Louisiana

New Orleans Union Station was a railroad station in New Orleans, Louisiana. It was designed by Louis H. Sullivan for the Illinois Central Railroad and opened on June 1, 1892. It was located on South Rampart Street, in front of the current New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal.

Union Station was the only train station architect Sullivan designed. It was constructed in the architect’s well-known ‘Chicago School’ style and decorated with his iconic ornament. Adler and Sullivan’s head draftsman Frank Lloyd Wright was involved in the final work under Sullivan’s supervision. Union Station was a three story hip-roofed structure with a cupola, including office and waiting areas, with a broad portico with central columns and arched entryways at each end of the entrance. Union Station and the other stations were demolished in 1954 and replaced by the current New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal.

NOUPT was built next to the old Union Station. Parts of the station property also are over what once was the turning basin for the New Basin Canal. The main lead track to the terminal follows the path of the old canal (which was filled in) and the Pontchartrain Expressway/I-10. In the late 1960s, tracks 7-12 were shortened to half tracks in order to accommodate Greyhound Lines in the terminal, sharing the terminal with the remaining passenger trains and later, Amtrak. This helped to create an intermodal facility.

Great American Stations

onchatoula, the oldest incorporated city in Tangipahoa Parish, is host to the popular Ponchatoula Strawberry Festival every spring. The city is northwest of Lake Pontchartrain and abundantly grows local produce including the famous Louisiana strawberries. The area offers beautiful sites in addition to tasty eats - the city derives its name from the Choctaw Indian language meaning "hair to hang" because of the abundance of Spanish moss on the ancient oak trees found throughout the area. It's also been nicknamed America's Antique City and is stocked with numerous art, antique and hand-crafted items that you can shop for in historic buildings in the downtown area. Visitors enjoy delicious food and culture while just being outside Baton Rouge, Northshore area and New Orleans.

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oday, Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish. Hammond began as a settlement of Swedish immigrant Peter Hammond. However, the coming of the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad ensured its existence in the coming years. The train's arrival in 1854 prompted land speculation and brought many new people to the area.

Our city grew up around the junction of Thomas Street and the railroad tracks, and the downtown became a shipping center for the prosperous timber industry. In the 1890s, a hardy variety of strawberries was developed, and local farmers were able to ship their strawberry crops to points all over the nation from Downtown Hammond. As the farmers and merchants began to prosper, they began to replace their downtown wooden structures with proud brick buildings. These buildings have remained in Downtown Hammond through the years, giving the city the unique flavor it has today.

Hammond Historic District

he current Amtrak station in Hammond was built by the Illinois Central Railroad in 1912 and designed by the railroad’s in-house architects. The depot is listed on the National Register of Historic Places as a component of the Hammond Historic district. Built of deep brown-red brick, the station is in the Queen Anne revival style, with a dominant octagonal tower and elaborate molding and archways and boasts the original cove molded ceiling.

The station complex is currently owned by the Hammond Chamber of Commerce. It was renovated for the Chamber’s use by Holly & Smith Architects in 2008. The main station building houses the chamber, the former restaurant houses a Court Clerk, and the former freight house, extensively remodeled, houses the current Amtrak waiting room and ticketing facilities.

Hammond is the largest city in Tangipahoa Parish. The city derives its name from its first inhabitant, Peter Hammond, a Swedish immigrant. He purchased the land 55 miles outside of New Orleans intending to produce masts and pine-resin products for the blossoming New Orleans maritime industry.

In 1854 the New Orleans, Jackson & Great Northern Railroad reached Hammond, establishing “Hammond Crossing”, a flag stop a block away from the current depot. The railroad immediately began to bring economic benefits to Hammond, prompting Peter Hammond to sign a contract with the railroad requiring that all trains passing through Hammond call on the station.

The railroad brought to Hammond the economic success he was hoping for. In 1859, Charles Emery Cates moved to Hammond and established a shoe factory. The factory was destroyed during the Civil War after producing 45,000 shoes for the soldiers of the Confederate Army.

Hammond, once an agricultural center, soon grew to a center of manufacturing, thanks to the presence of the railroad (then Illinois Central, now CN) and its location between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. This location has led to its continued growth as a joint suburb to both cities. Hammond is home to Southeastern Louisiana University as well as the Tangipahoa African American Heritage Museum and Black Veteran Archives.

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ndependence has gone through quite a few changes over the years, but some things that remain the same are the unique people, amazing cultural heritage, and fascinating history. Gaston Raoul established the Southern Car Company to manufacture railroad rolling stock, and the town originally known as Uncle Sam began to establish around his plant in 1837. After the Civil War, Major Henry McComb moved the car works to McComb Mississippi. The New Orleans and Nashville Railroad Company took on the town as a project, and envisioned a thriving future for the community, featuring a college, theatre, market, and churches. While most of these goals were not achieved, the town did continue to grow and thrive in its own way.

The Railroad Company hoped dairy farming would take off. However, during the 1830s, citizens recognized the slightly acidic soil of Independence was perfect for growing strawberries. Soon the area was attracting many settlers to grow luscious berries in the fertile ground, and a new railroad company came as well.

Town of Independence