Settlement Of The German Coast

Settlement Of The German Coast (HM1M8E)

Location: Destrehan, LA 70047 St. Charles Parish
Buy Louisiana State flags at Flagstore.com!
Country: United States of America
Buy United States of America flags at Flagstore.com!

N 29° 57.251', W 90° 23.177'

  • 0 likes
  • 0 check ins
  • 0 favorites
  • 560 views
Inscription
Of the thousands that departed France, only 300 German immigrants trickled in to the French Colony of Louisiana in 1721, deluded by John Law's Company of the West propaganda describing Louisiana as "a land filled with gold, silver, copper and lead mines." These Germans were given land on the "coast" about 25 miles from New Orleans where they built three villages, Hoffen, Marienthal and Augsburg, modeled upon European towns in which houses were stretched out along the only road running through the village.

Germans readily married into French families, adopted the French language and even accepted Gallicized versions of their names. Crops planted that first year were tobacco, corn, rice, beans, peas and other vegetables. By 1724 Germans located on the Coast were already diverting their surplus agricultural products to the New Orleans markets, becoming the only dependable source of fresh foodstuffs and earning the reputation of being the Colony's breadbasket. By the end of the French era, the German settlement was supplying, especially to the Capital, large amounts of meat, grain, vegetables and other products. Their kitchen gardens were full of fruit trees and their barnyards were full of hogs, cattle and fowls of all kinds. By the end of the Spanish era, the German Coast had become so well known for its abundance that it acquired the designation of Gold Coast. The Germans were not only an important economic force but also played a significant political role in the Colony, particularly in the Rebellion of 1768 against the Spanish rule. The Cotes des Allemands was renowned at the time of the Louisiana Purchase as the best cultivated part of Louisiana.

What is called here "The German Coast" is the most industrious, the most populous, the most at ease, the most upright, the most respected part of the inhabitants of this colony.
Colonial Prefect of Louisiana Laussat to the Minister of the Interior of France, 1803
Details
HM NumberHM1M8E
Tags
Placed ByGerman Coast Community Heritage Project
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, July 27th, 2015 at 2:04pm PDT -07:00
Pictures
Sorry, but we don't have a picture of this historical marker yet. If you have a picture, please share it with us. It's simple to do. 1) Become a member. 2) Adopt this historical marker listing. 3) Upload the picture.
Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)15R E 752246 N 3316582
Decimal Degrees29.95418333, -90.38628333
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 29° 57.251', W 90° 23.177'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds29° 57' 15.06" N, 90° 23' 10.62" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)985, 225
Which side of the road?Marker is on the right when traveling North
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 13786 River Rd, Destrehan LA 70047, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

Is this marker missing? Are the coordinates wrong? Do you have additional information that you would like to share with us? If so, check in.

Check Ins  check in   |    all

Have you seen this marker? If so, check in and tell us about it.

Comments 0 comments

Maintenance Issues
  1. Is this marker part of a series?
  2. What historical period does the marker represent?
  3. What historical place does the marker represent?
  4. What type of marker is it?
  5. What class is the marker?
  6. What style is the marker?
  7. Does the marker have a number?
  8. What year was the marker erected?
  9. This marker needs at least one picture.
  10. Can this marker be seen from the road?
  11. Is the marker in the median?