Chapter 1

NEW ORLEANS EAST

TO ST. TAMMANY PARISH

Moonlight on Lake Pontchartrain, NewOrleans, La. (J. Scordill, Three Stores, 505,701 and 902 Canal St., New Orleans, La.,1907-1914). Author’s note: Across LakePontchartrain from New Orleans is St.Tammany Parish, which comprises almostthe entire northern shore of the lake.

Chef Menteur Road, New Orleans, La.(C.B. Mason, New Orleans, La., 1915-1929). Author’s note: This beautiful driveout in the country just outside NewOrleans was the eastern route to St.Tammany Parish and to the MississippiGulf Coast prior to the opening in 1928 ofthe Pontchartrain Bridge, a toll bridgecrossing eastern Lake Pontchartrain, andthe later openings of the free ChefMenteur and Rigolets bridges.

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View of Pontchartrain Bridge, NearSlidell, Louisiana. (Walhaven Brothers,Inc., Dallas, Texas, 1915-1929). Postmark:May 4, 1929.

The Longest Concrete Highway Bridge inthe World. New Orleans PontchartrainBridge Co., Canal Bank Bldg., New Orleans,La. I have just crossed the longest concretehighway bridge in the world, just like ridingon a smooth, paved and well lighted boule-vard, with gas and repair service; telephonesand even courteous traffic cops. Come toNew Orleans this way. No ferries and it’s theshortest route. (Alphonse Goldsmith, NewOrleans, La., 1915-1929). Author’s note:This was an advertisement postcard for thenew Pontchartrain Bridge, a toll bridge thatopened in 1928, and was the first bridgeacross Lake Pontchartrain, connecting NewOrleans to St. Tammany Parish near Slidell.Its name would change several times, firstfrom the Pontchartrain Bridge to theWatson—Williams Bridge, named after EliTullis Watson and George Elliot Williamswhose investment firm was responsible for itsfinancing. It was also called the MaestriBridge after Mayor Bob Maestri of NewOrleans, a supporter of Huey Long whoopposed toll bridges. It became a free statebridge in 1938. The locals refer to it as theFive-Mile Bridge.

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Entrance to Pontchartrain Toll Bridge, OverLake Pontchartrain, Near Slidell, Louisiana.(Walhaven Brothers, Inc., Dallas, Texas,1915-1929)

Pontchartrain Bridge, 5 Miles over Water,New Orleans, La. A fine example of mod-ern progress in New Orleans is the demon-stration of what is being done to improvehighway connections in this part of thecountry. Looking north over the new$5,500,000 Pontchartrain Bridge, span-ning Lake Pontchartrain from Point AuxHerbes, south of New Orleans, to Slidellon the north shore. The bridge, with itsapproaches, is the longest of its kind in thecountry. The actual span, entirely of con-crete, is more than 5 miles in length andoffers a chance for a beautiful cool driveover the waters of Lake Pontchartrain. Itbrings New Orleans subsequently closer tothe North and East. (E.C. Kropp Co.,Milwaukee, 1915-1929)

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Lake Pontchartrain Bridge, New Orleans,Louisiana. The bridge across LakePontchartrain entering New Orleans, onOld Spanish Trail from the East. It is fivemiles long and cost $5,500.000. (CurtTeich, Chicago 1957). Author’s note: Thisbridge was quite an accomplishment forLouisiana, as the Old Spanish Trailcrossed the United States, from Florida,along the Gulf Coast, through the south-western states, to Los Angeles.

Bridge across Lake Pontchartrain, NewOrleans, La. World’s Longest ContinuousConcrete Highway Bridge. The bridgeacross Lake Pontchartrain, entering NewOrleans on the Old Spanish Trail from theEast. It is five miles long and cost$5,500,000. (Curt Teich, Chicago 1937)

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Fort Pike and Rigolets Bridge, NewOrleans, La. Fort Pike built in 1819. FortPike—One of the numerous forts in thevicinity of New Orleans is located on theOld Spanish Trail (U.S. 90). The land wasreserved for military purposes underexecutive order dated February 9, 1842.Recently restored and beautified and con-verted into a state park. In the backgroundis the toll-free span over the Rigolets,noted fishing resort, which connects LakeBorgne and Lake Pontchartrain. Althoughlocated about 35 miles from Canal Street,Rigolets is within the corporate limits ofthe City of New Orleans. (Curt Teich,Chicago 1937)

Fort Pike, 30 miles east of New Orleans onHwy. 90. Built at immense cost in 1838, asprotection for New Orleans, Fort Pikenever came under attack. The magnifi-cence of craftsmanship is easily seen in itsgroin-vault chambers reached through bar-rel-vault corridors. It is presently open as astate park and provides an intriguing anddelightful spot from which to view theRigolets and waterways connecting LakePontchartrain and the Gulf of Mexico.Picnicking is allowed. Color photo byHubert A. Lowman. (Grant L. Robertson—Box 8042 New Orleans, La., 1945-present).Author’s note: The Rigolets Bridge con-necting Orleans Parish with St. TammanyParish can be seen in the distance.

