L’Observateur / May 9, 2000

HAHNVILLE – Thirty historical detectives took to the streets Sunday in St.

Charles Parish, tracking down tidbits of information and learning as they went.

“A Look Beyond the Obvious,” a scavenger hunt organized by the St. CharlesHistorical Foundation, was held in cooperation with Hahnville High School as a fund-raiser for the Davis Nicholas House restoration.

The afternoon began with a gumbo luncheon for participants, followed by a tour of the Davis Nicholas House behind Hahnville High School in Mozella.

Participants were provided with a parish map directing them to 13 specific historical sites where they answered questions about each site.

The participants scrambled to locate the sites, get the necessary information and hurry to the home of organizers Jeff and Jara Roux of Ama, where foundation president Marilyn Richoux presented prizes.

The sites included St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Paradis, the AmericanLegion Hall and a lugger boat in Des Allemands, Holy Rosary Cemetery in Taft, the parish courthouse and Bethlehem Baptist Church in Hahnville, St. RoseTavern, the Bonnet Carre Spillway, Destrehan Plantation, a historical marker in New Sarpy, the St. Charles Airport in Ama and the former St. Anthony ofPadua Catholic Church in Luling.

First, second and third prizes were awarded as well as a “nice try” prize for coming in last. Award winners had to have all the correct answers with theleast mileage.

At the end of the run, at Roux’s home in Ama, participants enjoyed refreshments in a country garden and the brief awards presentation. Firstplace was won by former Luling resident Leonard Gray, who received a complimentary one-year membership in the foundation, a free pass for one tour of Destrehan Plantation and an inscribed copy of Gene Yoes’ “The Pursuit of Academic Excellence.”Gray also volunteered to help prepare next year’s questions and removed himself from competition.

The foundation is working to raise public awareness of the parish’s rich history and to develop a parish museum.

For more information about the foundation call Richoux at 764-2698.

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