200 Years of Baton Rouge History

An Interactive TimelineSelect date tabs to view the historic events of that specific time period.1699March 17, 1699D'IbervilleAn entry from D'Iberville's Gulf Journal providing what is believed to be the first sighting of Baton Rouge:"The 17th [March]. Five leagues and a half from our last stop for the night we came on the right side of the river to a little stream in which the Indiansinformed us there were a great number of fish. Here I had nets set out but caught only two catfish. The Indians having stopped 2 leagues below to hunt bear,where they say there are a great many, my brother stayed with them. This stream is the dividing line between the Ouma's hunting ground and the Bayogoula's. On the bank are many huts roofed with palmettos and a maypole with no limbs, painted red, several fish heads and bear bones being tied to it as a sacrifice.The area is very fine." (McWilliams, 64)17181718Bernard Diron Dartaguette ConcessionFrom A History of Baton Rouge, 1699 to 1812:"A land grant ca...