The Great State of LeSerre

[Taybaxter 0]

Flag of the State of LeSerre (I know, it isn't too great). The Seal represents agriculture and commerce (it is the seal of New Jersey ), the French and British flags represent the state's colonial history, and the white signifies progress and the unwritten future.

LeSerre is located in the great nation of Sim Nation, of which it is the newest state (it has been a little over 200 years since it became a state in 1906, after it was ceded to Simnation by the British.

Population: 2 Million
Capital City: Port Hening
Largest City: Port Hening (metro population of 1.6 Million).
Official Languages: French (now rarely spoken), English, Simlish
Seats in Sim National Congress: 8 (Sim Nation's government is exactly like our own government in this reality, so 2 senate seats and six congressional districts. Also, of course, 8 electoral votes.
Governor: T.M. Goth (Liberal)



Map of the State of LeSerre. North is to the right (the side of the map where New Tayville is). I know, "South Coast" is not a great name for a place on a far east coast!

There are also a few islands off the coast of LeSerre (to the East). I will show the inhabited ones now. There are a few others that are uninhabited as of now, and you may see them later if I decide to develop them.



That is LeSerre! My next post will cover the history of the state, and then you will get to go on a tour of its cities.

[Petrovar Ambassador 15]

nice start, can we see pictures of LeSerre?

[Taybaxter 0]

I'm actually still editing the first post! I'll have a map of the region and a few other things up soon!

[Taybaxter 0]

A History...

The Growth of Port Hening in its pre-major city era. Note the regression in the 18th century as Port Hening entered a period of decline that it would not emerge from until the 19th century.The other side of the Baie des Chiens would not see development beyond farmland until the early 21st century. The Baie des Chiens itself was filled in to allow for more growth in the mid 22nd century (the black dashes indicate that the area was underwater for most of the city's history).

The French Colonial Days

Notre Dame de St. Denis today (2180), located in now booming Downtown Port Hening. Completed in 1648, it was the first Cathedral in the "Middle World" (The Land between Europe and the "New World" as we know it where LeSerre and Sim Nation are located, it was also colonized by Europeans.)

    For centuries the history of the state of LeSerre was almost solely that of the City of Port Hening, as few other cities in the state managed to thrive or even make their very existence known to the extent that Port Hening did. Indeed, Port Hening itself gave the state its very name--LeSerre--as that was the original name given to it by its founder: French Jesuit missionary Denis St. Jean de LeSerre. LeSerre set forth for the Middle World with the blessings of King Louis XIII, intent on establishing the Catholic religion throughout the continent by founding a "Model colony" of upright and "God-fearing" men who would bring the word of the Lord to once-Godless natives. This attempt would be the third of already two failed failed French attempts to establish a colony, and would end up being the first successful French effort to colonize the Middle World (although not the first successful colony, as credit for this goes to the Dutch for their establishment of a colony a few hundred miles south 20 years previously).

    LeSerre had set forth with 200 well-equipped men (and 20 additional women), including craftsmen, merchants and sailors: tirelessly insuring that he had covered all that would be necessary for the first years of the colony. Using maps collected on previous missions, he determined that the colony should be established at a strategic location where a river (Riviere des Chiens as the French had originally named it) met the Atlantic ocean.

Original Location of the Settlement today.

    Although it faced hard times during the winter of 1628--a catastrophic winter that killed all but one of the women and over 100 of the men--the colony would survive and grow. The 17th century saw the slow and steady increase of its population as it became the capital of the French colony in the Middle World (which would later, as a whole, become Sim Nation), reaching an astounding four thousand people--a record it would not hit again until the 19th century-- by 1688. As a center of population it became the centerpoint of French activity on the continent, and the land surrounding the tiny settlement began to be farmed and parceled out.

    By the time of LeSerre's death in 1660, he could honestly say that every Native in the area around LeSerre was a Catholic as well: as he had converted about 20% of the local native population, killed 40% more directly or indirectly (through disease) and driven the rest inland. He had also presided over the construction of the Notre Dame de St. Denis Cathedral. Built with Native labor, construction took a record 17 years, being completed in 1648. Few know how he managed to beat all European records at the time and the secret remains with him.

    Another symbol of 17th century progress is the Pont des Chiens, which was constructed in order to allow farmers on the west side of the Bay easy access to the LeSerre settlement. Farms like the ones that grew around the settlement would be a staple of the area until the early 21st century, when development gradually forced farmers north into Deverre County.

The Pont des Chiens bridge (lower one, as pictured in the late 21st century) was built in the 17th century and survives today.Built in 1666, it was the first stone Bridge in the Middle World and a symbol of great progress and expansion. The Goth Bridge(upper),built in the early 21st century to accomodate expansion, was destroyed and replaced with "Goth Bridge Road" in the 22nd century as the Baie was filled in. Part of the Bay was allowed to survive the filling in project due to petitions from the Historical society to save the bridge. It is still a major city fixture.

    Next post will cover the period of decline that characterized the 18th century, and the rennaisance of Port Hening (and LeSerre as a whole) during the 19th century under British rule.

Comment: I am all messed up today, I accidentally posted this as a new thread! I hope you all can see the pics.

EDIT: I have turned all of the pics into .jpg so that everybody can see them.

[Hawkeye9 0]

Nice start!!!

[Tomasneto 20]

Yeah! Nice start!

[anarchy0029 2]

Good start hope to see pics of your city.

[jacqulina 162]

nice start and intro my friend great flag