United States Department of Agriculture

James P. Barnett and Sarah M. Troncale

CAROLINE DORMON

The South’s Exceptional 

Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

United States Department of Agriculture
AUTHORS

James P. Barnett, Retired Chief Silviculturist 

and Emeritus Scientist, U.S. Department of 

Agriculture, Forest Service, Southern Research 

Station, Pineville, LA, 71360.

Sarah M. Troncale, Science Teacher, Rapides 

Parish School System, Alexandria, LA, 71302.

PHOTO CREDITS

Front and back covers: Carrie Dormon at Briarwood with her dog. (photos from 

Northwestern State University Archives)

Unless otherwise noted, the photographs are from the collections of the U.S. 

Forest Service. Those cited as “Northwestern State University CGHRC” are from 

the Caroline Dormon Collection, Cammie G. Henry Research Center, Watson 

Memorial Library, Northwestern State University, Natchitoches, LA. Those 

cited as “Library of Congress Archives” are from the Briarwood: The Caroline 

Dormon Nature Preserve collection, Prints & Photographs Division, Library of 

Congress, Washington, DC [http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/la0496/].

The uncaptioned decorative illustrations are all by Carrie Dormon from her 

books Flowers Native to the Deep South, Natives Preferred, and Bird Talk.

DISCLAIMER

The use of trade or firm names in this publication is for reader information 

and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture of any 

product or service. 

Forest Service

Research & Development

Southern Research Station

General Technical Report SRS-231

Southern Research Station

200 W.T. Weaver Blvd.

Asheville, NC 28804

www.srs.fs.usda.gov

April 2018
James P. Barnett and Sarah M. Troncale

CAROLINE DORMON

The South’s Exceptional 

Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 
Abstract

Caroline C. “Carrie” Dormon was a renowned forest 

conservationist and one of the most influential American 

naturalists of the early 20th century. In an era when women had 

no role in forestry, she led the effort to establish the Kisatchie 

National Forest, developed forestry education materials for 

schools, and promoted support for forestry among civic and 

community leaders. In addition to her passion for forestry, 

Carrie advocated education and support for indigenous peoples, 

wrote important books and articles on native plants, promoted 

highway and landscape beautification using native plants, 

cultivated and hybridized native irises, and led the establishment 

of a State arboretum.

Keywords: American Indians, Briarwood, forest conservation, 

forestry education, iris hybridization, Kisatchie National Forest, 

longleaf pine, Louisiana State Arboretum, native plants. 

HOW TO CITE THIS PUBLICATION:

Barnett, James P.; Troncale, Sarah M. 2018. Caroline Dormon:

the South’s exceptional forest conservationist and naturalist. 

Gen. Tech. Rep. SRS-231. Asheville, NC: U.S. Department of 

Agriculture Forest Service, Southern Research Station. 44 p. 
Contents

1 PREFACE

2 overview

2 The Dormon Family

5 Education and Teaching

6 The Role of Carrie’s Sister Virginia and their Return to Briarwood

9 Involvement with Artists at the Melrose Plantation 

11 FOREST CONSERVATION

11 Advocacy for Forest Preservation

12 Advocacy for State Parks and Transition to Statewide Education

14 Forestry’s First Woman Education Specialist

17 Recognition for Forestry Accomplishments

20 AMERICAN INDIANS

21 Pottery and Basket Artwork

23 De Soto Expedition Commission

25 NATIVE PLANTS AND ANIMALS

25 Louisiana Iris Study and Hybridization

27 Botanical Inspirations and Publications

29 Carrie’s Love for Birds

31 Improvement of Public Spaces

31 Highway Beautification Program

32 Landscaping Grounds of State Facilities

35 Louisisana State Arboretum

36 CARRIE’S LIFE

37 Her “Gift of the Wild Things”

37 Her Knowledge 

39 Her Financial Struggles

40 Her Health and End of Life

42 FITTING MONUMENTS

44 REFERENCES

CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

PREFACE

At a time when forest management, conservation, and 

preservation were concepts new to Louisiana and the Nation, 

Caroline C. “Carrie” Dormon made significant advancements in 

these fields. Her pioneering forestry and conservation education 

programs in Louisiana schools and her appreciation and 

protection of the State’s native plants and animals are among the 

many outstanding achievements of this multi-faceted woman. 

After a decade of active promotion of the preservation of 

Louisiana lands, Carrie’s efforts finally brought Louisiana its 

only national forest and gave her the title “Mother of Kisatchie.” 

Carrie was one of the first women in the Nation to be employed in 

the field of forestry and the first person to serve as the Education 

Specialist for public schools for the Division of Forestry, Louisiana 

Department of Conservation. 

As a respected authority on American Indians in the Southern 

United States, Carrie served as the Louisiana representative to 

the De Soto Commission appointed by President Franklin D. 

Roosevelt in 1935. She also advised on various archeological and 

historical preservation projects and documented many aspects 

of American Indian culture, language, and lore that were rapidly 

being stifled by the influences and pressures of the 20th century. 

Throughout her life, Carrie generously shared her knowledge, 

talents, and insights related to natural science with both experts 

and the public through the avenues of literature, art, and 

educational programs. She addressed the need for practical and 

scientifically accurate information on the area’s plants, trees, and 

birds by writing and illustrating numerous publications and by 

enthusiastically lecturing across Louisiana.

From early childhood until her death at the age of 83, Carrie 

thoroughly immersed herself in her surroundings and gained 

a unique and profound understanding of nature. As was aptly 

noted by her biographer, “Caroline Dormon lived the most 

extraordinary life through the most ordinary of things – birds, 

flowers, trees, people” (Johnson 1990). This document explores 

the origins, development, and ultimate intimacy of her lifelong 

relationship with nature.

Throughout her life, Carrie 

generously shared her 

knowledge, talents, and 

insights related to natural 

science with both experts 

and the public through the 

avenues of literature, art, and 

educational programs.
2 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

overview

In the early 20th century, the practice of forestry in 

America was in its infancy. Its proponents were strong-willed 

men, and there were very few opportunities for women in the 

profession. It would be many decades before women would 

become involved to any significant degree. Yet, it was in this 

environment where Caroline C. “Carrie” Dormon became 

involved and aggressively pursued her interests.

Although a quiet and unassuming individual, Carrie never 

shied away from advancing her conservation views. As a pioneer 

conservationist, forester, botanist, illustrator, and native plant 

enthusiast, Carrie has been recognized as one of the eight 

individuals who have significantly influenced America’s natural 

history (Brown 2017). How and why this woman so significantly 

influenced forest conservation and many other areas of natural 

science in the South is a remarkable story that should be more 

widely known and appreciated.

The Dormon Family

Carrie Dormon was born on July 19, 1888, to James

Alexander Dormon and Caroline Trotti Dormon at the family’s 

summer home, “Briarwood.” Briarwood is located on plantation 

land near Saline in northern Louisiana that belonged to Carrie’s 

grandfather and was named after his home in South Carolina. 

The Dormons cherished their traditional six-week vacation 

every year at Briarwood, which offered the family a wonderful 

opportunity to enjoy the serenity of the forest and wildlife of 

the area. Most of the year, the Dormons resided in the town of 

Arcadia in Bienville Parish. Yet, it was the forested Briarwood 

site that Carrie would long regard as her beloved home (Troncale 

2016).

Carrie was blessed to have an exceptional family. Her 

mother Caroline emphasized reading and studying, enjoyed 

literature, wrote poems and stories, and even published a novel 

entitled Under the Magnolias (Dormon 1902). Caroline had a 

good knowledge of flora, maintained a formal rose garden, and 

taught her children to garden and to identify birds by their songs. 

According to Carrie’s biographer, Fran Holman Johnson, “Carrie 

admired her mother’s good sense and vivid personality” (Johnson 

It was the forested 

Briarwood site that Carrie 

would long regard as her 

beloved home.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 3

1990). Caroline instilled in her daughter Carrie a sensibleness 

and disinterest in material things as well as a love of writing. 

A precocious child, Carrie could write at age three and was a 

voracious reader throughout her entire life (Haag 2002).

Carrie’s father James was a well-respected lawyer and was 

reputed have been one of the ablest men of the Louisiana Bar. 

He supported his family in comfort and gave them all a good 

education. He also insisted that all of his eight children, including 

daughters Virginia and Carrie, attend college. 

James trained his children in the ways of a naturalist, teaching 

them to appreciate nature at an early age. During camping 

trips into the woods, he would point out all sorts of animals, 

flowers, and trees and gave the children both the scientific and 

common names. If he did not know a name, they would find it by 

researching the unknown plant or animal in their home library. 

Entrance gate to Briarwood, used 

for summer excursions for the 

Dormon family and later as home 

for Carrie and Virginia. (photo from 

Library of Congress Archives)
4 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

James never tired in his study of nature, and he encouraged his 

children’s interest in the subject.

During their vacations, Carrie’s parents encouraged her and 

her siblings to explore the Kisatchie Wold (“wold” is an old 

English term for a forest or a high, rolling, open countryside), 

where they developed a deep, abiding connection to the natural 

world. The area of the Kisatchie Wold begins east of Natchitoches 

and runs westward to the eastern regions of Texas. Carrie wrote 

that (U.S. DOI National Park Service 2003):

...it was a range of great sand hills, with occasional 

rugged out-cropping of grey sandstone. The creeks—and 

the streams are many—are swift, clear and beautiful, 

tumbling over rocks in cascades and small falls, and 

forming long banks of snow-white sand. Along the 

streams there is a very fine and varied growth of 

hardwoods (which have not yet been cut for lumber). 

