Spanish Period (1779-1810)
See also: Battle of Baton Rouge (1779)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.
Read more about this topic: History Of Baton Rouge
Famous quotes containing the words spanish and/or period:
“As the Spanish proverb says, “He who would bring home the wealth of the Indies, must carry the wealth of the Indies with him.” So it is in travelling; a man must carry knowledge with him, if he would bring home knowledge.”
—Samuel Johnson (1709–1784)
“The easiest period in a crisis situation is actually the battle itself. The most difficult is the period of indecision—whether to fight or run away. And the most dangerous period is the aftermath. It is then, with all his resources spent and his guard down, that an individual must watch out for dulled reactions and faulty judgment.”
—Richard M. Nixon (1913–1995)