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Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis
16??-1744

French Commandant and founder of Natchitoches

Encyclopedia Louisiana
1674
Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis, is born.
1698
The first voyage by Iberville and Bienville to colonize Louisiana includes two uncles by marriage, Charles and Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis.
1699
Saint-Denis is at Ft Maurepas and Biloxi.
1700
March 22

Bienville and St. Denis in the Spring of 1700 visit one of the 7 or 8 Taensa villages (Natchezan group) near Lake St. Joseph. On March 28 they reach a Ouachita village (Caddoan group) where Monroe is today. Saint Denis is also at Fort de la Boulaye.
1701
Saint-Denis travels to Fort de la Boulaye and later to the area of Natchitoches.
1702
Saint-Denis travels to the area of Natchitoches again.
1704
Saint-Denis is at Mobile and Fort de la Boulaye.
1705
This year and next Saint-Denis explores the area around Lake Pontchartrain as well as Ft Maurepas and Biloxi.
1711
Saint-Denis is at Mobile.
1712
Early in this year Bienville has Saint-Denis exploring the area around Lake Pontchartrain again.
1712-1715
In response to letters from Father Hidalgo, a Spanish missionary in Texas, Bienville sends Saint Denis back to Natchitoches. The letters say that the Spansh government would not support his mission so invites the French to trade there.
St. Denis leaves some men at the new settlement and travels on to Presidio del Norte in Texas in search of Hidalgo's mission. He is captured by Spanish forces at San Juan Bautista who consider him a spy.
He is taken to Mexico City and imprisoned, but being a talented diplomat he secures his own release, returns to San Juan Bautista to marry the commandants grand daughter. He leads the Spanish to established a mission at Los Adaes, only fifteen miles from the tiny French Outpost.
1714
Founding of Natchitoches by Saint-Denis , two dozen Frenchmen and as many Indians as the oldest permanent settlement in Louisiana and the entire Louisiana Purchase territory west of the Mississippi.
Natchitoches Indians, allies of the French, gave their name to the city.
1715
Fort St. Jean Baptiste is built by request of Saint Denis to check the Spanish expansion eastward at Natchitoches.
1719
This year and next Saint Denis travels to Cannes Bruslies, Dauphin Island and Pensacola.
1722
Saint-Denis St. Denis receives appointment as commandant sur le Haute de la Riviere aux Cannes (of the upper Cane river) from the directors of the India Companie confirmed by Bienville the next year.
1744
June 12
Louis Juchereau de Saint-Denis, Chevalier of the Order of St. Louis aged 70 years, is buried in the Natchitoches church.
Please watch this space for more information in the future


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Updated: Thursday, December 20, 2001