There are great springs gushing out of the rocks, some 

with mineral properties.

To Carrie, the Kisatchie Wold was also special because it was 

covered with magnificent longleaf pines (Pinus palustris).

The Dormon children thoroughly explored their natural 

surroundings and were considered wild by friends and neighbors. 

They built treehouses, played in the creeks, and spent hours 

spying on birds to see where they were carrying their nestbuilding materials. Carrie’s brother Ben “...was known to have 

the most wonderful bird-egg collection... . Securing the eggs 

The Kisatchie Wold—longleaf 

pine forests in the rolling hills and 

ravines of northwest Louisiana. 

Much of it is now part of the 

Kisatchie National Forest. (photo 

from Library of Congress Archives)
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 5

required ingenious equipment and unusual climbing ability. To 

reach nests... which were at the end of long limbs, the children 

constructed rope swings. Carrie was held in high esteem by her 

brothers because of her climbing ability.”

Once, Carrie found a nest of blue-grey gnatcatcher eggs, a 

type her brother did not have in his collection at that time, so she 

carefully retrieved one highly desired egg. Holding the egg in her 

mouth to keep both hands free to maneuver, she climbed down 

the tree. Carrie was so excited about her find that “she ran all the 

way home” to show her brothers the prized egg (Johnson 1990). 

Such were the adventures of egg collecting as experienced by the 

Dormon children.

Education and Teaching

Carrie happily lived as a tomboy, exploring the outdoors

until the age of 16 when she went to Judson, a private college in 

Marion, AL. Her lack of interest in social amenities concerned her 

father, and he determined to place her on something resembling 

a more traditional path in life (Haag 2002). At first, Carrie felt 

uncomfortable among her Judson schoolmates, but later she 

gained more self-confidence and later recalled, “I did not have 

to be pretty, I did not have to have beautiful clothes! I could just 

be myself” (Johnson 1990). A consummate student, she would 

question, observe, research, and explore her subject matter.

Both her teachers and her classmates recognized her thorough 

knowledge and awareness of the natural world (Johnson 1990). 

In a walk with her science teacher, Carrie heard a bird sing and 

commented “Isn’t that wren sweet?” The teacher asked where the 

wren was because she had not seen it. Carrie explained that she 

had recognized the bird by its song. The teacher was impressed 

and asked to be taught (Johnson 1990). 

Despite her scientific aptitude, Carrie’s formal education 

focused on literature and art. Graduating from Judson in 1907, she 

earned a teaching certificate and taught primary classes and, later, 

high school singing and art. Her students recall her leading field 

trips and nature outings. But, society’s norms seemed empty to 

Carrie, and much of what she learned at Judson remained a veneer. 

Later, she noted, “I still belonged to the wild” (Johnson 1990). A 

friend described Carrie as a young woman as (Snell 1972): 

...tall and sinewy—all whipcord and piano wire—with 

fresh earth on her hands and apron. There would be a 

The Dormon children 

thoroughly explored their 

natural surroundings and 

were considered wild by 

friends and neighbors.
6 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

cocklebur or two caught on the hem of her skirt, and 

bits of leaves and pine needles or wisps of cobwebs and 

cocoons stuck to her shoulders. Her complexion was 

fair. Her hair—braided into a crown or pulled back 

severely into a bun—was the color of straw. When you 

were closer you could see that her eyes were the green 

of chlorophyll and had a quickness about them, like the 

eyes of a squirrel, conditioned to detect the barest flicker 

of movement... .

Her happiest hours during these years were spent in the woods, 

where she discovered for the first time such priceless treasures as 

yellow violets, bloodroot, and hepatica (Haag 2002).

Carrie frequently suffered from flu, arthritis, and heart 

problems. Because of her poor health, she petitioned the 

superintendent to assign her to a school system in the nearby 

piney woods instead of Lake Arthur in south Louisiana where she 

had been teaching (Troncale 2016). She was assigned to the rural 

Kisatchie School closer to Briarwood. She boarded with a family 

near the school and made the 20-mile trip from her home at 

Briarwood in a wagon pulled by stout mules. On these commutes 

from home to boarding house, Carrie noticed more than dirt 

roads: “Over the rolling hills we wound, through mile after mile 

of majestic longleaf pines. I was in heaven” (Johnson 1990).

The Role of Carrie’s Sister Virginia and 

their Return to Briarwood

In 1918, Carrie succumbed to the primal attraction of 

the pine forest of her birth and retired to private life. Chronic ill 

health and an unconventional upbringing made it difficult for 

her to hold a standard wage-paying job (Lee 2011). Her parents, 

too, had passed away. Her mother had died about the same time 

Carrie graduated from college and her father had died about two 

years later. The family home in Arcadia burned soon after James 

Dormon’s death; also lost in this fire was the extraordinary library 

the family had inherited from Carrie’s grandfather (Dormon 1935).

The year before her “retirement,” in 1917, Carrie and her 

sister Virginia Dormon Miller had built a cabin at Briarwood 

from timber that Carrie had hand-selected. Only 30 years old, 

Carrie planned to “put into usable form the store of information 

which I had been gathering all my life.” There her interest in 

native plants thrived. Carrie never married, devoting her life to 

Carrie early in her career 

wearing her customary widebrimmed hat. (photo from 

Library of Congress Archives)

Carrie’s teachers and 

classmates recognized 

her thorough knowledge 

and awareness of the 

natural world.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 7

the preservation of the natural world and traditional cultures 

around her. She once stated regarding marriage, “I didn’t want 

any old man digging in my flower garden.” “One boy was very 

much in love with me. He took a piece of grass and measured my 

finger and the fool went out and bought a ring and wanted to put 

it on me. I said, ‘No!’ I wasn’t in love with him” (Burns 1969).

When Virginia, who was 12 years older than Carrie, had 

married, Carrie had gone along on the honeymoon trip. The 

marriage did not last long. The Dormon women were intelligent, 

independent, and strong-willed, so it is understandable that 

marriage for them did not fit the norm of the time. After her 

marriage failed, Virginia moved to Briarwood and supported 

Carrie by doing most of the housework and bookkeeping since 

Carrie preferred to be outside. Virginia also provided support and 

loyalty. She accompanied Carrie to many of her lectures and often 

drove for her. 

Virginia, who Carrie called “Sister,” held the reputation of 

being one of Louisiana’s outstanding teachers. She also spent three 

years as a pioneer Home Demonstration Agent in Natchitoches 

Parish (Miller 1944). Virginia was reported to have written 

A second cabin built at Briarwood in 

the 1950s served as Carrie’s home until 

the end of her life. In the spring, she 

would take the window screens off so 

wrens could build nests inside. (photo 

from Library of Congress Archives)

Carrie succumbed to the 

primal attraction of the 

pine forest of her birth and 

retired to private life.
8 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

numerous historical sketches and other articles for the newspapers 

and was a popular speaker (Miller 1944). 

The Dormon sisters were described as the “smartest two 

women in the state” by one friend. Their knowledge ranged from 

subjects such as politics and current events to the health and care 

of cattle (Johnson 1990). Both had no hesitancy in expressing 

their political disagreements with the Huey Long family, which 

caused them difficulties. Both later lost jobs following Long’s 

election as Governor (Dormon 1935).

To help provide financial resources, Virginia practiced 

some farming at Briarwood. Her efforts focused on an orchard 

and vegetable garden. She also raised chickens and a cow; all 

were kept close to the house. Although a teacher by training, 

Virginia was also a home extension agent and was willing to 

try commercial ventures. She ran the Briarwood Camp for Girls 

in the early 1930s and briefly sold canned vegetables under a 

Briarwood label. She collaborated with her sister-in-law Ruth 

Dormon in a business selling native and cultivated plants (U.S. 

DOI National Park Service 2003). Years later, Carrie was greatly 

affected by Virginia’s poor health following a car accident. 

Virginia died in 1954 because of her injuries (Johnson 1990).

Briarwood became a sanctuary for Carrie. Here she could 

focus on her delight—her natural surroundings. Burns (1981) 

described her as:

...a living legend in the early decades of this century 

[20th] and an internationally recognized botanist, 

taxonomist, author, and artist... often pictured as 

a recluse, preferring her rustic log cabin deep in the 

forest to the bustle of civilization. There in the quiet 

of her woods she observed and protected her beloved 

wildflowers, trees, and wildlife, recording them with her 

artist’s skills.

top: Carrie in a reflective pose near 

her home on the Briarwood estate. 

bottom: Carrie (right) with her sister 

Virginia Dormon Miller. Virginia 

was a gifted writer and speaker. 

(both photos from Northwestern 

State University CGHRC)

The Dormon sisters were 

described as the “smartest 

two women in the state”

by one friend.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 9

Involvement with Artists at the Melrose Plantation 

Carrie chose not to pursue a formal career but followed 

her passionate desire to study, share, and preserve nature’s beauty. 

She did, however, enjoy visits to the Melrose Plantation near 

Natchitoches where she met with notable artists and painted 

native plants. Cammie Henry, owner of the Melrose Plantation 

and Carrie’s good friend, was a patron of the arts, and the 

plantation became a retreat for visiting artists and a center 

for creativity during a period of artistic revival known as the 

‘Southern Renaissance.’ Carrie developed a long-time friendship 

with artists and writers such as Lyle Saxon and Francois Mignon 

(Johnson 1990).

