Louisiana has a truly colorful and captivating history—and I know a lot of people in this state truly treasure it. Yet, there are still some facts that may surprise you. Here are 10 amazing historical facts that surprised me about the Pelican State. See how many you already knew!
- Louisiana is a state of islands.
Wikicommons / Mcandrus With over 2,482 islands and many landforms rapidly becoming islands, there are over 1.3 million acres of islands throughout the state, ranking second in total island acreage.
- Louisiana was home to one of the most advanced first nation societies in North America.
Wikicommons/ Billy Hathorn Recently named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the mounds at poverty point were built between 1650 and 700 BCE, making the site the largest and most complex site of that age in North America.
- Louisiana has had over 10 constitutions since entering the Union.
archives.gov Louisiana law is based on Napoleonic code, which tends towards adopting new constitutions rather than making amendments. The last constitution to be ratified happened in 1974.
- During the American Revolution, the only battle fought outside of the original 13 colonies took place in Baton Rouge.
Wikicommons / Bernard Romans After the Spanish entered the war in 1779, they began to go after Britian’s colonies in West Florida, beginning with a successful battle in Baton Rouge to clear their access to the Mississippi River and their path east to Pensacola.
- The architecture in the French Quarter of New Orleans is primarily Spanish.
Wikicommons / Sami99tr A fire in 1794 destroyed much of the French colonial architecture and the city was under the control of the Spanish when it was rebuilt. The quarter as it appears today has more in architecturally in common with other Spanish colonies like Havana than it does with other French colonial towns.
- The only known International Boundary Marker entirely within the United States is on the Texas-Louisiana border.
Near Louisiana Highway 765, this marker was placed in 1840 to mark the boundary between the United States and the short-lived Republic of Texas.
- Saint Joseph’s Cemetery in Rayne, LA is the only known United States Catholic cemetery facing north-south.
roadsideamerica.com Tradition says that Judeo-Christian cemeteries should be oriented east-west, but this cemetery in Rayne, LA was accidentally built north-south. Whoops!
- The first bottler of Coca-Cola, Joseph Biedenharn, lived in Monroe.
Wikicommons / Billy Hathorn Starting in 1894, Biedenharn began bottling the popular drink in his home state of Mississippi, eventually moving to Monroe to purchase a small bottling factory and continue his success. His former home is now a museum known for its beautiful gardens.
- Louisiana took in over 2,000 urban orphans from New York City between 1854-1929.
laorphantrain.com The ‘Orphan Trains’ were a Catholic resettlement program for urban orphans that had few prospects in larger cities. Opelousas was a stop for the train and is now home to an orphan train museum.
- The 1984 World’s Fair in New Orleans was the last exposition of its kind in the United States.
Wikicommons / Ddj001 The fair was known for its lovable mascot, Seymore D. Fair, and its serious attendance problems, causing it to be the first fair to declare bankruptcy during its run.
How many of these facts were you already familiar with and which ones were new? Let us know in the comments below! And of course please add your favorite Louisiana state facts. I want to see how many surprising ones you guys can come up with!
Wikicommons / Mcandrus
With over 2,482 islands and many landforms rapidly becoming islands, there are over 1.3 million acres of islands throughout the state, ranking second in total island acreage.
Wikicommons/ Billy Hathorn
Recently named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO, the mounds at poverty point were built between 1650 and 700 BCE, making the site the largest and most complex site of that age in North America.
archives.gov
Louisiana law is based on Napoleonic code, which tends towards adopting new constitutions rather than making amendments. The last constitution to be ratified happened in 1974.
Wikicommons / Bernard Romans
After the Spanish entered the war in 1779, they began to go after Britian’s colonies in West Florida, beginning with a successful battle in Baton Rouge to clear their access to the Mississippi River and their path east to Pensacola.
Wikicommons / Sami99tr
A fire in 1794 destroyed much of the French colonial architecture and the city was under the control of the Spanish when it was rebuilt. The quarter as it appears today has more in architecturally in common with other Spanish colonies like Havana than it does with other French colonial towns.
Near Louisiana Highway 765, this marker was placed in 1840 to mark the boundary between the United States and the short-lived Republic of Texas.
roadsideamerica.com
Tradition says that Judeo-Christian cemeteries should be oriented east-west, but this cemetery in Rayne, LA was accidentally built north-south. Whoops!
Wikicommons / Billy Hathorn
Starting in 1894, Biedenharn began bottling the popular drink in his home state of Mississippi, eventually moving to Monroe to purchase a small bottling factory and continue his success. His former home is now a museum known for its beautiful gardens.
laorphantrain.com
The ‘Orphan Trains’ were a Catholic resettlement program for urban orphans that had few prospects in larger cities. Opelousas was a stop for the train and is now home to an orphan train museum.
Wikicommons / Ddj001
The fair was known for its lovable mascot, Seymore D. Fair, and its serious attendance problems, causing it to be the first fair to declare bankruptcy during its run.
OnlyInYourState may earn compensation through affiliate links in this article.
