It would not be too far-fetched to say that many of today's residents of St. Tammany Parish probably had grandparents or great grandparents who, in their first visit to the north shore of the lake, came here for a picnic of some sort. It was a common thing for New Orleans residents to board a boat or train and come to Covington, Abita Springs and Mandeville for a picnic, either for the company where they worked, or a regional church or civic group gathering.
St. Tammany offered several locations ideally suited for picnics, on the lakefront, along the rivers, or out among the pines. There were company picnics, Sunday School picnics, fraternal organization picnics, and public school picnics, in addition to the hundreds of individual family picnics held each weekend during good weather.
Shops advertised special picnic packages, everything you needed for a wonderful picnic, and the local hotels and resorts offered picnic grounds. Jackson Park in Mandeville was especially popular, as was the Abita Springs pavilion. There were "moonlight picnics," and Fourth of July picnics were a favorite.
Here are some articles from the St. Tammany Farmer with more details.
Jackson Park was located on Coffee Street in Mandeville. There they had concerts, picnics, and dances on a big pavilion in the middle of the park.
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