Tchefuncte River

 Tchefuncte River The Tchefuncte River (/tʃəˈfʌŋktə/ chə-FUNK-tə) drains into Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana in the United States. It is about 70.0 miles (112.7 km) long. Etymology The name Tchefuncte is believed to derive from the word Hachofakti which is the Choctaw word for the American chinquapin which is a species of chestnut and was used by Native Americans to relieve headaches and fevers. Tchefuncte culture The area around the river was inhabited by the hunter-gatherer Tchefuncte culture dating back to 600 BCE. The Native Americans gathered fresh-water clams, fish and crawfish and built shell middens on the river. Their houses were probably temporary circular shelters having a frame of light poles covered with palmetto, thatch, or grass mixed with mud. Tchefuncte shipyard During the War of 1812 the Secretary of the Navy William Jones ordered Captain John Shaw to supervise the construction of a shallow-draft Blockship armed with 32 heavy cannons at the shipyard in Madisonvil...