<![CDATA[NolaSome - Celebrating New Orleans

<![CDATA[NolaSome - Celebrating New Orleans - The History]]>Wed, 01 Jul 2026 11:00:37 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[THE CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG]]>Sat, 26 Oct 2019 01:59:48 GMThttp://www.nolasome.com/the-history/the-catahoula-leopard-dog

By: Holly Arnold November 2003
Holly passed away in October 2017 but this story she wrote in college brought two of her passions together, dogs and Louisiana.

Holly and Luna

The Catahoula Leopard dog is the state dog of Louisiana, and the only native domesticated dog of the United States.

The dog's history goes back 400 years or more, to the times when the first Europeans came to America and settled in the region around the present day Catahoula Lake, in central Louisiana

Catahoula Lake - thetowntalk.com

The Spanish

Dogs of the Conquistadors - weaponsandwarfare.com

The Spaniards, led by De Soto, came down the Mississippi River and brought dogs of war with them that were used to attack hostile Indians.

These dogs were probably descendants of the Mastiff breed or Wolfhounds.

When the Spaniards moved out, a lot of the dogs were left behind, and many of the Indians who feared these dogs took them in and used them for hunting.

The Indians

Some of these Indians were members of tribes near the Catahoula Lake region, for which the dogs were named. These tribes were believed to be a combination of the Avoyelle, Tunica, Ofo, and Choctaw tribes.

The name Catahoula comes from the Choctaw words "okhata" meaning lake, and "hullo", beloved.

Some of the Indians would use these dogs for hunting and tracking, and loved them so much that some burial sites of the Indians also contained the remains of their dogs.

Native Americans and their dogs - merchdope.com

The French

Female Beauceron Dog - poochinfo.com

Later some of the French settlers brought a spotted dog called the Beauceron, a boar hunter, which is believed to give the Catahoula its unique leopard markings.

The French bred the Beauceron with the native hunting dogs in order to create a more versatile dog. The dogs then interbred with each other and with the native red wolf to create the Catahoula Leopard dog.

Later in Louisiana history, many natives in the area bred these dogs for certain desirable traits, which include hunting, tracking, baying "tree", and working the livestock, hogs in particular.

They would tree raccoons, whose fur could be sold, and flush out wild boar as a food source for the natives in the area.

Today

The Catahoula is now used primarily for tracking and herding livestock.

There have been search and rescue Catahoulas that have tracked the scents of missing children, people fallen overboard into the water, and even identified the murder weapon in a murder trial.

The dogs are very aggressive workers and can herd feral pigs from places that would be hard for a man to go, and round them into an enclosure with the aid of two or three other Catahoulas.

About the Breed

The Catahoula's color is the striking characteristic of the breed. It can be leopard spotted, blue merle, reddish, or black and white.

The Catahoula cracked eyes - Country Roads Magazine

The eyes are usually two different colors, from amber to glassy blue. The eyes can even be "cracked", or have two different colors in the same eye.

The dogs with a lot of white to their coats and glassy eyes are prone to be partially or totally deaf.

They also have webbed paws which help propel them through the Louisiana swamps.

The females are between 55-70 pounds and the males between 60-90 pounds.

They have short, dense coats which help repel water and protect them from the brush, and have strong, sturdy frames.

Loyal and Stubborn Dogs

Because of the Catahoula's desire to work hard and willingness to show off its many talents, this breed can be stubborn and unless trained well and exercised regularly, can be destructive. The dog is very loyal and protective of its family and territory and will not allow strangers onto its property.

State Dog of Louisiana

In 1979 Governor Edwin Edwards signed a bill making the Catahoula Leopard dog the official state dog of Louisiana.

The National Association of Louisiana Catahoulas is based in Denham Springs, LA and is the official registry of the breed, since this breed is not AKC recognized.

Louisiana Governor " Edwin Edwards" - catahoularanch.com

Sources
http://www.eatel.net/~wahya/dog.html
http://www.catahoulaleopard.com/homepg.htm
http://www.thebreedsofdogs.com/CATAHOULA LEOPARD DOG.htm
http://www.sidyboysfoolin.com/Catahoula.html
http://www.wyoag.com/Ingalls/dogs.htm
http://www.catahoulas.com/
http:/ /www.dogbreedinfo.com/catahoula.htm
http://www.catahoulas.org/catahoula.htm
http://www.centralpets.com/pages/critterpages/mammals/dogs/DOG309l .shtml
http://www.louisianasongs.com/song09.htm
http://www.ukcdogs.com/breeds/herdingdogs/louisianacatahoulaleoparddog.std.sh tml
http://www.donabney.com/information.shtml
http://www.sec.state.la.us/around/facts/facts-E.htm
http://www.gov.state.Ia.us/kids/symbols.htm
http://www.senate.gov/~breaux/kids symbols.html
http://www.beautifulunitedstates.com/louisiana symbols.htm

]]><![CDATA[JAZZ FEST: THE FLAGS]]>Tue, 07 May 2019 02:13:18 GMThttp://www.nolasome.com/the-history/jazz-fest-the-flagsNew Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival flags serve multiple purposes and are as diverse and colorful as the people standing under them.

