Step Back in Time

Robinson Atlas insurance maps of the Irish Channel neighborhood in New Orleans, Louisiana. This image was pieced together by Maegan A. Smith from multiple image files, courtesy of Dale N. Adkins, Clerk of Civil District Court, Parish of Orleans.

As the South’s largest city located at the cross section of the mighty Mississippi River and the Gulf of Mexico, New Orleans has long been a magnet from people from all over the country and the wider world. While many people passed through the city on their way to other parts of the country, large contingents of recent immigrants settled in the city, particularly in the area we now know as the Irish Channel.

Each wave of settlers brought something new to the neighborhood as time progressed, but little of the built environment remains today. The Irish Channel Project exists as a way for visitors to this historic neighborhood to step back in time and learn more about the people who lived, worked, and played in the Irish Channel throughout the centuries.

We are currently in phase one of the project, the year 1880. Next up is 1900 and 1950, coming Spring 2019. 1980 will be live in early summer 2019.

Check back for updates and glimpses from the neighborhood’s past!