Much of the city is located below sea level between the Mississippi River and Lake Pontchartrain, so the city is surrounded by levees. Until the early 20th century, construction was largely limited to the slightly higher ground along old natural river levees and bayous, since much of the rest of the land was swampy and subject to frequent flooding. This gave the 19th century city the shape of a crescent along a bend of the Mississippi, the origin of the nickname The Crescent City. In the 1910s engineer and inventor A. Baldwin Wood enacted his ambitious plan to drain the city, including large pumps of his own design which are still used. All rain water must be pumped up to the canals which drain into Lake Pontchartrain. Wood’s pumps and drainage allowed the city to expand greatly in area.
In the 1920s an effort to “modernize” the look of the city removed the old cast-iron balconies from Canal Street, the city’s commercial hub. In the 1960s another “modernization” effort replaced the Canal Streetcar Line with buses. Both of these moves came to be regarded as mistakes long after the fact, and the streetcars returned to a portion of Canal Street at the end of the 1990s, and construction to restore the entire line was completed in April of 2004.
The suburbs saw great growth in the 2nd half of the 20th century; the largest suburb today is Metairie, which borders New Orleans to the west. Metairie is not incorporated and is a part of Jefferson Parish.
While long one of the USA’s most visited cities, tourism boomed in the last quarter of the 20th century, becoming a major force in the local economy. Areas of the French Quarter and Central Business District which were long oriented towards local residential and business uses switched to largely catering to the domestic and international tourist industry.
A century after the Cotton Centennial Exhibition, New Orleans hosted another World’s Fair, the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.
Related Travel Information
Louisiana Travel Guide
In 1803, Louisiana was purchased by the Americans from the French ruled by Napoleon in for just 15 million dollars. The purchase was being negotiated by President Thomas Jefferson. The reason for all this chopping and changing was because of the region's importance for trade and security in the American mid-west; the mighty Mississippi River flows through Louisiana and access to the mouth is controlled by the city of New Orleans.
Louisiana if full of attractions for travelers of all types from party lovers to history buffs. New Orleans, especially at Mardi Gras, is not to be missed.
Baton Rouge (pronounced /?bętn ??u??/ in English, and /bat?? ?u?/ in French) is the capital of Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. As of the 2000 census, its population is 227,818. It is the seat of East Baton Rouge Parish. Baton Rouge is home to the main campus of Louisiana State University and to Southern University.
Baton Rouge is served by the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Airport.
History
The name Baton Rouge means Red Stick in French. The name comes from a cypress pole dyed red marking the boundary of hunting territory of native tribes when the French first established
Mandeville is a city located in St. Tammany Parish, Louisiana. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 10,489. Mandeville is located on the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain, across the lake from the city of New Orleans.
History
The area had long been agricultural land when the town of Mandeville was laid out in 1834 by developer Bernard Xavier de Marigny de Mandeville. In 1840 Mandeville was incorporated as a town. It became a popular summer destination for well-to-do New Orleanians wishing to escape the city's heat. In the mid 19th century regular daily steam-boat traffic between
Slidell is a city in St. Tammany Parish in Louisiana, a state of the United States of America. It is situated on the northeast shore of Lake Pontchartrain. As of the 2000 census, the city had a population of 25,695.
Geography
Slidell is located at 30°16'45" North, 89°46'40" West (30.279040, -89.777744)1.
According to the United States Census Bureau, the city has a total area of 31.4 km² (12.1 mi²). 30.5 km² (11.8 mi²) of it is land and 0.8 km² (0.3 mi²) of it is water. The total area is 2.64% water.
History
In 1882, the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad began construction on a
Donaldsonville is a town located in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, on the West Bank of the Mississippi River. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 7,605.
History and Culture
Donaldsonville served as the Louisiana capital (1830 - 1831) after New Orleans was decided as "too noisy". Donaldsonville is a small town and has many historic sites. The bricks that were used for the former statehouse of Louisiana are now blocking the waters of Bayou Lafourche. Donaldsonville has a museum, parks, shopping centers, civil war grounds, etc.
Donaldsonville was the childhood home of jazz great "King" Joe Oliver and the
