The history of the Florida Parishes is well known within the great state of Louisiana, but seldom heard of outside the state. This area stretches from the Mississippi state line on the eastern and northern borders to the Mississippi River on its western border and Lake Ponchartrain on its southern border. It was part of West Florida in the early 19th century and remained under Spanish control even after the Louisiana Purchase came to be. After a rebellion, the area briefly became known as the Republic of West Florida (1810). However, that was short-lived, as the United States annexed it and incorporated it into the Orleans Territory.
The largest Confederate training camp in Louisiana, Camp Moore remains the only Confederate training camp open to the public. Camp Moore was named for Louisiana Governor Thomas Overton Moore and was located approximately 78 miles north of New Orleans, on the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad (currently the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad). When Louisiana seceded from the Union in January 1861, a State military force was established. By May 1861, over 3000 troops had been trained at the pitiful Camp Walker, which lacked easy access to clean drinking water, had swarms of mosquitoes from the surrounding swamps and the soft marshland made it intolerable to the men. Henry Forno and James Wingfield were sent out to find better training grounds for the men and came across the bountiful land that became Camp Moore. Over the next couple of years, the camp diminished and, in November 1864, was burned to the ground by General Davidson. The United Daughters of the Confederacy were given responsibility to care for the land in 1892 and built a wall and fence around the cemetary in 1904. A museum was built in the area in the 1960's.
The Zemurray Gardens was one of the earliest settled areas in what is now known as Tangipahoa Parish. The Zemurray Lodge Complex consists of a four-part lodge building connected by galleries, a swimming pool, a large frame stable, two 1920's cottages and a live oak garden setting. The oldest portion of the complex, the four-part lodge building, was constructed in the 1820's, with a major renovation in 1922. There have been no significant changes to the lodge since the renovation, with the exception of a one-story detached annex built to the rear of the recreation hall in the 1950's and the addition of a swimming pool. The State Historic Preservation Office considers the Zemurray Gardens and complex to be a significant architectural creation in the Florida Parishes, with its Craftsman-looking staircase, medieval-looking beamed ceilings, the wainscotting, the painted foliage and the log cabin-style recreation hall.
Named for Peter Hammond, a Swedish immigrant to the area around 1818, Hammond, Louisiana has become the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish. Peter Hammond was buried under the Hammond Oak on the east side of town along with his wife, three daughters and his favorite slave. The Illinois Central Railroad came through the town in 1854, making the city a commercial and transportation center for the area. The city was a shoemaking center for the Confederacy during the Civil War and later earned the title of "the Strawberry Capital of America" when it became a major shipping point for strawberries. Charles Emery Cate was at the center of the shoemaking industry in Hammond in the 19th century. He bought up land in 1860 for a home, shoe factory, tannery and sawmill. Cate laid out the city grid at the end of the war by using the rail line as a guide. He named several of the streets in the city after his sons. By the end of the 19th century, Hammond became a major stopping point for northerners traveling south and fleeing summer yellow fever outbreaks.
Located near the center of the Florida Parishes, Tangipahoa Parish is 53 miles long and 18 miles wide. The area was inhabited by the Native American Acolapissa sub-tribes. The southern boundary of the Tangipahoa Parish was part of the route used by Native Americans to travel from Mobile and Pensacola through Pass Manchac to Illinois and the Great Lakes area. The French controlled this area of the Louisiana Territory for some time. The Florida Parishes were not part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. But, after local citizens lead a revolt in 1810, they flew their own blue flag with a five-pointed star above the area to mark their independence. The area remained under Spanish rule until the United States made it a state in 1813. The railroads brought business interests to the area in the mid-1800's. Tangipahoa Parish was officially founded in March 1896. The population has grown steadily from 7928 in 1870 to 59,434 in 1960 to 100,588 in 2000.