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Bridge Over the Rigolets, La. Louisville &Nashville R.R. Louisville & Nashville R.R.Souvenir (1907-1914). Author’s note: TheL&N Railroad grew into one of the coun-try’s major rail lines. By the 1880s, the tres-tle crossing the Rigolets and the southeast-ern tip of St. Tammany Parish connectedthe railroad from New Orleans to the GulfCoast and Mobile.

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Chapter 2

SLIDELL

Salmen Brick & Lumber Co., Slidell, La.(H. G. Zimmerman & Co., Chicago, 1907-1914). Postmark: May 25, 1910, A.M.,Slidell, La. Received postmark: May 27,1910, P.M., Lincoln, Neb. Author’s note:Fritz Salmen, arriving in the mid-1880s,was one of Slidell’s earliest builders. Hisbrickyard, Salmen Brick Works, was estab-lished between the railroad tracks andBayou Bonfouca, followed in the 1890s bythe Salmen sawmill, which became knownas the Salmen Brick and LumberCompany. Salmen’s brick yard suppliedbricks for building what would come to bemany of New Orleans’ famous historicbuildings and hotels. In 1895, it suppliedone million bricks for the new St. CharlesHotel. Other buildings included MaisonBlanche, D. H. Holmes, Hotel DeSoto, theGrunewald Hotel, later known as theRoosevelt Hotel, and many more.

Slidell Store Co., Slidell, La. (H. G.Zimmerman & Co., Chicago, 1907-1914).Postmark: April 14, 1909. Author’s note:Built and owned in the early 1880s by FritzSalmen, the Slidell Store Co. was also theSalmen Commissary for the workers at theSalmen Brick and Lumber Company. Thebuilding still stands today at the corner ofFront Street and Cleveland Avenue.

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High School, Slidell, La. (1907-1914).Postmark: 1918. Author’s note: Built atCarey and Brakefield streets in 1910,Slidell High was the first accredited highschool in St. Tammany Parish.

Bank of Slidell, Slidell, La. (H. G.Zimmerman & Co., Chicago, 1907-1914).Author’s note: Located at the corner ofFront and Cousin streets, the Bank ofSlidell opened in December 1903 as anextension of the Covington Bank and in1906 branched out on its own.

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(1910—1930 AZO Stamp Box). Author’snote: This postcard shows several build-ings on Front Street in Slidell. The largebuilding is the Commercial Hotel thatrecords of the GOSH (Guardians of SlidellHistory) Museum show the Salmen Brickand Lumber Company owning in 1929.Mrs. S.H. Lott was manager at that time.The building directly to the left of theCommercial Hotel is the early Neuhauserbuilding that was owned by brothers U.G.and A.S. Neuhauser. The building farthestleft is the Baker Hotel that was owned byC.L. Baker.

N.O. & N.E. Passenger Station, Slidell, La.(J.J. Dubisson, Slidell, La., 1907-1914).Author’s note: This is the New Orleansand North Eastern Railroad Station, laterthe Slidell Depot, located on Front Street.Slidell’s growth in the mid-1800s is attrib-uted to the coming of the railroad. Thebuilding to the right shows a “Raleigh Rye”sign above the entry.

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M.E. Church, Slidell, La. (J.J. Dubisson,Slidell, La., 1907-1914). Author’s note:This is the Methodist Episcopal Church.

(1904—1920 CYKO Stamp Box). Author’snote: This is the First Presbyterian Church,where services began in 1905. The oldbuggy-type cars seen at the lower left pre-date the Model-T, dating this postcard inthe early 1910s.

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Baptist Church, Slidell, La. (J.J. Dubisson,Slidell, La., 1907-1914). Author’s note:The Slidell Baptist Church was located atCarey and Robert streets until 1974 whenit was destroyed by fire.

High School, Slidell, La. (Curt Teich,Chicago 1932). Author’s note: This newSlidell High School building was complet-ed in 1924 on Third Street between MainAvenue and Pennsylvania Avenue. Highschool students attended classes here until1961 when the present high school wasbuilt on Tiger Drive off Robert Road. L.V.McGinty, Sr. was principal at Slidell HighSchool for over forty years until he retiredin 1976.

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White Kitchen. The South’s Most FamousHighway Restaurants. Finest Foods,Expert Mixologists, Famous WhiteKitchen Sauce, 24—Hour Service since1926, Modern Rest Rooms, 35 Miles Eastof New Orleans on La.—Miss. Short-CutHighway U.S. 90. (H.S. Crocker Co., Inc.,San Francisco 1, California, 1945-present).Postmark: October 10, 1954. Author’snote: This White Kitchen restaurant wasbuilt in 1933 at the same time OnesimeFaciane built the smaller White Kitchenrestaurant on South Claiborne at PoydrasStreet in New Orleans. It was a favoritestopping place for those traveling U.S. 90to and from the Gulf Coast. The cars datethis postcard from the late 1940s to early1950s.

