Baton Rouge, Louisiana (Hayward)

Baton Rouge, La. Capital of the state, and seat of justice of East Baton Rouge Parish. Situated on the E. bank of the Mississippi, 117 miles above New Orleans. It consists chiefly of one street, which is built on a gentle swell of land, 40 or 50 feet above high-water mark. The seat of government has lately been established at this place.  It contains four or five churches of different denominations, a court house, jail, penitentiary, and U.S. barracks, which are fine buildings, standing on elevated ground, a short distance E. of the town. This is the seat of Baton Rouge College. (See Colleges.) As it is only since December, 1849, that Baton Rouge became the capital of the state, no account of the public buildings can be given at present.