Milneburg, New Orleans

History

Milneburg was a town on the southern shore of Lake Pontchartrain in Louisiana that was absorbed into the city of New Orleans, Louisiana.

this now landlocked lighthouse was at the end of Milneburg pier before the land around it was reclaimed. (This 1855 brick lighthouse replaced an earlier wooden one from 1832.)

Milneburg was named for land owner developer Alexander Milne. However local pronunciation came to call it "Mill-en-burg" or "Mil-lan-bug", and the name has often been seen in print misspelled Milenberg and variations. Early on it was officially designated Port Pontchartrain, but the "Milneburg" name soon replaced this for all uses except for United States Coast Guard designation of the lighthouse there, which continued to be listed as "Port Pontchartrain Lighthouse" to 1929.

In the early 19th century Milneburg was connected to the city of New Orleans which then was along the riverfront by Elysian Fields Avenue. In 1830 it was decided to build the region's first railway along this route, and the Pontchartrain Rail-Road began steam locomotive transport of people and cargo along the 5 mile route on 23 April, 1831. A long pier was built into the shallows of the lake, with a portion of the rail line running atop it, enabling ocean going ships to dock at Milneburg. The port boomed, and hotels, saloons, bath houses, and resorts were built around it, mostly atop high wooden piers in the shallows of the lake, connected by a network of pier like wooden boardwalks.

The importance of Milneburg in shipping declined in the late 19th century, but it remained an important resort. A series of "camps" (houses on piers in the shallows of the lake) were regularly rented out for parties, with fishing, pic-nics, and dancing to live bands.

Milneburg was important in the early development of jazz. Bands from different parts of the city and across racial lines would listen to each other and try to outdo each other here. Musician Sharkey Bonano grew up in Milneburg, and the area is commemorated in the New Orleans Rhythm Kings tune "Milneburg Joys" which has remained a jazz standard.

In the 1920s and 1930s a project to dredge new land on what had been the shallows of Lake Pontchartrain extended the shorline out and was the end of old Milneburg. The Pontchartrain Beach amusement park was built on what had been the center of Milneburg. Later the University of New Orleans was built nearby.

The area around these sites is still sometimes referred to as Milneburg, but the term is more usually heard in reference to the historic place. The neighborhood now designated as "Milneburg" by the New Orleans Planning Commission is actually to the south and inland of the historic Milneburg. The actual boundaries are still somewhat uncertain, with some groups saying Milneburg is located in the area bordered by the streets of St. Roch, Elysian Fields, Filmore and Mexico, while others groups state the area is much larger, going from Leon C. Simon to Filmore, and Elysian Fields to Franklin.

Post-Katrina Information

According to the 2000 Census taken by the U.S. Census Bureau, before Hurrican Katrina, Milneburg had a population of 5,640 residents with total households numbering 2,204. With no post-Katrina information available, one can only speculate at the current population. But after one year, firsthand observations have shown that the number of current residents living in the area is no more than 200, if that, all of which are living in trailers. The local business population is practically non-existent, with the only open stores being a Walgreens, Burger King and Mc. Donalds.

A notable place in the local area is the Avery Alexander Elementary School. As of now, it is still in the process of being cleaned. According to some residents, they are unsure as to what will become of the school. One resident said that he was told it was going to be torn down, stating in some disgust, "If there are no schools, the people are not going to come back."