Avery Island added to historic places

Louisiana’s Avery Island, in Iberia Parish - a salt dome, birthplace of Tabasco sauce and pre-historic archaeological sites - was added to the National Register of Historic Places. U.S. Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) announced the U.S. Department of Interior’s designation Oct. 19. Avery Island is a significant part of Louisiana’s history and culture, said Cassidy, and home to more than 100,000 birds and other species, such as otters and muskrats, along with exotic plants and prehistoric archaeological sites. Avery Island is less than 10 miles south-southwest of New Iberia. Tabasco pepper sauce is manufactured by the McIlhenny Co., whose President/CEO Anthony Simmons says the historic designation comes during the 150th anniversary of Tabasco and the 200th anniversary of his family’s settlement on the island. (Source: The Associated Press 10/20/18)