Baton Rouge in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana — The American South (West South Central)
The Founding of "Red Stick"
How Baton Rouge Got its Name
August 5, 2016
1. The Founding of "Red Stick" Marker
Baton Rouge gets its name from the first impressions of French-Canadian explorers. Traveling up the Mississippi River in 1699, the group spotted a bloody cypress pole on a river bluff that demarcated hunting territories between indigenous tribes. The Territory was called Baton Rouge, which means "red stick."
Over the years, French, British and Spanish flags each flew over the community. By the 1780's, still under Spanish rule, Baton Rouge had flourished. Its first neighborhoods, Spanish Town and Beauregard Town were designed in 1805 and 1806. By then, the local population had grown substantially. The river continued to bring new commerce and visitors. In 1810, the area became part of the colonies and in 1817, the town was officially incorporated.
Images: Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville and Map courtesy of The Louisiana Collection, State Library of Louisiana.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Exploration • Settlements & Settlers.
Location. 30° 26.721′ N, 91° 11.417′ W. Marker is in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in East Baton Rouge Parish. Marker is on South River Road, 0.2 miles north of Government Street, on the right when traveling south. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Baton Rouge LA 70802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8
this page online
Also see . . .
1. Bayougoula history. More about the "red stick" (Submitted on January 26, 2018.)
2. Pierre Le Moyne d’Iberville. 64 Parishes website entry (Submitted on January 27, 2018.)
Additional commentary.
1. Baton Rouge name
A direct translation of "red stick" is Rouge Baton
— Submitted January 26, 2018.
August 5, 2016
2. The Founding of "Red Stick" Marker
Credits. This page was last revised on June 18, 2022. It was originally submitted on August 10, 2016. This page has been viewed 780 times since then and 70 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 10, 2016. • Bernard Fisher was the editor who published this page.
