The Spanish Period
Technically, the Treaty of Fountainbleau in 1762
ceeded Louisiana to Spain until 1801, but it changed
life here very little.

The settlement was still basically a trading post dealing with the Indians,
and the Indians were basically distrustful of the Spanish.

To offset this distrust, a Frenchman, Athanase De Mezieres, was appointed
commandant of the Spanish garrison and most of the business in the area
was left in the hands of the French inhabitants.