Baton Rouge

The meaning

“Red stick”

How it got the name

In 1699 the French explorer d'Iberville sailed up the Mississippi and noted a reddened cypress pole hung with fish and bear carcasses, marking the hunting boundary between the Houma and Bayogoula peoples. He wrote it down as 'le baton rouge' — the red stick — and the descriptive note became the capital's name.

Former names

1. Istrouma (Choctaw for red pole)
2. Baton Rouge