White Kitchen. The South’s Most FamousHighway Restaurants. Finest Foods, ExpertMixologists, Famous White Kitchen Sauce,24-Hour Service since 1926, Modern RestRooms, 35 Miles East of New Orleans onU.S. Highway 11 and 190, Slidell, La. (H.S.Crocker, Co., Inc., San Francisco 1,California, 1945-present). Author’s note:The cars date this postcard in the late1940s to early 1950s. This White Kitchenrestaurant, one of three built by OnesimeFaciane, had been a well-known landmarkrestaurant for thirty-six years when it wasdestroyed by fire in October 1962. GeorgeAllen Bowden, a White Kitchen chef, madethe famous barbeque sauce recipe. TheWhite Kitchen was frequented not only bylocals but also by New Orleanians and peo-ple traveling through Slidell from all direc-tions. Without a doubt, everyone familiarwith Slidell also knew of the White Kitchenwith its Indian campfire sign, Southernhospitality, and good food.

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Bosco’s Restaurant, Motel and Lounge,3599 Pontchartrain Road—Slidell, La.—Tel. 475. U.S. Hwy 11. Slidell’s finestrestaurant, most modern motel andlounge. Located in the heart of the famedOzone Belt near the shores of beautifulLake Pontchartrain. Bosco’s featuresFresh Gulf Seafoods, French, Italian andNorthern Cuisine. (Curt Teich, Chicago1963). Author’s note: Bosco’s, owned andoperated by Sam Bosco, was another land-mark restaurant in Slidell. As one can seeby the signs in the foreground, it was morethan a restaurant and lounge for thelocals—it was their regular meeting place.

Cousin St., Slidell, La. One of the mainthoroughfares of the older section oftown, Cousin Street was once the heart ofthe business district. Here we see HaasVariety Store which has been a landmark inSlidell for many years. (Post CardSpecialties 2629 Miss. Ave., Metairie,Louisiana, 1945-present). Author’s note:The cars date this postcard in the late1950s. Farther down the street is the JitneyJungle grocery store, with the GeorgeHotel above it, and Giordano’s Shoe Storein the white building on the corner acrossthe street. In the foreground is the oldPolk Building. This area of Slidell is nowknown as “Olde Town,” where many oldbuildings have been converted into night-clubs, antique and gift shops, restaurants,tea rooms, diners, and other places ofentertainment.

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Holiday Inn, Slidell, Louisiana. I-10 &Gause Road (70458). 504/643-9770. (NewOrleans 20 Mi.). Private Pool—Free ColorTV—Individual A/C/ Units—Dining Room-Lounge—Free Advance Reservations.(1945-present). Author’s note: TheHoliday Inn was the first national chainmotel built in Slidell. The cars date thispostcard in the late 1950s to early 1960s.

Credit photo: Postcard of former HolidayInn—Slidell appears courtesy InterContinentalHotels Group

Fontainebleau Hotel Court. JunctionHighways 11 and 90 Slidell, La.—Telephone 643-2560. 30 modern units, airconditioning, telephone and T.V. in allrooms. Modern Restaurant, service stationand lounge. Spacious Hotel Courtgrounds and ample parking. Located inthe famed Ozone belt of La. Nearby isBeautiful Lake Pontchartrain and fabu-lous fishing. (Curt Teich, Chicago 1963).Author’s note: This was one of Slidell’searly motels whose location was very visibleto passersby at the intersection of two majorhighways. The old red and blue U.S. MAILbox and Bell Telephone sign are visible inthe foreground.

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The NASA Michoud Computer Operations’Computer Operations Office, located inSlidell, La., is one of the largest high-speedelectronic computer centers in the country.The Office’s analog and digital computers,operated for the National Aeronautics andSpace Administration by Tele-computingServices, Inc., are divided into two basiccomplexes: A scientific data processingcomplex to perform engineering calcula-tions arising in the development, fabrica-tion and testing of the Saturn 1, Saturn 1Band Saturn V first stages being built at themain Michoud facility in New Orleans; anda management data complex to processsuch administrative information as payrollsand personal records. The ComputerOffice was established in July, 1962. (CurtTeich, Chicago 1965). Author’s note: NASAbrought with it a new population boom toSlidell. Slidell is the largest city in St.Tammany Parish.

“Tranquillity,” Slidell, La. Situated onbeautiful Bayou Liberty, this typical earlynineteenth century home was built on anoriginal land grant in 1803 by Francais DuBuisson. The property was later acquiredby Terence Cousin, who in 1840 erectedthe present main house around the pio-neer structure. Cousin was the uncle ofL’Abbe Adrien Rouquette, the renownedpoet-priest “Chahta Ima,” who served asmissionary among the Choctaw Indians ofSt. Tammany Parish. (Curt Teich, Chicago1968)

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