Ask Louisianans to name a famous naturalist, and John J. Audubon’s name will top the list.
It’s understandable, with Audubon’s name prominently attached to everything from zoos and aquariums to bridges and parks and, yes, even a golf trail.
Audubon visited Louisiana often, spent lots of time in New Orleans and even based his portfolio, “Birds of America,” on many of the birds he collected and documented while living in St. Francisville.
But Audubon wasn’t the first naturalist to document Louisiana’s natural landscape and its inhabitants. That distinction goes to William Bartram, who made his way through the Louisiana territory in 1775, a year before the Declaration of Independence was signed and 10 years before Audubon’s birth.
Proof is in the markers
Doubts? Well, proof is found in the historic markers documenting Bartram’s trail through the Baton Rouge area, each bearing a local passage from his book, “Travels of William Bartram.”…