Established in 1820 and incorporated in February 1861, Ponchatoula, Louisiana was originally a logging camp that had no name and only one road that connected it to Wadesboro, the shipping point along the river. The city was founded by William Akers after he bought over a thousand acres from the Federal Government for "a bit an acre" (Spanish for approximately 12 1/2 cents an acre). He built his home at the end of what is known today as West Oak Street on the exact spot that previous Mayor Haight now lives. Because of all the help the local friendly Indians gave Akers in building his home and welcoming him to the area, he named the city Ponchatoula in honor of a great Choctaw Chief. The first railroad depot in Ponchatoula was built in 1853, the first 100 miles of railroad was completed in April 1954 and the first connection was from New Orleans to Jackson, Mississippi in 1858. In 1862, the railroad was virtually destroyed by Union forces. When James B. Clark planned out the town, four squares were given for public parks: NW, NE, SW and SE, with a fifth square given to the Railway Company for a repair shop and railroad station. In August 1872, the first municipal government of Ponchatoula met, with William Akers as mayor. Arthur Tasker, a Negro Preacher, became mayor in September 1873, due to the Carpebagger movement and Republican reform.
In 1813, Elijah Self acquired the land that currently comprise most of the eastern part of Amite, Louisiana. Indians occupied most of the land in the area until later settlers arrived in the area. George H. Garland, John M. Bach and S. Coleman acquired a large tract of land on the railroad when a survey for the railroad marked a route near Amite as a possible station stop. Amite started with a store, which quickly did great business with early settlers. A hotel was soon framed thereafter. By August 1854, the railroad track between New Orleans and Osyka, Mississippi was completed. A survey of Amite was conducted in 1860 and the city was incorporated in 1861. Methodists and Presbyterians convened their congregations in a building they shared. The first Roman Catholic church was established by Father John Scollard in 1868. In 1869, Amite became the parish seat. This was also the year that the Gullet Gin Company was established in the city. They produced cotton gins well into the mid-twentieth century, employing as many as 250 people.
Livingston Parish, Louisiana is comprised of Albany, Denham Springs, French Settlement, Killian, Livingston, Port Vincent, Springfield and Watson. Denham Springs is the largest area of commercial and residential development in Livingston Parish. There are several springs in the area.
In 1699, the French Explorer Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville was the first European to discover the present day St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Prior to d'Iberville's discovery of the area, numerous Indian tribes inhabited the area: Colapissas, Bayou Goulas, Chicksaw, Biloxi, Choctaw and Pensacola. The area was actually developed, however, until a few years later, after New Orleans was founded and developed. Never an agricultural center, settlers did work on production of pitch, tar and resin. Turpentine and shipbuilding were popular early in St. Tammany's history. A popular wine industry (red and white wines from Concord and Herbemont grapes) and a silk fabric enterprise in Lewisburg were also businesses in the parish. There were only two towns in St. Tammany Parish before 1834: Covington (comprised of summer homes and hotels) and Madisonville (a shipbuilding and sawmill town). In 1834, Mandeville was developed as a resort for New Orleanians. Its success created another resort town, Abita Springs, where underground springs were purported to provide healthful baths for the public. In 1986, the Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs.
St. Helena Parish, Louisiana was originally inhabited by Native Americans, until white settlers came to the area in the 1500's. The land switched hands from the Spanish to the French several times during the next few hundred years until a local revolt in 1810 took it out of Spanish hands. By December 1810, this short-lived independence was changed when President Madison declared Louisiana as a state in the Union.
The county seat of St. Tammany Parish, Covington, Louisiana was first settled in 1769 and incorporated in 1813. The city was founded by John Wharton Collins, a New Orleans merchant from Philadelphia. Collins bought the original town of 1600 acres in 1813 and subdivided it into streets and lots called the Division of St. John of Wharton. The name was changed in 1816 from Wharton to Covington in honor of General Leonard A. Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. The town became the parish seat in 1819. Originally, several home-like resorts were set up along the sandy banks of the Bogue Falaya River. Many of these historic homes have since been turned into antique and crafts shops. Covington's unique "ox-lot" concept allows for each mid-town square to have a central core accessed by a 20-foot alley from two streets. The alley in one square runs north/south, while the adjoining square runs east-west. Now used for parking, these ox-lots was were used as stables for oxen and other animals while farmers from outlying areas stayed in town when they brought their crops to market.
