Things You Might Not Know About Louisiana

As Louisianian’s, we know this state can be a pretty complicated. But, honestly, would we want it any other way? No way. Normal is boring. There’s SO much to know about Louisiana, we can’t possibly know all there is to know, right? Check out this list from motovo.com of things you probably didn’t know about the awesome place we call home!

For more things you might not know, head over to motovo.com

1. The first bottler of Coca-Cola, Joseph Biedenharn, lived in Monroe, where he purchased a small bottling plant to produce the drink.

2. Until about 1890, City Park in New Orleans was a favorite dueling spot for Creole people. They would gather at the “Dueling Oaks” with a pistol, saber or colichemarde (long sword) and fight with their opponents.

3. There are almost half as many alligators as there are people in Louisiana.

4. The first opera in the United States was performed in New Orleans in 1796.

5. Poverty Point in Pioneer has several large earth mounds that were built between 1650 and 700 BCE. They’re a complete archeological wonder and were constructed by people who had no access to draft animals or sophisticated tools for moving earth.

6. Baton Rouge is the only site of the American Revolution Battle that was fought outside the original 13 colonies.

7. The St. Charles Avenue streetcar in New Orleans is the oldest continuously operating streetcar in the world. It’s been up and running for over 150 years.

8. The ramp knee staircase in the Chretien Point plantation home was copied and used in the movie “Gone with the Wind.”

9. The oldest city in Louisiana is Natchitoches. It just celebrated its 300th anniversary in January, 2014.

10. Marie Laveau wasn’t just New Orleans’ favorite voodoo queen. She was also a popular hairdresser, cutting the locks of free women of color and white creole women.

11. The American version of craps was brought to the US via New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, who was a French-Creole nobleman, playboy and politician.