Slidell\'s first settlement was established on Bayou Bonfouca in 1852, and by 1883, when the railroad was completed and the town was named, it already was dubbed "the industrial capital of the South." Slidell\'s port was busy with 314 sailing vessels per year traveling to the Port of New Orleans carrying lumber, bricks, and food.
Nestled in the "Ozone Belt," the fresh air and water had a healing power that attracted.
The train brought workers, settlers, and, in later years, tourists to the area.
Slidell\'s first settlement was established on Bayou Bonfouca in 1852, and by 1883, when the railroad was completed and the town was named, it already was dubbed "the industrial capital of the South." Slidell\'s port was busy with 314 sailing vessels per year traveling to the Port of New Orleans carrying lumber, bricks, and food
