Edmund McIlhenny came to New Orleans from Maryland in 1841 and was a prosperous merchant and banker until the start of the Civil War. Edmund had married Mary Avery in 1859, and soon fled to Texas with her family to wait for the end of hostilities. After the war, Edmund moved, again with his wife's family to their plantation on Avery Island, south of Lafayette, where he tended the garden and developed an interest in plants, including tabasco peppers.
McIlhenny's gardens expanded, and he soon had fields of peppers on the island, and by 1870 had developed Tabasco Brand Hot Sauce and was selling it along the Gulf Coast. His fields continue to produce millions of peppers each year.
Edmund didn't consider the creation of his hot sauce to be particularly notable, asking that it not be mentioned in his biography, but by the twentieth century, his descendants had expanded the company to the international presence it is today. Originally dispensed in used cologne bottles, Edmund began to improve and adapt the bottle design, ordering sturdier bottles to minimize breakage, and sealing the tops with green wax to minimize leakage. Todays bottle is essentially identical to his design, with the exception of the addition of a red plastic cap. The green neckband is a nod to Edmunds use of green sealing wax!
Them off to the blending, straining, and bottling areas. These areas were not in operation on a Sunday, but we peeked through a window.
After a required stop at the company gift shop, we went on to the highlight of the day: a tour of the 172 acre estate where Edmund McIlhenny lived. The original plantation house is still privately owned, and is not open to the public, but a leisurely four mile gravel road meanders through the estate where we could view some of the beauty of the island.
We were able to enjoy dinner with our "traveling companions" Dan and Ann on Sunday night. We continue to follow a similar path through the south, and see them from time to time. We chose to eat at Randol's again, because we had heard that the band would be a bit more "sprightly". It was!
The food was not quite as good as on our last visit, but the conversation was great and it was a joy to see the dancing and listen to the music!
Monday morning we had to get up early because we had an appointment at 8:30 to have the motorhome tires rotated. Sasha and I were taking our morning stroll when we passed by the small lake adjacent to the campground.
After getting Nessie's "shoes" polished at Commercial Tire in Lafayette, we were on our way east. Didn't go to far today, just a hundred miles to Ponchatoula, LA. We had made an appointment to have a safety recall procedure done on the motorhome at Berryland Campers in Ponchatoula on Tuesday morning. Since we arrived early in the afternoon, they were able to slip us in and complete the repair. The rv dealer is a huge one, with hundreds of different kinds and brands of trailers, fifth-wheels, and motorhomes. They also have a nice "campground" in a quiet corner for the convenience of their customers. We checked with management for permission, and then set up in a nice site.
This is probably one of the nicest sites we've stayed in this trip, and it's free! Sasha has a lawn to play on and we have privacy as well. Can't ask for more! I think we'll stay here for a couple of days.
Very Beautiful!
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