Italians in Louisiana

In the early 1700s, Neapolitan born, Henri de (Enrico) Tonti, a colleague of Robert de la Salle, explored Louisiana and settled in the New France colony. A leader in the community, North Tonti Street in New Orleans honors him and is located just south of Lake Pontchartrain. After the Civil War, planters in southern states…

Italian History

Italians in Texas

Like Christopher Columbus, Italians were often in the employ of the Spanish court during the era of discovery. On Francisco Vasquez de Coronado’s 1540-42 epic expedition from Mexico to Kansas, later termed the search for the “Seven Cities of Gold,” his soldiers included men named Loro, Napolitano, and Romano. Neapolitan, Henri di Tonti, was an…

Italian History