cuspa town that is on the of english louisiana, spanish louisiana. it is a population of about 80,000. traditionally, it was a blue-collar town. it started off as cowboy town. through the lumbering industry, through petrochemical and what we find now, a wonderful mixed economy that includes a fairmont of gaming and recreation, as well as blue-collar. let's see it. this part of louisiana was the no man's land. it wasn't part of the louisiana purchase. servant yearsf,or his as a buzzer between the u.s. and spain. was an area that use as a a bit of refuge for scandals and pirates. john lafitte knew most of the early settlers in lake charles. we are talking about the late 1700s, early 1800s. 1803-1820, the. -- that period of john lafitte. he would relocate people for money, he dealt with commodities. it wasn't just gold and silver. drive, weakeshore will convert into shelby drive. you are actually seeing the lake. lake charles was named for charles elliott, one of the people brought to this area probably by john the feet. he was part of the wrong side of

it's the cusp of french louisiana, english louisiana, spanish louisiana. it's sort of population of 80,000. traditionally, a blue collar town. through petro chemical and railroads to what we find now which is a wonderful mixed economy, that includes a fair amount of gaming and recreation as well as blue collar. >> should we see? adley: let's see it. this corner of louisiana was the no man's land. it wasn't part of the louisiana purchase so for 50 or 60 years this no man's land served as a buffer between the united states and the umpire of spain. and that meant this was an area that had quite a bit of use as a refuge for scandals and pirates. he knew most of the early settlers in lake charles. >> what year are we talking about? adley: we're talking about the late 1700s, early 1800s, 1803 to 1820. that's the period in which -- he was responsible for about 25% of all the trade in the lower mississippi valley. it was his black market. he would relocate people for money. he dealt with all sorts of commodities. it wasn't just the gold and silver. we're not talki

orleans, the eastern part of louisiana. >> because southwest louisiana was no man's land actual agreement of the two closest forts, the spanish fort in texas and the fort not far from louisiana, they had a jemez agreement. herrera and wilkinson were the general spirit had a gentleman to agreement at the end of the louisiana purchase that this part of louisiana was not going to or this corner of territory was not going to be visited by militia or any sort of law. because it just was underpopulated, remote, difficult to get to. we're just not going to bother with those people. if you go there you are on your own. it is no man's land. because of this, by many journals, when the laypeople escape or managed to escape, many times they went north of course. but some went west. and that was actually written in the ledger. if mildred went west, it meant that she escaped to our corner of louisiana. because when settlements were actually sort of set up, in 1840s and 1850s, they are already established communities for free blacks. and then the town of -- they were established in the 1830s, they had came here or escaped here because this

because southwest louisiana was no man's land by actual agreement of the two closest forts, the spanish fort in texas and the fort jesup which is not far from louisiana, had a gentlemen's agreement -- herera and wilkinson -- they had a gentlemen's agreement at the end of the louisiana purchase p that this corner of louisiana was not going -- or this corner of territory was not going to be visited by militia or tax men or any sort of law. because it just was underpopulated, remote, difficult to get to. we're just not going to bother with those people there. we're -- if you go there, you're on your own. it's no man's land. and because of this, by many journals when enslaved people escaped, when they managed to escape, many times they went north, of course, but some went west. and that was actually written in the ledger. so if mildred went west, it meant that she escaped to our corner of louisiana. because when settlements were actually sort of set up in the 1840s, 1850s, they're already established communities of freed blacks in southwest louisiana. the best example is the town of mossvil

spanish rule. so the citizens felt a sort of allegiance. now, once the louisiana purchase newened and orleans became an american city, jefferson and others worried about the population of new orleans. lafitte maintained the relationship with the old war and brought them wine, good, luxuries that citizens saw as a part of their daily life. one other thing he possessed was an incredible skill of navigating waterways. he had a knack of getting in and out of places that other ships could not. but also, evidently, he was a person who had a certain command of men. in the southern parts of new orleans, he basically was the de facto boss of a large group of pirates or smugglers, exiles from the old world. because he occupied that half land, half water area, a place where authorities could not apprehend him, he was able to maintain this supply of goods with the city. and he became famous for that. the new orleans residents really loved him for what he could supply them with and skirt around these laws that they thought were unfair. so he became wealthy. becamehis brother p

louisiana. >> because it was no man's land by actual agreement of two of the closest forts the spanish fort in texas in the author from louisiana had a gentlemen's agreement. they have a gentlemen's agreement at the end of the louisiana purchase. any sort of law. it was just underpopulated remote. when i cannot bother with those people there. and because of this by many journals when the people escape. many times they went north of course. but some went west. and i was actually written in the ledger. if mildred went west it meant that they escape to our corner of louisiana. when the settlements were actually sort of the set up in the 1840s and 1850s. they were already established communities. the best example is the town of morrisville. it's an industrial community just west of there. they were established in the 1830s. they might have had other lives and careers in and other parts of the south. this is a place where they knew their masters would not come for them. there was no protection. what happened in reconstruction for us was that the northern entrepreneurs came here. they came primarily

louisiana. a place nobody else wanted at the time. over the years, the settlers absorbed, to varying degrees, other cultures -- irish, spanish, german,others. mutating into a distinctive culture unlike any other. so how long has the family been playing music? >> marc: well, my grandfather was a fiddler, but i don't know more than that. >> joel: i have that fiddle. that's your grandfather's fiddle and your uncle's fiddle. >> marc: which was your great uncle. >> joel: living in the same case here in the house. >> anthony: so what are you guys doing for mardi gras? >> joel: running. >> anthony: running. >> man: running. >> joel: you running? >> anthony: i believe i am. >> joel: what are you doing? >> toby: he's a capitan. [ laughter ] >> joel: what are you doing? >> toby: i'm running mardi gras. >> joel: what are you doing? >> linzay young: running mardi gras. right here. >> ann: but you know in the old days, it was just people walking. it wasn't -- it's become insane, more and more insane. >> toby: but every year, somebody dies. every single year, there's one death at mardi gras. every year. >> ann: but you know you've got to stay away

as a boot, the part of louisiana that bridges the west of the town and le as occasion and the western culture and southern culture all in one is. there were very few intrepid spanish french explorers across this area, but it has always been a remote part of louisiana. it has always been sort of separate and apart in terms of thinking. in fact, when the louisiana purchase was made in 1803, this part was not part of the purchase because by definition, the purpose of the purchase was to buy everything drained by the mississippi. we're not drained by the mississippi. because of that, about 50 years after the purchase, this part of louisiana was a essentially a no man's la with an undefined border between the united states and the empire spain. host: once again, we will be visiting lake charles, louisiana on booktv this weekend. you will see all of our programming on one block later on today. let's go to kay who is calling from missouri on the democratic line. good morning. caller: hi. thank you for taking my call. help i can speak without interruption. i have several points to make, but i will not take long, i think. i think we need to keep the confederate statues as