East Baton Rouge Parish History
The second largest city in Louisiana, Baton Rouge was established as a military post by the French in 1719. Baton Rouge dates back to 1699, when French explorer Sieur d'Iberville leading an exploration party up the Mississippi River saw a reddish cypress pole festooned with bloody animals and fish that marked the boundary between the Native Houma and Bayou Goula tribal hunting grounds. They called the tree "le baton rouge, " or red stick. The native name for the site had been Istrouma. In 1810, when the Spanish were overthrown by local settlers, approximately 1,000 persons resided in the Baton Rouge vicinity. The people declared themselves independent and renamed this area the West Florida Republic. In a few months, the territory was annexed by Louisiana and was divided. At that time, in the year 1811 East Baton Rouge Parish was created.  East Baton Rouge is one of the four parishes in the state of Louisiana to retain its original boundary lines.  In the year 1820, Baton Rouge was incorporated, and received its charter; since then, it has risen to the proportions of a city, and has become the capital of the State of Louisiana.
The State-House at Baton Rouge was erected in 1847.
During the war, the capital was relocated several times - On May 29, 1862, Union troops occupied Baton Rouge. The capital was moved back to New Orleans, and in 1882 the center of government was returned to Baton Rouge. At that time the City had a population of 7,197.  In the 1930s, a new Louisiana State Capitol Building was again built in Baton Rouge, under the direction of Huey P. Long.

Cities
Baker *  Baton Rouge * Central City * Zachary

Census-designated places and other Unincorporated Communities
Baywood * Brownfields * Gardere * Inniswold * Merrydale * Monticello
 * Oak Hills Place * Old Jefferson * Shenandoah * Village St. George * Westminster