Louisiana is rich in myths and legends. So many great stories of ghosts and "things that go bump in the night." You can learn more about these myths and legends on the Louisiana Myths and Legends byway!

This is a great idea. Everyone loves local legends and here's a chance to visit all the sights. It's a great addition to the list of places to take friends and family who visit from other parts of the country!

When we were filming the movie "Mercy" back in 2005, we spent two days filming at DeRidder's Hanging Jail. Let me tell you, the place is spooky even during the day.  Although we didn't witness anything supernatural, there is just an odd atmosphere in the historic building. If you like getting goosebumps, it's a must see!

In fact, here are a few stills that were taken by Hilary Bronwyn Gayle during the production of "Mercy"

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As you can see, the staircase that led upstairs is right out of a Tim Burton movie. That's me being led upstairs by the "prison guard" (actually the movie's director , Patrick Roddy)

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This still is one of the remaining cells.  You think it's "moody" in a picture? It was creepy being in that cell.  At the time we shot "Mercy" there was still graffiti on the walls dating back to the 1940's.

 

The byway was outlined in state legislation sponsored by Rep. Dorothy Sue Hill, D-Dry Creek.

It includes historical sites and points of interest along the byway's 150 miles.

Some points of interest include the Hanging Jail and Beauregard Parish Courthouse in DeRidder, the Old Campground Cemetery in Sugartown, the Elizabeth Town Hall in Elizabeth, Jenkins Hardware in Oberlin and the Burr Ferry Confederate Breastworks in Burr Ferry, among others.

Area tourism officials say the purpose of the byway is to attract people off the beaten path and to spark interest in local history.

The Old Post Office is one of Beauregard Parish's oldest buildings and is a point of interest on the byway. It is home to "Rural Free Delivery," a fresco mural painted by Depression-era artist Conrad Albrizio, regarded as a dean of Southern art.

Here's the roadway sections included in the byway, according to the legislation that was signed into law by Gov. Bobby Jindal:

LA 10 in Pitkin, in Vernon Parish, then west on LA 399 to Fullerton Park;

LA 10 in Pitkin, in Vernon Parish, then northwesterly along LA 458 to LA 399 to Fullerton Park;

From the intersection of LA 10 and LA 113 in Pitkin, in Vernon Parish, then west on LA 10 to the intersection of US 171 in Pickering of Vernon Parish;

From the intersection of LA 10 and US 171 in Pickering, in Vernon Parish, south to the intersection of LA 190 and US 171;

From the intersection of LA 112 and US 171 in DeRidder, in Beauregard Parish, south to the intersection of US 171 and LA 26;

From LA 26 east along LA 26 to the intersection of LA 26 and US 165 in Oberlin, in Allen Parish;

From the intersection of LA 26 and US 165 in Oberlin, in Allen Parish, south on US 165 to the intersection of US 165 and US 190 in Kinder, in Allen Parish.

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