Springfeild Plantation I went out there in 2004 when i was in a group home. Mr.LeSalle was very nice.. I liked the mansion it was kind of scary though lol. does anyone know how to get in touch with him?
springfield visit Back in the mid 90's a friend and myself visited Springfield to watch the house for Mr. LaSalle for several days while he was out of town. The fold memories of that time are firmly etched into my memory, as there is something compelling and serene, almost spiritual, about Springfield. We had tried very hard to encourage the owners to establish a foundation so that this special place could be enjoyed by our children and the public, even to the point of expending our own resources to make this happen. Unfortunately, this was not to be, and it was recently sold to private owners. We can only hope that it will be open again to the public, and in this regard it would be appropriate if the existing owners would state their intention regarding the property, and possibly consider selling it to a Foundation, which is the only way the property will continue to succeed independently from the limitations of any one person.
Notwithstanding that the history of Springfield may have been exaggerated from time to time, there is no doubt there is something compelling and special about this place, and it would be a pity if it fell under the whims of any one person.
furniture In January of this year I purchased fourteen dining room chairs at an auction in the Jackson, MS area, not knowing that they came from the Springfield Plantation. I must say that the chairs were in pretty poor shape, requiring many hours of care and many many coats of tung oil. After all the hard work, they finally look great and will be enjoyed by my family for hopefully generations to come. I would really enjoy hearing any information on the orgins of the chairs prior to Springfield. If any of Mr. LaSalle's friends would mind telling me the orgins, if known, it would be most appreciated.
Thank you
Russell
China Beach Nice pictures, I grew up there... a lot of memory
I used to walk barefoot to school from Son tra to An Cu along China Beach. Of note, I can navigate those round boat from shore to fishing boat... Lots of memories.
History Remembered It was in the fall of 1994 that my husband and I stopped by Springfield Plantation on our way back up the trace from Natchez. Having toured only three of the lovely homes in the Natchez area we decided to check out Springfield. About half way down the lane was a turn-around area and a sign warning that continuing beyond that point would require an admission fee. It struck me that undoubtedly there must have been many who could little appreciate this plantation home given the number of antebellum beauties to be had in Natchez! Undaunted, we continued while wondering what bits of little-known history might be in store. We were not disappointed! We were greeted by Mr. Arthur La Salle as we too were the only vistors that late afternoon. He proved to be a wealth of information and in fact, because of him, we detoured to Rodney, Alcorn Univeristy and the Ruins of Windsor. When he learned we were from Ohio he informed us he had worked on the restoration of the engines for the train to Frontier Town at Cedar Point and that these engines were originally used as "switching" engines in the sugar cain fields. While very enthusiastic about the history he shared with us, we could not help but feel a very marked sadness about him. We must have commented about the painting of his sons and he shared some amount of family history and as a gentleman, he only mentioned (in his words) the "incident with the pistol" that his one son had had. We visited with him for over three hours and upon leaving he was insistent we check out the restored slave cabin as it had been several days since he had been back there and we would be doing him a favor by checking on the property. I must admit that while at the cabin I felt a very strong melancholy that I attributed to the circumstances of the cabin and perhaps the lengthening shadows of the late afternoon sun. Whatever Mr. La Salle's possible indiscretions of the past, he was most passionate in sharing his knowledge and his contributions made for one of our most enjoyable vacations. Over the years I often wondered if he were still there and what might have become of Springfield. Several years ago I came upon an autographed book by Harnett T. Kane titled "Natchez on the Mississippi" for which Mr. La Salle listed in his bibliography to his "The Marriage of Andrew Jackson at Springfield Plantation" and thought perhaps he might like having it. I wish I had followed through and though saddended by his death, I am comforted knowing he took the time and money to preserve a piece of American history.
wish I was with you! Brought back some great memories! Sad to hear things have not changed much..... your new group brings hope! Have fun! See you when you return home.
good job you went back Kent What a shame they haven't got to grips with the library yet, I suppose the everyday priorities are different. Sure Lionnie will sort them out. I do remember being quite taken aback by some pople getting drunk, it did not seem right but I think overall was a good expierence for everyone in the village. It was Jackie and I's first library visit.