THE FLAGPOLE

Before we discuss the many flags found on the fields by the stages we have to pay homage to “The Flagpole.”

Those of us who have been attending Jazz Fest for years have used the permanent flagpole in the middle of the fairgrounds as a meeting point.

Before cell phones it was the place to meet if you ever got separated from your family or friends.

“The Flagpole” should be considered an historical land mark as important Washington Artillery Park cannon across from Jackson Square.

The Flagpole @ Jazz Fest: Photo Credit NolaSome

Washington Artillery Park cannon across from Jackson Square: Photo Credit Trip Advisor

RUNNERS

The most important person to your Jazz Festing Krewe is "The Runner." He/she is the person who makes sure to get to Jazz fest early with the flag and a tarp or blanket.

"The Runner" has to be quick to get a prime piece of land. They need to plant their flag and lay out the tarp or blanket to claim their piece of land.

SQUATTERS

Once they have done all of this they can now claim “squatters rights.”

A wonderful thing about these “squatters rights” is that it is respected and defended by neighboring squatters.

On several occasions I have witnessed those unfamiliar with our unwritten rules, move chairs and blankets, but neighboring squatters will almost always step in to chase these carpetbaggers away.

Those friends who sleep in and simply stroll up to the flag after noon owe much to the runners and squatters.

FIND ME UNDER THE PICKLE

The most obvious purpose of the flags is to let everyone know where your party is. The flag serves as a home base while everyone is running from stage to stage.

With hundreds of thousands of people attending Jazz Fest annually, it is nearly impossible to find someone without these landmarks.

For those who do not bring flags you can simply set up camp near someone else’s flag and send a pic of it to all of those looking to meet up.

MY FLAG IS WHO I AM

With so many flags you have to be creative so as to stand apart from all the others.

I counted dozens of Saints and LSU flags which would make it hard to tell someone where to find you. That is why these flags never stand alone.

Flying multiple flags on a single pole makes it unlikely that yours will match any others. A combination of common flags tell us about who is near them. The unique flags can tell us even more.

These flags often tell us where you are from, where you went to school, what team you support, what music you like, what you like to drink and eat, or even lets us know that a squatter believes in aliens.

TRADITION

The flags have become as much a part of Jazz Fest as the music or the food. The landscape of the Acura Stage field would look naked without them.

]]><![CDATA[THE ROLLING STONES AND THE METERS]]>Thu, 02 May 2019 04:10:08 GMThttp://www.nolasome.com/the-history/the-rolling-stones-and-the-meters

Second Thursday

The second Thursday of the 50th New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival was to be historic as The Rolling Stones were set to headline. For medical reasons The Stones had to cancel their appearance and postpone their "No Filter" U.S. Tour.

The Rolling Stones meet the Meters

The Rolling Stones have close ties to New Orleans and our music. Their ties are especially close with the “Founders of Funk,” The Meters.

The Meters were going to do their European tour as the house band for New Orleans greats, Dr. John, Professor Longhair and Snooks Eaglin.

That was Europe’s first taste of the Meters, and the response was overwhelming. While touring, The Meters met The Beatles, The Rolling Stones and Rod Stewart and his band, Faces.

In 1975 Paul McCartney invited The Meters to play a party on the Queen Mary in California. Mick Jagger was at the party and was enamored with the Meters and their sound.

The Meters tour with the Rolling Stones

Mick Jagger became such a fan of The Meters that he wanted them to tour together. The Stones invited The Meters to tour with them in the U.S. in 1975 and Europe in 1976.

The Meters felt as if they needed a lead singer to tour with The Rolling Stones. The Meters added Art Neville’s younger brother Cyril Neville on vocals and percussion.

The Meters with Cyril Neville, Photo from Thebluesmobile.com

After the Meters Broke up Zigaboo Modeliste toured with Keith Richards and Ron Wood.

The Meters and The Rolling Stones remain close to this day.

The Meters and The Rolling Stones, Photo from George Porter's Facebook page

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