Religion in Young Baton Rouge

Posted on: February 28, 2025
by: Zora Olsson, Church Historian

Last month, we talked about the early missionaries of the late 17th

century who ministered in what was called the Mississippi Valley. Now we shift our attention to what was happening specifically in Louisiana in the early 18th century.

During the early years of its history, the inhabitants of the unique village of Baton Rouge (formerly called Red Stick) did not possess the right to religious freedom. Dominion over this rich and desirable area of the New World shifted from country to country through exploration or by treaty rights. France, England and Spain each claimed a portion of Louisiana which was referred to as the West Florida Parishes of which Baton Rouge was a part. Immediately after acquisition, each country made an attempt to colonize its new possession and impose its own set of rules and restrictions upon the settlers. The French required settlers to worship in the Catholic faith.

In 1720, Bernard and Pierre D’Artaguiette received a land grant settlement from France called Red Stick. In 1722, Diron D’Artaguiette held that this settlement was populated by “50 souls.” On New Year’s Day 1727, Father Pierre Francois-Xavier de Charlevoix celebrated the first mass in Baton Rouge. This was the first record of a religious service in Baton Rouge and probably the only one held for many years.

In 1763, the Treaty of Paris was signed in which England acquired from France all lands east of the Mississippi River except the Isle of Orleans. This placed Baton Rouge, which was renamed New Richmond, under the English flag. The British required all holders of French land grants to pledge allegiance to the King of England if they wished to retain their property, and worship God in the Catholic religion. This requirement had no effect on New Richmond, for at that time the Houma Indians appear to have been the only inhabitants of the bluff, and Catholic priests traveling up and down the river probably visited the tribes.

The English made numerous land grants along the bluffs of the Mississippi River (this former bluffs path along the river is now known as Highland Road) at New Richmond to Englishmen from New England and the England along with several Scotsmen. By 1775, between 10 and 15 men lived in New Richmond engaged in stave making (wood or iron strips used in barrel making), slave trading and the sale of contraband goods.

Enter the Scotsman William Dunbar, descended from a long line of Presbyterians, who came to America in 1771.

To be continued next month.

Posted in: Church History

Celebrating 200 Years of First Presbyterian, Part 1

Posted on: January 31, 2025
by: Zora Olsson, Church Historian

As we think about celebrating First Presbyterian Church’s two hundred years, let’s begin by looking back to see how far we have come. This begins a series of looking back on that history.

What was it like to be a missionary in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries in Louisiana? At that time there were no real roads, trains, or cars; it was foot, horse, or boat. The political environment and language barriers (French to Spanish, Spanish to English, then back again) added to the difficulties. Many cultures had arrived and the various Native American tribes each had their own religion and way of life.

Missionaries looking to plant a church were a completely new thought. They wanted to bring the hostile natives to God but the population was spread out over great distances. Many of the tribes were rough and preferred living without the supervision missionaries imposed. The political situation at that time didn't help. Trying to plant new churches was not an easy accomplishment, especially for Protestants.

The first missionaries to come into the Mississippi Valley (what is now Louisiana, Mississippi and Arkansas) were sent from the Carolinas and Virginia by four denominations within two decades. The Baptists came by boat down the Holston River into Tennessee where they settled to Coles Creek north of Natchez Mississippi Territory in 1780. Reverend Adam Cloud, an Episcopalian, settled on Catherine’s Creek in the same area in 1792. One Methodist clergyman, Reverend Tobias Gibson, went to Nashville by horseback, sold the horse, purchased a canoe and rowed it to Natchez. Three Presbyterian ministers, Reverends William Montgomery, James Hall, and James Bowman, explored that country in 1801 organizing groups of Protestants for religious work and worship.

All encountered the same dangers and hardships, some worse than others. While the missionaries hoped to teach the natives religion and love, the Spanish were spreading suspicion and hate. Smallpox brought by the Europeans was epidemic among the natives while also taking the lives of many missionaries.

This region was under English control until 1783 when they ceded to the United States. On the strength of a secret clause in the treaty, the Spaniards took charge and retained possession of the region until June, 1798. Many settlers at that time had received land grants for their service in the Revolutionary War and brought their families to settle on the land. Under Spanish rule, adult Protestants could worship as they wished but no more than eight persons could attend. All children were required to be baptized by a Catholic priest and be raised in the Catholic faith. Protestant ministers were not permitted to preach, baptize, or perform marriages or funerals. Those who did, were sent to Spain to stand trial. In addition, only Catholics were allowed to settle within Spanish domain. Those who were not Catholic were required to renounce their religion and convert.

Several churches were established in the region. After some time, they organized into a unit to form a larger body for representation on the national level. In 1815, the synod of Kentucky formed which consisted of Presbyterian churches in Mississippi, Louisiana, parts of Arkansas and parts of Alabama. The Kentucky synod joined together with the other denominations to counter the immorality prevalent in the territory.

Stay tuned for our next installment on the founding of First Presbyterian Church of Baton Rouge!

Posted in: Church History