We have all read paper after paper about state history. It gets a little old after a while. What about all the fun and little known facts? These are abundant, and of course, a lot more interesting than the usual. Here are some surprises about Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Baton Rouge History

The ground where Louisiana State University lies was once occupied by Native Americans. On campus, there are noticeable mounds believed to be created for the purpose of ceremonies and other social gatherings. These mounds are older that the Egyptian pyramids and indicate the rich, ancient culture of this region of America.
The war of Independence was almost exclusively fought within the borders of the thirteen original colonies. The only battle outside these boundaries was fought in Baton Rouge in 1779. The result was in America\'s favor, because a British fort surrendered to Bernardo de Galvez, an ally.

Demographics

The cultures living in Baton Rouge today are indicative of the various nations that have controlled this region. The majorities include descendents from Spain, France, England, the Republic of West Florida, the United States, the Confederate States, and Louisiana itself.

French settlers who relocated to Canada and were then pushed out by the British moved south to the Baton Rouge area. With this settlement, the city has experienced a vibrant Cajun culture, made up of African, Spanish, English and Native American influences. The music and food traditions remain strong in this area even today.

Baton Rouge Today

Once a hunting and sugar-cane production industry, Baton Rouge now centralizes around petrochemical and oil refineries. Other industries are education and medicine. Pennington Biomedical Research Center holds 40 research labs the for the purpose of exploring the role of nutrition in obesity, chronic disease, aging, and metabolism. The goal is to improve the quality of life with these doctor\'s findings.

Baton Rouge is a port city today because the bridge built across the Mississippi river under the direction of Governor Huey Long was so low that big tankers could not make their way upriver. It is also now the capital city, but this has not always been the case. The state capital moved from Baton Rouge to New Orleans to Donaldsonville and back to Baton Rouge. The final change was in 1879.

City and state history does not have to be so redundant when the ins and outs of a place is truly discovered. The cultural diversity and legendary richness of the region will be acknowledge and celebrated for years to come.