Nearly 60 years ago, a historic Black community founded as a home for newly freed slaves was demolished to expand a national park commemorating the Battle of New Orleans and Civil War casualties. Now park rangers and iris enthusiasts believe they may have found a botanical reminder — Louisiana iris and African lilies that the village's residents may have planted.
The dark purple iris and white and pink crinum lilies were first noticed last spring, nearly 60 years after the tiny community of Fazendeville was torn down to join the national park's two sections. One part was the land where the Battle of New Orleans was fought; the other was a national cemetery where about 7,300 Union soldiers and sailors rest with later U.S military members.
