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Dust in the Wind -

A Guide to American Ghost Towns

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Beginning with Spain in 1541, the Pelican State has variously been claimed by Spain, France, Great Britain, the Republic of West Florida, the Confederate States of America and the United States.   It is also the site of the most famous land transfer in American History when in 1803 the United States made what is known as the Louisiana Purchase, buying enough land from Napoleon I of France that it almost doubled the size of the then existing United States.  The cost for that vast territory was only about $15,000,000, but all or parts of 13 states were formed from it, including the present state of Louisiana.

With the purchase, massive sugar and cotton plantations developed in the rich soil of the new state that formed in 1812.  After statehood, the sugar and cotton plantations fueled growth, and soon timbering was also a major industry.  Towns began to develop, and as they grew, river traffic increased, and river ports began to grow along the riverbanks of the state.  During the Civil War, several major battles were fought in Louisiana, and after the war ended, Louisiana rejoined the Union, and in 1869 sulfur was discovered, followed by oil in 1901. 

Towns grew up and died, and Louisiana added many to the growing roster of ghosts that Ghost Town USA is out to discover and share.  In late August, 2005, the coast of Louisiana was slammed by Hurricane Katrina.  The area has still not fully recovered, and a number of small towns may remain ghost towns.  New Orleans is slowly recovering, and our thoughts and prayers remain with the citizens of that city (and all of the ravaged Gulf Coast areas) as they rebuild.  For a short time I did feature New Orleans on these pages as it technically fell into our Class E  description.  However, with pride, rebuilding is occurring and the population is slowly returning.

If you know of any ghost towns in the Pelican State that are not listed here, or know the current status of towns listed with little information, please contact us…

PLEASE NOTE: 

Where photos are indicated thusly (PHOTO!), please use your browser’s “BACK” button to return to this page.  More photos will be added over time.

CAMINADA

Jefferson Parish

This once thriving class A seaport town on the mainland side of Caminada Bay was destroyed in an 1893 hurricane.  It never recovered, and today the barren site is difficult to find.

CRANE'S FORGE

Assumption Parish

In 1860, this was the site of several sugar plantations and a post office.  Actual location is not determined, but from an old map it appears to have been on the west side of Bayou LaFourche, in or near the present town of Bellerose, which is six AIR miles southwest of Donaldsonville.  ANYONE know for sure where it is?  Or any history connected to it?

FORT de la BOULAYE

Plaquemines Parish

Also known as Fort Iberville, this fort was located on SH 39, a mile north of Phoenix on the east bank of the Mississippi River.  It was built in 1700 as a 28' square blockhouse with a half dozen cannons.  Its strategic location helped the French hold this part of the river and thus the state.  In 1704 or so, it was abandoned.

FORT JACKSON

Outside links include:

Ft Jackson, LA

Ft Jackson photos

Plaquemines Parish

This old American military post was located on SH 23, and the west bank of the Mississippi River, 2.5 miles southeast of Triumph, about 70 miles southeast of New Orleans.  It was built in 1822-1832, and occupied in 1861 by the Confederate Army.  It is a large, star-shaped brick fort with a surrounding moat.  It was built to protect New Orleans, but on April 18, 1862, Admiral Farragut and his fleet of 43 boats, battled the fort for over a week.  New Orleans fell, the fort surrendered, and his forces occupied them.  Since 1961, Fort Jackson has been a National Historic Monument.

GALVEZTOWN

Livingston Parish?

Ascension Parish?

The location of this fortified Spanish town is at the confluence of the Amite River and Bayou Manchac, near present-day Gonzales (Ascension Parish).  It was established during the American Revolution as a place of refuge for fleeing colonists.  In 1778-1783, this was one of four communities the Spanish resettled some 2363 Canary Islanders in.  It was abandoned around 1810.

GERMANTOWN

Webster Parish

On Germantown Road, seven miles northeast of Minden.  This old German socialist-utopian colony was founded in 1835 and lasted for 37 years.  Three original buildings remain, and other buildings have been re-created.   According to the historical marker the community was active until 1971.