When occupied with painting, Carrie would lose any focus 

on time. Mignon told the story of Carrie’s visit to Melrose when 

she found some irises in bloom and decided to stay a day or 

two to capture them with paint and brush. Cammie told friends 

(Johnson 1990): 

I never saw anyone so intent on their work... . 

Unmindful of food or raiment, she came in to dinner 

only when summoned, and at night after she had gone 

to bed exhausted, I would gather up her clothes, ...

have them laundered during the night and laid them out 

fresh and tidy on Carrie’s chair before she got up in the 

morning. Carrie was utterly oblivious to these nocturnal 

efforts, but after a week, actually it was eleven days, she 

remarked I simply most go back to Briarwood today and 

get me some fresh clothes since I haven’t changed these 

during the whole past week.

Cammie often scolded Carrie for not concentrating on one 

money-making prospect, admonishing Carrie for being “so 

scattered brain” (Johnson 1990). Cammie was sure Carrie could 

profit nicely from her paintings if she would only focus her 

efforts as an artist and not involve herself with so many other 

endeavors. Yet Carrie was never satisfied to limit herself to one 

field—forestry, botany, horticulture, conservation, ornithology, 

archeology, ethnology, literature, art, education, or preservation. 

She wanted to do it all, and she did! Constantly working, she 

kept herself “busy as a bee in a tar bucket” (Johnson 1990). One 

frequent visitor recalled:

Carrie sketching a native plant at 

the Melrose Plantation. (photo from 

Northwestern State University CGHRC)

Carrie was never satisfied 

to limit herself to one field. 

She wanted to do it all, 

and she did!
10 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

The overpowering list of Caroline’s accomplishments 

becomes more believable if you’d ever heard her lament 

over the shortness of time! ... She was so busy, there 

simply wasn’t enough time to run into town for her mail 

except occasionally, and even then, the precious time 

couldn’t be spared for appearance, so more than likely, 

she’d simply [go] in black rubber boots and whatever 

garment that was handy when she’d run out at dawn to 

sketch the latest arrival to her bird sanctuary.

There were many causes and issues that drove Carrie’s intense 

interests and work, but a few of the more significant ones will 

be discussed in the following sections. One of her great passions 

was to preserve a portion of the virgin longleaf pine forests in 

northwestern Louisiana.

Carrie chose not to pursue 

a formal career but followed 

her passionate desire to 

study, share, and preserve 

nature’s beauty. 
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 11

FOREST CONSERVATION

Lumbering became one of the primary industries that 

drove the economic recovery of the South following the Civil War 

(Barnett and Carter 2017). The early 20th century was the heyday 

of lumbering in Louisiana and the South, with the vast virgin 

longleaf pine forests being cut at an unbelievable rate. 

As the longleaf pine forests of the Kisatchie Wold through 

which Carrie had driven her wagon to teach school were 

threatened by lumbering, she was “at once impressed with the 

idea that here was the ideal location for a national forest, and for 

a state park, the latter to preserve some of the unusual beauty 

spots.” The sparsely populated countryside, Carrie insisted, 

would lend itself to hosting a national forest, as the “land will 

grow pine trees” but little else (U.S. DOI National Park Service 

2003). Immediately she began exploring the region and the 

idea was born: “all this beauty must be preserved for future 

generations to enjoy.”

Advocacy for Forest Preservation

Carrie began to lobby for the establishment of State 

parks, for an arboretum in Louisiana, and for Federal protection 

of the longleaf pine forests. Moreover, she made herself heard in 

political circles, despite the gender barriers of that time. Carrie 

was an educated woman, but she was neither a traditional society 

lady of the early 20th century nor one whose money inspired 

acceptance of her cause. She gained recognition because she had a 

passion for protecting the virgin forests.

Determined to save some of these forests, she and her sister 

traveled in a Model T Ford identifying possible areas for a future 

national forest or State park. When Carrie read there was to be 

a Southern Forestry Congress held in New Orleans in 1918, she 

attended and proposed preservation of some of the forests. She 

made a positive impression on the foresters and soon afterward 

was invited to attend a forestry meeting in Jackson, MS, where 

she met men like Henry Hardtner, a lumberman advocating 

reforestation; R.D. Forbes, Louisiana’s first State Forester; M.L. 

Alexander, Louisiana’s Commissioner of Conservation; and 

Colonel William Greeley, the Chief of the U.S. Forest Service. 

They shared Carrie’s enthusiasm, but indicated that the work 

The early 20th century was 

the heyday of lumbering in 

Louisiana and the South, 

with the vast virgin longleaf 

pine forests being cut at an 

unbelievable rate. 
12 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

ahead would try her perseverance. Carrie indicated, “I am not 

doing this in execution of a duty thrust upon me, but voluntarily, 

joyously, for the pure fun of it” (Johnson 1990).

Chief Greeley agreed to send his representative, W.W. Ashe, to 

meet Carrie in Natchitoches (Barnett and Troncale 2017). Ashe, 

a noted Forest Service botanist, was responsible for locating areas 

in the South that were possible locations for national forests. He 

became a friend and an advocate for Carrie’s proposal.

Greeley and Ashe determined, however, that Louisiana did not 

have an enabling act that would allow the Federal Government 

to purchase land in the State. Carrie became frustrated with the 

lack of progress because more and more of the virgin forests were 

being harvested. With the help of one of her lawyer brothers, she 

wrote an enabling act and sent it to Henry Hardtner, then a State 

Senator, who included it in a forestry bill he was presenting to the 

Louisiana legislature. It passed and became law. 

It was several years, however, before the Federal Government 

provided funding to begin purchasing land for the national forest. 

The longtime U.S. Representative from Carrie’s district, James B. 

Aswell, did much to obtain congressional support for the creation 

of the national forest. He also became a strong supporter of 

Carrie’s efforts.

In 1929, the Federal Government purchased the first unit 

of national forest land in Louisiana, though most of the virgin 

timber had already been harvested. Because of her influence in the 

establishment of the national forest, Carrie was asked to suggest 

its name. She chose “Kisatchie”—an Indian word meaning “long 

cane” and also a name the Kichai Indians (part of the Caddoan 

Confederacy) of the area called themselves. Ashe promoted her 

choice to the appropriate officials in Washington, DC, and the 

Kisatchie National Forest came into existence.

Advocacy for State Parks and Transition 

to Statewide Education

Carrie had begun to draw and to write about nature

because she simply loved it. Her personal studies of birds, flowers, 

and trees caught the attention of Mrs. A.F. Storm, President of 

the Louisiana Federation of Women’s Clubs. In 1919, Mrs. Storm 

persuaded Carrie to serve in the unsalaried position of State 

Chairman of Conservation and Forestry. In this capacity, Carrie 

gave countless lectures to clubs, schools, churches, Scouts, and 

other youth and adult groups. She learned that in working with 

top: Carrie met with Forest Service 

representatives and, while traveling 

through the area, suggested interesting 

places which she believed might be 

ideal for the establishment of a national 

forest or park. (photo from Northwestern 

State University CGHRC)

bottom:Longleaf pines on lumber 

company land provide an impression of 

the beauty of the open forests that Carrie 

loved. (Barnett and Carter 2017).
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 13

wives of influential men rather than appealing to the men directly, 

she was sometimes more successful in persuading others to join 

her cause. 

Using her position, Carrie continued her efforts to obtain 

commitments that would lead to setting aside areas to become 

State parks. In one of her reports, she stated, “At the solicitation 

of the Louisiana Federation of Women’s Clubs, I am making this 

report of favorable sites for the location of state parks. I have 

practically covered the State in a car, making careful observations, 

and keeping in mind all factors that should be considered. Some 

of the features are natural beauty of the landscape, recreational 

possibilities, and historical or scientific value” (Dormon 1928). 

From this effort, Carrie published possible locations for parks for 

different regions throughout the State (Dormon 1931). 

In a bold move, she sent letters to owners of major lumber 

companies both to educate them on the possibilities and benefits 

of parks and to solicit their support. The following paragraph 

from one of her letters (Dormon 1920) illustrates the nature of 

her appeal:

Our plan is for a park of a thousand acres, at least six 

hundred and forty of which shall be primeval longleaf 

pine forest. We want it located where at least one stream 

will flow through it... . Will you sell to the Federation 

such a piece of timbered land at an average of $100.00 

per acre? Of course, we realize this would be a great 

concession on your part; but this is in no way a business 

proposition. We are simply appealing to you, for the sake 

of all that is beautiful and uplifting in a rather sordid 

world, to do this thing for the people of the State in 

which you have vast land holdings... .

Although some lumbermen responded in a positive manner, 

apparently none committed their companies to provide land 

in response to her requests. However, Carrie’s deep interest in 

forestry continued to be noticed. In March 1920, R.D. Forbes, 

as Secretary of the Louisiana Forestry Association, wrote to 

Carrie to inform her that Henry Hardtner, now President of the 

Association, had appointed her to the Legislative Committee of 

the Louisiana Forestry Association (Johnson 1990). In that role, 

she planned for and promoted forestry education programs to the 

State school districts; her efforts were emulated in other States.

