State Park, 24 miles west, is the site of the summer plantation home of Bernard de Marigny de Mandeville, colorful and
flamboyant figure in early Louisiana history. Sugar mill and plantation ruins remain.
By the time of the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, Chiconcte (Madisonville) and Barrio of Buck Falia (Covington) had begun
to develop as trade and transportation centers. The Port of Bayou St. John in New Orleans began trade excursions across Pontchartrain
to the settlements, and vessels began to be built on the Northshore. So began an industry in Madisonville which continues
today. Source: http://www.crt.state.la.us/folklife/book_florida_northshore.html