The history of the Florida Parishes is well known within the great state of Louisiana, but seldom heard of outside the state. This area stretches from the Mississippi state line on the eastern and northern borders to the Mississippi River on its western border and Lake Ponchartrain on its southern border. It was part of West Florida in the early 19th century and remained under Spanish control even after the Louisiana Purchase came to be. After a rebellion, the area briefly became known as the Republic of West Florida (1810). However, that was short-lived, as the United States annexed it and incorporated it into the Orleans Territory.
Confederate training camp open to the public. Camp Moore was named for Louisiana Governor Thomas Overton Moore and was located approximately 78 miles north of New Orleans, on the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad (currently the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad). When Louisiana seceded from the Union in January 1861, a State military force was established. By May 1861, over 3000 troops had been trained at the pitiful Camp Walker, which lacked easy access to clean drinking water, had swarms of mosquitoes from the surrounding swamps and the soft marshland made it intolerable to the men. Henry Forno and James Wingfield were sent out to find better training grounds for the men and came across the bountiful land that became Camp Moore. Over the next couple of years, the camp diminished and, in November 1864, was burned to the ground by General Davidson. The United Daughters of the Confederacy were given responsibility to care for the land in 1892 and built a wall and fence around the cemetary in 1904. A museum was built in the area in the 1960's.
The Zemurray Gardens was one of the earliest settled areas in what is now known as Tangipahoa Parish. The Zemurray Lodge Complex consists of a four-part lodge building connected by galleries, a swimming pool, a large frame stable, two 1920's cottages and a live oak garden setting. The oldest portion of the complex, the four-part lodge building, was constructed in the 1820's, with a major renovation in 1922. There have been no significant changes to the lodge since the renovation, with the exception of a one-story detached annex built to the rear of the recreation hall in the 1950's and the addition of a swimming pool. The State Historic Preservation Office considers the Zemurray Gardens and complex to be a significant architectural creation in the Florida Parishes, with its Craftsman-looking staircase, medieval-looking beamed ceilings, the wainscotting, the painted foliage and the log cabin-style recreation hall.
Named for Peter Hammond, a Swedish immigrant to the area around 1818, Hammond, Louisiana has become the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish. Peter Hammond was buried under the Hammond Oak on the east side of town along with his wife, three daughters and his favorite slave. The Illinois Central Railroad came through the town in 1854, making the city a commercial and transportation center for the area. The city was a shoemaking center for the Confederacy during the Civil War and later earned the title of "the Strawberry Capital of America" when it became a major shipping point for strawberries. Charles Emery Cate was at the center of the shoemaking industry in Hammond in the 19th century. He bought up land in 1860 for a home, shoe factory, tannery and sawmill. Cate laid out the city grid at the end of the war by using the rail line as a guide. He named several of the streets in the city after his sons. By the end of the 19th century, Hammond became a major stopping point for northerners traveling south and fleeing summer yellow fever outbreaks.
Located near the center of the Florida Parishes, Tangipahoa Parish is 53 miles long and 18 miles wide. The area was inhabited by the Native American Acolapissa sub-tribes. The southern boundary of the Tangipahoa Parish was part of the route used by Native Americans to travel from Mobile and Pensacola through Pass Manchac to Illinois and the Great Lakes area. The French controlled this area of the Louisiana Territory for some time. The Florida Parishes were not part of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803. But, after local citizens lead a revolt in 1810, they flew their own blue flag with a five-pointed star above the area to mark their independence. The area remained under Spanish rule until the United States made it a state in 1813. The railroads brought business interests to the area in the mid-1800's. Tangipahoa Parish was officially founded in March 1896. The population has grown steadily from 7928 in 1870 to 59,434 in 1960 to 100,588 in 2000.
