History of Baton Rouge

Welcome to Karen's Orphans and Forgotten Residents

Note: I received an e-mail on July 1, correcting Don Bernado's age at the Battle of Baton Rouge. According to the mail he was born in 1746 making him 33 and not 21.

HISTORY OF BATON ROUGE

By C. P. Liter

Managing Editor, Baton Rouge State Times and Morning Advocate

A strange mixture of the old and the new--a spot where is blended the charm of antiquity and the progressiveness of the modern world--such is Baton Rouge, capital of Louisiana and the third largest city in the state.

Standing proudly on the first highlands above New Orleans on the east bank of the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge looks down on the mighty Father of Waters, which has played so important a part in her growth and development. Here Louisiana's rich historic background has flowered and there is no spot in the state richer in romance and tradition.

Seven flags have flown over this section and seven peoples have struggled for supremacy. Here Louisiana's greatest states and bravest soldiers have gathered here and here fairest daughters have lived and made merry. Baton Rouge has a strange and unusual story to whisper, a story that is fraught with tragedy and comedy, a story in which the mighty ebb and flow of the Mississippi River has played an important part and a story which is outstanding even in the Southland were history is a commonplace and everything important.

The Fleur de Lys of the French Bourbons first waved over Baton Rouge, only to be replaced by the Crosses of England. The arms of Castile bowed to the blue banner and white stars of the West Florida republic and this in turn gave way to the 17 stars and stripes of the young United States. The banner of the sovereign state of Louisiana fluttered aloft for a short period, its place taken during the bitter days of the War between the States with the stars and bars of the Confederacy.

Baton Rouge became a part of the territory of New France when in 1682 Robert Cavalier de La Salle took possession of the land he had explored and planted on it the fleur do lys of Bourbon France. This possession was ratified some years later when Sieur D'Iberville proceeded to colonize the territory under the French crown.

This territory was first under the active administration of Diron d'Artaguette and in its earliest days it became a fortified place, a stopping spot for travelers journeying down the river from the Great Lakes to New Orleans.

The exact date of the settlement of Baton Rouge, like the origin of the names is shrouded in mystery. The fort was built here about 1719 when Iberville and Bienville were seeking to colonize Louisiana by building forts in the most prominent positions in the colony. It is natural to suppose the voyageurs traveling up the Mississippi river were impressed with the military importance of the site on the first highlands above New Orleans.

However, Baton was already a small settlement when the voyageurs decided to fortify the center. First and Indian village, the settlers were attracted here and as early as 1718 a priest wrote of conducting a mass here on New Years Day. So the beginnings are somewhat shrouded in mystery but he town's history extends far back into the earliest days of Louisiana's civilization.

The French held the Baton Rouge territory until 1762 when it was ceded by treaty to England and the banner of the Bourbons was replaced by the Crosses of England which were destined to remain in place until 1779. It was during this period of Baton Rouge's history that the Acadians and a group of sturdy Scotch, Irish and English settler's joined the original French in the city.

It was on September 21, 1779, that Don Bernado de Galvez, the 21 year old governor of Louisiana under the Spanish regime , laid siege to the fort and after three days of bombardment caused Colonel Dickson, the English commander, to capitulate and hoisted the flag of Castile over the ramparts. It was this siege which constituted the first Battle of Baton Rouge and which probably called the attention of the world to the fact that the fort was a strategic military center. There is little reason to doubt that the youthful Galvez regarded it as the keystone of the province for as soon as he learned that war had been declared he marched against the fort, coming by way of Pass Manchac from New Orleans. he passed Fort Butte and the now ruined village of Galveztown, marching along until he sited the fort when he set his camp on the site between North Boulevard and Convention street where historians tell us was once located an Indian mound. This mound Galvez used as a breastwork, erecting his batteries on its brow. His guns kept up their bombardment until the British surrendered, giving up not only the Fort of Baton Rouge but possession of several other forts in the territory.

The chairs in which Colonel Dickson and General Galvez sat to draw u the terms of the treaty are still preserved in the Cabildo at New Orleans. It was this battle which was to go down in history as the only one of the American Revolution fought on Louisiana soil since it marked a decisive blow to the power of England. And Galvez' forces were joined by the Americans of the day and certainly the battle was important to the United Colonies whose ally Spain was.

