even in the Sportsman’s Paradise. In order to help visitors make the most of their time in this special part of the state, local tourism boards—those for Allen, Beauregard, DeSoto, Vernon, and Sabine Parishes, along with those for Lake Charles, Natchitoches, and Shreveport-Bossier—are joining forces to promote the rich history and modern-day excitement travelers can encounter in Louisiana’s No Man’s Land.
Members of the Choctaw-Apache Nation maintain and celebrate their traditions at an annual Pow Wow the last weekend of April.
Of all the No Man’s Lands in the world, you’ll have the most fun in Louisiana’s. Though the fabled lawlessness has abated now that the territory is undisputedly part of the United States, the wild streak remaining in the local population has made this a part of the state where the bon temps rouler a little harder than elsewhere. The celebration will officially kick off November 10-12, 2018 with Bayou Renegade Rally, a motorcycle enthusiast event that is a deft nod to living on your own terms. History buffs can take in the site of the Battle of Mansfield, a Civil War skirmish that saw Confederate forces successfully defend the temporary state capital at Shreveport, where it had relocated after the fall of Opelousas. Culture junkies have a choice of museums all over the strip, along with the Tribal Grounds of the Choctaw-Apache, who maintain their folkways in a modernizing world. Outdoor enthusiasts can bird, crab, fish, hunt, hike, or play on the water to their hearts’ content, with ample outdoor playgrounds around Toledo Bend Lake and Lake Calcasieu and along the Creole Nature Trail. Foodies will want to fast for a couple of days before arriving, and perhaps come with pockets full of freezer bags: among other treats, the strip is home to the famous Zwolle tamales.
The Ouiska Chitto River is just one of the area's outdoor playgrounds.
Then there are the festivals. The various historic sites and towns in the area have a full calendar of fun, with festivals celebrating harvests, culture, crafts, and—perhaps above all else—food, all crowned with a celebration of the 200th anniversary of the treaty that brought this one-of-a-kind place into the Union. For a full listing of happenings in Louisiana’s No Man’s Land, check out visitnomansland.com.
