A Brief History of Baton Rouge, LA

From archaeological evidence, it could be determined that the area of Baton Rouge has been inhabited since 8000 B.C.E. The native name for the site was Istrouma, but the name Baton Rouge came from 1699, when French explorers noted a red cypress tree with its bark stripped off, and called it le baton rouge, or red stick. They learned that this marked the boundary of the Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds.

A French military post was established there in 1719. Since this time, Baton Rouge has been under the control of seven different nations: France, England, Spain, The Florida Republic, The Sovereign State of Louisiana, the Confederacy, and the United States. The city was incorporated in 1817, and became Louisiana 's state capital in 1849. Steamboat trade and transportation along the Mississippi River aided the city's growth in the early 19th century, but the Civil War hindered the city's economic progress and it was occupied by Union forces in 1862. With the Third Battle of Baton Rouge at Port Hudson later that year, 18,000 Union soldiers defeated 6000 Confederate troops, in one of America's longest sieges in history.

The city began to experience major industrial development because of its natural resources, and would later undergo a boom in the petrochemical industry. This, along with a building boom and a renewed focus on the downtown area, has continued to the present.

When Hurricane Katrina struck in 2005, Baton Rouge did not experience the same damage as New Orleans, although there were power outages and service disruptions. The city was able to provide refuge for many residents from New Orleans, in schools, convention centers, churches, arenas, and the B'nai Israel Synagogue. Federal and State emergency coordination and disaster relief in Louisiana was also able to establish their headquarters in Baton Rouge. As a result of this, Baton Rouge has experience a recent population boom.

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