Louisiana State Archives

Louisiana State Archives - Annual Open House - Thursday, October 8, 2026

Ever wondered what goes on behind the scenes at the Louisiana State Archives? Come and see for yourself! We invite you to join us for the Annual Open House event in celebration of Archives Month.

https://www.zeffy.com/en-US/ticketing/louisiana-state-archives-open-house

Ladislas Lazaro served as the first Hispanic American to represent Louisiana in Congress. Lazaro was born near Ville Platte, Louisiana, and his early career was not political in nature. The future congressman did not begin his professional career with political aspirations; rather, he attended medical school in Kentucky and would return to Louisiana serving as a family physician. It was not until Lazaro was married and had children that he would join the political landscape. After becoming concerned with educational issues in his local parish, he joined the school board in 1904, and very quickly he rose to become president. In 1907, he announced his candidacy for the state senate and won and was reelected in 1912. In 1913, an open congressional seat allowed Lazaro to become the first Hispanic American to represent Louisiana in Congress and the second Hispanic American to serve in Congress with full voting rights. He held the position until his death in 1927.

ON THIS DAY IN LOUISIANA HISTORY

On September 29, 1810, the West Florida Convention sent a letter to Louisiana Governor William C.C. Claiborne to declare independence for the Republic of West Florida by order of Convention, signed by the convention’s president John Rhea.

This took place just a few days after a group of rebels from Louisiana’s Florida Parishes led by Philemon Thomas stormed the Spanish fort at Baton Rouge, overwhelmed the garrison, and proclaimed the Republic of West Florida on September 23. Prior to the rebellion, the area known as West Florida remained under Spanish control as it was not included in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. After the rebellion, President James Madison ordered Governor Claiborne to claim the territory for the U.S. The short lived republic only lasted for about seventy-four days. On December 10, 1810, the rebels reluctantly lowered the flag of the Republic of West Florida.

Here is the letter sent to Governor Claiborne on September 29th and the first and last pages of the West Florida Republic Constitution from October 27, 1810 from the Lelia Lee Skipwith Roberts Collection.

Spanish Town is one of Baton Rouge's oldest neighborhoods. Don Carlos de Grand Pré, the former Spanish governor of Baton Rouge, originally established and laid out the neighborhood in 1805. After the failure of Galveztown, a settlement created for Canary Islanders (Isleños), and following the Louisiana Purchase, Grand Pré welcomed the Isleños to this location to help protect the nearby Fort San Carlos. This site was allegedly chosen because it was out of range of cannon fire.

On December 1, 1769, Spanish Governor Alejandro O’Reilly established the Cabildo, the governing body of Spanish Louisiana, along with a new building to house it. The Cabildo depicted in this photograph is the structure we know today, which was constructed between 1795 and 1799 after the Good Friday Fire of 1788 destroyed much of the Vieux Carré. It was designed by Gilberto Guillemard, a French architect and surveyor who also served as a Spanish military officer. While stationed in Havana, Cuba, Guillemard drew inspiration from Spanish and Mediterranean architecture for his designs. He is also known for designing St. Louis Cathedral and the nearby Presbytère.

The Cabildo has been the location of many significant events in Louisiana’s history. It was the site of the official ceremonies for the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, marking the transfer of the Louisiana territory to the United States. In 1853, it became the site of the Louisiana Supreme Court until it moved to its “new” location at 400 Royal Street in 1910.