Original Facebook post
B&W photo of an architectural drawing, 1970s. Fort Jean Baptiste. Natchitoches, La. Written on photo: The site of Fort Jean Baptiste in Natchitoches is where French explorer Louis Juchereau de St. Denis (1676-1744) established an outpost in 1715 or 1716 for the protection of Louisiana’s western border from the Spanish in Texas and Mexico. Shown is an architect’s drawing of what the fort looked like when the French occupied it. The fortification is to be reconstructed in the near future. The fort was the foundation for the development of Natchitoches, the oldest permanent community in the Louisiana Purchase. Source: Louisiana Office of Tourism.