WHAT IS A BUNKIE……..

During my time working in Louisiana, I traveled up and down the byways, highways, interstates and backroads of that wonderful state. The job I had took me to every city and parish there.

One day, my boss said, “you need to go to Bunkie and research the tax records”! Being new to the state at that time, I asked him, “what’s a Bunkie” and how do I get there”? At that time, there was no GPS in vehicles, we had to follow our noses, so to speak.

He whipped out a paper map of Louisiana and pointed to a small dot, “there it is” in Avoyelles Parish!

Well ok, I hit the road wondering all the time how a town came to be called such a strange sounding name! I forgot about it for a long time, but later I became quite attached to Bunkie.

One reason Bunkie will always be special to me is the history behind it, the other reason is because of a special hotel in that town.

Let me give you a little history first about this place called Bunkie.

Situated in some of the best farmland in the South, it is located in Avoyelles Parish with cane, cotton and corn being harvested every year. Bunkie can be easily accessed from I-49 and it is said that anywhere in the state can be reached from there within 3 hours.

Irion was the original name settlers gave the area that is now Bunkie because of a man called Major Irion.

Samuel Haas was the largest landowner in the area and when the railroad was seeking a right away thru his land, he was given the privilege of naming the train station.

Legend has it that upon returning from a trip to New Orleans, Mr. Haas brought his little daughter, Macie, a stuffed toy monkey. Upon seeing the monkey, she was so excited she call it “bunkie” instead of “monkey”. Thus, Macie’s nickname became “Bunkie”.

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When Mr. Hass was asked to name the train station, he opted for his daughter’s nickname. From then own, the settlement was called “Bunkie” and Macie is forever remembered!

The other reason I’m partial to Bunkie is because of the historic Bailey Hotel. This hotel was built in 1907 and was placed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1999. They feature antique furnishings, fine Cajun dining along with modern comfort.

Right after Hurricane Katrina left thousands of people homeless and displaced, I was again sent out on the road to work. At that time hotel rooms were hard to come by because FEMA had booked as many as possible for the displaced.

The only room I could find available to stay while working in that area was the Bailey Hotel. They were not required to conform to FEMA rules since they were on the National Register of Historic Places.

It was a fine place to stay and I was able to complete my assignments in a timely manner. My stay there was quite enjoyable to say the least!

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There is now a hotel that has recently been built right off the interstate and a couple more as you arrive into town.

A small airport is located just outside town, but I’ve only seen a few small aircraft fly in and out of there.

Many antique shops line the main street and the town is surrounded by many antebellum plantation homes. Drive by tours are available, but the homes are actual working plantations, so inside tours are not open to the public.

Bunkie is a special place that I will always remember from my earlier days of traveling.

Stay tuned for more stories of my road trips. I may be retired from the working road trips, but not from the “just because” road trips. If you didn’t catch an earlier road trip I posted a few days ago, read about it here, you might enjoy it!

Hope you enjoyed this bit of travel trivia!

Remember

Keep on the Sunnyside!

Photos 1 & 4 property of the author