Fritz Salmen, a Swiss immigrant, with his brothers, Jacob and Albert, founded the Salmen Brick and Lumber Company in Slidell in the late 1880s.
Fritz Salmen
According to the history archives of the St. Tammany Parish Government, the property on which Camp Salmen Nature Park sits was acquired in 1901 by the Salmen Brick and Lumber Company. Salmen Brick conducted timbering operations for many years on the site until the property was donated to the Boy Scouts of America in 1924, which used the property as a regional camp reservation for the Greater New Orleans area.
Early History
The layers of history housed in Camp Salmen Nature Park begin in the late 1700s. The property was originally awarded as land grants by Spanish governor Estevan Miro in 1785 and 1787. It is thought to be the home to one of the oldest trading posts in the Bayou Liberty Region and in Louisiana, built in the early 1800s by Joseph Laurent, a lake trader.
Alongside the Trading Post (now Salmen
Lodge), Camp Salmen offered a major ferry across the bayou which
operated from the early 1800s into the early 1900s.
On March 28, 1901, the Salmen Brick & Lumber Co. bought the Breedlove Tract, which included the old trading post building and 376 acres of property and so ended the building’s nearly century-long use as a trading post.
In 1921 an unknown Boy Scout shared an umbrella
with Fritz Salmen of the Salmen Brick and Lumber Company. The scout
refused a tip, and this led to Salmen's company donating three years later a 72.5 acre
tract of land on Bayou Liberty for use as a scouting camp.
In 1956, Fritz's son Fred donated another 35 acres adjoining Camp Salmen. The later land donation brought the total Salmen bequest to 106 acres.
The only remaining building in the camp
is of historical and architectural significance. It is a French Creole
residence and one of only 26 buildings in the parish which date before
the Civil War. It was named the Salmen Lodge by the scouts.
The scouts nicknamed the building Salmen Lodge
In 2006, the historical significance of the Salmen Lodge was affirmed when the lodge was added to the National Register of historic places. See more detailed information below. The 200-year-old building is undergoing restoration and when complete will be restored to its original trading post appearance. There is also discussion to add a small museum in the future.
This remnant of the early history of the Bayou Liberty region will become a center for visitors, including school children, to learn about the unique architecture of the building, its years as a trading post, and the significant role the Bayou Liberty region area played in supplying timber, tar and pitch, bricks, produce, and livestock to the growing city of New Orleans across Lake Pontchartrain.
Today, Camp Salmen Nature Park in Slidell offers visitors 130-acres of an outdoor observatory rich in natural flora, fauna and birding habitats.
Photo from Camp Salmen Nature Park Facebook Page
Plants and animals native to these areas can be seen on the trail loops. The Interpretive Journey trail system includes approximately 32,500 linear feet of interpretive trails and boardwalks. Educational signs guide hikers through the management areas and point out environmental and historical points of interest.
Information Source: Information for this blog article was pulled from the Camp Salmen Facebook page as well as the St. Tammany Parish Government Facebook Page.
See also:
Where Yat: Camp Salmen Nature Park
https://www.facebook.com/campsalmensttammany/
http://www.campsalmennaturepark.org/
https://www.friendsofcampsalmen.org/
https://www.facebook.com/friendsofcampsalmen/
By managing the different landscapes and habitats found in Camp Salmen, much of the park will be returned to how it appeared to early European settlers in the 18th century. The ecological management areas will allow for growth and development of a variety of habitats, including a Long Leaf Pine Savannah. The preservation of the park will create one of the most important educational tools in Southeast Louisiana.
