SLS 22RS-2967 ORIGINAL
2022 Regular Session
SENATE RESOLUTION NO. 117
BY SENATOR SMITH
SPECIAL DAY/WEEK/MONTH. Recognizes May 12, 2022, as St. John the Baptist Parish
Day at the Louisiana State Capitol.
1 A RESOLUTION
2 To recognize Thursday, May 12, 2022, as St. John the Baptist Parish Day at the Louisiana
3 State Capitol and to acknowledge the many contributions of culture, beauty, and
4 economic prosperity made to the state by St. John the Baptist Parish citizens.
5 WHEREAS, located on the east and the west banks of the Mississippi River and
6 uniquely positioned between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, St. John the Baptist Parish is
7 home to some 41,000 residents in Edgard, Garyville, Mount Airy, LaPlace, Lucy, Pleasure
8 Bend, Reserve, and Wallace; and
9 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Parish was the second permanent settlement in
10 Louisiana and was established in the early 1720s by a group of Germans, hence becoming
11 known as "La Cote des Allemands" or "The German Coast"; and
12 WHEREAS, led by Karl Frederic D'Arensbourg, a settlement was created on the west
13 bank of the Mississippi River in the area now known as Lucy, and families also began
14 farming land on the east bank, in what is now Garyville and Reserve; and
15 WHEREAS, D'Arensbourg's grandson, Jacques Villere, was born in Lucy and
16 became the second governor of the state of Louisiana; he was the first Louisiana-born Creole
17 person of pure European descent to hold that office; and
18 WHEREAS, in 1807 the territory of Orleans was divided into twelve counties,
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1 including the German Coast County and was later divided into 19 parishes and St. John the
2 Baptist Parish was established; and
3 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Parish's culture provides tourists worldwide with
4 a change of scenery and an opportunity to take in the beauty of antebellum homes and
5 churches, and a chance to enjoy recreational opportunities with miles of trails available for
6 walking and biking, several boat launches that provide access to beautiful rivers and lakes,
7 swamp tours, and a zipline through the swamp; and
8 WHEREAS, some of the parish's greatest assets are good seafood and the unique
9 flavor of andouille sausage; St. John the Baptist Parish is known as the Andouille Capitol
10 of the World and hosts an annual andouille festival in October highlighting the delectable
11 sausage with a three-day weekend of musical entertainment, arts and crafts vendors,
12 activities, and carnival rides for all ages; andouille is a true representation of the nationalities
13 that settled in the region; and
14 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Parish's economic base is supported by the
15 petrochemical, grain, and steel industries which flourish along the Mississippi River from
16 Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico; the parish has a diverse labor force, a multi-modal
17 transportation network, abundant raw materials, and available land for residential,
18 commercial, and industrial development; and
19 WHEREAS, the largest tonnage port district in America, which is a major incentive
20 and a gateway for United States export and import traffic, is located in St. John the Baptist
21 Parish; the parish's location along the Mississippi River and the transportation network of
22 highways, railroads, and a small airport make the parish easily accessible for business and
23 industry; and
24 WHEREAS, St. John the Baptist Parish is truly unique in history, recreation,
25 industry, food, location, and overall culture.
26 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Senate of the Legislature of Louisiana
27 does hereby recognize Thursday, May 12, 2022, as St. John the Baptist Parish Day at the
28 Louisiana State Capitol and does hereby acknowledge the many contributions of culture,
29 beauty, and economic prosperity made to the state by St. John the Baptist Parish citizens.
30 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to St.
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1 John the Baptist Parish President, Jaclyn Hotard.
The original instrument and the following digest, which constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument, were prepared by Celeste D. Ellis.
DIGEST
SR 117 Original 2022 Regular Session Smith
Recognizes Thursday, May 12, 2022, as St. John the Baptist Parish Day at the Louisiana
State Capitol.
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