The state capital has a number of interesting stories to relate, beginning with the derivation of its name. In 1698, French explorers sailing up the Mississippi spotted a red pole along the shoreline, learned that it marked the boundary between hunting grounds of two Native American tribes, called it le baton rouge (the red stick), and the name stuck. Over time, the town was ruled by seven governments before eventually becoming Louisiana´s second largest city and in 1846 being designated the capital to replace “sinful” New Orleans. Today with a population of around 227,000, it´s a culturally diverse community which includes Cajun and Creole people, African-Americans, and a melting pot of other ethnic and religious backgrounds. Adding to the mix is its status as a college town, home to Louisiana State University, historically Black Southern University, and other institutions of higher learning. Another claim to fame for Baton Rouge is its role as the farthest inland port on the Mississippi River that can accommodate oceangoing tankers and cargo carriers; freight headed further north is transferred to barges.
Not surprisingly, "Big Raggedy" also boasts its share of history-oriented sites, in addition to visiting the Louisiana State Capitol with its 27th-floor observation deck, the Capitol Park Museum traces contributions of Native Americans, early European colonists, enslaved people and others to the area’s development and accomplishments. Exhibits at the LSU Rural Life Museum, a largely outdoor complex of 32 historic buildings, focus on the way of life of 18th- and 19th-century Louisianans, and the Port Hudson State Historic Site preserves the scene of the longest military siege in U.S. history, from late May to early July 1863. Other local attractions of note include the rather White-Housy Old Governor´s Mansion (from 1930 to 1962), tthe Old State Capitol (pictured here), he LSU Museum of Art, and the World War II destoyer USS Kidd.
Read more in Tripatini contributor Victor Block´s post History & Luxury on a Cruise of the Lower Mississippi River.
Comments