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Time to do some reconnaissance.
It’s not the mystery of a van standing under a protective cover on the grounds of Louisiana’s old state capitol. Its descriptive plaque pretty much states that it is one of 49 WWI-era trains, Merci train carriages sent by France in 1949 as a “thank you” after WWII.
No, the mystery here is about what’s in those cars, especially one car.
The vans were filled with tens of thousands of gifts from individual French citizens expressing their gratitude for the more than 700 American aid vans sent to them by individual Americans during and after World War II.
At that time, there were only 48 states in the United States. The 49th car was designated to be shared between the District of Columbia and what was then the Territory of Hawaii.
Obviously, the fate of these gifts is at the discretion of the states.
Louisiana is no exception. Its car is stuffed with everything from wedding dresses to busts of Napoleon, all of which seem to have been forgotten by time. But Carol Haase refuses to believe that.
Haase has volunteered at the Old State Capitol for two decades and authored “The Old Louisiana State Capitol” in 2008, which traces the castle’s history and restoration.
Even as she was writing the book, the contents of the van baffled Haase.
“I mentioned Merci Train later in the book, but I wonder where the gift went,” she said. “Maybe people have some of these things and don’t know it.”
The Merci Train arrived in New York Harbor on February 3, 1949. At that time, all 48 states in the United States received a van, and parades and celebrations were held in state capitols and major cities.
The most well-attended ceremony was held in New York City, with more than 200,000 people in attendance for the festivities.
The train rolled into Baton Rouge on February 22, 1949, and on March 15 the 397 gifts earmarked for Louisiana were on display at the Louisiana State Capitol Memorial.
“Since the gifts were put on display on February 23, the day after the French minivan was officially presented to Governor Long and the people of Louisiana, the halls have been packed with tourists,” reporter Margaret Dixon ( Margaret Dixon in the Morning Post, March 6, 1949. “All day, day after day, a never-ending stream of people passes in front of makeshift shelves bearing French gratitude.”
Some of the gifts represented “the works of schoolchildren,” Dixon wrote, while others were gifts from various French cities and provinces.
“But others were there because the ‘little people’ in France wanted to show their gratitude to America,” she continued. “It’s these that bring the most fun and the most commentary to the little people of Louisiana.”
Among the gifts were books in French, including a French edition of the beloved children’s book “Babar,” whose protagonist was – and still is – the elegantly dressed king of the Elephant Kingdom.
Also included is a 130-year-old fashion label dress, a German helmet, a watercolor painting, dolls in Breton and Norman costumes, pointy wooden shoes, a spinning wheel, swords, a piece from Château Thierry of wood, a portrait of King Louis XIV, a large cross of Lorraine made of French francs and American and French flags flying from the Eiffel Tower on Victory in Europe Day or Victory in Europe Day at the end of World War II .
“There was an ashtray made entirely of mirrors,” Dixon wrote. “There are bronze statuettes inside, beautiful crystal goblets, beautifully etched, and especially attractive are the paintings, most notably the wine merchants of Alsace, well-drawn characters, commented by a visitor, this may We’re going to be the face of American statesmanship.”
Still, the most talked about gift was a wedding dress “for the happy American bride”.
“The wedding dress was brought to a festival in the Opelousas, and all the festival queens from across the state were invited,” Haase said. “The dress was meant to be given to the festival queen, but all I know is it was given to someone in the Opelousas.”
Then there was the issue of the bust of Napoleon, which Dixon described as “an imposing bust made of marble”.
“One of the most beautiful objects in the exhibition is the Sevres vase, which was presented to Gov. Long by the President of France. A fine piece of silver-encrusted porcelain, it is still on display, but will be moved to the Executive Residence for display. It is dismantled and the gift is permanent. distribution.”
At the time, Dixon wrote, the location of the gift had not been determined.
“Some of the gifts, probably most of them, will go to museums through the state under the direction of a special committee appointed by Governor Long, which will include a representative from each congressional district,” she wrote.
But are they? Haase’s research led to some dead ends.
“I was calling around and I was told that a lot of items were donated to LSU’s French House,” she said. “I tried calling there, but they had nothing. Merci Train will have its 75th anniversary in about a year, so it would be great if we could find out where some of these things are.”
Do you know about the possible whereabouts of the contents of the Louisiana Merci train?e-mail romiller@theadvocate.com.
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