Carrie learned that in 

working with wives of 

influential men rather than 

appealing to the men 

directly, she was sometimes 

more successful in 

persuading others to 

join her cause.
14 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

As the State Chairman of Conservation and Forestry for 

Louisiana Federation of Women’s Clubs, Carrie devised a 

competition for the Boys Reforestation Clubs of Louisiana. 

Colonel W.H. Sullivan of the Great Southern Lumber Company, 

whose idea sparked the Clubs, provided $500.00 for funding 

prizes. The contestants, boys between 10 and 18, were to plant 

commercially valuable trees on one acre of land or scientifically 

care for three acres of tree seedlings, protecting the growth from 

fire, disease, and insects so that plans could be made for growth 

of a new forest (Johnson 1990). This competition publicized the 

value of planting and protecting trees.

Carrie also undertook an effort to increase funding for the 

Louisiana Department of Conservation’s Division of Forestry. 

In 1928, she began a letter writing campaign to the Women’s 

Club chapters throughout the State to express concern about 

inadequate funding for fire protection and production of seedlings 

for distribution. She asked chapter members to also express their 

concerns in letters to their State congressional representatives.

Forestry’s First Woman Education Specialist

In 1921, Commissioner M.L. Alexander of the Louisiana 

Department of Conservation was so impressed with Carrie’s work 

that he found a place for her in the Division of Forestry. She was 

assigned to handle publicity as an Education Specialist. In this 

role, Carrie initiated an aggressive forestry education program in 

public schools. She developed a suitable tree-study program for the 

Superintendent of Education’s evaluation and, with his approval, 

made copies of her program available for use in schools.

She also prepared Arbor Day programs, wrote tree books, 

conducted teacher workshops, prepared bulletins and art work, 

and established long-lasting programs in conservation across the 

State. Describing her assignment, she stated (Dormon 1935): 

I got up all the forestry bulletins during my employment 

there. Also, posters, and programs for Arbor Day..., and 

made an outline of study to be used in public schools. 

Also, during this time, I wrote “Forest trees of Louisiana 

and how to know them.” It was adopted as the standard 

text for Louisiana, and was used by the men of the U.S. 

Forest Service working in this region. I painted several 

posters in color. Also, made an oil painting of fire in 

southern pines which was adopted by the U.S. Forest 
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 15

Service as a design for a “scene-in-action-picture.” Many 

of these scenes were made, and are still in display in 

different parts of the South... .

For Arbor Day programs, Carrie created a booklet with songs, 

poems, and dedicatory remarks to be used for the tree planting 

ceremonies. Booklets were printed and sent to schools and clubs 

that had received over 40,000 trees to plant on Arbor Day. The 

booklet offered a complete outline of forestry study that could be 

included in geography or civics classes. As a part of the schools’ 

Arbor Day celebrations, Carrie devised a contest of questions 

whose answers were names of Louisiana trees. Students were 

allowed one minute to answer riddles such as:

A game fish and something a tree produces

Good to chew

To languish, or long for

A small body of water partially surrounded by land

A long green vegetable

Name of a flying machine

Left when wood burns

Carrie beside her favorite tree, a huge 

longleaf pine on her Briarwood estate. 

She named the tree “Grandpappy” 

because “my very soul lives in that 

beautiful old gnarled and weatherbeaten tree. Oh, my, the tales he could 

tell of his rugged survival through the 

storms of life” (Johnson 1990).
16 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Not the younger

A part of a cow’s head and a timber used in building

[The answers to the tree riddles are: basswood, sweet gum, 

pine, bay, cucumber tree, plane tree, ash, elder, and hornbeam] 

(Johnson 1990).

During this period, a favorite teaching method was called 

“blueprinting” in which the bright blue blueprint or cyanotype

process was used to record herbarium specimens without benefit 

of a camera. The specimens were placed directly against sheets of 

paper impregnated with chemicals and exposed to light. Carrie 

had refined this method for learning about leaves, fruits, and 

flowers in a fashion simple enough for elementary school children. 

Unfortunately, her position as Education Specialist ended after 

two years when she resigned in frustration. Her supervisor, State 

Forester V.H. Sonderegger, who had graduated from the Biltmore 

Forest School’s one-year program, had difficulty supervising 

anyone with more education—particularly a woman—though 

American Forests magazine did recognize Carrie as the only 

woman employed in forestry in the United States in 1922 (Barnett 

and Troncale 2017).

Carrie’s accomplishments were so impressive that she was 

asked to return to the position in 1927, after Sonderegger’s term 

as State Forester ended. His replacement, W.R. Hine, rehired 

Carrie and asked her to develop a more comprehensive book on 

forest trees of Louisiana. Within a year, however, Huey Long was 

elected Governor and all the employees of the Division of Forestry 

were fired and replaced with generally less qualified individuals. 

Sonderegger returned as State Forester. Carrie continued to work 

on the book, Forest Trees of Louisiana (Dormon 1941), but on 

her own time. 

Her work gained respect across the South. After she lost her 

Education Specialist position with the State of Louisiana, the State 

Forester of Mississippi offered her a similar position at a pay scale 

which she would establish. Carrie was also offered a position with 

the U.S. Forest Service under W.W. Ashe as a dendrologist (she 

could not be hired as a forester because she did not have a forestry 

degree) (U.S. DOI National Park Service 2003). She declined both 

offers because she did not want to leave Louisiana and her study 

of native plants. 

R.D. Forbes, a graduate of Yale, was 

Louisiana’s first State Forester and 

then became the Director of the 

Southern Forest Experiment Station.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 17

R.D. Forbes, Louisiana’s first State Forester and later first 

Director of the Forest Service Southern Forest Experiment Station, 

said of Carrie’s teaching methods (Johnson 1990):

...she visited the schools of the state regularly and 

instructed the school teachers in the teaching of simple 

forestry lessons. Her methods were dictated by sound 

common sense... . She showed the teachers how forestry 

material could be used to illustrate and enliven other 

courses of study... . She did not ask teachers to teach 

forestry in addition to all their other work, but showed 

them how it might be woven into existing studies... .

Carrie’s education efforts in forestry were remarkable. Her 

schedule had been filled with personal appearances, speeches, 

and writing. In one year as Education Specialist, she made over 

26 talks to various organizations and schools. She stated, “I put 

our stereopticon and slides in a Ford car and I am ready to carry 

forestry in a visible form to every school” (Johnson 1990). She 

worked long hours, always looking ahead to reach more people 

and teaching more forestry and other nature subjects.

It would be decades before any Education Specialist even 

came close to achieving the things that she accomplished in only 

three years in the position.

Recognition for Forestry Accomplishments

Probably the most impressive recognition Carrie received

for her forestry efforts was election, in 1930, as an Associate 

Member of the Society of American Foresters (SAF). She was 

not eligible for full membership because she had no forestry 

training, and election into the SAF also required sponsorship 

from prominent foresters. Apparently, W.W. Ashe proposed her 

to be an Associate Member and organized the support needed 

for her election. Carrie had made a strong impression on Ashe, 

who learned vast amounts from her on their many trips to the 

Kisatchie Wold. Ashe’s respect for Carrie found form when 

he named a new variety of hawthorn tree she had discovered 

Craetaegus aestivales dormonae.

Carrie described her reaction as the first woman elected to 

SAF membership (Dormon 1935):

W.W. Ashe, a noted forester and 

botanist, became a friend and 

supporter of Carrie. He died in 1932, 

soon after Carrie’s election into the 

Society of American Foresters.

It would be decades before 

any Education Specialist 

even came close to 

achieving the things that 

Carrie accomplished in only 

three years in the position.
18 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Carrie Dormon’s depiction of her life as a forester. Note that she always is 

shown wearing a wide-brimmed hat and is always dreaming of creating a 

“Kisatchie Wold Park.” (photo from Northwestern State University CGHRC)
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 19

...the forester who proposed me for membership sent me 

some of the letters he received from other foresters all 

over the Eastern United States about my work. It was 

the only time in my life I ever had the swell-head! No, 

truly, it astonished me so that I felt unusually meek and 

humble and undeserving. The trouble with most of my 

work is that very few persons know anything whatever 

about it. 

She also stated:

Mr. Aswell [her U.S. Representative], did something 

once that I thought was so nice. He made a speech here 

at our high school—and how do you suppose he greeted 

the audience? By saying that he was “glad to be here, 

because this is where Caroline Dormon lives!” He gave a 

regular “testimonial”, and ended by saying that scarcely 

anyone knew now what I was doing; but that someday 

Louisiana would appreciate me and my work!! I could 

actually hear jaws dropping open about me among my 

sand-hill neighbors... .

Their attitude is delightful—I mean the neighbors—now. 

At first they strained their minds trying to understand 

what it was all about... a woman that spends all her 

time foolin’ with bushes and weeds... . At last they have 

just given me up as hopeless. They know I am crazy, but 

harmless, so anything I do is all right. A really happy 

state of affairs... .

Carrie’s forestry interests were not her only passions. As a 

naturalist, she was passionate about studying and learning 

about all her natural surroundings—the chief of these being 

native plants—but also American Indians, which began with her 

experiences as a young girl.

