Baton Rouge Louisiana
Baton Rouge Louisiana |
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Above is a panoramic view of Baton Rouge as seen from across the river. The image is a link; click on it to load a much larger copy that you can scroll through. The tall white building to the left of center is the state capitol. Just the FactsNOTE: The data that follows derives primarily from the 1990 U.S. census and as such is a decade out of date. Comparative data for the U.S. at large and for the St. Louis metro area are presented to establish perspective. St. Louis was chosen because it is the largest city on the river as well as smack dab in the middle.
The city's name is French and translates literally as red stick, and indeed that's exactly what Baton Rouge is named after--a red stick. Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville is responsible for the city's name. In 1698 d'Iberville, who had already distinguished himself as an explorer in the New World, was assigned the task of rediscovering the mouth of the Mississippi. (This was after LaSalle's tragic failure in 1687 to establish a colony near the mouth of the Mississippi which he himself had discovered five years earlier.) In 1699 d'Iberville travelled up the Mississippi, and at the site of Baton Rouge he recorded in his log the discovery of a 30 foot tall red stick or pole along the river bank. This red stick was a territory marker used by the native american tribes to indicate the extent of their hunting grounds. D'Iberville called the site Baton Rouge and the name stuck.
When I visit a city, there's one trait that I purposely look for that speaks volumes to me about the place and the character of its people. I'm most attracted to the people and the cities who make their support of the arts obvious by adorning their streets and buildings with outdoor sculpture. On the Mississippi river, Memphis and Baton Rouge are two of my favorite cities. A walk down the streets of Baton Rouge in the area surrounding the capitol is like a stroll through a gallery. This is the way a city should look, and I look forward to my next opportunity to visit Baton Rouge. |
Baton Rouge is the state capitol of Louisiana, and a fitting city indeed for such an honor. Geologically Baton Rouge is significant as the first (or last depending on which way you're going) bluff on the Mississippi. The land below Baton Rouge is basically at or just above sea level. New Orleans is below sea level! The only really noticeable rise in the land anywhere below Baton Rouge is the river levee. Although not on a bluff in the same sense as Natchez or Vicksburg are on bluffs, Baton Rouge is nonetheless a few good feet above the river. This is really very significant because Baton Rouge is the first city above the mouth of the Mississippi that has had some natural defense against the river's floods. As such it's been a logical place to settle.
Baton Rouge is a mid-size city with a metropolitan area population of half a million. It is a major seaport and industrial center at the top end of Louisiana's chemical corridor or Cancer Alley. A huge Exxon refinery is located within smelling distance of downtown. From Baton Rouge on south to New Orleans, the typical scenery along the river is as depicted in the accompanying photograph. In downtown Baton Rouge the river is busy and crowed with industry. The most recent visit we made to Baton Rouge was on a national holiday (Veteran's Day), but that didn't stop the work on the river. While there, we watched an ocean-going ship being loaded with grain.
Baton Rouge is the starting point for a tour of "Plantation Alley." In and around Baton Rouge and south along the river are dozens of antebellum plantations of renown such as Oak Alley or Tezcuco Plantation pictured here. (There's a photograph of Oak Alley on the opening page for the Delta--one click back). Generally these antebellum mansions have been converted into restaurants, bed and breakfasts or tourist museums. A modest admission fee will get you an afternoons walk through with a guide. Some of these homes really are quite splendid and they are a signature of the old South. I always end up with very mixed feelings and somewhat disturbed when we visit them. For all their beauty and grandeur I can't tour these places without thinking about the shame they represent for our nation, and I'm always disturbed at how that aspect of their past is left out of the tours.
Of all the cities in the southern half of the river, Baton Rouge has the most attractive riverfront, befitting its stature as the state capitol. Riverfront Plaza at the south end of the city is marred only by the tawdry presence of the Belle of Baton Rouge Casino. Fortunately though, you can't see the casino until you climb the levee and even then it's fairly well hidden by the entrance walkway. Riverfront Plaza's centerpiece is a large cascading fountain crowned with a wonderful sculpture by Frank Hayden. You can walk through and around the fountain pools. Terraced fruit trees and azalea grace the flowing water. As an added treat there are large concrete plaques positioned down by the street with scenes painted by local artists.
Riverfront Plaza also has a dock and observation deck on the river that's quite delightful. The photograph above of the grey and red arches is the walkway to the observation deck. From there you can watch all the activity on the river. I suspect the forward arches closest to the river were very deliberately painted red.