Facts
About Louisiana:
Just
in case Hurricane Katrina causing the levees to break in New Orleans
is the only thing you know about Louisiana, here are a few more interesting
facts about the Bayou State:
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Louisiana
has the tallest state capitol building in the nation at 450 feet.
The
Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans is the largest enclosed stadium
in the world.
The
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway is the longest over-water bridge in the
world at 23.87 miles Louisiana 's 6.5 million acres of wetlands are
the greatest wetland area in America .
The
oldest city in the Louisiana Purchase Territory is Natchitoches Louisiana
founded in 1714.
The
first bottler of Coca-Cola, Joseph Biedenharn, lived in Monroe, Louisiana
and was one of the founders of Delta Air Lines, initially called Delta
Air Service.
Delta
Airlines got its start in Monroe , Louisiana when County Agent, C.E.
Woolman, decided to try dusting the Boll Weevil that was destroying
the Cotton crops in the Mississippi River Delta from an airplane.
It was the first crop dusting service in the world.
Southern
University in Baton Rouge, Louisiana is the largest predominantly
black university in America
Baton
Rouge was the site of the only American Revolution battle outside
the original 13 colonies.
The
formal transfer of the Louisiana Purchase was made at the Cabildo
building in New Orleans on December 20, 1803.
The
staircase at Chrétien Point, in Sunset, Louisiana was copied
for Tara in "Gone with the Wind."
Louisiana
is the No. 1 producer of crawfish, alligators and shallots in America
.
Louisiana
produces 24 percent of the nation's salt, the most in America.
Much
of the world's food, coffee and oil pass through the Port of New Orleans
.
Tabasco,
a Louisiana product, holds the second oldest food trademark in the
U.S. Patent Office.
Steen's
Syrup Mill in Abbeville, Louisiana is the world's largest syrup plant
producing sugar cane syrup.
America
's oldest rice mill is in New Iberia, Louisiana at KONRIKO Co.
The
International Joke Telling Contest is held annually in Opelousas,
Louisiana .
LSU
(The Ole War Skule) in Baton Rouge has the distinction of contributing
the most officers to WW II after the U.S. military academies.
The
Louisiana Hayride radio show helped Hank Williams, Elvis Presley and
Johnny Cash achieve stardom. It was broadcast from KWKH Radio in Shreveport,
Louisiana from 1948 to 1960.
The
term Uncle Sam was coined on the wharfs of New Orleans before Louisiana
was a U.S. territory as goods labeled U.S. were from "Uncle Sam."
The
game of craps was invented in New Orleans in 1813 as betting was common
activity on the wharves.
When
states had their own currency, the Louisiana Dix (French for ten)
was a favored currency for trade. English speakers called Dixies and
coined the term Dixieland.
New
Orleans is the home of the oldest pharmacy in America at 514 Chartres
Street in the French Quarter. These early medical mixtures became
known as cocktails (guess they were good for what ails ya?) coining
yet another term.
New
Orleans is the birthplace of Jazz, the only true American art form.
Jazz gave birth to the Blues and Rock and Roll music.
Viva
La Louisiane!!!
