Wow. In Louisiana history, small towns really pack a punch. There have been some really incredible events occur in the smallest towns that you might not have ever realized happen! Here are some amazing moments in Louisiana history—in the smallest towns:
1. Port Hudson, LA: May 22nd-July 9th, 1863 --Longest Siege in US Military History
For 48 days during the Civil War, a siege at Port Hudson that lasted for months resulted in more than 12,000 deaths and led to the Union taking complete control of the Mississippi River.
2. Minden, LA : May 1, 1933 --Most Destructive Tornado to Ever Hit Louisiana
On May 1st, 1933, 28 people died and more than 400 were injured in a major tornado that struck the community of Minden, LA, causing more than $1.2 million in damage.
3. Gibsland, LA: May 23rd, 1934 -- Bonnie and Clyde Ambushed and Murdered
After a historic and captivating life of crime, Bonnie and Clyde’s reign ended on a rural road outside of Gibsland, LA. It was a bitter end to a story that had captured the nation’s attention.
4. Natchitoches, LA: March 4, 1965 – Largest Natural Gas Pipeline Disaster In U.S. History
In the largest natural gas disaster in U.S. history, 17 people were killed after a gas pipeline exploded, destroying five homes, making national headlines and prompting then president Lyndon B. Johnson to increase regulation.
5. Delcambre, LA: November 20, 1980 -- Lake Peigneur Sinkhole
An epic sinkhole was created outside of Delcambre, LA when a Texaco oil rig accidently drilled into an underground salt mine. A chain of events temporarily created the largest waterfall to ever exist in Louisiana, at more than 164 feet, pictured here.
6. Jena, LA: September 20, 2007 -- Jena Six Protests
In the small town of Jena, (population 3,000,) more than 20,000 demonstrators gathered from around the country to protest the treatment of the "Jena Six," a group of six African-American high schoolers in the town who had been accused and convicted of attacking a white student and were facing decades in prison.
7. Bayou Corne, LA: August 3rd, 2012 -- Texas Brine Sinkhole
The still ongoing saga of the Texas Brine Sinkhole began in early August 2012 when an evacuation order for 350 residents was issued and a sinkhole, which would grow to encompass more than 35 acres of land, began to form.
Did you know all of these events? Which one stood out to you the most? What did we miss? Let us know in the comments below!!
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