During the 1700s, territorial control over the Florida Parishes changed hands between several European powers. After gaining jurisdiction of West Florida after the American Revolution, Spanish colonial authorities conducted surveys of the country, mapping out geographical features, roads, buildings, land grants, and other property claims. One such map (shown below) was drawn up by a surveyor named Guillemard and showed the north shore of Lake Pontchartrain between Bayous Chinchuba and Lacombe.
The map gives us a rare early glimpse of what later became St. Tammany Parish. Starting from the east, we see “Partie de Chefoncte” labeled in French, the river being just off the map. Property belonging to James Goodbee is marked on Chinchuba (This James Goodbee was the great grandfather of brothers Ernest and Alfred Goodbee who established Goodbee, Louisiana). A road labeled “chemin de parant” runs from Goodbee’s estate southeastwards, past land belonging to Thomas Spell, Samuel Smith, and Edouard (the Edwards family?), ending at Castin Bayou. Buildings marked ‘Durio’ lay on the east bank of Castine Bayou, and other buildings are shown to the east, in what later became Fontainebleau. A road marked “Chemin du Cousin” runs northeast, crossing Bayou Cane (“Ravine de Cannes”), finally reaching a house labeled ‘Cousin’ up Bayou Lacombe.
As the map shows, the area that later became St. Tammany Parish was almost completely rural at the end of the 18th century. Between 1829 and 1832, Bernard Marigny obtained the land west of Bayou Castine previously held by the Spell, Smith, and Edwards families and named it Mandeville. In 1834 Marigny began selling of parcels of the land he purchased and in 1840 Mandeville was officially incorporated. On the east side of Bayou Castine Marigny built Fontainebleau Plantation. Lacombe also grew in the subsequent decades, but was never officially incorporated as a town.
To learn more about the early history of Saint Tammany Parish, check out the books below:
Sesquicentennial in St. Tammany
The St. Tammany Historical Society Gazette
The St. Tammany Historical Society Gazette
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