10 Louisiana Fun Facts That You Might Not Know
Unless you know literally everything about Louisiana, then there's probably at least one thing on this list that you didn't know.
A couple of these things on this list, I knew, but thought they were fun. Most of them, though, I learned something new!
This list comes from 50states.com. I won't attest that all of these are 100% factual, because they did indeed come from the internet, but I'm hoping they all are cause they're pretty awesome!
Here's 10 (out of 50) of some fun Louisiana facts:
- Louisiana has the tallest state capitol building in the United States; the building is 450 feet tall with 34 floors.
- The Superdome in New Orleans is the worlds largest steel-constructed room unobstructed by posts. Height: 273 feet (82.3 meters), Diameter of Dome: 680 feet (210 meters), Area of Roof: 9.7 acres, Interior Space: 125,000,000 cubic feet, Total floor footage: 269,000 sq. ft. (82,342 sq. meters), Electrical Wiring: 400 miles (640 kilometers).
- Metairie is home to the longest bridge over water in the world, the Lake Pontchartrain causeway. The causeway connects Metairie with St. Tammany Parish on the North Shore. The causeway is 24 miles long.
- Louisiana is the only state that still refers to the Napoleonic Code in its state law.
- Saint Martin Parish is home to the world's largest freshwater river basin, the Atchafalaya Basin; the basin provides nearly every type of outdoor recreational activity imaginable.
- Jennings is called the "Garden Spot of Louisiana" for it's rich and productive farmland. Jennings sobriquet {nickname} became a "Northern Town on Southern Soil".
- Louisiana's first territorial governor, William C.C. Claiborne had great admiration for the awkward bird that inhabited the Gulf Coast region. The pelican, rather than let its young starve, would tear at its own flesh to feed them. The Governor's great respect for the Pelican led him to first use the Pelican symbol on official documents.
- Saint Joseph's Cemetery, the only known United States cemetery facing north-south is in Rayne.
- Jim Bowie, the legendary adventurer and hero of the Battle of the Alamo, lived in Opelousas after moving there from Kentucky. Opelousas is the third oldest city in Louisiana.
- The Saint Charles streetcar line in New Orleans and the San Francisco, California cable cars are the nation's only mobile national monuments.