As a naturalist, Carrie 

was passionate about 

studying and learning about 

all her natural surroundings—

the chief of these being 

native plants—but also 

American Indians, which 

began with her experiences 

as a young girl.
20 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

AMERICAN INDIANS 

As a child, Carrie and her two brothers nearest her age

roamed the woods and lived much like Indians. Carrie recalled, 

“We were rather delicate children, of a nervous temperament; 

so... our parents made it possible for us to spend every moment 

we were outside the schoolroom in the woods... . And we didn’t 

play Indians, we were Indians” (Lee 2011). She and her brothers 

followed all Indian rules of woodcraft (Dormon 1937):

We even made it a tacitly accepted rule that we walk in 

single file in the woods—I, the female, bringing up the 

rear! Our parents obtained scientific bulletins on Indians 

available at the time, and we children pored over them 

by the hour. Our bows and arrows were correctly made. 

We spent days in the woods selecting a young ash from 

which to make a bow. My brothers would shoot arrows 

out of sight. We built houses in the woods (sometimes in 

the trees), as nearly as possible as aborigines would have 

done, cooking food, etc. We made pottery from native 

clay, burning it in kilns which we dug out of a bank. 

This pottery would hold water, and was useable... .

These early experiences had a lasting effect on Carrie. James 

Dorman had taught his offspring that Indians are children of 

nature and encouraged them to read scholarly and government 

publications exploring the history and diverse cultures of ancient 

peoples, as well as the myriad problems faced by a contemporary 

American Indian population in transition. While the available 

literature on Indians had mostly a western focus, Carrie made a 

special study of southern Indians. She read every bulletin on the 

subject, and combed every available old document and map for 

further information. She began to learn there were remnants of 

these tribes in the South, many of whom had retained much of 

their ancient lore. 

To document this lore, Carrie begin an effort to visit every 

old Indian she could find in Louisiana. From this effort (Johnson 

1990), she: 

“Our parents made it 

possible for us to spend 

every moment we were 

outside the schoolroom in 

the woods... . And 

we didn’t play Indians, 

we were Indians.”
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 21

...found a rich store of lore. I am happy I did this, for some 

of the old Indians are now dead. As I found facts which had 

never been published, I began corresponding with Dr. John R. 

Swanton of the Smithsonian. He came down, and together we 

visited some of the Indians again. Swanton has been numerous 

times since, and I have had the benefit of his wide knowledge of 

our primitive peoples.

Carrie’s interest in American Indians and conversations with 

tribal members led her to write a number of stories about 

Indian children. Two of these stories were published in her book 

Southern Indian Boy (Dormon 1967). Her intention was to 

publish more of these stories, but time and finances limited this 

effort.

Pottery and Basket Artwork

Carrie found that the southern Indians were different 

from tribes in other regions and poorly known, and she worked to 

better understand their culture. In her searches for different native 

plants, she would find potsherds with distinctive drawings of 

intricate patterns. As an artist, Carrie was intrigued by the pottery 

artwork and began to study how the designs could be related to 

specific tribes. She made drawings of these and compared them to 

material in collections. From this effort, she published an article in 

Art and Archaeology about Caddo Indian pottery.

Her efforts were further documented in a later article about 

Caddo Indian pottery designs (Dorman 1965b). The Caddo name 

was a contraction of a longer name meaning “the Chief’s People.” 

They were leaders of a confederacy of several tribes with each 

making their own laws and handling all internal affairs. Their 

pottery was characterized by intricate and beautiful designs, 

largely made up of spiral forms.

Carrie also had an interest in needle baskets. In 1931, 

she published an article on the baskets of south Louisiana’s 

Chitimacha Tribe in Holland’s, the Magazine of the South. [The 

magazine was published from 1876 to 1953. It was a women’s 

magazine which published recipes, fashion tips, gardening tips, 

sewing patterns, non-fiction, and short fiction. It was known for 

being a vehicle for social change.]

top: A traditionally made pot with the 

type of spiral designs used in Caddo 

Indian pottery. (photo of “Bell Dance 

Red” courtesy of Jeri Redcorn, www.

redcornpottery.com)

bottom: The cover of a book Carrie 

wrote featuring Indian children’s 

stories (Dormon 1969).
22 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Carrie supported the Chitimacha with anthropological 

fieldwork and pressured the Office of Indian Affairs to build a 

school for the tribe. The school embraced the effort to revitalize 

indigenous crafts after a long period of government suppression 

of American Indian culture (Usner 2015). The Chitimacha Tribe 

is now known worldwide for their wonderful, expertly crafted 

baskets. This art has been passed down through tribal families for 

thousands of years.

No doubt Carrie would have published more of her vast 

collection of information related to American Indians were it 

not for two significant problems—a lack of time and of money. 

In a 1942 letter to the Guggenheim Memorial Foundation in 

New York City, she pleaded for financial assistance to complete 

several projects related to southern Indians. Little financial help 

was forthcoming, however, and Carrie continued to struggle with 

publication issues.

Beautiful baskets made from cane 

by the Chitimacha Tribe of south 

Louisiana. (photo from National 

Museum of the American Indian)
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 23

De Soto Expedition Commission

Her interest in southern Indians and her work with

Dr. John Swanton of the Smithsonian Institution led President 

Franklin D. Roosevelt to appoint Carrie to the De Soto Expedition 

Commission. The Commission was created in 1935 to make a 

thorough study of the route of Hernando De Soto and his Spanish 

soldiers during their travels through the South in the mid-1500s.

The Commission’s goal was to report to Congress on their 

findings, and provide recommendations for a celebration on 

the 400th anniversary of De Soto’s travel. Dr. Swanton chaired 

the Commission, which consisted of representatives from 

Mississippi, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, and Louisiana. Carrie 

represented the State of Louisiana and was the only woman on 

the Commission.

Unfortunately, the Commission was politically charged; its 

members had differing agendas, and localities vied for recognition 

as part of De Soto’s route. Their findings remain controversial 

and were largely refuted in later 20th century examinations. 

One of the Commission’s recommendations was to place dubious 

historical markers of what were thought to be significant events 

of De Soto and his men along the route. One such erroneous 

marker was placed along the highway at Jonesville, LA, where it 

remained for many decades. It was removed recently only because 

of highway construction.

At Dr. Swanton’s urging, Carrie began writing the story of 

De Soto’s march through the South. She stated that “as this is the 

400th anniversary of De Soto’s death, this is the psychological time 

for such a book. But, because I am forced to work for a livelihood, 

I have not had time to complete the book—nor several others on 

which I have been engaged.” Carrie’s financial situation remained a 

constant problem in completing many of her projects.

Dr. John R. Swanton of the 

Smithsonian Institution, an expert 

on southern Indians, became 

Carrie’s good friend and advocate.

Letterhead on paper used for 

correspondence by members of the 

De Soto Commission. The Commission 

functioned between 1936 and 1939 

during the Great Depression—

400 years after De Soto’s death.
24 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Carrie’s painting on the cover of Flowers Native to the 

Deep South captures her artistic view of native plants.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 25

NATIVE PLANTS AND 

ANIMALS

Carrie’s “love of nature” was truly a “love of a 

lifetime”—she never wearied of viewing and investigating the 

plants and animals around her. Everyday experiences in nature 

brought immense delight to her. She once wrote, “Today, I put on 

my galoshes and slushed down to the Beech Garden, and there 

were real buds! This is joy unalloyed—to watch the graceful stems 

lift taller by day each tipped with a slim green promise.” 

Carrie employed all her senses in her enjoyment of nature. She 

told a columnist how much she enjoyed the sweet smell of witch 

hazel (Hamamelis virginiana), which she identified as “the very 

spirit of the woods.” She confessed, “I walk through the woods in 

winter and sniff like a hound.” She cherished the sounds of nature 

from the peeps of frogs in springtime to the “different sounds of 

the winds.” Carrie also relished the warmth of the sun on her 

skin, the feel of the wind in her hair, and the sensation of soil on 

her hands (Burns 1969).

Louisiana Iris Study and Hybridization

Although Carrie loved all of nature, the beauty of iris 

flowers was particularly special to her. During a 1920 trip to 

south Louisiana, Carrie noticed multi-colored irises growing in 

the black muck-bogs and swamps along bayous. She wrote of her 

introduction to the “gypsy” beauties (Johnson 1990):

No wild flower can ever quite match my excitement 

of seeing them for the first time... when I spied masses 

of giant iris growing in the ditch-banks. There were 

enormous flowers of various shades of lavender-blue, 

violet, and royal purple on stems four to five feet tall. 

Not only had I not seen such irises, but I had never 

heard of them! When I got home, I rushed to my 

botanies—but no such species was described. At the 

time, the only irises credited to Louisiana were little 

rush-red Iris fulva, Iris hexagon, with blue flowers over 

topped by foliage, and Iris caroliniana... .

Carrie employed all 

her senses in her enjoyment 

of nature, and everyday 

experiences in nature 

brought her immense delight.

Carrie, late in life, signing one of the 

numerous books she wrote. (photo from 

Northwestern State University CGHRC)
26 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Thus began Carrie’s interaction with Dr. J.K. Small, curator of 

the New York Botanical Garden and noted botanist. In 1926, 

he began exploring south Louisiana for the irises and collected 

hundreds of different forms. At the time, he visited Briarwood 

and was surprised to find that the irises Carrie had brought back 

from her 1920 excursion were flourishing in her north Louisiana 

bogs. Dr. Small gave Carrie a sack of rhizomes, good varieties of 

blue and violet, and suggested that she contact Mrs. B.S. Nelson, 

who had a collection of white and red forms.

