Forgotten Baton Rouge

Discover Baton Rouge's bygone days of booming growth and the influence of its renowned residents.

For nearly two centuries, Baton Rouge remained a sleepy little river town. Situated on the first bluffs of the Mississippi River north of the Gulf of Mexico, it was prime real estate for habitation. Images of America: Forgotten Baton Rouge collects a plethora of lost images of this city's greatest period of expansion: from the 1890s to the 1930s. This era began when Louisiana State University moved to the grounds of the old US Army arsenal, followed by a corporate decision from John D. Rockefeller to build a Standard Oil Company refinery at Baton Rouge. These historic decisions, coupled with the forward-thinking actions of bold businessmen and politicians like Robert A. Hart and Huey P. Long, changed the face of the city forever.

Author Douglas L. Villien Sr., retired city planner of Baton Rouge, unveils a wealth of historical images of Baton Rouge selected from the archives of Louisiana State University, East Baton Rouge Parish Library, State Library of Louisiana, and private collections. He also wrote Between the Crossroads: A Centennial History of Maurice, Louisiana. He lives in Baton Rouge, where he is a land-planning consultant.