In 1973 I wrote a newspaper column describing the growth of the Mandeville area, primarily the new developments that were pushing its boundaries westward further along La. Hwy. 22 towards Madisonville. The column mentioned several of the factors that were horrifying St. Tammany residents of the time, namely the "Veterans Highway" look and feel, the rising price of gasoline, and the environmental concerns that were just making themselves known.
West Causeway Approach and Hwy. 22 in 1970
The following column was written some 50 years ago.
Click on the image above to make it larger and more readable.
In 1972 the beginnings of Beau Chene
1974
1976
2021 - Image Source: Google Earth
Text of the above newspaper column:
Tammany Talk by Ron Barthet
I was driving along from Madisonville to Mandeville last week when I noticed a small green sign on the side of the road. It said: "Mandeville— corporate limits." And my reaction was: what's that doing way out here?"
Well, the truth is, the west end of Mandeville is now out that way, taking in a lot of those new subdivisions going up out there. There's all kinds of activity going on, with the clearing of trees, leveling of streets and such.
Beau Chene, the new subdivision fronting the Tchefuncte River, is coming along well, and Beau Rivage across the way is sporting a new entrance plaza that makes it quite attractive.
The grounds of Mariner's Village are methodically being cleared and levelled for the condominium and harbor complex planned there.
Yes, the land along West Causeway Approach and La. 22 west of Mandeville is virtually one of the fastest growing sections of St. Tammany Parish, which is, in itself, one of the fastest growing parishes in the state.
It won't be long, I think, before that strip will have its own community grocery stores, filling stations and other commercial outlets.
The energy crisis probably won't stop the flow of New Orleans folks to St. Tammany Parish, but it might dampen the movement of city folks to St. Tammany rural areas such as Folsom and Goodbee. With the price of gasoline going up, commuters may find it more convenient to live near the north end of the Causeway than live somewhere else in the parish.
That means even better growth in the area sitting near the Causeway, especially along West Causeway Approach, which is still relatively unpopulated.
If care is taken by residents and planners alike, the Causeway approach can avoid that "Veterans Highway" look that so many people are concerned with. Fortunately West and North Causeway Approach do not have drainage canals running down the middle of them.
Veterans Highway serves a useful purpose in New Orleans, providing the people of Metairie and Kenner with a central "business and commercial" artery. It doesn't serve as a main entrance into Metairie or Kenner, however.
On the other hand, West Causeway Approach, and North Causeway Approach, do serve as entrances to St. Tammany Parish. Their influence is two fold, one of important community traffic arteries and one of a gateway to western St. Tammany Parish. This should be kept in mind as their residential and commercial development continues.
End of column
I remember buying gasoline in 1971 at 25 cents per gallon.