LINCECUM

Grant Parish

The location of this old sawmill town is not determined.  A Lincecum Cemetery exists in the Parish, along with a Lincecum Baptist Church in the northeastern corner of the Parish.   HELP???

LOS ADAES

Natchitoches Parish

Just off SH 6, two miles northeast of Robeline.  This class B (SHP-$)-Spanish mission, fort (presidio) and village was established in 1717 as the mission San Miguel de los Adaes.  It was the only Spanish mission established in Louisiana, and was destroyed by the French in 1721.  The Spaniards rebuilt the mission, protecting it with a fortified presidio next to the old site.  A small village grew up beside it, and Los Adaes became the capital of the Texas frontier until 1773.  Only rubble remains, but the site is a state historic park.

NEWLLANO

Vernon Parish

Located along US 171, two miles south of Leesville, and 51 miles southwest of Alexandria, the small town of New Llano has absorbed the site of this old class C-socialist colony.

The story of Newllano began in Southern California's Mojave Desert, where Job Harriman’s socialistic colony called Llano del Rio was on its last legs.  He heard about an abandoned lumber town in Louisiana, so in October 1917, he went to Louisiana, purchasing the company town of Stables along with 20,000 acres of land from the Gulf Lumber Company.  The California colonists packed up and by the end of the year, Newllano was in business.  By the early 1930s, the colony's population reached 400, and there were 75 buildings spread over the 60-acre site.  In 1935, the colony was wracked by litigation and internal conflict, and in 1938 it fell into receivership. 

NIBLETT'S BLUFF

Calcasieu Parish

This historic trading post/stopping place/sawmill center/river port is on the east side of the Sabine River just north of I-10, ten miles northeast of Orange (TX), and northwest of Toomey (LA).  In the early 1830s a trading post was operated here, and later the location acted as a defense fort for the Confederate forces.  In the 1880s it was the western terminus for the Gulf, Sabine and Red River Railroad, which headed east into the untapped timberlands.  It has since faded, and today it is rural community and a state park.

SELMA

Grant Parish

This sawmill town was located along the railroad in the northeastern part of the Parish about 1.8 miles south of Georgetown, and east of US 165.  It appears to have been active in the 1880s-early 1900s.  At one time it also had a post office, but today is a only a scattered rural community.

Historians estimate that there may be as many

as 50,000 ghost towns scattered across the United States of America. During the next five years, Gary B. Speck Publications will be publishing unique state, regional, and county guides called

The Ghost Town Guru's Guide

to the Ghost Towns of *** ™

These original guides are designed for anybody interested in

ghost towns. Whether you are a casual tourist looking for a new and different place to visit, or a hard-core ghost town researcher, these guides will be just right for you. With over 30 years of research behind them, they will be a welcome addition to any

ghost towner's library.

Thank you, and we'll see you out on the Ghost Town Trail!

For more information on the ghost towns of LOUISIANA,

contact us at

Ghost Town USA.

E-mailers, PLEASE NOTE:

Due to the tremendous amount of viruses, worms and “spam,” out there, I no longer open any e-mails with unsolicited attachments, OR messages on the subject lines with “Hey”, “Hi”, “Need help”, “Help Please”, “???”, or blank subject lines, etc.  If you do send E-mail asking for information, or sharing information, PLEASE indicate the appropriate location AND state name, or other topic on the “subject” line.  THANK YOU!  :o)

IMPORTANT

These listings and historical vignettes of ghost towns, near-ghost towns and other historical sites in LOUISIANA above are for informational purposes only, and should NOT be construed to grant permission to trespass, metal detect, relic or treasure hunt at any of the listed sites.

If the reader of this guide is a metal detector user and plans to use this guide to locate sites for metal detecting or relic hunting, it is the READER'S responsibility to obtain written permission from the legal property owners. Please be advised, that any state or nationally owned sites will probably be off-limits to metal detector use. Also be aware of any federal, state or local laws restricting the same.

When you are exploring the ghost towns of LOUISIANA, please abide by the

Ghost Towner's Code of Ethics.