Having obtained this land adjoining his building, Dr. Bonnafons erected a blacksmith shop for Jean Baptist Marin. As the doctor’s business grew, so did the buildings and the good doctor had his eye out for more business and reasoned that “where their is a demand, there should be a supply”.
About 20 years preceding Dr. Bonnafons’ arrival in Natchitoches, some of the farmers had obtained slaves from New Orleans. The slaves, coming directly from Africa, believed in voodoo, and for a generation had sold their charms, amulets, love potions and cure-all charms to the Indians, as well as the white inhabitants.
Dr. Bonnafons, being a druggist and grocer was allowed, according to the Drug Guild, to sell notions. So he added a trinket department to his store which had such items as earrings, necklaces, mirrors and of course the voodoo charms. Bonnafons reasoned that the local natives and inhabitants might just as well have the imported kind from New Orleans where the voodoo charm-makers were more skilled and the charms had more power. He reasoned with himself that according to law, slaves were not allowed to have money or engage in a business which would supply them with money. So he decided to put them out of business. Naturally Dr. Bonnafons told his customers that he did not believe in voodoo, that he was a doctor and that only a doctor could cure illnesses—that the charms were just novelties and that some people bought them in ignorance.
Commercial traders with the Indians who bought such trinkets from Dr. Bonnafons at a discount were Jean Camion, Nicholas and Jean Lassard, Pierre Gaigne, Lantallac, Nicholas Tibaud, Francois Gueno, De Lima of Los Adais, Francois Moreau, Jean Robalet, Louis Barme, Joseph Le Douc, Jean Baptiste Derbonne, Le Bomme, Henri Vidol and Pierre Bossier. By supplying these traders Dr. Bonnafons became the first wholesaler of merchandise in the Natchitoches section.
As the following bill testifies, Dr. Louis Bonnafons served the Natchitoches area well. The bill concerns the services rendered to Pierre Fausse’s young son.
1. Pour 6 bouttiles de quillendive[8] per l’order du chirurgiens. 2. Pour 6 denier (6 articles of merchandise.) 3. Pour 12 boutilles d’eau de vie. (Brandy used as a sedative to settle nerves and upset stomach.) 4. Pour 6 bouttiles de medecine laxatif (laxatives). 5. Pour le cerceuil de defuma. (For making the coffin.)
The child was given 6 bottles of nausea medicine, 12 bottles of brandy (that is, if the child was given all of the brandy—he may have had help in disposing of this medicine) and 6 bottles of laxatives. This was enough of such medicine to kill any patient. Dr. Bonnafons, being the doctor in attendance, would also be the first to know of the child’s death. Thus being a carpenter he was also a cabinet maker which made him a coffin-maker. Thus Dr. Bonnafons was also an undertaker.
From Dr. Louis Bonnafons’ ledger, covering a six-year period from 1741 to 1747, come these names and families: Joseph Lattier, soldier; Claud Bertrand, soldier; Jean La Berry, soldier; Louis Juchereau de St. Denis family; Antoine Chesneau family; Michel Chesneau family; Pierre Baillio, soldier; Vencient Perrier family; Remi Possiot family; Louis Rachal family; Gaspard Barbier, brother of Madam Cheveret—“bought violin sold to me by Bartholmey Rachal”; Joseph Robideux (Robeaux), one powder horn; Jean Baptiste Gonnin, carpenter; Francois Gurno, carpenter; Pierre Allarg, carpenter; Pierre Mercer, farmer; Andre Barringer, farmer; Remi Possiot, soldier; Fancois Langlois, soldier; Edwardo Lattier, soldier-farmer; Louis Badin, farmer; Andries Rambin family; Louis Rambin family; Madam de La Chaise. There were many more, but to list them would be a repetition of names mentioned earlier in this book.
Dr. Louis Bonnafons died in 1759. He never married. His ledger brings out but one important fact: Natchitoches and El Camino Real area has always had possibilities for the right sort of man. Likewise, these so-called, one-stop, shopping centers are nothing new to our country. Too, during this early period of the Natchitoches community there was a form of socialized medicine, which proved even at this early period a doctor could not exist by merely depending on his chosen profession for a livelihood when controlled or limited by the state.