They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans

They Called Us River Rats: The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans is the previously untold story of an invisible community on the annually flooded shores of the Mississippi River. This community has existed for two centuries, raising shanty-boats on stilts and surviving using the skills a river teaches. Macon Fry recorded the stories of old batture dwellers and uncovered fascinating tales of fortune tellers, faith healers, and wild bird trappers. The book explores the troubled relationship between people inside the levees, the batture folks, and the river itself, tracing the struggle between batture folks and city authorities, commercial interests, and Louisiana's most powerful politicians. Today, Fry is among the senior generation of River Rats living in a vestigial colony of twelve camps on New Orleans' river batture, the last riparian settlement on the Lower Mississippi.

Format: Hardback
Length: 232 pages
Publication date: 04 May 2021
Publisher: University Press of Mississippi

The Last Batture Settlement of New Orleans is a captivating tale that delves into the previously untold history of what is possibly the oldest outsider community in America. This hidden community resides on the constantly flooded banks of the Mississippi River, occupying a unique zone known as the batture in Louisiana. For over two centuries, batture dwellers like Macon Fry have skillfully adapted to their surroundings, raising shanty-boats on stilts, constructing water-resistant homes, foraging for sustenance, fishing, and thriving amidst the challenges posed by the river.

Until now, the stories of this way of life have been preserved solely in the memories of those who have lived here. In 2000, Fry embarked on a mission to document the narratives of all the elderly batture residents he could locate. His journey led him to uncover captivating tales of fortune tellers, faith healers, and wild bird trappers who defiantly chose to reside on the river.

They Called Us River Rats also delves into the complex relationship between the people within the levees, the often-maligned batture folks, and the river itself. It traces the struggles between batture residents and city authorities, the commercial interests that sought to control the river, and the influential politicians in Louisiana. These conflicts have resulted in legal battles, displacement, incarceration, and even lynching.

Today, Fry is among the senior members of the River Rats community, residing in a remnant of a settlement that once spanned nearly six miles and housed hundreds of homes. This settlement, located on New Orleans' river batture, stands as the last riparian community on the Lower Mississippi River and represents a defiant and independent existence outside urban zoning, planning, and flood protection. It is a testament to the resilience and determination of those who have chosen to forge their paths in the face of adversity.

Weight: 502g
Dimension: 163 x 237 x 26 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781496833075