I am wondering if we could get any couchsurfers in the vicinity to help at all? Might be possible, a good expierence for them and thye will have computer skills etc. Could put something on the vietnam group.
We may visit you and Anita in Kansas later this year - hehe More proper English lessons to come for you Mr Converse. Will let you know when we know exactly what we are up to. Greeting from London
Jane
Weird I knew Mr. LaSalle when he lived in Pennsylvania, and for many years I was a friend of his former family. Weird is not a strong enough word for him. He was investigated and the grand jury left the case open, after his teenage adopted son (his wife had two sons) was shot in the head, leaving him blind and with other brain damage. Evidence: the boy had been shot hours earlier, in another room, but was taken to a bed to bleed (maybe Arthur was was hoping he would bleed to death?) for several more hours before Arthur bothered to call for an ambulance. The projectory of the bullet through the head did not line up with a self-inflicted wound. Being a reporter for a Pennsylvania newspaper, I had covered the incident from here, because they had been local people. No one, including investigators, believed that it was self-inflicted. In another incident, Arthur was tried but acquitted, of sexual acts with two children. Acquittal and innocence are not the same. Just ask the two children who are now grown ane know the truth.
I knew him for years as a man obsessed with the queen and monarchy, a cruel and strange person who really liked boys and made sure that he was surrounded by them, in one way or another. He was violent and abusive (beating a pregnant woman and throwing her down steps, landing her in the hospital for several days, is just one documented incident), physically as well as emotionally. I knew enough troubling stories to keep me awake, and my own son also related a questionable incident when in Arthurs' company. And I will never forget once talking to him in his Pennsylvania home while he sat in a flimsy bathrobe that was untied, and his genitals were exposed. I quickly left the room, leaving him smiling and babbling to himself about the queen. Nothing he knew about history diminishes the way he conducted his personal life and the people he seriously wounded, in many ways, along the way. To all of you who felt uneasy when you toured Springfield, your instincts were right. Now that he is dead, the world that he touched and defiled may rest in peace.
An irreplaceable treasure. My family and I were good friends with Arthur for several years. We spent countless evenings on the upstairs porch with him at Springfield. We traded pets, food, conversation and a genuine friendship. When he was sick, I sling bladed the grass and conducted tours. And when the world would come crashing down around us, he was always ready with a cup of tea, a listening ear and seasoned advice.
Was he eccentric and opinionated? Absolutely. But he was equally soft hearted and brilliant. In this crazy world, Arthur LaSalle was a rock and an irreplaceable treasure who is missed and will be prayed for by my family until we follow him home.
Congratualtions Grandad!!!! What a joy to see you again blogging from your beloved Vietnam. Im so happy for you all, Sarah is beautiful, im so pleased she is doing well. How very you to go eat incubated duck eggs to celebrate.....the irony, I send you much Love Kent. XX
you ought to be ashamed mr la salle was a great man and some of you people have turned him into some kind of pedophile and yankee hater he was good man that never said anything without reason i have those papers too mrs shouse he gave them to me when he found out i was pregnant because he wanted me to be informed on the subject he wanted me to know that there is no medical reason for it and thats all he wanted for you and as far as you are concerned mr burton mr la salle did not hate yankee just the ones who acted like the stereotype expresses i should know after all i am a yankee and he was always good to me he got my daughter her very first present yankee and all he was a good old man not unlike any other elderly person who has been through so much
SADDENED I SAW ON MISSISSIPPI ROADS, WHICH IS ON PBS A PRESENTATION ON SPRINGFIELD PLANTATION AND WAS REMINDED OF AN EXTREMELY WONDERFUL EXPERIENCE I HAD WHEN I TOURED THIS PLACE. MY WIFE AND I FOUND MR. LASALLE TO BE QUITE KNOWLEDGEABLE AND COMMITTED TO THE PRESERVATION OF THE PLANTATION. ALL WHO SOUGHT TO UNDERSTAND THE MAN'S HEART REALIZED THE AMERICAN HISTORICAL TREASURE THAT WAS LOST IN MR. LASALLE'S PASSING. GOD BLESS THIS MAN FOR HIS LONGTIME COMMITTMENT TO OUR HISTORICAL HERITAGE.
