ITINERARY 
NEW ORLEANS, LA., TO LOBO, TEX. 
The journey westward over the Southern Pacific lines begins at New 
Orleans, one of the largest cities in the United States and one that is 
unique in character, history, environment, and 
economic relations. Founded in 1718 by Capt. 
Hits voot pol Jean de Bienville, as a nucleus of a French settlement 
in America, it was named in honor of the Duke of 
Orleans, the regent of young Louis XV. It was colonized mostly by 
people from France, and a part of the population still follows the cus- 
toms and traditions of their French ancestors. The city consists of 
two portions, presenting the strong contrast of the quaint old French 
with the new American. 
The area of the original palisaded city is now known as the “Vieux 
Carré”; it centers about the old St. Louis Cathedral in the Place 
d’Armes, now Jackson Square, laid out in 1720 by Le Blond de la 
Tour, Bienville’s engineer. A few French and a great many Spanish 
houses, built from 100 to 150 years ago, still remain; once the homes 
of aristocratic and distinguished people, they are now mostly con- 
verted into trading establishments and rooming houses. The Place 
d’Armes has been the scene of many historic events, notably the 
gathering of troops to repel the expected attack of the Natchez 
Indians in 1728, the reception of the Acadians driven from Nova 
Scotia by the British in 1755, the arrival of Gen. Alejandro O’Reilly 
in 1769 to take possession after the transfer of the colony from France 
to Spain, and the triumphant return of Gen. Andrew Jackson from 
the Battle of New Orleans January 8, 1815. Here also were made 
the three great transfers of Louisiana Territory subsequent to the 
treaties of cession—first from France to Spain in 1764, then from 
Spain to France in 1803, and finally, in 1803, from France to the 
United States, a transaction very distressing to many of its Creole 
inhabitants but resulting quickly in marked increases in property 
values and population. 
_ The cathedral, erected in 1795 by Don Almonaster y Roxas, who 
is buried under the altar, replaced a small church built in 1718 and 
destroyed by fire in 1788. Next door is the Cabildo, built in 1795 for 
the Spanish Legislature and for nearly a century the seat of govern- 
ment. Adjoining the cathedral is the Presbytére, formerly the house 
of the Capuchin priests, used later for the civil courts of the city. 
New Orleans. 
1 The figures given in this book for population has been estimated, and 
population of incorporated places are such figures are marked with an 
those of the United States Census for asterisk (*), 
1930. For some of the small places the 