Established in 1820 and incorporated in February 1861, Ponchatoula, Louisiana was originally a logging camp that had no name and only one road that connected it to Wadesboro, the shipping point along the river. The city was founded by William Akers after he bought over a thousand acres from the Federal Government for "a bit an acre" (Spanish for approximately 12 1/2 cents an acre). He built his home at the end of what is known today as West Oak Street on the exact spot that previous Mayor Haight now lives. Because of all the help the local friendly Indians gave Akers in building his home and welcoming him to the area, he named the city Ponchatoula in honor of a great Choctaw Chief. The first railroad depot in Ponchatoula was built in 1853, the first 100 miles of railroad was completed in April 1954 and the first connection was from New Orleans to Jackson, Mississippi in 1858. In 1862, the railroad was virtually destroyed by Union forces. When James B. Clark planned out the town, four squares were given for public parks: NW, NE, SW and SE, with a fifth square given to the Railway Company for a repair shop and railroad station. In August 1872, the first municipal government of Ponchatoula met, with William Akers as mayor. Arthur Tasker, a Negro Preacher, became mayor in September 1873, due to the Carpebagger movement and Republican reform.
In 1813, Elijah Self acquired the land that currently comprise most of the eastern part of Amite, Louisiana. Indians occupied most of the land in the area until later settlers arrived in the area. George H. Garland, John M. Bach and S. Coleman acquired a large tract of land on the railroad when a survey for the railroad marked a route near Amite as a possible station stop. Amite started with a store, which quickly did great business with early settlers. A hotel was soon framed thereafter. By August 1854, the railroad track between New Orleans and Osyka, Mississippi was completed. A survey of Amite was conducted in 1860 and the city was incorporated in 1861. Methodists and Presbyterians convened their congregations in a building they shared. The first Roman Catholic church was established by Father John Scollard in 1868. In 1869, Amite became the parish seat. This was also the year that the Gullet Gin Company was established in the city. They produced cotton gins well into the mid-twentieth century, employing as many as 250 people.
In 1699, the French Explorer Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville was the first European to discover the present day St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. Prior to d'Iberville's discovery of the area, numerous Indian tribes inhabited the area: Colapissas, Bayou Goulas, Chicksaw, Biloxi, Choctaw and Pensacola. The area was actually developed, however, until a few years later, after New Orleans was founded and developed. Never an agricultural center, settlers did work on production of pitch, tar and resin. Turpentine and shipbuilding were popular early in St. Tammany's history. A popular wine industry (red and white wines from Concord and Herbemont grapes) and a silk fabric enterprise in Lewisburg were also businesses in the parish. There were only two towns in St. Tammany Parish before 1834: Covington (comprised of summer homes and hotels) and Madisonville (a shipbuilding and sawmill town). In 1834, Mandeville was developed as a resort for New Orleanians. Its success created another resort town, Abita Springs, where underground springs were purported to provide healthful baths for the public. In 1986, the Abita Brewing Company was founded in Abita Springs.
The county seat of St. Tammany Parish, Covington, Louisiana was first settled in 1769 and incorporated in 1813. The city was founded by John Wharton Collins, a New Orleans merchant from Philadelphia. Collins bought the original town of 1600 acres in 1813 and subdivided it into streets and lots called the Division of St. John of Wharton. The name was changed in 1816 from Wharton to Covington in honor of General Leonard A. Covington, a hero of the War of 1812. The town became the parish seat in 1819. Originally, several home-like resorts were set up along the sandy banks of the Bogue Falaya River. Many of these historic homes have since been turned into antique and crafts shops. Covington's unique "ox-lot" concept allows for each mid-town square to have a central core accessed by a 20-foot alley from two streets. The alley in one square runs north/south, while the adjoining square runs east-west. Now used for parking, these ox-lots was were used as stables for oxen and other animals while farmers from outlying areas stayed in town when they brought their crops to market.