With contributions from Mrs. Nelson and others in south 

Louisiana, Carrie expanded her collection and began her study 

of the Louisiana irises, which eventually provided the scientific 

basis for the nomenclature needed for the expanding distribution 

of the plants. Some varieties right from the wild were so beautiful 

that they were given horticultural names and put on the market. 

Although the irises came from swamps and bogs, Carrie 

determined that they would grow successfully in many garden 

situations. She began hybridization efforts that resulted in colors 

and forms that attracted a great deal of commercial interest.

It was through her efforts that Louisiana irises were recognized 

internationally, and demand for them grew far beyond her 

Briarwood gardens. She received many awards and acclaim for her 

left: Drawing by Carrie of two varieties 

of Louisiana irises hybridized and 

grown at Briarwood (Dormon 1958).

right: Louisiana irises in a Briarwood 

bog. Carrie hybridized these to 

produce plants of beautiful appeal and 

commercial demand.

It was through Carrie’s 

efforts that Louisiana 

irises were recognized 

internationally.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 27

dedication and leadership. Briarwood became a mecca for those 

interested in the irises—so much so that Carrie had to limit the 

number of visitors that she could accommodate. As recognition for 

her efforts continued to grow, she received four medals from the 

American Iris Society for the development of outstanding hybrids 

of Louisiana irises. As quoted in Johnson (1990):

Caroline has not grown irises for award or for praise, 

and she had not planted her gardens for a “show 

place.” She had simply wished to share with the world 

the natural beauty of Louisiana irises. She succeeded. 

In her own words: “No longer is the Louisiana iris a 

wild gypsy beauty, to be searched out among bogs and 

water moccasins. Our swamp debutante has become a 

horticultural queen.”

Botanical Inspirations and Publications

Carrie called Briarwood a wild garden, for its woods

were more idyllic than ideal as a horticultural showplace. She 

insisted that she did not have a garden—just a hundred acres of 

wild woods, with lots of natural bogs filled with native irises. 

“And like my distinguished predecessors, Thoreau and Burroughs, 

I live in a shack dropped down among the pines.” At Briarwood, 

she nurtured native Louisiana plants and those she collected from 

throughout the Southeast United States. Carrie also experimented 

with the American species she propagated as well as the 

specimens she acquired from far-flung corners of the globe (U.S. 

DOI National Park Service 2003). 

During the 1940s and 1950s, Carrie once again retired as 

much as possible from public life and devoted herself to the study 

of native plants. This was the time when Briarwood was at its 

peak of scientific activity. For example, she collected specimens of 

goldenrods (Solidago) growing naturally at Briarwood in response 

to Thomas Edison’s request to her when he was seeking alternative 

sources of rubber (U.S. DOI National Park Service 2003). In later 

years, however, her own scientific leanings were defined more by 

botanical classifying and hybridizing endeavors. Examples of her 

work are the many varieties of Louisiana irises she continued to 

nurture, create, and publicize during these decades. 

She collaborated with famed botanists, such as Professor 

Reginald Somers Cocks of Tulane University and Dr. Edgar T. 

Carrie insisted that she did 

not have a garden—just 

a hundred acres of wild 

woods, with lots of natural 

bogs filled with native irises.
28 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Wherry of the University of Pennsylvania, to identify species 

of native plants found at Briarwood; her correspondence with 

them included seeds and specimens, plus drawings, blueprints, 

and written descriptions. She also corresponded with and 

hosted numerous other noted botanists such as W.W. Ashe (U.S. 

Forest Service), J.K. Small (New York Botanical Garden), Clair 

Brown (Louisiana State University), Edgar Anderson (Missouri 

Botanical Garden), and Ira B. Nelson (University of Southwestern 

Louisiana), most of whom documented her contributions to their 

publications.

Carrie herself was a prolific writer. In addition to her 

correspondence with famed botanists, she also maintained a 

spirited level of correspondence with experts, practitioners, 

and friends of all her fields of interest. She frequently published 

relevant articles in newspapers and journals promoting her ideas 

and agenda. The articles she wrote for gardening magazines were 

based on her observations of how her garden grew, which she 

recorded in various diaries and notebooks.

Over three decades, Carrie published numerous books related 

to her botanical interests. Carrie’s first book, Wild Flowers 

of Louisiana, was published in 1934 (Dormon 1934), and an 

expanded version was published several years later (Dormon 

1942). Later titles penned by Carrie included: Forest Trees of 

Louisiana (1941), Flowers Native to the Deep South (1958), 

and Natives Preferred (1965a). A talented artist, her illustrations 

accompanied the pages of her own books and Elizabeth 

Lawrence’s Gardens in Winter (Lawrence and Dormon 1961).

Ultimately, in 1961, the American Horticultural Society 

recognized Briarwood as a sanctuary for trees and wildflowers. 

Around the same time (1960s), Carrie received the Garden Club 

of America’s Eloise Payne Luquer Medal, which is awarded 

for special achievement in the field of botany that may include 

medical research, the fine arts, or education (U.S. DOI National 

Park Service 2003).

In addition to her 

correspondence with 

famed botanists, Carrie also 

maintained a spirited level 

of correspondence with 

experts, practitioners, 

and friends of all her 

fields of interest.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 29

Carrie’s Love for Birds

Carrie was a friend to animals, but the birds were her

favorites. Although Carrie learned to identify birds by their 

songs as a child, it was not until she and her sister Virginia 

moved to Briarwood that she had the opportunity to closely 

study them. Briarwood’s native plants attracted birds, but Carrie 

also maintained feeding stations and bird baths for them. These 

amenities kept the birds in range so that she could observe 

and sketch them. She refused to have curtains on her windows 

because she did not want to obstruct the view of her birds. She 

“allowed birds to fly in and out of her house. Wrens even built 

nests in her room” (Troncale 2016). 

Carrie even had a “favorite among her favorites,” a 

mockingbird she named Shelley who was often a subject of her 

journal entries. “How he loves to be talked to! No other bird likes 

people as well. When I talked softly to him, he turned his little 

head and looked down at me, then sang sweeter than ever. I know 

it was meant just for me” (Johnson 1990).

Carrie’s sketches and stories about birds originally appeared 

as monthly articles in the Sunday Magazine of the Shreveport 

Times and were later published in a book entitled Bird Talk 

(Dormon 1969). In the “bird chats” documented in this book, she 

tells of the unusual facts she had learned about many bird species. 

One of Carrie’s most ecstatic moments was an experience with a 

nest-building bird. She wrote: 

Every year a saucy titmouse plucks hair from the hidebottomed chair on the porch and gathers shreddy bark 

from the cedar posts. Today I was sitting very quietly 

on the log-seat between two of these posts, looking at 

a book, when a titmouse plumped down on the floor 

in front of me. He tilted his eye up at me and said, 

“Chi-cha-cha-cha,” in a most impudent manner. Then 

he flew from post to post, making a survey from every 

vantage point. Evidently my uncombed and fuzzy hair 

looked useful, for he planted himself firmly on my head, 

braced his feet, and began pulling it out by the beakful. 

Pop! went the roots as they come out of their sockets. I 

suppose I would be wearing a wig, but I just had to call 

Sister to come see... .

The mockingbird was Carrie’s 

favorite bird. This is her sketch of 

“Shelley” (from Dormon 1969).

Carrie refused to have 

curtains on her windows 

because she did not 

want to obstruct the 

view of her birds.
30 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Carrie felt she had been bestowed a great honor by the 

titmouse’s choosing her hair as material for his nest. The 

decision of the little bird to perch on her head and remove the 

hair himself merely amplified the honor. To her, this was pure 

delight! (Troncale 2016).

Other animals, however, that were natural enemies of birds 

also benefited from friendship with Carrie. She maintained a 

cordial rapport with a speckled king snake she named Hezekiah 

which lived in a flower bed near her porch. A fox also frequented 

the grounds. “A beautiful fox visits us occasionally and licks up 

crumbs I put down for the birds. No doubt he licks up birds, too, 

and probably I should shoot him. But, how can I extinguish that 

liquid flame” (Johnson 1990).

Even in the last years of her life as her health and, 

consequently, her mobility diminished, she continued to find 

comfort in her bird friends. “Alas, my trampling days are over—a 

bad heart and a crippled hip—but my window by the fire looks 

out on a beautiful wild woodland where I can sit and watch 

birds” (Johnson 1990).

top: Painting of a red-headed 

woodpecker by Carrie for the cover 

of her book, Bird Talk.

bottom: This copy of Bird Guide: 

Land Birds East of the Rockies used 

by Carrie is now on exhibit at the 

Louisiana State Arboretum.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 31

Improvement of 

Public Spaces

Highway Beautification Program

In 1922, the first article Carrie ever published, 

“Highways plus trees” in Holland’s Magazine, was about 

highway beauty. In the article, she noted the aesthetics of southern 

highways, but she knew that it had not been done intentionally. 

“It is a sort of accidental beauty, ...even where the merchantable 

timber has been cut away, attractive trees are left—where fires 

have not taken their bitter toll—these add charm to the road” 

(Johnson 1990).

Roadside improvement became an interest for Carrie. She 

traveled across Louisiana studying highway conditions, taking 

photographs, writing articles, and delivering lectures. From this 

effort, she determined four major needs in planning for highway 

beautification: save trees and shrubs already growing and keep 

the areas clean, add additional plants needed to dazzle visitors, 

stop erosion by use of spreading plants, and seek cooperation and 

support among clubs, agencies, and private landowners.

