[Dixielandjazz] South Rampart Street

[Phil Wilking]

Canal Street is the dividing line where many streets change from "South" to 
"North." In reality, Canal Street runs about 10° off due north/south and 
streets labeled "South" are on the west side of Canal St., while those 
labeled "North" are on the east side.

And yes, there is a South Rampart Street and a North Rampart Street 
("rampart" as in city wall). They have been there almost since the founding 
of the town. And no, there are no parades there these days.

Canal Street is named for a navigation canal which was to be dug from Lake 
Pontchartrain to downtown New Orleans because that was a much better route 
for sailing ships to take than fighting the Mississippi River current and 
shifting channel for almost a hundred miles. The canal was never dug, but 
the right-of-way for it made an excellent right-of-way for a commercial 
street.

As it turned out, it also made a good boundary between the French/Spanish 
population and the new English speaking arrivals after the Louisiana 
Purchase. The French/Spanish people despised the "Kaintucks" and refused to 
have anything to do with them (at least where they could be seen), so the 
new arrivals built their own town on the other side of Canal St. from what 
became the "French Quarter." On the other hand, there had to be SOME 
commerce between them, if only because of the river/ocean trans-shipment 
business, so the center of Canal St. became a neutral territory, which is 
why we call street medians "neutral grounds" to this day.

It is also why most streets in downtown New Orleans (south of the Rampart 
Streets) change names as they cross Canal Street. Royal Street in the French 
Quarter becomes Saint Charles Avenue on the "American" side, etc.

Anyone who really cares about this should get a copy of a book by John 
Chase. The short title is: "Frenchmen, Desire, Good Children" and it it the 
history of the city with emphasis on the growth of the various 
neighborhoods. It is still in print in paperback and can be had from on-line 
sellers.

Phil Wilking

Those who would exchange freedom for
security deserve neither freedom nor security.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Ringwald" <rsr at ringwald.com>
>
>> there definitely is a South, and North, Rampart Street.  The break is at 
>> Canal, I think.  I don't think there are many parades there any more, 
>> though.
>
>
> I could swear that I was told that there was no South Rampart Street in 
> New Orleans.  Perhaps at the time the song was titled, there wasn't and a 
> street has been named "South" since then?
>