CLEANING UP FORT DeRUSSY
James Gaspard (left) and grandson Zack Ponthieux, both of Bluetown, pile up brush cut and collected at Fort DeRussy during the site’s “Park Day” event on April 1. It was the first organized Park Day since 1998. {Photo courtesy of Steve Mayeux}
Working at the Fort
JOHNNY REB DOES HIS PART, IN 1998
Ward Zischke, decked out in an authentic Confederate Army uniform, stacks branches at Fort DeRussy during the 1998 Park Day event. Zischke was the manager of the Marksville State Historic Site (prehistoric Indian mound park/museum) at the time. He is currently historian for the U.S. Army Reserves’ 88th Regional Support Command at Fort McCoy, Wisc. He still often wears Civil War uniforms in his presentations to various historic organizations. {Photo courtesy of Steve Mayeux}
'Park Day' at Fort DeRussy helped make potential tourist attraction more attractive
A number of volunteers showed up on a beautiful spring day to put a little “sweat equity” into helping to preserve one of this area’s most historic sites.
