The concrete seawall that runs along the edge of Lake Pontchartrain, stretching from the Industrial Canal to West End, is a favorite spot for joggers, cyclists, fishermen and families.

Gonzales resident Connie Thompson, who grew up in Gentilly, said she had always been curious about the seawall’s history. Thompson asked about the seawall’s construction and history, along with the scope of the wall: “I always wonder why the seawall was built around Lake Pontchartrain only on the New Orleans side? The year it was built? Was it to put people to work?”

The northshore has a similar, although smaller, seawall. The Mandeville concrete seawall was built in the 1930s as a Works Progress Administration project. The story of the New Orleans seawall is a bit of a deeper dive.

Kristi Trail, execut

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