Beginning in the 1920's, land along the lakefront in eastern Orleans Parish (at that time, still far from the crowded city) began being developed. A shell road was constructed and a subdivision known as Edgelake, adjacent to Hayne Boulevard, opened. It would be many years before Edgelake, in the area now known as Little Woods, was fully developed. However, right away, small buildings known as camps, immediately began to spring up all along the lakefront. These camps sat on piers or stilts, jutting out over the lake. Rather than year-round residences, most were summer houses where the city's residents could spend time during the hot weather months, fishing and enjoying the lake breezes. Many of these camps remained a popular summer destination and a fixture on the lake until Hurricane Georges destroyed most of them in 1998. There were only five camps left by 2005, and Hurricane Katrina washed those away.
Little Woods has a very rich musical history. In the 1920's-1940's, clubs along the lakefront featured jazz bands and were very popular with city residents and beyond. Musicians of all races performed and the list of jazz musicians who would go on to become nationally known, who had their beginnings in Little Woods, is a long one.
Irish Bayou is another area on Lake Pontchartrain, near Lake Catherine and Lake Borgne. Like Little Woods, it's known for its fishing camps, but many of these were larger than those in Little Woods and were year round residences. In 2005, Hurricane Katrina, destroyed most of the camps in the Irish Bayou area. |
