Lake Pontchartrain

Traveled on by Iberville, 1699 and named for the French minister of Marine. Indians called it Okwa-ta, wide water. First port of embarkation was at the site where bayou St. John flows from this lake. It was the first water route to the city of New Orleans.

Historic marker located at St. Bernard and Lakeshore Ave., New Orleans

The Old Portage

Short trail from Lake Pontchartrain to river shown by Indians to Iberville and Bienville, 1699. Winding trail used by early travelers to city. From Bayou St. John it lead to N. Broad, Bayou Road, Vieux CarrÈ to Mississippi River at site between Dumaine and Gov. Nicholls Streets.

Historic marker located at Moss and Graude Streets, in New Orleans

New Orleans

First sited as Indian portage to Lake Pontchartrain and Gulf in 1699 by Bienville and Iberville. Founded by Bienville in 1718; named by him in honor of the Duke of Orleans, Regent of France. Called the Crescent City because of location in bend of the Mississippi.

--Historic marker located in City Park, New Orleans.

We begin where New Orleans began; where Bayou St. John met Lake Pontchartrain. It was to here, in 1699, that members of the Biloxi and Bayogoula tribes led French explorers, under the command of Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville, from their settlement near the Mississippi River. The location of the city was chosen because the Bayou would allow navigational access from the river to the lake and finally to the Gulf of Mexico. One might say that New Orleans was founded due to this short cut.

Bayou St. John meets the Lake, probably 1948. On the right of the old bridge is the Coast Guard Station (now gone) and the area known as the 'Old Beach,' the original home of Pontchartrain Beach. Above the Old Beach is Lake Vista, after the streets were built, but before homes went up. At the right of the Bayou is open ground which became Lake Terrace. (Courtesy of New Orleans Public Library.) http://www.nutrias.org/~nopl/monthly/sept98/sept989.htm

Note the relatively straight walls of the canal near the lake as opposed to the winding shore of the Bayou. Where the two meet was the original lake shore before land was reclaimed during the 1920's and 1930's. It was to this point that Pierre LeMoyne Sieur d'Iberville was led by helpful Native tribesmen.

"On March 9, our Indian guide points out a fine path-which leads to a small bayou we will call Bayou St. Jean. He tells us that the Indians use this path and bayou to travel from the Mississippi River to a lake Iberville will call Pontchartrain. When the French missionary Father DuRu later visits this area, he notes, 'There are parrots by the thousands; their plumage is marvelous, but they are far from being as good (to eat) as they are beautiful.' Later we will settle this site because of its path/bayou connection between the river and Lake Pontchartrain. We will call it New Orleans", said Iberville.

Source: http://www.leeric.lsu.edu/le/cover/lead015.htm

Iberville named 'Lake Pontchartrain' in honor of Louis Phelypeaux, comte de Pontchartrain, chancellor of France, minister of finance, and Minister of the Marine

Pierre Le Moyne, Sieur d'Iberville
Artist: Rudolph Bohunek
1908

Source: lsm.crt.state.la.us/ cabildo/cab3.htm

The Lake