A political hurricane in the Cajun State

FUN WITH MAPS – ISSUE 2021-166 DAILY FEATURE:

By Steve Kovacs (Introduction by Chuck Gibson)

LOVELAND, OH (August 30, 2021) – In Issue 2021-166 of Steve Kovacs Fun with Maps, we’re watching Louisiana and the rest of the Gulf Coast as they feel the impact of Hurricane Ida.

THE KINGFISH PLUS HURRICANES

As all eyes are on Louisiana today because of devastation by Ida and the anniversary of Katrina, it is also a state holiday in Louisiana today – Huey P. Long Day. Huey Long, aka the Kingfish, was the 40th Governor of the State of Louisiana (1928-1932) and a US Senator from 1932 until his assassination in 1935. Long was a populist who ran under the slogan, “Every man a king, no one wears a crown.”  Had he been alive, he almost surely would have been a candidate for President in the 1936 election.

Cheered on by the Cajuns, he instituted free textbooks in school, established night schools to make education more accessible to all, proposed a redistribution of wealth, and created a public works project surpassing other Southern states.  The State Capitol, built during his administration, remains the tallest Capitol building to this day. His assassination gave him a legendary status in Louisiana politics and established a family dynasty to follow in his footsteps.

Here is Greenleaf’s map of Louisiana from 1842.

Steve Kovacs and his wife Theresa reside in Loveland, Ohio where they raised their two children. He is a passionate collector of antique maps.

Visit his antique map boutique world-on-paper online. Watch for his daily feature Steve Kovacs: Antique Maps & Fun Facts here on Loveland Beacon.