Ruddock Louisiana?

[NOLA_Ken]

Ok, here's what I know.....Ruddock was a logging town west of New Orleans with a population of around 900, until 1915 when a hurricane wiped it off the map. I know it was along I-55(old 51), and that there is still an exit there bearing the name. Thing is I've been out there and not seen any sign of it. What I'm wondering is if it was all completely wiped out when they built the interstate, or if it's possible that the land has subsided and it's all under bayou now. I've located the site on USGS maps, and in google earth, but I can't see anything that looks remotely like an old building site. And it looks like a boat will be needed to get to the site. Anyone know anything about it? I want to go do some digging, but I'd like to be well informed before I do.

 

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[River Rat]

Ken, I know it's gone now but Wayne Norwood has a lot of history of the place, most of the bottles & stuff found are located in his museum. He has an article printed up about it too along with a few old pictures. I need to check to see if his website is back up and get back with you on more details.

Update - No Wayne's site is not back up, but I did find this article... I am from New Orleans, Louisiana, about 30 miles from Ruddock, La. It was destroyed in a hurricane in 1915, along with a couple of other small towns in the area, one of them named Frenier. Nothing exists of the town of Ruddock today. There is an exit from Interstate 55 at mile marker 7, which gives you access to the public boat launch. My father, Charles B. Ruddock, Sr., who died in 1971, told me that the town of Ruddock was named after his uncle. It was a cypress logging community, and there was a narrow guage railroad to the town of Reserve, La. that hauled the cypress logs to a mill there. I have seen the railroad bed on some of the numerous fishing trips to the area. There is a St. John Parish sheriffs officer [I don't remember his name] that has done extensive research on the towns that were destroyed in the hurricane in 1915. That sheriff officer is Wayne and yes he does have some extensive research material along with artifacts in the museum.

Ghost Towns - During the turn of the century, Ruddock was a lumber town with a population of 900. It was wiped out by the great hurricane of 1915...only a handful of people survived. Ruddock was never rebuilt.

http://blog.nola.com/ponchatoulatimes/2009/02/times_louisiana_treasures_muse.html

Let me know when you visit the museum, maybe I can meet up with you there.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

thanks for looking, seems info is a bit scarce. I think I'm going to see who I know with a canoe, and head out there this summer and poke around. There's a few other places I'm looking at, including an old fort but not having a boat is keeping me from exploring them, which hopefully has also kept others from finding all the good stuff or dumping trash all over.......hopefully it will be an interesting summer.

 

[GrayCloud]

Ken, One thing is for sure. When River Rat gets on a trail, she is hard to shake.
Before she is through, she will have you more info.
One thing you may want to do, is to go to the Parish Seat and search for the oldest TOPO Maps of the area. The Army Corp Engineers may also have some older TOPO Maps. If so, they will show the town layout. Also check for Sandborn Maps. Don't forget to check out the LSU and Tulane Libraries.

 

[NOLA_Ken]

I've located some maps, and aerial photos of the area, but still no luck pinpointing the exact location. If I could determine whether it was on the Ponchartrain side or the Maurepas side, I could just go pound the ground until i find it.

 

[Big Ken]

Hey Ken found this site, which may mean that the area is accessible by land via the Railroad tracks. If you ever decide to go and need any assistance let me know, would be more than happy to help. Ken in Gretna
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=cr&CRid=2383098

 

[NOLA_Ken]

Thanks for that link! That ties in nicely with what I've found so far, and definitely puts it on the Ponchartrain side. I was just thinking it wouldn't make much sense for a logging town to be across a canal from the railroad that carried the logs out.

 

[Jody Trosclair]

My father used to take us to the old Ruddock town site , to probe for bottles. we would drive down hwy 51 until just before the RR ran close to the old hwy 51( now there are blue tanks , to mark this spot ). cross over to the RR (easier now to access ) and follow the tracks south, if you pass the old German graveyard , you went to far . The site is between the RR tracks and lake , North of the Graveyard and south of the tanks. As for the fort, check with the St John parish courthouse, for its location, they removed the cannon that sits in front , from it .

 

[Nolamadman]

Ken, I know this is an old post but I believe I found the ruddock gravesites. I was out hog hunting and found a giant oak tree in the middle of a bunch of cypress. After sitting there awhile I got bored and looked around and found pieces of old wood and rusted iron fencing. Also found chunks of limestone that may have been markers. I do know for sure the houses and community center were on the east side if the tracks, most of the farmland is now underwater. If you dont have a boat, the only option is to park at the tracks at frenier road and walk the tracks north shy of about 3 miles, there aren't many big oaks back in there, that's how I found it on west side of tracks.

 

[Truth]

I have found many bucket listers in Ruddock La in 2019

 

[Truth]

thanks for looking, seems info is a bit scarce. I think I'm going to see who I know with a canoe, and head out there this summer and poke around. There's a few other places I'm looking at, including an old fort but not having a boat is keeping me from exploring them, which hopefully has also kept others from finding all the good stuff or dumping trash all over.......hopefully it will be an interesting summer.

We got a boat!!

 

[Truth]

As far as I know all I do is drive down on the right hand side of the railroad tracks heading south and there’s really only one spot that’s a shell mound with a big OO tree on it. Last year I found 2 eagle buttons one J hook, a trime and then I dried off

 

[Truth]

Ken, I know this is an old post but I believe I found the ruddock gravesites. I was out hog hunting and found a giant oak tree in the middle of a bunch of cypress. After sitting there awhile I got bored and looked around and found pieces of old wood and rusted iron fencing. Also found chunks of limestone that may have been markers. I do know for sure the houses and community center were on the east side if the tracks, most of the farmland is now underwater. If you dont have a boat, the only option is to park at the tracks at frenier road and walk the tracks north shy of about 3 miles, there aren't many big oaks back in there, that's how I found it on west side of tracks.

You were definitely on the Shellmound I cleaned up that area I know there’s got to be more but I got a lot of barked at Lesters on that small area