LEONARD GRAY / L’Observateur / October 30, 1999

While things may go bump in the night Sunday, it’s most likely trick-or- treaters. However, there may be other things out on Halloween.The history of the River Parishes is laced with several tales of the supernatural, up and down the river. Destrehan Plantation’s alleged ghostsare too numerous to list here, but may include several small children who play in the nursery, past owner Jean Noel d’Estrehan (known to join tour groups) and frequent visitor Jean Lafitte.

LaPlace author Madeline Edwards published a book detailing experiences of herself and others at the 200-year-old plantation. Several ghostlyphotographs have been taken at Destrehan, including one of Edwards being fitted for her bridal veil before a mirror, with a woman’s ghostly image in the background.

However, there are other places where ghosts are said to creep.

Oak Alley Plantation is said to have a young woman who peeps from an upstairs room. Her image has been captured on film.And at San Francisco Plantation, psychic investigators for the Society for Paranormal Research claim to have detected the lingering spirit of former owner, Charles Marmillion, in one of the second-floor bedrooms.

Newspaper accounts, usually around Halloween, also list the beasties and ghosties which go bump in the night.

One account of a LaPlace man who claimed to see a Bigfoot in the Ruddock area, is particularly noteworthy.

The man and a friend had been clearing land with a bulldozer when they discovered footprints at least 19 inches in length. Another time, the sameman was out in the swamp in 1983 when his two Doberman pinschers were frightened by something they detected, 7 feet tall. The next day, both dogswere found decapitated.

Another LaPlace man in 1989 was alone on the levee near Bayou Steel, waiting for his brother to go hunting in the batture. He heard a noise,turned, and “saw two big red eyes starin’ back at me!” about 8 feet tall. Hedropped his gun and fled.

Former St. John deputy Wayne Norwood is a local expert on the areaswamps. He says there are bears which occasionally migrate through thearea, and it’s likely that hunters are seeing them. Unaccustomed to bearsin the area, their imaginations leap wildly toward Bigfoot.

This Sunday, drive extra-carefully in your neighborhood, tell your children not to eat any candy until they return home and you inspect it, and keep your little ghosts and goblins safe.

You never know.

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