• About
    • Our Attorneys
    • Verdicts and Settlements
    • Community
      • Sponsorship Request
      • Partnerships
      • Project Backpack
    • Testimonials
    • Scholarships
      • Cancer Scholarship
    • Careers
    • Our Core Values
  • Practice Areas
    • Car Accident
    • Truck Accident
    • Motorcycle Accident
    • Product Liability
    • Mesothelioma
    • Workers Compensation
    • Dog Bite
    • Slip and Fall
    • Wrongful Death
    • Maritime Injury
    • Pedestrian Accident
    • Dangerous Drugs
    • Defective Devices
    • Mass Torts
    • Premises Liability
    • View All Practice Areas
  • Areas we Serve
    • Lafayette
    • Alexandria
    • New Iberia
    • Marksville
    • New Orleans
    • Monroe
    • Arnaudville
    • Baton Rouge
    • Breaux Bridge
    • Broussard
    • Cankton
    • Carencro
    • Cecilia
    • Duson
    • Cade Coteau
    • Grand Coteau
    • Lake Charles
    • Opelousas
    • View All Areas We Serve
  • Resources
    • Blog
    • FAQs
    • Videos
    • For Referring Attorneys
  • Hurricanes
  • Contact Us
Available 24/7 • 365 Days (337) 777-7777 Hablamos Español
(337) 777-7777 Hablamos Español
No Win - No Fee AVAILABLE 24/7

The Verdict: The Story of Huey Long (Part 4)

Put 350 Years of Experience in Your Corner GET A FREE CASE EVALUATION
Louisiana Proud
Attorney David Laborde | Attorney Digger Earles
  1. Home
  2. Videos
  3. The Verdict: The Story of Huey Long (Part 4)
Contact Us Today

Get The Help
You Need

I NEED HELP NOW

Your personal injury lawyer can help you calculate your recoverable damages, which may include:

  • Medical Bills
  • Income Loss
  • Property Damage
  • Pain & Suffering
  • Emotional Distress
  • Lasting Disfigurement

Posted on: May 7, 2019

You’re watching The Verdict on News 15, brought to you by Laborde Earls Injury Lawyers.  

It’s hard for people of this generation to believe the grip that he had on Louisiana. Nothing happened in the state unless he wanted it to happen. 

I’ve heard stories that he built the bridge in Baton Rouge at a certain height to prevent ship traffic coming through the river. Oh, have you heard about that? 

I have. So, the story I heard about Huey Long was—or about the bridge in Baton Rouge was—the old bridge, not the new bridge. He had them build the bridge at a height so low that ocean-going vessels couldn’t pass underneath it. So, and what that did for the people of Louisiana was it made all the ocean-going vessels stop in Baton Rouge, therefore creating the port of Baton Rouge. They had to unload in Baton Rouge and then reload on to Louisiana on—or Louisiana vessels going north. 

And he couldn’t get funding for a new football stadium at LSU. And so, being the politician that he was, he built dorms on LSU’s campus shaped as a U, and they built a football field in the middle of the U. Is that right? 

That’s right, that’s right. That’s—again, the legend of Huey Long continues. But he asked the federal government for funding to build a football stadium, and he was denied. So, he asked them for funding for dormitories, and that was granted. So, he built the dormitories in the shape of a U, and had a nice perfect spot for the football field in Tiger Stadium. So, if you go to Tiger Stadium today, you can see there’s still dorm rooms in there today. 

Most people think that Kathleen Blanco was the first female governor of Louisiana, and that’s actually not true. Alice Lee Grosjean was Huey Long’s personal secretary, and Huey Long was out of the country, and the lieutenant governor was out of the country. So, Huey actually appointed miss Alice Grosjean as governor for two weeks, I think, while he was out of the country. So, she is the first female governor of Louisiana. She’s in the Louisiana Political Hall of Fame because of that. 

He appealed to all sectors of society, whether—you know, people coming out of the Depression, he was promising them—you know, “Every man a king, and a chicken in every pot.” But at the same time, he could speak to the people in Washington D.C. and to the wealthiest Americans in the country. He just had broad, broad appeal, and that’s what made him so unique. And it’s rare that we’d run it across a politician with those talents, and he just had it. 

When I worked around Louisiana politics, they had an old consultant tell me, “The first rule of Louisiana politics is to reward your friends and punish your enemies.” And there’s no better example of the implementation of this rule than what Huey Long did to the tiny town of Melville. 

Now, Melville sits on the banks of the Atchafalaya River, and during the last century—the early part of the last century, it was a booming town. There were hotels, there were theaters. There’s a lot going on in Melville. And Huey Long came to campaign for the 1928 governor’s election there. And the folks there didn’t really like him. And so, they ridiculed him, they jeered him. And he made a promise to them, “I am never going to forget Melville, and you’ll pay for this.” 

