Louisiana is a unique state…but I didn’t realize it was this unique! From the amazing to the sad to the downright disgusting, there are all kinds of things that go on in this state. Here are 10 things you might have trouble believing about our state!

1) True Detective was based on a true story…sort of.
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10 years ago, the town of Pontchatoula was rocked by the revelation that there was a satanistic cult performing child molestation and animal sacrifices posing as a local church.
2) Po-boys were invented during a streetcar workers strike.
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The story goes that Benny and Clovis Martin were former streetcar conductors who owned a New Orleans restaurant. They served the striking streetcar workers sandwiches while calling the strikers "poor boys". Soon the sandwich adopted the name.
3) Florists in Louisiana are the only florists in the country who have to take an exam to receive a license.
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The exam once had a failure rate twice that of the bar exam.
4) Musician Huddie Ledbetter, aka “Lead Belly”, sang his way to freedom.
Wikicommons / Public Domain
While serving time in Louisiana’s legendary Angola Prison Farm, he was visited by folklorists John and Alan Lomax. Over a period of a year, they recorded hundreds of his songs and eventually petitioned the then Governor Oscar K. Allen, who released him.
5) 5 of the 6 longest bridges in the United States are in Louisiana.
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They are, in order: Lake Pontchartrain Causeway, Manchac Swamp Bridge, Atchafalaya Basin Bridge, Louisiana Highway 1 Bridge, and the Bonnet Carre Spillway.

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6) There was once a plan to raise hippos in Louisiana.
Wikicommons / Loadmaster
During the 1900’s, congress was faced with a meat shortage. One idea that was floated around was to bring in hippos to the underdeveloped Louisiana swamps and use them to eat the invasive water hyacinth plant.
7) Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen is not named after the famous cartoon character of the same name.
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Popeye was named after Gene Hackman’s character "Popeye" Doyle from The French Connection.
8) The Louisiana Bar exam is 21 hours long.
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It's the only bar exam that does not test on consecutive days, the exam being held for 7 hours on a Monday, Wednesday, and Friday of a given week.
9) Alyssa Carson is a 13 year old girl from Baton Rouge determined to land on mars.
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Since the age of three, Alyssa has worked hard towards her goal, becoming the first person to complete the NASA passport program, going to all NASA visitor centers in the United States. She has also attended numerous space camps and robotics academies. We hope she fulfills her dream!
10) Louisiana is the prison capital of the world.
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1 out of every 86 adults is behind bars, which is the highest rate in the US and twice the national rate.

Did you know all of those things happened in Louisiana? Let us know what surprised you in the comments below! And, if you have any other fun facts, please share them.

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