History of Baton Rouge - Spanish Period (1779-1810)

Spanish Period (1779-1810)

A colony of Pennsylvania German farmers settled to the south of town, having moved north to higher ground from their original settlement on Bayou Manchac after a series of floods in the 1780s. Known locally as "Dutch Highlanders" ("Dutch" being a corruption of Deutsch, meaning German), they settled along a line of bluffs that served as barrier to the Mississippi River floodplain. Historic Highland Road, located in the heart of present-day Baton Rouge, was originally established as a supply road for the indigo and cotton plantations of the early settlers. They named two major roads in the area, Essen and Siegen lanes, after cities in Germany. The Kleinpeter and Staring families were amongst the most prominent of the early German families in the area. Their descendants have remained active in local business affairs since.

In 1800, the Tessier-Lafayette buildings were built on what is now Lafayette Street. The buildings are still standing today. Development of sections followed. In 1805, the Spanish administrator, Don Carlos Louis Boucher de Grand Pré, commissioned a plan for the area today known as Spanish Town. In 1806, Elias Beauregard led a planning commission for what is today known as Beauregard Town.