|
Legend of Petit Jean and French
Exploration: The
Legend of Petit Jean, and how the mountain received its
name, begins in the 1700's with the story of a young
French Nobleman, Chavet, who lived during the period of
the French exploration of the New World. He requested
permission to explore a part of the Louisiana Territory,
and for a grant to claim part of the land. The King
granted Chavet's approval.
Chavet was engaged to be
married to a beautiful young girl form Paris, Adrienne
Dumont. When told of his plans, she asked that they be
married right away so she could accompany him. Thinking
of the hardship and danger on the journey, Chavet
refused her request, telling her upon his return if the
country was good and safe, they would be married and go
to the New World.
Adrienne refused to
accept his answer, and disguised herself as a cabin boy
and applied to the captain of Chavet's ship for a
position as a cabin boy, calling herself Jean. The girl
must have been incredibly clever in her disguise, for it
is said that not even Chavet recognized her. The sailors
called her Petit Jean, which is French for Little John.
The ocean was crossed
in early spring; the vessel ascended the Mississippi
River to the Arkansas River, to the foot of the
mountain. The Indians on the mountain came to the river
and greeted Chavet and invited the sailors to spend time
on the mountain. Chavet, Petit Jean, and the sailors
spent the summer atop Petit Jean Mtn. until fall
approached and they began preparations for their voyage
back to France. The ship was readied and boarded the
evening before departure.
That night, Petit
Jean became ill with a sickness that was strange to
Chavet and his sailors. It was marked with fever,
convulsions, delirium, and finally coma. Her condition
was so grave at daylight that the departure was delayed.
During the illness, Petit Jean's identity was, of
course, discovered. The girl confessed her deception to
Chavet and begged his forgiveness. She requested that if
she died, to be carried back to the mountaintop that she
had spent her last days on, and be buried at a spot
overlooking the river below. The Indians made a
stretcher out of deerskins and bore her up the mountain.
At sundown, she died.
Many years later a
low mound of earth was found at the point we now call
Petit Jean's Grave. Her legend, her death, is said to
give the mountain and the overlook an enchanting and
delightful quality that draws visitor's back again and
again. |
