Slidell Museum and Slidell Mardi Gras Museum

Slidell, Louisiana was founded in 1883 during construction of a major new railroad from New Orleans to Meridian, Mississippi. The New Orleans and Northeastern (N.O.N.E.) Railroad established a building camp at the first high ground north of Lake Pontchartrain which eventually grew into the city. Slidell was chartered as a town in 1888 by the Louisiana legislature. The town was named after John Slidell, a prominent state, national and Confederate political figure. In the thirty or so years after its founding, Slidell developed a creosote plant, one of the country's largest brick manufacturing facilities, a large lumber mill, and a shipyard which contributed significantly to the nation's effort in both world wars. Slidell residents worked in local ship, tank, and airplane construction during World War II.