Nestled between stately live oaks, magnolia trees, and Cane River is the beautiful old town of Natchitoches. The oldest settlement in the Louisiana Purchase and the third-oldest town in the United States, Natchitoches was founded in 1714 by Louis Juchereau de St. Denis, who was sent by the French governor to establish a colony in Louisiana. In Images of America: Natchitoches see the town as the backdrop for such movies as Steel Magnolias and view rare vintage photographs of plantation homes, the laying of bricks on Front Street, and the development of Northwestern State University.