The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1912-05-02
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sIRApEsl Issgi COUNCIL 3
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LOUISIANA AS A STATE.
(By Nenette Fabares, English Grade
B. Belleville SCHOOL,


State, and he delights in nothing more
than to read and hear the history OF
it's past, to learn of the heroic strug'
giles of her noble men and women who
made our State the progressive one
it is at present.
The Louisiana we know differs
greatly from the one that the brave
La Sale and his followers found in
1852. At that time its inhabitants
were barbarious Indians, who lived in
wigwams in the forest. Indeed, the
whole country was vast forest which
was the abode of scores of beasts, and
swamps and bayous were the homes of
aligators and snakes. To-day her mar
velous development of the past one
hundred years is but a forerunner of
the more marvellous development of
the future.
Louisiana was first approached by
DeSoto in 1541. The traitor Joliet and
Father Marquette next descended the
Mississippi in 1873. But the first at
tempt to claim the land was made in
1852 by Robert La Sale, French no.
bleman. Landing his party near the
mouth of the river, La Sale erected a
flag and in the name of the King of
France took possession of all lands
drained by the Mississippi and calling
it Louisiana in honor of the King of
France. Though numerous obstacles
arose that prohibited the growth of
the colony, still it gradually began to
be settled in various parts. Because of
the war with England, in 1853, France
deemed 1t best to cede the colony to
Spain. In 1900 it was receded to
France. When in 1903 President JEFF
ferson proposed to purchase Louisiana,
Napoleon refused, but later changed
his mind and offered to sell the whole
of Louisiana for $15,000,O00. At that
time Louisiana extended from British
America to the Gulf of Mexico, from
the Alleghanies to the Rocky Noun
tains. Territorial governments were
formed and in 1912 the Orleans Terri
tory applied for admission into the
Union.
AS soon as this request was made in
Congress, hot disputes Immediately
arose. Many New Englanders were
bitter in opposition. They declared
the Creoles would never become pros
porous citizens of the United States,
for they thought the Creoles could
never be loyal to any country but
France and Spain, and they were un-
able to see how a territory so recently
purchased as Louisiana could be fit for
statehood. The business associates of
the Louisianians, in the South and
West. were in favor of the Orleans
Territory becoming a State. Joshua
Quincy of Massachusetts, was most bit
ter In opposing the admission. In
speech he declared that If Louisiana
should be admitted as State, the Am
orleans ought to fight, that their fore
fathers had fought to give rights and
liberties to Americans and not to the
mixed races of Louisiana, and any
State in the Union had a right to Sc
cede. But in spite of all this opposi-
Ne Territory of Orleans became
in 1912.
majority of the inhabitants of
S10uisiana were French and Spanish.
The fame of the fertility of Louisiana's
soil had spread throughout the coun-
try, and energetic settlers from other
States soon made their homes in the
colony. In the year of 1911 the popu-
lation was 10000, in 1890 it was 1,1O2.-
535, and in 1910 II was 1,656,SSS.
Biloxi, the first settlement, was es-
tablished in 1899, in southern Missis-
sippi. The first settlement in the
present State of Louisiana was made
at Natchitoches in 171S, then a mere
trading post, now most progressive
city In Ills Bienville founded New
Orleans. 1t is now the largest city in
the South and second port in the Unit
ed States. Shreveport, the second city
in size, is in northwestern Louisiana |
on the Red river in the Caddo parish. |
Baton Rouge, the capital of the State,
is in the southeastern part of Louisi-
ana on the Mississippi river. Monroe,
beautiful little city. is on the banks
OF the Ouachita river. Lake Charles
is situated on an expansion of the Cal
casieu river. Alexandria Is situated
on Red river in Rapides parish. The
soil is exceedingly productive. Natchi-
toches is situated on both sides of the
Cane river. Near the river the soil is
very fertile. Ruston in Lincoln par
ish Is the seat of the Louisiana Indus
trial Institute. Lafayette is south of h
The center of the State and not far from I