[DougB]

Originally Posted by Carl in Tampa

The French word baton is generally translated into English as stick.

Thus, the Louisiana capital of Baton Rouge is translated Red Stick.

Why Red Stick? The European-American history of Baton Rouge dates from 1699, when French explorer Sieur d'Iberville leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals that marked the boundary between the Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the pole and its location le bâton rouge, or the red stick.

I love trivia.

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Sacre Bleu