New Orleans Camps - Camp Memories

Stories about other Camp's

This is a story that happened when I was a small child. My family owned a camp on Lake Pontchartrain for I guess about ten years or so until someone burned it down. Anyway my dad had a little orange speed boat called the Hellion. It was about 6 to 7 feet long. One day he went visiting some friends of ours who owned Smiley Q camp. When he was leaving he hit a sandbar and was thrown out of the boat. The little Hellion was on its way without a driver. My dad had to contact the Coast Guard to try to get the boat. For the rest of the afternoon, the Coast Guard tried to capture the Hellion. It took about -- I don't know. Maybe six boats or so to surround the little boat completely in a circle and someone I believe jumped in it and was able to stop it. It was very exciting to me as a youngster. We were all very glad that the boat was stopped and dad was safe.

Shelley Callaway Exsterstein

In 1958 Elvis Presley made a movie called King Creole. It was filmed in New Orleans and some of the shots were taken at a camp on Lake Pontchartrain.

Laura Sill
St. Philip Neri 3rd Grader

My father and grandfather were very familiar with the camps. My father attended grammar school on Hayne Blvd., and the camps were right across the street and over the levee from his school. In the 1960s and '70s, they saw the camps when they were thriving. The families who owned the camps would go there often, especially on the weekends. They would come with food and friends, and have a wonderful time swimming, boating, fishing, crabbing, and cooking. It is very upsetting that most of the camps were ruined by Hurricane Georges.

St. Philip Neri Student

Both of my grandfathers told me that people lived and vacationed along the lake. Camps along Haynes blvd. Were leased by southern railroad to individual families. Usually in the name of the head of the household. Once a camp was vacated or destroyed, the lease expired. In the 1930`s right after the depression, what we call "homeless" people today, were then called "squatters". These people moved into vacant or damaged camps because they had no where to live. At the start of World War II leases were reassigned to other family members, as long as they hade the same last name.

St. Philip Neri Student

My dad's uncle, Lloyd Leblanc, owned a camp. He enjoyed it very much. To get there, he used Highway 90 and then headed east by Lake Pontchartrain. He hung out with his friends in a room in which they listened to music and talked. The camp was built by policemen approximately 50 years ago. The camp's name was Camp Sheryl Ann. They usually just relaxed, ate, or slept. When they weren't relaxing, eating, or sleeping, they were fishing. They caught speckled trout. The trout were so big that they had to lean on the other side of the boat to get them out of the water. The camp was destroyed by Hurricane Betsy.

St. Philip Neri Student

As a teenager, my parents owned two camps in Little Woods on Lake Pontchartrain. The first camp was totaled in Hurricane Betsy. Our second camp was closer to the shore line and was sold. I believe it is still standing. Our Camps were located at the end of Haynes and Paris Rd. therefore we had to park our cars on Paris Rd. and walk to the camp. A walk of about 3 blocks. This meant we carried all our supplies down the railroad track. It was not very easy especially in the heat. Several times we would have to get down off the track because of a train. Our camp was always full of family and friends. This was our summer vacation. It seems like all I did was cook and clean for the guests. We had a pier that went out to a deck. We would sit outside and visit or go swimming in the lake. Your site brings back many good memories. Thanks.

Carol Bandera
St. Rita Harahan