Lordly Bienville stares into the French Quarter, wondering where all the French people are.

The Man Who Built New Orleans

New Orleans, Louisiana

If you want to point a finger and yell j'accuse! at someone for building New Orleans in such a vulnerable, sub-sea-level location, do it at the Bienville Monument. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne, Sieur de Bienville, founded the city in 1718. He was from Canada. He chose the spot.

Bienville's monument (which gives the year as 1717) depicts him in a haughty pose, his chin held high. Standing with his back to Bienville is Father Athanase, a Recollect monk. Slouched at Bienville's feet is a generic, nearly-nude Indian, listlessly holding a peace pipe. You don't come away from the monument with a good feeling about Bienville -- and you know that nothing good is going to happen to the Indian.

In what was perhaps typical of New Orleans bureaucracy, the city took nearly 250 years to erect this monument to its founder in 1955 -- and even then it needed some cash from the French government and a kick-in-the-pants from the sesquicentennial of the Louisiana Purchase to make it happen.