In December 1940, Carrie sent her highway beautification 

plan to Prescott Foster, Director of Louisiana Department of 

Highways. Foster not only agreed with her plan, but asked 

her to direct its implementation! There was no job title for the 

new position, but Foster decided on “highway beautification 

consultant.” However, when the employment forms were 

sent to the Department of Civil Service, her title was listed as 

“beautician”! After some effort, a correction was made. 

With her typical boldness, Carrie penned resolutions asking 

the Department of Highways to commit to preserving shrubs and 

trees, the Forest Service to run double fire lines to protect trees 

along roadsides, and local governments to forbid dumping on 

their respective parish roads. She obtained copies of laws which 

protected wildflowers and other native plants. The response to 

her efforts was surprisingly positive. She explained the response 

with a comparison: “...the first time I ever planted an acorn, I got 

impatient because nothing happened above the surface as quickly 

The writer’s cabin at Briarwood. It 

is small, but seems ideal for Carrie’s 

writing sessions. (photo from 

Northwestern State University CGHRC)
32 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

as I wanted, so I dug it up to see what had happened. Lo, it had a 

fine root several inches long” (Johnson 1990).

Carrie explained her thoughts on native landscaping as: 

“Perfect landscaping is doing the work in such a way that it 

appears as if no planting has been done. The finished product 

closely approximates nature at her best. Nowhere is this so true 

as in the landscaping of roadsides. They are the most beautiful 

when they simply become a part of the surrounding countryside” 

(Johnson 1990).

Because of this vision, groups across Louisiana began 

requesting Carrie’s advice. An example is the Shreveport 

Beautification Foundation that wanted her services in making 

long-range plans for the city, including a project to beautify 

the drive around Cross Lake. The Foundation planted 10,000 

redbud trees as its first official action. To complement roadside 

landscaping efforts, Carrie also researched zoning laws to 

determine the legal restrictions that could be placed on businesses 

as well as the prohibitions against billboard placement.

Not all went smoothly, however. As part of her original 

improvement plan, Carrie entreated the Department of Highways 

to “interject itself into more judicious clearing along roads.” Six 

months later she was still writing and pointing out specific areas 

where burning and cutting continued to the detriment of the 

“charm of the road” (Dormon 1966). 

Carrie later stated, “I gave illustrated lectures, which were 

endorsed by Chambers of Commerce, various clubs, etc., but my 

work was killed by a highway engineer with a head of concrete! 

I had made recommendations based on many years of study” 

(Dormon 1966). Frustrated that her efforts were largely ignored, 

Carrie resigned from the position after two years. About 25 years 

after Carrie’s highway beautification efforts, Lady Bird Johnson, 

wife of President Lyndon B. Johnson, began her own highway 

beautification program for the Nation, which gained greater 

success from congressional support, laws, and funding.

Landscaping Grounds of State Facilities

In 1938, representatives from the State asked Carrie to 

plan and direct the planting of a Louisiana garden on the 40-acre 

grounds of the Mid-State Charity Hospital, later renamed the 

Huey P. Long Charity Hospital, in Pineville. Of the appointment 

Carrie remarked: “For twenty years I have been writing articles 

“Perfect landscaping is 

doing the work in such a 

way that it appears as if 

no planting has been done. 

The finished product 

closely approximates 

nature at her best.”
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 33

and giving lectures extolling native planting, and now I have my 

hand called” (Johnson 1990).

For this unique project on the grounds of a State facility, 

Carrie was asked to define her job. She divided the scope of her 

work into three areas: planning, cooperation, and inspection. 

Even before she received her official notice of appointment, she 

had prepared preliminary pastel drawings of the hospital grounds 

as they would appear in the spring of 1940.

Much work had to be done to ready the grounds for grass 

and plants. In July 1939, she reported the progress: “To most 

people, just the growing of grass sound very prosaic, but greening 

up the approach to our hospital has taken the proportion of an 

adventure. You see, everyone said we could not make it grow on 

clay this time of year. But, we have done just that.”

Her landscaping adventure also included placing cherry 

laurels and other trees and shrubs on the 200-foot wide approach 

(Johnson 1990):

Carrie with Mayor Rollo Lawrence 

of Pineville at the Mid-State Charity 

Hospital grounds. (photo from 

Northwestern State University CGHRC)
34 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

She added groupings of hundreds of redbuds, dogwoods, 

fringe trees, hollies, wild azaleas, magnolias, and wild 

hydrangeas. She accented the front of the building with 

semi-formal mass plantings of yaupon, dahoon holly, 

wild sweet olive, and andromeda. In other areas she 

planted sourwood, tulip trees, crabapples, winter willow, 

sloe, and Cherokee rose... .

Politics, however, lessened the adventurous spirit. Budget cutbacks 

also made the job so difficult that she resigned in the fall of 1940. 

Carrie had not been allowed to complete the grounds as she had 

planned, but she was well satisfied with her accomplishment: 

arranging primarily donated plants into a beautiful native garden 

for the hospital. According to her own account (Dormon 1939), 

“So far as we can learn, this is the first large public grounds to be 

planted entirely in flora native to the state. It is most interesting 

and exciting, as we even have springs, so we can grow most 

species successfully (we hope).”

Louisisana State Arboretum

In the 1920s, Carrie suggested a State arboretum, created

to educate all Louisianans about the importance of trees. After 

three decades, this noble idea finally came to fruition due to a 

good and well-placed friend: Mrs. A.G. “Sudie” Lawton, who 

became a State Park and Recreation Commission Board member 

in 1957. J.D. Lafleur, a retired school principal from Ville Platte, 

made a presentation at a Commission meeting elaborating on the 

After three decades, Carrie’s 

noble idea for a State 

arboretum finally came to 

fruition due to a good and 

well-placed friend.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 35

beautiful, centuries-old trees in Chicot State Park. His speech was 

so eloquent that Mrs. Lawton, remembering Carrie’s idea, asked 

him to show her this place, for “it sounds like a perfect place for a 

State Arboretum” (Johnson 1990).

In the 1930s (before Louisiana had established a State Park 

and Recreation Commission), Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) 

created and built Chicot State Park (Barnett and Burns 2012). 

The CCC crews were responsible for constructing a 2,000-acre 

lake and clearing much of it for open water—yet the remaining 

forested area was wild and diverse. Carrie and Lafleur’s aim was 

to develop a destination for botanists, students, horticulturists, 

youth groups, and tourists from all over the world. Together, 

they attracted many organizations from throughout the State 

to support and fund the establishment of a State arboretum. In 

1961, 600 acres of Chicot State Park north of Ville Platte became 

the Louisiana State Arboretum, which is now the oldest Statesupported arboretum in the United States.

Entrance to the Louisiana State 

Arboretum near the Caroline

Dormon Lodge at the Chicot State 

Park near Ville Platte.
36 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

CARRIE’S LIFE

Carrie’s close relationship with nature went far beyond

the enjoyment and appreciation that most people experience. 

Acquaintances often expressed surprise at her preference to her 

cabin and life in the woods over a more social existence. Carrie 

wrote about this to a friend, saying that people asked her, “...

but, don’t you get lonely way out here? I will never get people to 

believe that I LOVE to be alone! Of course, I’m not really alone—

with birds, trees, and flowers—and the different voices of the 

winds (so different in pines and deciduous trees), and rain on the 

shining leaves” (Johnson 1990).

Even when Carrie left Briarwood to work, lecture, or 

socialize, she worried about what was happening at home, like 

plants sprouting, flower buds opening, and birds singing, while 

she was away. Here, natural surroundings were not merely an 

important component of Carrie’s life, they were her life.

A picturesque site at Briarwood with a 

foot bridge near one of the ponds. (photo 

from Library of Congress Archives)

Carrie did not coldly observe 

nature from a distance; 

she experienced the natural 

world—the weather, 

the elements, the living 

animals and plants—as a 

fellow being.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 37

Her “Gift of the Wild Things”

Blessed with a unique ability to recognize, understand, 

and share in the intimacies of the natural world, Carrie’s sister 

Virginia described her as having a “...sensitive, tender feeling 

for helpless things that makes old people, children, and animals 

love her.” Carrie acknowledged this uniqueness, writing, “I was 

born with something—I call it ‘the gift of the wild things’—and 

because I am simple myself, and have a sympathetic heart, I can 

understand animals and simple people to an unusual degree.” On 

another occasion, Carrie elaborated:

...the gift... includes so much—hearing a bird note 

above the chatter of a crowd; thrilling at the way twigs 

gleam against the sky; seeing a thousand things that no 

one else sees. And the way birds and animals know me 

is a part of it. One reason for this understanding is—

understanding. I never crowd or push myself on them. I 

never startle them by sudden or violent motions. I love 

them.

Carrie did not coldly observe nature from a distance; she 

experienced the natural world—the weather, the elements, the 

living animals and plants—as a fellow being. This intimate 

relationship with nature as a coexisting part of it gave Carrie a 

distinct perspective that was hers alone (Troncale 2016). 

Her Knowledge 

Although Carrie was never formally educated in

anything other than literature and art, her expertise in many 

other fields—forestry, botany, horticulture, conservation, 

ornithology, archeology, ethnology, education, and preservation—

was acknowledged by professionals in those professions. Her 

lifelong love prompted diligent study of many varied aspects of 

nature.