Baton Rouge remained under Spanish dominion until 1810 when under the leadership of the renowned Philemon Thomas it became a part of the ill-fated West Florida republic. It was during this earlier period that attempts were made to change the city's name , first to Dironbourg under the French and later to New Richmond under the English. Neither name prevailed and Baton Rouge, the Red Stick the, city has remained.

The second Battle of Baton Rouge was fought September 21, 1810, when Philemon Thomas with his band of flat-boatmen in their coonskin caps, adventurers and malcontents, stormed the fort unfurling above it the flag of the Florida republic, a white star on a blue field. The fort then was in a most dilapidated condition and was under the command of De Grand Pre, a Spanish officer of French extraction who was killed during the conflict.

The leaders of the movement for the creation of the Florida republic conferred with President Madison for terms under which it might be annexed to the remainder of Louisiana but he informed them that it was his view that it had been included in the Louisiana purchase and was already part of the United States.

The territory was formally taken over by Governor Claiborne in December, 1810, and made a part of the newly created state of Louisiana. The flag of the United States was hoisted over the fort and it became a regular army post of the new nation.

The parish of East Baton Rouge was created in 1811 although in reality it had existed since 1807. The ordinance signed by Governor Claiborne provided that there "be established...four parishes, whose limits shall be as follows...all that tract of land lying between the most eastern branch of Thompson's creek and the River Iberville and extending from the River Mississippi to the Amite shall form the second parish to be called the Parish of East Baton Rouge."

The town of Baton Rouge was incorporated in January, 1817, almost a century after the founding by the French. It had been a century packed with history and traditions, a century whose influences are apparent in Baton Rouge to this day when more that another century has passed.

Under the act of incorporation as adopted by the Legislature it was provided that "all free white male persons above the age of 21 years who are freeholders, householders or landowners within the following limits, to wit: from the mouth of the bayou at the upper part of the town of Baton Rouge (called Garcia's bayou) and extending on the main branch of said bayou to the distance of 40 arpents from the Mississippi, and below commencing at the Mississippi on the town line of land claimed by Madame Marion, and pursuing the direction of said line to the distance of 40 arpents from the Mississippi are hereby authorized to meet and elect five selectmen annually." According the my Webster's Dictionary an "arpent is an old French unit of land measurement, still used in the French quarters of Quebec and Louisiana, equal to about an acre.

The election was duly held with the council meeting for the first time in April 1818, historians relate. William Williams was chosen to head the council and serve as mayor. Thomas C. Stannard was named clerk, D. E. Pintado, treasurer and collector, and Pierre Jautin, police officer. In the manner of the councils, both before and after, the body's first ordinance related to taxes and licenses; its second to certain street improvements; its third provided for construction of a town hall and market house and the fourth ordered the punishment of all "drunken and disorderly persons," indicating that even in those early days the city fathers were having their troubles.

At a subsequent meeting the council adopted a Sunday closing law which many historians believe was the first enacted in the Mississippi valley. Under terms of this ordinance "all bar rooms, saloons, grogshops, billiard rooms and bowling alleys" were ordered to shut up shop on Sunday. Thus 100 years ago the number of straitlaced had apparently already outnumbered the original French settlers, who were given to enjoy pleasure.

The town of Baton Rouge in those early days was laid out in a series of "towns," which included Gras, Devall, Leonard, Hickey, Duncan, Mather and Beauregard towns. These names still appear at frequent intervals in real estate transactions consummated today and are more or less familiar to all Baton Rougeans.

The seat of government was moved to Baton Rouge in 1846 in accordance with the Constitution of 1845. The old state capitol was begun in 1847 and completed the following year. Following removal of the capital here in 1846, the seat of the government was removed later to New Orleans but returned here.

Louisiana became a part of the Confederacy in 1861, doing its part gallantly in the battle for Southern supremacy. Following the Battle of Baton Rouge the city was recaptured by the federal troops and was readmitted to the Union in 1865.