Louisiana Facts and Figures

1876 artwork by Henry Mitchell, via Wikipedia Commons

 Louisiana ranks 19th among states and provinces with markers in this database. Louisiana is a state in the United States of America located in the American South. It is also in the West South-Central region. Louisiana is some 52 thousand square miles in size with a population of around 4.7 million people. The state is divided into 64 parishes and 62 of them have entries in this database. In Louisiana we have discovered historical markers in 300 cities and towns lying in 294 different ZIP Codes.

How many historical markers are there in Louisiana? There are least 2,097 of them, by our count. We have cataloged 2,087 historical markers and 132 war memorials—each individually presented on 2,164 illustrated, annotated, and searchable pages of the Historical Marker Database. Pages for historical markers from this state make up 1.6% of our total. In addition, we are reasonably certain of another ten historical markers in Louisiana that we don’t yet have, and instead show on our Want List. Our correspondents have been finding and adding hundreds of markers a month to the database from all over the world, so next time you visit this page you will probably find that the numbers here have changed.

The first Louisiana marker in the database, Chalmette Monument, was added March 15, 2008. It was photographed in Chalmette in St. Bernard Parish and was erected in 1947. The last one added was submitted earlier today, and titled Myrtle Grove Cemetery. It is in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish. Keeping in mind that the erection date of many markers in the database is not known, the earliest historical marker we know of in Louisiana was erected in 1847. It was this one: Genl. Philemon Thomas, and one of our correspondents found it in Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish on March 31, 2019.

Louisianians don’t want to forget their Settlements and Settlers history. How do we know? Because there are more historical markers in the database from Louisiana about Settlements and Settlers—568 of them—than about any other historical category. It is followed by the Civil War with 298 markers.

The first marker added to the database with the Settlements and Settlers category was Relocation of Vidalia, added August 22, 2008. It had been erected in Vidalia in Concordia Parish. The last one submitted was submitted earlier today, and titled Lawyers Row. It had been erected in 1976 in Opelousas in St. Landry Parish. The earliest marker erected with the Settlements and Settlers category that we have listed was erected in 1884. It was Margaret's Place and Walk / Lower Garden District, found in New Orleans in Orleans Parish on December 2, 2010.

The Louisiana parish with the most historical markers listed in this database is East Baton Rouge Parish, with 353 of them. It is followed by Orleans Parish with 254 markers. The Baton Rouge area of East Baton Rouge Parish has the highest number of markers within its limits, 336. In Orleans Parish the area with the most markers, 241, is New Orleans.

Checking the database for the city or town in Louisiana with the most markers we again find Baton Rouge at the top of the list with 336 markers in or near it. And New Orleans also shows up again in next place, with 241 markers. For the ZIP Code with the most markers it’s 70803 at the top of the list with 142 markers in its delivery area. (ZIP Code 70803 is assigned to Baton Rouge LA including the University delivery area.) It is followed by ZIP Code 70802 with 96 markers. (70802 is assigned to Baton Rouge LA.)

Getting back to East Baton Rouge Parish, the first marker added to the database from there, USCGC White Alder, was added March 19, 2011. in Baton Rouge. The last one submitted was uploaded on February 8, 2020, and is titled Louisiana National Guard Memorial and was erected in 2019, in Baton Rouge. The earliest marker erected in East Baton Rouge Parish that we have listed was erected in 1847. It was Genl. Philemon Thomas, found in Baton Rouge on March 31, 2019.

By Cajun Scrambler, February 22, 2020

Latest Entry from Louisiana
“Myrtle Grove Cemetery”

And finally the first, last, and oldest markers from New Orleans. The first: Gilbert Academy and New Orleans University, was added October 19, 2008. It had been erected in 1993. The last: Kossuth added on May 29, 2019. It had been erected in 2002. The earliest marker erected was erected in 1884: Margaret's Place and Walk / Lower Garden District, added on December 2, 2010.

Louisiana Office of Tourism is currently in charge of the familiar bronze official historical markers found all over the state and the Louisiana Department of Transportation and Development typically installs and maintains those that are roadside. You will also find official markers erected by the Louisiana Tourist Commission, a predecessor. We have 169 of their markers in the database. Also, a number of parishes have erected historical markers on their streets and roads and within their public areas, as have some cities and towns.

By Tom Bosse, July 5, 2017

A Louisiana Office of Tourism Historical Marker

Then there are federal government agencies that put up historical markers, especially in national parks and other areas under their jurisdiction. And finally, there are the numerous public and private organizations and individuals that erect markers. Some do this as a continual endeavor, and others once in a while, to mark something, someone, or someplace they find important or interesting. When one of our correspondents comes across one that satisfies our criteria, we add it to the database.

You’ll find that even the smallest, least populated, or most rural areas of Louisiana have been marked with history. Check out Richland Parish, Union Parish and Red River Parish. We've only found, respectively, 2, 2, and 1 historical markers there. Visiting one or more of these parts of Louisiana might make for a pleasant road trip, and maybe you’ll discover more historical markers while you’re there. If you do, perhaps you’ll take the time to photograph them and, when you get home, become an HMdb correspondent by adding them to the database. Happy Hunting!