Istrouma is an unincorporated community in East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana, United States. The community is located less than 2 miles (3.2 kilometres) northwest of Baton Rouge and 7 miles (11 kilometres) south of Baker.[2][3]
Istrouma, Louisiana | |
---|---|
Coordinates: 30°28′45″N 91°09′35″W / 30.47917°N 91.15972°W | |
Country | United States |
State | Louisiana |
Parish | East Baton Rouge |
Elevation | 59 ft (18 m) |
Time zone | UTC-6 (Central (CST)) |
• Summer (DST) | UTC-5 (CDT) |
ZIP code | 70805 |
Area code | 225 |
GNIS feature ID | 543220 [1] |
FIPS code | 22-37690 |
Etymology
editIt is speculated that the name of the community is derived from the Choctaw words 'ita humma' which means 'red pole' in the Choctaw language.[4][5]
Red Pole
editOn March 17, 1699 Pierre Le Moyne d'Iberville described the red maypole that he found in the area:
On the 17th of March we reached a small stream at the right of the river at five and a half leagues from our camp, where they gave us to understand there was a great quantity of fish, and where I had nets stretched and caught only two catfish. This river separates the hunting grounds of Bayougoulas and the Houmas. Upon its banks are huts covered with palmetto leaves and a reddened Maypole without branches, with several heads of fish and bears attached in sacrifice. [6]
References
edit- ^ a b U.S. Geological Survey Geographic Names Information System: Istrouma, Louisiana
- ^ William A. Read (October 12, 2008). Louisiana Place Names of Indian Origin: A Collection of Words. University of Alabama Press. pp. 37–. ISBN 978-0-8173-5505-0.
- ^ John Wymond; Henry Plauché Dart (1945). The Louisiana Historical Quarterly. The Louisiana Historical Society.
- ^ Rose Meyers (March 1, 1999). A History of Baton Rouge, 1699–1812. LSU Press. pp. 7–. ISBN 978-0-8071-2431-4.
- ^ André Pénicaut (July 30, 1988). Fleur de Lys and Calumet. University of Alabama Press. pp. 25–. ISBN 978-0-8173-0414-0.
- ^ Historical Society of East and West Baton Rouge (Baton Rouge, La.); Historical Society of East and West Baton Rouge, Baton Rouge, La (1917). Proceedings of the Historical Society of East and West Baton Rouge. The Society. pp. 21–.
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