| It
is a story that has been told and retold in Texas and Louisiana--one that almost
every school child has learned in the classroom.
Twin sons were born to
an old Caddo Indian chief living on the banks of the Sabine River. Natchitoches
was swarthy with black hair and flashing black eyes. Nacogdoches was fair with
yellow hair and blue eyes.
As their father neared the end of his days,
he called his sons into his presence to receive his final blessings.
He commanded that, upon his death, Natchitoches should gather his wife and children,
turn his face to the rising sun, and after traveling three days he should build
his home and rear a tribe.
Nacogdoches was instructed to face the setting
sun, walk three days with his family, and establish a new home where he, too,
would rear his children and his children's children. Thus, the twin tribes of
Nacogdoches and Natchitoches were born 100 miles apart--one in what would become
Texas and one in the place we know today as Louisiana.
The two tribes
were located a sufficient distance apart to prevent friction over their hunting
grounds, so they remained on friendly terms as the decades passed.
The
friendship and trade beat out a well-traveled path between the two tribes, a route
that eventually became a highway known as El Camino Real by Spanish travelers.
The
story is such an engaging tale that it has been printed, reprinted, told and retold
in so many places that most of us have lost count.
But the trouble is,
the story isn't true.
It was apparently concocted in 1939 by historian R.B. Blake of Nacogdoches as
part of a booklet produced by the Nacogdoches Historical Society. Archie McDonald
of Nacogdoches, whom I rely upon for historical verifications, says: "It's a beautiful
story but, unfortunately, it never happened."
There were, however, Indian tribes known as Nacogdoches and Natchitoches. And,
yes, there are towns by the same name. And, of course, there is an El Camino Real.
While Nacogdoches has adhered to Blake's original story, Natchitoches
uses a different twist. In its version, as reported by the Chamber of Commerce,
the Indian chief banished his twin sons to the east and west.
Chamber
manager Nick Pollacia, Jr. said the legend is so ingrained in Natchitoches' history
that "folks around here would run me out of town if I said it wasn't true."
Regardless of the story's veracity, it will remain a beloved part of the fabric
of East Texas. |