Well, they did, and in a big way. Well, Long won the 1928 election, and he did not forget his promise to Melville. He built a highway, Highway 71. It’s still there today. Now, the main corridor between Shreveport and Baton Rouge was a highway that passed right through Melville. And so, if he wanted to improve the route, it would have made sense to take the existing road and improve it. Huey Long decided to build a brand new highway right through a swamp. It took more time, it increased the miles from Baton Rouge to Shreveport by about 10 or 12 miles. But what it did is completely bypass Melville. There was no reason to go through Melville anymore. 

Eight decades later, the town does not thrive. There are no theaters there, there are no hotels there. Huey Long’s promise to never forget Melville and to destroy it economically did work. And certainly, Huey did not care about his image. He cared about power, and attaining it and keeping it. And he was the master of it. 

The truth is, he delivered on a lot of the promises. So, he did make really big promises and said he was going to do grand things. But in the end, he really did do grand things.

This presentation of The Verdict on News 15 was brought to you by Laborde Earls Injury Lawyers.

Why We Are

The Best Choice For You

Over 1,000+ 5-Star Google Reviews Across Our Locations
Over $1 Billion Recovered For Our Clients
An Award-Winning Team in Your Corner
You Get the Full Team on Your Case, Including David & Digger
Communication with You is a Top Priority
We Give Back to Our Communities

No Fee Unless We Win Your Case

Available 24 hours a day • 7 days a week
GET YOUR FREE CASE EVALUATION
Contact Us Form
CONTACT US TODAY NO WIN, NO FEE GUARANTEE
Name(Required)
Name(Required)
Untitled
Untitled

Videos category
  • About Our Firm
  • Attorney Profile
  • Commercials
  • Testimonial
  • Verdict

 

Frequently Asked Questions
What if My Pedestrian Accident Claim Was Denied by Allstate? What if My Pedestrian Accident Claim Was Denied by Allstate?
Plastics Factory Accidents and Injuries Plastics Factory Accidents and Injuries
Can I Still Sue if I Was Partially at Fault for a Motorcycle Wreck? Can I Still Sue if I Was Partially at Fault for a Motorcycle Wreck?
Find Yourself a Passionate Lawyer Now!
  • Grand Coteau Personal Injury Lawyer
  • New Orleans Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Kenner Personal Injury Lawyer
  • DeRidder Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Ruston Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Pineville Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Houma Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Lawtell Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Seadrift Personal Injury Lawyer
  • Shreveport Personal Injury Lawyer
How can we help you

How We Can Help You

Let our injury attorneys help you maximize the compensation you deserve to turn your life back around.


Contact us today if you want to tell us about your accident. We have someone available to discuss your situation at all times of the day.

Contact Us

(337) 777-7777

FREE Case Evaluation

No Win - No Fee
Name(Required)
Name(Required)
Email Opt In
SMS Opt in

Contact Us

(337) 777-7777

OFFICE LOCATIONS

Lafayette
1901 Kaliste Saloom Rd,
Lafayette, LA 70508

Phone : (337) 777-7777

Alexandria
100 Versailles Blvd, Suite A,
Alexandria, LA 71303

Phone : (318) 777-7777

Marksville
306 North Washington Street, Suite A,
Marksville, LA 71351

Phone : (318) 310-8922

New Iberia
230 W. Main Street,
New Iberia, LA 70560

Phone : (337)-547-2777

Lake Charles
530 E College St,
Lake Charles, LA 70605

Phone : (337) 612-6909

New Orleans
821 Baronne St, Suite D,
New Orleans, LA 70113

Phone : (504) 777-7777

Baton Rouge
660 St Ferdinand St,
Baton Rouge, LA 70802

Phone : (225) 777-7777

Practice Areas

  • Bicycle Accident
  • Car Accident
  • Dangerous Drugs
  • Dog Bite
  • Maritime Injury
  • Mass Torts
  • Motorcycle Accident
  • Pedestrian Accident
  • Premises Liability
  • Product Liability
  • Toxic Torts
  • Truck Accident
  • Slip and Fall
  • Wrongful Death

About Links

  • Our Attorneys
  • Verdicts and Settlements
  • Community
  • Testimonials
  • Scholarships

Leave a Review

  • LAFAYETTE
  • ALEXANDRIA
  • MARKSVILLE
  • NEW ORLEANS
  • NEW IBERIA
  • LAKE CHARLES
  • BATON ROUGE

Copyright © Laborde Earles Injury Lawyers 2025.
All Rights Reserved.

Disclaimer / Privacy Policy / Sitemap

Hennessey-Digital-Badge