New Orleans History -- Lake Pontchartrain
Wednesday, December 11, 2024
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1831 The Pontchartrain Railroad begins running on what is now the Elysian Fields Avenue neutral ground

1830 - Pontchartrain Rail-Road Company is charteredsrc="/clientimages/40334/Abyyears/1830prr.jpg">


The Conseil de Ville backed up the state-granted charter to the Pontchartrain
Railroad by granting permission for the firm to use what we know today as the
Elysian Fields Avenue neutral ground. ~ Capital $500,000. President, WCC
Claiborne; Secretary, Jno. B. Leefe; Directors Saml W. Oakey, Gaston Brusle,
John B B Vignie, A Plicque, E L Bernard, P Guesnon. ~ Length of the Rail Road
from the City to Lake Pontchartrain, about five miles--nearly two tracks of
rails completed. The company was chartered in 1830. The road was open for
business on the 23d April, 1831. The cost of the road has been $500,000. ~
Officers of the Road--General Superintendent, Hartwell Reed; Chief Engineer,
Hamon Turner; Local Superintendent city end, W E Proseus, Ticket Seller city
end, J Dumangel; Local Superintendent lake end, R Prouty; Ticket Seller lake
end, George L. Brown. ~ The Pontchartrain Railroad derived steady income by
carrying mail from the city to its terminus on Lake Pontchartrain for transfer
to ships that would then carry it on to Mobile. ~ Source: href="http://nutrias.org/~nopl/exhibits/choochoo/page1.htm">http://nutrias.org/~nopl/exhibits/choochoo/page1.htm