About Ponchatoula - A Brief History by Jim Perrin
The piney woods of eastern Livingston Parish, where the community of Ponchatoula would develop in the mid-nineteenth century, was bypassed by the early settlers who sought the more valuable lands along the nearby rivers. The area that would become Ponchatoula gained interest with the construction of the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern Railroad through this area in 1852 and 1853.
James Clark, a surveyor for the railroad company, saw the potential for development of a community along the railroad line on the first dry land north of the swamps. Clark purchased a section of land from the state government and began to lay out a new town. He used the traditional grid pattern to survey streets running along the railroad tracks, generally north-south and numbered them First through Ninth Streets, and the east west streets he named for local trees, with Pine Street logically being the main street through his piney woods development. He also left four squares of ground for public use, and a square in the center of his town for the use of the railroad company. Clark named his new town Ponchatoula after the nearby Ponchatoula River to the west of town. The name Ponchatoula is a Choctaw term meaning hanging hair, a reference to the abundant Spanish moss which festoons area trees.
Clark began selling town lots in Ponchatoula in 1854 and a number of lots along Pine Street and along the railroad tracks were sold over the next few years. New settlers were attracted to the crossroads by the advantages of being able to ship their products to market from Ponchatoula Station on the New Orleans, Jackson and Great Northern railroad line. Several small wooden stores were constructed, livery stables, and even two small hotels to accommodate visitors and commercial salesmen. The village of Ponchatoula was incorporated in late February 1861 and the prospects for the community looked bright.
Incorporated just six weeks before the outbreak of the Civil War, Ponchatoula’s residents suffered during the conflict with repeated destructive raids by Federal troops. The destruction of the train depot at Ponchatoula Station, along with local road and rail bridges, and some private homes during the war was compounded by the general economic disruption caused throughout the South. Economic difficulties continued for the small piney woods village after the war because political unrest and resistance to taxation authorized by unpopular governments created impediments to growth.
The local economy was based on farming, mostly for local consumption, and lumbering of the abundant pine forests near Ponchatoula. Several small lumber mills operated in the community providing lumber for home and business construction, and bridge timbers and cross ties for the railroad. Some lumbering in the vast cypress forests was also conducted in areas near waterways where the logs could more easily be removed for shipment to a sawmill.
Strawberry production, along with the development of other truck farm produce provided many local farmers with a cash income they had not previously enjoyed. This economic benefit to local farm families was soon reflected in the development of larger and more numerous local business establishments. The opening decade of the twentieth century witnessed the construction of number of impressive brick buildings along Ponchatoula’s main street. Most of these buildings constructed between 1902 and 1912 are still in existence a century later and are community landmarks that contain twenty-first century Ponchatoula businesses.
The strawberry industry peaked during the 1930’s and declined greatly after World War II, as many young men sought higher paying jobs in nearby industrial and chemical plants. Ponchatoula’s strawberry heritage is reflected in the annual Strawberry Festival held each April which attracts very large crowns to the city.
The local economy was based on farming, mostly for local consumption, and lumbering of the abundant pine forests near Ponchatoula. Several small lumber mills operated in the community providing lumber for home and business construction, and bridge timbers and cross ties for the railroad. Some lumbering in the vast cypress forests was also conducted in areas near waterways where the logs could more easily be removed for shipment to a sawmill.
In recent decades Ponchatoula has developed into “America’s Antique City,” with scores of antique stores and related businesses operating in the downtown area. The existence of many historic brick buildings, which appear almost exactly as they did a century ago, adds to the antique feel of the area.
The population of Ponchatoula and the surrounding area has increased greatly over the past three decades, but the community has been able to retain that small town charm which attracts families seeking a place to raise their children. A solid school system, quality recreational facilities, and a well managed city government are assets which will make Ponchatoula a destination for a new generation of people seeking a better life.
