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Jean Baptiste, Sieur de Bienville, admired the sharp curve in the Mississippi River and chose the site for his new French settlement. The crescent-shaped bend gave New Orleans the unique navigational quirks we encounter today.
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Photo by New Orleans: An Illustrated History
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Hey Blake,
One of my daughters who now makes her home in Vancouver, Wash., wants an answer to this question. Can you help? If the West Bank is really the East Bank, why do we call it the West Bank? And is Uptown not really south and downtown not really north? What's the story?
Barbara Albert
Dear Barbara,
Oh, I wished you had asked me to explain something easy, say, the Internal Revenue Service tax laws. Still, I'll do my best.
First of all, if you're going to understand New Orleans geography you have to give up your compass, as it is not much use here. While other cities use north, south, east and west to conform with the directions on the compass, when we use north or south, it's often only to determine which side of Canal Street we are on.
To begin with, our city is now called the Crescent City because when Bienville was picking a location for his new settlement he admired the curve in the river and its proximity to Lake Pontchartrain.
Now imagine that the serpentine Mississippi River ran straight from north to south. Every point on the left or west side -- such as Algiers and Gretna -- would be on the west bank, and those points on the right or east side -- such as the Gambit Communications office -- would be on the east bank. However, because of the severe curves in the river, some points on the "left" bank are actually east of points on the "right" bank. In New Orleans, the sun rises in the east like everywhere else, but if you stand at our World Trade Center, the sun makes its appearance over what we call the West Bank. The Canal Street ferry takes you east to reach the West Bank.
Canal Street is, of course, very important in determining where we are. As you know, Canal Street, the original dividing line between the Vieux Carre and the new American Faubourg St. Mary, and Canal Boulevard extend from the river to the lake and Uptown is actually upriver -- towards Baton Rouge -- and downtown is down river -- toward the mouth. However, again because of the curves in the river, these directions are not necessarily north and south on the compass. So when we give directions they are often expressed as "Uptown," "downtown," "river," and "lake" rather than the conventional north, south, east and west.
One very confusing street indeed is the city's longest street, Claiborne Avenue. It runs from city boundary to city boundary. But South Claiborne from Canal Street generally runs in a northwesterly direction, while North Claiborne generally runs southeasterly.
There, isn't that clear? It's probably about as clear as the muddy Mississippi that causes all this confusion.
Hey Blake,
Who was Dr. Tichenor?
Jackie
Dear Jackie,
Born George Humphrey Tichenor in Kentucky in 1837, he became a surgeon and a chemist. He enlisted in the Confederate Army when the Civil War broke out in 1861. When he was wounded in 1863 and amputation seemed likely, he treated his infected leg himself with an antiseptic he had recently concocted. Miraculously, the infection disappeared and the leg remained. What is also remarkable is that this occurred two years before the same discovery by Dr. Lister in England.
After his discharge, Dr. Tichenor lived for a time in Mississippi where he refined his antiseptic. He tried for years to market his product and even advertised on a van in the first Rex parade of 1872.
He finally patented his antiseptic in 1883, but for the next 22 years he was not successful in achieving fame and fortune. Then he entered into a contract with Arthur D. Parker. Dr. T. worked out a deal in which Parker would manufacture and market his antiseptic, and the Dr. G.H. Tichenor Antiseptic Company Inc. was born.
Dr. T. died in New Orleans in 1923, but before this he was involved in military activities and made additional achievements, including the invention of the first inhaler. His heirs live here still and hold the rights to the formula.
The antiseptic and mouthwash now has nationwide distribution, and the company at 1700 Baronne St. produces millions of bottles a year.