She also had a strong personality, and conflict and tension 

arising from differences in priorities, bureaucracy, politics, and 

gender bias affected many of her efforts. As a woman working in 

male-dominated fields of forestry and conservation in the early 

20th century, Carrie refused to be intimidated. Historian Anna 

C. Burns wrote: “She neither asked for nor expected any special 

Although Carrie was 

never formally educated 

in anything other than 

literature and art, her 

expertise in many other 

fields was acknowledged 

by professionals in those 

professions.
38 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

Carrie at Briarwood. (photo from Northwestern State University Archives)
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 39

consideration for being a woman, but demanded that her work be 

judged on its merits alone” (Burns 1981).

When Carrie’s authority on a subject was called into 

question, she never failed to assert confidence in her knowledge 

of the natural world, even against credentialed experts in those 

fields. For example, in a letter to the director of Louisiana State 

University Press, Carrie defended a manuscript she wrote against 

unfounded comments (Troncale 2016): 

...when it comes to criticisms by your reader, I have 

to take issue with him on practically every comment. 

Mercy! Here I thought I had thoroughly established your 

confidence in me as knowing my ground in the matter 

of native planting; then you surprisingly turn the whole 

thing over to this mysterious reader, and accept his 

opinion as final. Has this reader experimented with the 

actual growing of plants, as I have, all my life? I thought 

I had impressed you with the unique value of this volume 

and that it is the result of actual doing, and not a lot of 

theories... . This is the sort of hard-earned knowledge I 

am trying to pass along to my readers. And, I say with 

some pride, that my word in such matters is usually 

accepted without question... .

Her Financial Struggles

Lack of a steady income often caused stress in Carrie’s 

life. Her financial hardships were certainly not the result of faulty 

work ethic or lack of skill, but often resulted from her choice to 

focus her efforts on more important matters. As noted earlier, she 

resigned from several of her paying jobs because of bureaucratic 

and political restraints that prevented her from doing the work 

she felt her position required. 

Although her writings offered unique, interesting, clear, and 

applicable information on the care of flowers, trees, and birds, 

Carrie often had difficulty getting her work published. Publishers 

were hesitant, especially during the Great Depression years, to print 

books without a sure market. Gaining a publishing company’s 

interest often required Carrie’s agreeing to less-than-ideal business 

arrangements, which sometimes cost her precious money. 

Friends often aided Carrie financially, and she learned to 

be grateful for their help: “I long ago decided that it was false 

Carrie’s financial hardships 

were certainly not the result 

of faulty work ethic or lack 

of skill, but often resulted 

from her choice to focus 

her efforts on more 

important matters.
40 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

pride not to accept things that friends want to do.” At different 

times, friends gave her a car, home-building materials, and the 

installation of a water well. She also wrote (Johnson 1990): “I am 

able to find happiness with so little. I am sorry for poor things 

who fret and pine for fine clothes and houses and cars. Smug am 

I? No, just humbly thankful... .” 

Those who knew her said of her attitude toward finances, 

“...if she had money that was alright, if she didn’t that too was 

alright.” Snell (1972) recalled that:

...a multimillionaire Texan saw one of her paintings and 

sent her a check—Mignon recalls it was for $3,000—as 

a down payment on a commission, promising to buy 

all the iris paintings she could produce. But Carrie had 

moved on to a new project, a children’s book about 

local Indian tribes. “Oh, pshaw! I haven’t got time to be 

bothered with him!” she said—and tore up the sizable 

check.

Although her disinterest in money and materialism allowed a 

certain freedom, stress from lack of finances further harmed her 

health.

Her Health and End of Life

When under financial stress, Carrie returned to 

Briarwood and to her fascination with native plants. This 

involvement did much to reduce stress caused from problems 

outside of her home sanctuary. However, her health problems 

were many. In addition to frequently suffering from the flu, 

arthritis, and heart problems, Carrie also suffered a broken hip. 

She once wrote in a letter, “...this miserable raw weather just 

goes on and on and it makes my arthritis terrific... . My shoulder, 

back of my neck, etc.—ugh.” Along with the physical discomfort, 

Carrie’s times of ill health were inevitably periods of loneliness 

and unproductiveness. She once complained to a friend, “...life 

gets pretty dull when you are tied to a bed all day long... . I am 

still not allowed company” (Johnson 1990).

These health problems interfered with her writing, artwork, 

and other endeavors while also affecting her employment. 

In addition to leaving a teaching position in Lake Arthur in 

southern Louisiana and transferring to Kisatchie School closer 
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 41

to Briarwood, she also declined an offer to teach at Southeastern 

Louisiana University due to health issues.

Despite her frail health, Carrie’s strong character was never 

overwhelmed. Her time with nature took priority over time 

allotted for attention to personal appearance and almost every 

other aspect of her life. She was so immersed in the happenings of 

her natural surroundings that “she never would have eaten at all, 

as she never seemed to pay attention to meal times or food, except 

to keep her bird feeders filled.” Carrie even claimed that she was 

too busy to die. She simply had to keep living if for no other 

reason than to record the results of her hybridization experiments 

with irises. Carrie also said, “If I [was] on my way to heaven I’d 

have to say, ‘Wait St. Peter, I have to write a few letters.’” In fact, 

on the “day she went to the hospital for the last time she got a few 

letters ready first” (Johnson 1990). Carrie died in Shreveport, LA, 

on November 21, 1971 at the age of 83.

The interior of Carrie’s cabin showing a portion of her library, American Indian 

pottery and basket work, a painting of a friend, and a case with some of her 

collectibles.

Despite her frail health, 

Carrie’s strong character was 

never overwhelmed.
42 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

FITTING MONUMENTS

In 1965, Louisiana State University (LSU) conferred an 

Honorary Doctorate of Science upon Carrie for her “scientific 

achievement” and “valuable contributions to knowledge in the 

fields of botany, horticulture, and forestry” as well as her work in 

archeology, ethnology, conservation, education, and preservation. 

This “well deserved degree,” the result of years of exertion and 

commitment in multiple fields, was a welcomed recognition for 

Carrie’s impressive work.

This honor came from an outpouring of support and letters 

from many individuals and organizations. Supporters included 

Edgar Anderson of the Missouri Botanical Garden; author 

Elizabeth Lawrence; George Lawrence, director of the Carnegie 

Institution’s Botanical Library; and University of Southwestern 

Louisiana President Joel L. Fletcher. Additionally, LSU’s School 

of Forestry and Wildlife Management faculty unanimously voted 

its support, and LSU’s College of Arts and Sciences faculty also 

recommended the honor (Johnson 1990).

This happy state of affairs was lessened by Carrie’s increasing 

health problems, especially a weak heart. Although physically 

limited, her mind and pen remained active. However, in the fall 

of 1970, she suffered an attack of angina. During this time, at the 

request of her friends, she made provision for the continuation 

of Briarwood. Shortly before her death in 1971, she donated her 

estate to a foundation that has become a center for educational 

purposes in conservation. Today, Briarwood is a nature preserve 

honoring Carrie’s remarkable contributions to conservation. It is 

open during summer months and in off season by request.

Another monument honoring Carrie can be found at the 

Louisiana State Arboretum. At its older entrance, the State 

Legislature designated the office building the “Caroline Dormon 

Lodge” in 1965. In addition to housing an exhibit on Carrie’s 

life and work, this facility still serves as a visitor center, library, 

and native plant herbarium for the species that grow within the 

boundaries of the arboretum. Recently, a new visitor center and 

education complex have been developed.

The largest monument to Carrie’s creativity, dedication, 

and perseverance is the Kistatchie National Forest. Today, the 

Kisatchie National Forest encompasses over 600,000 acres of 

managed forest land in central and northern Louisiana and is the 

Carrie found comfort in 

the idea that even through 

death, she would continue 

always to be a part of the 

natural world.
CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist 43

State’s only national forest. Carrie would have been particularly 

pleased when, in 1999, the Forest Service set aside an 8,700-acre 

area of the Kisatchie Wold as the Kisatchie Hills Wilderness Area. 

No management practices will be imposed on the area, and it 

will remain in a completely natural state. To honor Carrie, the 

Kisatchie National Forest donated land for the establishment of 

the Caroline Dormon Junior High School and remains an active 

sponsor of this outstanding public school near Woodworth. 

Carrie found comfort in the idea that even through death, 

she would continue always to be a part of the natural world. She 

conveyed this concept through a touching poem, in which she 

requested a special monument of remembrance (Troncale 2016):

When I am dead,

Will someone plant a tree where I lie?

Then dust shall stir to life again,

Become a party of beauty rich and infinite.

What rare fulfillment to become a tree!

To feel new snow upon my face

And wrestle strongly with outrageous winds;

To hold the sun against my cheek, 

And live anew in birth of flowers each spring; 

To gather to my breast the birds

That speak for me through lovely throats;

To reach above man’s little frets and cares.

Then I shall touch God—

And yet keep hold on to warm sweet earth I love.

Indeed, her desire was granted. At her grave in Briarwood Baptist 

Cemetery has grown an elegant flowering dogwood. Thus, even in 

death, Carrie is not separated from her beloved nature. Through 

the life of this small tree, she is granted still her “view of the sky, 

the wind in [her] face, sweet clean earth—, the whir of wings... 

and all [her] ‘gift of the wild things.’” The beauty of Briarwood continues to 

provide a glimpse into the nature that 

Carrie loved. (photo from Library of 

Congress Archives)
44 CAROLINE DORMON: The South’s Exceptional Forest Conservationist and Naturalist

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