Drake's Salt Works: History and Festival

Drake's Salt Works are near Goldonna in Natchitoches Parish, but actually in Winn Parish, a few miles northeast of Calvin.

Drive to Drake's by taking turning west onto La. 156 from U.S. 167 north of Winnfield, La. The Village of Calvin is about nine miles from 167. Follow 156 through Calvin. There will be a left across the railroad track and then a right. About two miles past Calvin, turn right onto La. 1233. In about three miles you will see a "Salt Works" sign on the left. Turn there.

History

Drake's Salt Works is located on an old salt lake bed. Stone axe heads, arrowheads and pot shards found there span a period from 3000 B.C. to A.D. 1700.

Drake Salt Works have been the scene of salt production beginning with the Natchitoches and Caddo Indians who lived in this area. Evaporation, leaching or boiling were methods of making salt, which was a valuable commodity in early history.

Archaeological finds in the area have included pieces of pottery from earthen bowls probably used in salt making. Some pottery pieces have writing or art work on them. The pottery was made from clay and oyster shell mixed together and heated.

Other finds include arrowheads (points), Indian beads, Indian bread (used as we use yeast), Indian paint, a brick used for lining a fire pit in which to bake bread, and buckeye balls that Indians used for necklaces.

Earliest reference to Drake's in written history was made by French-Canadian explorer Jean Baptiste le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville in 1700. Enough salt was eventually produced to be used for trade and by 1816 it was transported to Natchez and New Orleans.

Technological Firsts

By 1830 Drake's was the site of what was the deepest drilled well in the world. In the 1840's, Reuben Drake became interested in the salt works which eventually took his name. He tried deeper borings and sank eight wells.

It is believed that the first rotary drilling in the world was done by Reuben Drake at Drake's Salt Works in 1841. On the same well, according to the claim, the first casing was used for drilling.

"In 1895 a white man named Postelwaite was making salt at Drake's with the help of an old man and two boys. According to Milton Dunn, the historian, he was making about 6 bushels of salt a day. A few years later a Captain Burnett from Mississippi bought out Postelwaite and greatly enlarged the making. He is reported to have brought in 30 to 40 negro slaves and a large number of evaporating kettles and was soon making 30 to 40 bushels a day. The salt was sold from $2 to $3 a bushel delivered by keel boats to Rapides, Opelousas, Point Coupee and Natchez settlements, and occasionally as far away as New Orleans.