That building you don't know what it's for... They're the offices of the The People's Daily - the official newspaper of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam...just so you know :)
always wondered My husband and I toured Springfield plantation in 2001. The house and the history of the home was interesting. It is a beautiful place. I can appreciate an eccentric person, but all he could talk about were boys. He made us uneasy. He gave my husband and I an envelope with papers inside to read when we left. I really wanted to see the cemetary behind the house....so as we were walking I opened the envelope and inside was an article he wrote......Circumcision the male mutilation....with graphics. I still have the papers! My husband and I quickly changed directions and ran to the car...we were the only people there, and it is off the beaten path. I have always wondered what happened with him, and if anyone else had experienced the same thing. I'm sure Arthur LaSalle would have been happy to know he left us a good story to tell:)
A Sad Day I belatedly learned of Mr. LaSalle's demise, discovering the sad news in Januay 2009. I met him a few years ago when I visited n a whim. For the next couple of years we communicated regularly and I tried to help him with legal issues and with his concerns about the fate of Springfield after his passing. Many thought Arthur owned Springfield, but he had only a lease (for the duration of his life) and he restored and maintained the property for over 30 years, pretty much out of his own pocket, under the authority of that lease. After we survived one crisis, when he thought the owners were about to sell the property out from under him, I lost track of Arthur for a time. At each of the last two Christmases, the thought of him alone in Springfield saddened me, and I thought of including him in my family's Christmas near Jackson. I failed to act on that good impulse, and my guilt is now palpable. I'll not have the chance again.
Who knows what will become of Springfield now. Its history, which includes the untimely wedding of the Jacksons, is without parallel in Mississippi and, truly, in the US. Had it not been for Arthur, we would not have it today. Without him now, we may not have Springfield much longer. Delta magazine two year ago ran a feature on historic Mississippi delta plantations. Pictures were included, of course, but for one of the most historic, the delta plantation once owned by Andrew Jackson and, subsequently, his nephew, Andrew Jackson Donelson, there was a circa 1930 shot of a tangled ruin that reflected the Jackson/Donelson plantation house in the 30s. Today there is nothing.
Were it not for Arthur LaSalle, that would be the current status of Springfield. If someone does not step up now, that will be Springfield in 30 years.
God bless you, Arthur. You persevered through a lonely, heartbreaking life. May God grant you His loving rest.
Hello Tony Hello,
It has been a long time since we have written each other. I noticed you commented on one of my travel blogs.
How are you doing and how are you and your family.
Tell me what your kids are doing. Do they all have jobs? Do they like Germany?
Have you traveled back to VN?
I want to go there this year but don't know when.
Write me at: kentconverse2005@yahoo.com
Warm Regards,
Kent
A True Gentleman There are apparently some people who do not realize that Southern gentlemen are expected to be what the world denotes as "eccentric." This is because as the cream of the human crop, so to speak, they have no "up" to mobilize to and therefore are free to be themselves. My family and I spent a delightful three hours at Springfield back in April of 1984, and after he discovered I was a fellow Southern historian as well as a Southerner by birth, ancestry, and inclination, he warmed up and was very forthcoming. He sent the children down to play on a locomotive he was restoring while he, my wife and I sat on the upper veranda and damned all Yankees. The man was a true gentleman. Milton T. Burton, Tyler, Texas
This is my 12 visit to Vietnam
My current mission in Vietnam is going to the home villages of all my neices and nephews that have helped me in Vietnam
In 2005 I biked from Hanoi to Saigon. Probably the greatest trip I ever experienced.
I look forward to returning to Vietnam and enjoying the people and land of Vietnam.
I will be staying with my former Rotary Exchange Student Trang and her husband Huan and daughter Sarah.
I keep a bike at Trang's house and will be biking around Saigon on short trips.
The cover photo is me biking the Red River Islands near Hanoi.... full info
Colleen Golden
non-member comment
Loved it.
I loved the website. Enjoyed seeing the sites.