New Orleans - La Nouvelle-Orléans in French - is the city this time around in our monthly series Streets & Squares. It is one of the three U.S. cities that we present here this year. New Orleans is located along the Mississippi River in the southeastern region of the U.S. state of Louisiana.
Founded in 1718 by French colonists, New Orleans was once the territorial capital of French Louisiana before becoming part of the United States in the Louisiana Purchase of 1803. The French influence is obvious in today’s New Orleans.
As always in Streets & Squares, clicking on the address links leads you to Google Maps, and clicking on the names to the person’s Wikipedia page.
Baudin Street - Nicolas Baudin (1754-1803) was a French explorer, cartographer and naturalist who is most notable for his explorations in Australia and the southern Pacific. But he also visited New Orleans, in 1785. Onboard Caroline, he and his brothers took the last Acadians to Louisiana, and once there, local merchants contracted him to take a cargo of wood, salted meat, cod and flour to Isle de France (now Mauritius). Which he did, departing New Orleans on 14 July 1786. Born in Saint-Martin-de-Ré, Kingdom of France - StreetView
Edith Weston Place - Edith Weston - StreetView
Freret Street - William Freret (1804-1864) was an engineer, merchant and later the Mayor of New Orleans. Born in New Orleans, Territory of Louisiana with British father and Creole mother. - StreetView - Wiki
Henry Clay Avenue - Henry Clay (1777-1852) was an attorney and statesman in whose honor there is also a statue in New Orleans. Why? According to the New Orleans Bar Association Henry Clay did actually visit the city and had other local connections. Money was gathered after his death for a statue, and in 1860 it was placed on Canal Street at the intersection of St. Charles and Royal. Today is resides here. Clay was born in Hanover County, Virginia - StreetView
John Churchill Chase - John Churchill Chase (1905–1986) was a cartoonist and writer, known for his editorial cartoons, and his works on the history of his native New Orleans and Louisiana - StreetView
Johnny Jackson Jr Boulevard - Johnny Jackson Jr. (1943-2018) was a New Orleans politician, and city councilman from 1986 to 1994. He was born in New Orleans - StreetView -
Morrice Duncan Drive - Morrice Duncan - StreetView -
Norman C. Francis Parkway - Norman Francis (1931- ) academic, long-time president of Xavier University of Louisiana. Born in Lafayette, Louisiana, he was the first Black and first lay president of the school, and the second African American to ever serve as president of a Catholic university in the United States - StreetView - Wiki
Poydras Street - Julien de Lallande Poydras (1746-1824) French American merchant, planter, political leader and a catalyst in the promotion of Louisiana statehood. Born in Rezé, Kingdom of France - StreetView - Wiki
St. Charles Avenue - Carlo Borromeo (1538-1584) was a cardinal, reformer and the Archbishop of Milan. The street is named for him as he was the patron saint of Charles III of Spain, the monarch when France transferred the then-vast territory of Louisiana to Spain at the conclusion of the Seven Years' War in 1763. Born in Castle of Arona, Duchy of Milan - StreetView - Wiki
Ulloa Street - Antonio de Ulloa (1716-1795) was a Spanish naval officer, explorer and scientist. Following the defeat of France in the Seven Years' War, Ulloa was appointed as the first Spanish governor of Louisiana in 1766. His rule was strongly resisted by the French Creole colonists in New Orleans, who expelled him from the city in the Louisiana Rebellion of 1768. Ulloa was born in Seville, Spanish Empire. StreetView
Ursula Spencer Way - Ursula Spencer - StreetView - Wiki
The flag of New Orleans
A to Z FROM NEW ORLEANS
i.e. a list of people born in New Orleans. Just another fun way to know something more of the city, picking a person or two for each alphabet. Only the year of birth given here. To be continued.
A – Louis Armstrong* trumpeter/composer/ singer (1901)
B – Joseph E. Bernard* actor (1880) - Ruth R. Benerito* chemist/ inventor of wrinkle-free cotton (1916)
C – John Churchill Chase* cartoonist/writer (1905) - Truman Capote* novelist/ screenwriter/actor (1924) - Harry Connick Jr.* singer/ composer/actor (1967)
D –
E –
F – William Freret (1804-1864) engineer/merchant/Mayor of New Orleans (1804)
G – Myra Clark Gaines* socialite/ plaintiff in the longest-running lawsuit (1804)
H – Gloria Henry* actress (Dennis the Menace) (1923)
I –
J – Mahalia Jackson* gospel singer (1911) - Johnny Jackson Jr.* politician/city councilman (1943)
K – Robert Kelley* football running back (1992)
L – Norbert Lillieux* Louisiana Creole chemical engineer and inventor (1806) - Dorothy Lamour* actress/ singer (1914) - Sabrina Le Beauf* actress (1958)
M – Jelly Roll Morton* pianist/bandleader/composer (1890) - Peyton Manning* football quarterback (1976) - Anthony Mackie* actor (1978)
N – Ed Nelson* actor (Peyton Place) (1928)
O – Lee Harvey Oswald* assassin of JFK (1939) - Lisette Oropesa* opera singer/of Cuban descent (1983)
P – Pauley Perrette* actress (NCIS)/singer (1969) - Tyler Perry* actor (1969)
Q –
R – Max Rafferty* writer/ educator/politician (1917)
S – Carol Sutton* actress (1944) - Richard Simmons* fitness instructor/actor (1948)
T – Ben Turpin* actor/comedian (1869)
U –
V – Ronnie Virgets* journalist/ writer/commentator (1942)
W – Carl Weathers* Am. football player/actor (1948) - Reese Witherspoon* actress (1976)
X –
Y – Andrew Young* politician/ diplomat/activist (1932)
Z –
Updated 18.5.2023