Episode 203: So, Who Was Bienville?

If you have lived in New Orleans for any time at all you have heard about this fellow referred to simply as “Bienville” –although his baptismal name was Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville. The native of Montreal gets the credit for founding New Orleans and being the Louisiana territory’s colonial governor as part of the exploits, for the French crown, with his explorer big brother Iberville. Historian Sally Asher joins Louisiana Life Executive Editor Errol Laborde, and podcast producer Kelly Massicot, to tell about the founder and his many quirks, including a fondness for tattoos and an ability to communicate with local native tribes. Then there is the story about how he once fooled the British. There is a Louisiana parish and a prominent New Orleans street named after him, plus there is a statue in the French Quarter. There are also lots of stories and we will tell a few of them.