The Story Behind This Old Louisiana Colony Will Fascinate You
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Kezia Kamenetz
Author
Did you know that during the early 20th-century in Vernon Parish Louisiana there was a unique colony of residents attempting to create a self-sustaining community? While few know the story about the New Llano community, it’s a completely fascinating chapter of Louisiana history. Here’s what you need to know.
By 1918, though, because of difficult environmental conditions and criticism from the surrounding communities, the colony broke apart—and 60 of the families decided to make a "New Llano" in the middle of Vernon Parish Louisiana.
The colonist set up a cooperative community, where each member paid into the group, sharing the profits from all the industries and businesses they attempted to start there.
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This wish never came to fruition, but they tried for many years. This map also illustrates the location where the colony was found.
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This is just one example of those businesses, selling products like bed bug spray and mouthwash.
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Eventually there was a sense of stability, however, and the colony had its own general store and post office as pictured here.
The extensive museum allows visitors to explore daily life on the colony from the point of view of colonists themselves, through first person accounts.
In this picture, you can see the thin shingles that were used to build this house originally.
You can find it at 211 Stanton St., New Llano, LA.
Did you realize that such a fascinating group of individuals called Louisiana home for that stretch of time? What do you think of this? Let us know your thoughts about New Llano. We love to hear your feedback.
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