Cajun, Creole and All That Jazz in Baton Rouge!
Baton Rouge. Just the sound of it conjures up images of a gracious city known for its notions of the Old South. The city didn’t start out with such a genteel beginning though especially when you consider how it got its name. Legend has it that in 1699 a French explorer named Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d’lberville led an expedition along the Mississippi River and came across a red pole (baton rouge) stained with the blood of fish and animals. This pole served as the dividing line between the Bayougoula and Houmas Indians and it was on this site that the city began to take shape.
Because of its location on the Mississippi River, Baton Rouge hosted many different people from many different nationalities and cultures. Evidence of these different ethnicities is still evident today in the cultural traditions of food, language, arts and architecture. Baton Rouge's rich cultural traditions can be seen in its unique attractions, heard in the Zydeco, Blues and Cajun music, and tasted in the unique blend of Creole, African-American, French and Spanish cuisine.
The town grew with the influence of Spanish, British and French influence until it was eventually named the state capital in 1846. Louisiana seceded from the Union in 1861 at the beginning of the Civil War, and in August 1862, Baton Rouge fell to the Union forces. The federal government of Louisiana was moved to New Orleans but in 1882 Baton Rouge again became the capital of the state.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Baton Rouge saw the arrival of the Louisville, New Orleans and Texas Railroad which catapulted the city into an age of progress. Many of the most important initiatives included the construction of a new waterworks, widespread electrification of homes and businesses, and the passage of several large bond issues for the construction of public buildings, new schools, paving of streets, drainage and sewer improvements, and the establishment of a scientific municipal public health department.
Today Baton Rouge is a community where life provides pleasure, opportunity and growth to its visitors and residents in lifestyle and in business through innovative thinking and new relationships. A mix of the old and the new blends favorably in Baton Rouge where some of the world's most advanced industrial facilities brush up against antebellum mansions. Technology has been most welcomed in Baton Rouge and has made its footprint on this city which also respects and retains the charm and heritage of the Old South.
Fast Facts
- Population: the current population of Baton Rouge will be unknown until the next census in 2006. Before Hurricane Katrina in September of 2005, the population was 415,000. Now it is estimated between 800,000 and 1,000,000 based on 235,000 evacuees from the New Orleans area; 160,000 people staying in private homes with family and friends; 41,000 in leased apartments or houses; 32,000 in hotels and motels; 20,000 in shelters; and 10,000 in unsold new homes, college dormitories, and other facilities.
- Median Household Income: $30,368
- Median Family Income: $40,266
- Per Capita Income: $18,512
- Latitude: 30°27'29" North
- Longitude: 91°8'25" West
- Baton Rouge is on Central Standard Time and observes Daylight Savings Time.
Travel and Transportation: Baton Rouge is located in Southeast Louisiana, 157 miles north of the Gulf of Mexico and 80 miles West/NorthWest of New Orleans via Interstate 10. Baton Rouge is also served by Interstate 12, Interstate 55, Interstate 59 and Interstate 49. Public transportation is available through the Capital Area Transit System and air travel is accessible via the Baton Rouge Metro Airport.