Le Bâton Rouge | West Baton Rouge Parish, LA (2024)

The Story of the “Red Stick”

In October 1699, Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a Canadian soldier and explorer, found two native tribes, the Houma and Bayougoula, in a boundary dispute on the bluffs of the east bank of the Mississippi River. According to an early description recorded by Iberville's party, these two Native American groups had placed a wooden pole to mark the boundary between their respective hunting lands. This pole was located about 17 miles north of Bayou Manchac, and was stained with a red substance and adorned with fish and bear parts. The Houma natives lived about 104 miles upstream and hunted north of the red pole, while the Bayougoula remained south of the marker. The totem was called “le Bâton Rouge” (“Red Stick”) by the French and “Istrouma” by the Native Americans.

Le Bâton Rouge | West Baton Rouge Parish, LA (2024)

FAQs

What does bâton rouge mean in French? ›

A: Baton Rouge is French for "Red Stick" . When exploring Louisiana more than three centuries ago, Sieur d'Iberville saw a cypress stick stained with blood along the Mississippi River bluff. The stick became the dividing line between the hunting grounds of the Bayougoula and Houma tribes.

Why is it named bâton rouge? ›

French Explorers

Pierre Le Moyne D'Iberville's writings refer to the area as Istrouma or Red Stick, which when translated into French becomes Baton Rouge. Records of D'Iberville describe large reddened poles erected by Indians with fish and bear heads attached in sacrifice.

What is the meaning of red stick? ›

Red Sticks (also Redsticks, Batons Rouges, or Red Clubs)—the name deriving from the red-painted war clubs of some Native American Creek—refers to an early 19th century traditionalist faction of Muscogee Creek people in the Southeastern United States.

What is the history of West Baton Rouge Parish? ›

West Baton Rouge was first settled by Acadian exiles that recognized the value of the Mississippi and the rich soil here. Banished from Nova Scotia, the brave men and women embraced the land and began to develop it. The Parish of West Baton Rouge was created in 1807 as part of the Territory of New Orleans.

Why is Louisiana named Louisiana? ›

Louisiana was named after Louis XIV, King of France from 1643 to 1715. When René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claimed the territory drained by the Mississippi River for France, he named it La Louisiane.

What does "baton" mean in French? ›

noun. baton [noun] a short, heavy stick, carried by a policeman as a weapon.

What is Baton Rouge famous for? ›

Named by French explorers as "the Red Stick City," Baton Rouge is where Louisiana's capital, flagship university, and distinctive Cajun and Creole cultures all come together. Located in Southeast Louisiana, Baton Rouge is the fifth largest city on the Mississippi River and home to Louisiana's largest parish.

Why does Louisiana have French names? ›

You may know that Louisiana was named for French King Louis XIV. The territory was named in his honor by French explorer La Salle, who claimed the territory to the west of the Mississippi River in the 1680s for France.

How did Baton Rouge get its name Red Stick in English? ›

Baton Rouge is French for "Red Stick." In 1699, French explorer Iberville was traveling up the Mississippi River and saw a bloodied, red pole on the shore. The "red stick" was marking the boundaries between hunting grounds of two Native American tribes. He named the location le bâton rouge, or the red stick.

What does sticks mean in slang? ›

What does 'sticks' mean in slang? It simply means you're referring to someone - or to a place - a bit isolated, a bigger bit of one-mindedness, adamant about maintaining a particular lifestyle without any outside interference.

How many Americans were killed at Fort Mims by the Red Sticks? ›

Diagram of Fort Mims

On August 30, 1813, an outpost known as Fort Mims, about forty miles north of Mobile, Alabama, was attacked by the Red Sticks, the warring faction of the Creek Nation. Casualties, including women and children, amounted to about 250, although, at the time, the estimate was twice that figure.

What does celery stick mean? ›

According to the USDA, a “stalk” means the whole bunch or head, and a single piece or stick is called a “rib.” This does not reflect common usage, however, so use caution in interpreting recipes! “Celery stalk,” in American English, is commonly used to mean one piece/rib/stick of celery.

What part of Baton Rouge is the hood? ›

South Baton Rouge hoods are Cross Da Tracks, around Roosevelt and Garfield streets and west of Hwy 30, the SouthSide Bottom, an area along Highland, Uptown, along Government Street aka G Street, Valley Park, around College Drive and I-10, Gardere Lane, and Mayfair, around Staring and Hyacinth.

What is the oldest house in Baton Rouge? ›

Magnolia Mound, a nationally accredited museum and historic site, sits on sixteen acres shaded with ancient live oaks and magnolias. Built circa 1790 by John Joyce, who purchased the property from James Hillin, it is the oldest documented structure in Baton Rouge.

Who founded Louisiana? ›

The French explorer Robert Cavelier de La Salle named the region Louisiana in 1682 to honor France's King Louis XIV. The first permanent settlement, Fort Maurepas (at what is now Ocean Springs, Mississippi, near Biloxi), was founded in 1699 by Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville, a French military officer from Canada.

What does Belle Rouge mean? ›

Translation of "Belle Rouge" in English

lovely red. beautiful red.

What does the French word Rouge mean in English? ›

adjective. , French. red; noting the red numbers in roulette.

What is the French meaning of Moulin Rouge? ›

The real Moulin Rouge opened in 1889, and the name literally translates to “red windmill,” a nod to the iconic red windmill on its roof that's been replicated for the movie and musical. The giant elephant statue in the Moulin Rouge! adaptations is also in the real club's garden.

What does Mon Rouge mean? ›

Translation of "mon rouge" in English. my red.

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