New Orleans Birthday

Sometime this spring, New Orleans is going to throw itself an amazing three hundredth birthday party. Various websites (here and here) dispute the actual date of the founding of the Crescent City. Some say it was April 16, 1718, when Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville and his crew stepped ashore near the present day upper French Quarter and cut the first cane. Others say it was May 7, 1718, but that story is a bit more loose with the details.

At the 250^th birthday celebration, His Excellency Charles Lucet, French Ambassador to the United States, was guest of honor at the city’s official celebration. Charles’ birthday just happened to be April 16. The date of the banquet was May 7. It is speculated that years later someone came across the printed program from May 7, and declared this is the “true date” of the founding of New Orleans. However, from de Bienville’s own notes, he records on June 12: “We are working at present on the establishment of New Orleans 30 leagues above the entrance to the Mississippi.” The city’s earliest moments recorded so plainly and with little fanfare.

The actual founding date of New Orleans is unknown. The facts say it was during the spring of 1718. Any more definitive than that is a guess. History doesn’t write itself and the founding date of the Big Easy is a prime example. Happy birthday New Orleans! Or, if you’re a local, New Awlins.

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What I’m Reading – Many readers I know like to inquire what their favorite author is reading. At the end of each blog post, I’ll let you know what book I have my nose in. I may not be a published author yet, but I hope my choice of reading material inspires you to read. I finished reading Create Your Writer Platform by Chuck Sambuchino. My review is on Goodreads and Amazon.com. I returned to Ellis Peters’ Brother Cadfael series and currently reading book four, Saint Peter’s Fair. I encourage you to read a variety of topics.