Great Oaks Plantation

bark and stained with animal blood on a bluff on the Mississippi River, they said, "Ah, le baton rouge!" The Red Stick! Or in Choctaw, “Istrouma”. It was the first European sighting of the city known today as Baton Rouge. In 1699, the great oak on this property was already 175 years old. on the foggy morning of August 4, 1862, Lt. Alexander Todd, a young Confederate Army officer, was killed on the creek next to the property. He was the first casualty of the Battle of Baton Rouge, which saw 500 soldiers killed. His death brought tragedy and mourning to the Lincoln White House, because he was the youngest brother of First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln. She had five brothers fighting for the South. Great Oaks is owned by former Rep. Woody Jenkins and his wife Diane. They purchased it in 1984. Since 1984, six Louisiana governors have visited Great Oaks, along with many members of the United States Senate and House. The largest event ever held on the property was on the evening of Nov. 4, 1996, when Woody Jenkins won the Republican nomination for U.S. More than 1,500 people gathered for the event. A stage was constructed, and the media built a long riser facing the house, which was draped with a giant American flag. The event was broadcast live, nationwide by ABC, CBS, and NBC on election night. The runoff election six weeks later was marked by allegations of vote fraud, resulting in a contested election that continued for 11 months before the U.S. The Democrat was eventually declared the winner by 5,300 votes. Jenkins received 847,000 votes, the largest vote by a Louisiana Rrpublican in state history. David Treen eventually became the first Republican to be elected to the Senate from Louisiana in 2004. Great Oaks is a private home. Although licensed as a bed and breakfast, it is not currently accepting guests.