You’re Invited to Westport on Tuesday

The Westport Fight is an overlooked event that shaped western Louisiana.

There is very little written information about this episode. Read more here.

Sign near the scene of the 1881 Westport Fight at the intersection of La 113 and 462 in the SW corner of Rapides Parish.

Our upcoming novel, As the Crow Flies, is set in 1881’s Louisiana’s No Man’s Land. Crow is narrated by Missouri Cotten, a teen whose drifting family arrives in the piney woods and becomes involved in The Westport Fight.

I’m gathering stories on this event that shaped our part of Louisiana. Anyone with a family story (an interest in history) is invited to meet us on Tuesday, July 12 at the Westport sign (above) at the intersection of La. 113 and 462. We’ll be visiting from 4-6 pm.

GPS waypoint of Westport Fight sign. Where was the actual Westport store?

Even if you cannot attend, you can help us answer questions such as:

How did Westport get its name?
Where was the Moore and Hatch store located in Westport?
What was the route of the Sugartown Road (aka Texas Road/Confederate Military Road) through the Ten Mile area?
Who placed the historical marker at Westport?
Does anyone have stories of the infamous horse race that set off the fight?
Where are the participants in the Westport Fight buried? Both those killed and survivors.