Downtown Hammond History
Early Development of Hammond, LA
In the early nineteenth century, Peter Hammond settled in the largely uninhabited area, laying the foundation for the city that now bears his name. Hammond, originally from Sweden, left his home during the War of 1812. He worked as a rigger and sailmaker until he was imprisoned by the English. Hammond eventually escaped imprisonment, sailed for the United States, and made his landing in New Orleans, LA. He began working and traveling around the areas of Springfield and Ponchatoula along the Ponchatoula River. This was a popular waterway shipping point to and from New Orleans before the development of the railroad.
Around 1818, Hammond discovered an expansive grove of oak trees amongst the dense long-leaf yellow pine forests about twelve miles from Ponchatoula. Thanks to the generous homestead laws of the period, he acquired and settled this large land holding. He eventually married Caroline Tucker, originally from Massachusetts, and erected a homestead - including a family home, a warehouse that functioned as a commissary, and several cabins for slave quarters. The Hammond homestead is believed to be located near the intersection of East Robert and Chestnut Streets. Hammond made his living producing tar and charcoal, manufacturing pitch (an early product used for water-proofing wood) from the pines, and cutting timbers for ship masts. With his wealth, he purchased many slaves and used slave labor to harvest these resources.
A timeline of historical events that can be found on our history panels in Railroad Park.
Hammond is revered as a humble yet successful businessman. He used oxen to haul timber, coal, tar, and other goods to waterways in Ponchatoula where they would be shipped to New Orleans to be sold or exchanged. Hammond often brought back basic goods that he would trade with area travelers at his commissary. Hammond longed to see a railroad through the area to see his goods reach new markets. In 1850, Peter Hammond sold some of the right-of-way land to support the building effort of the railroad. His place, known as “Hammond’s Crossing,” was a simple frontier outpost until the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Railroad provided easier transportation for new settlers.
Image of the Peter Hammond oak tree.
The rights to this image belong to the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and Archives at Southeastern Louisiana University.
Through this railroad line, Charles Emery Cate, a New Hampshire native, found the Hammond area and led significant developments. Cate originally made his way to Louisiana via New Orleans in 1852 and went into the shoe manufacturing business. He married Mercy Ann Waterman of Massachusetts in 1858, and together they had two children, Thomas and Lucy. As tensions rose at the onset of the Civil War in 1861, Cate and his family moved to Hammond in an effort to strategically locate his business away from New Orleans. He purchased several tracts of land owned by Peter Hammond and the state - totaling his land ownership to over 300 acres. Cate’s arrival marked the development of new industries and he erected some of Hammond’s first commercial structures, including a shoe factory, sawmill, and a boarding house for workers.
The Civil War threatened the longevity of the newly-settled area. Union troops destroyed much of the railroad connecting to Ponchatoula, and, in the spring of 1863, they destroyed Cate’s sawmill along with his equipment in the shoe factory. This was a significant setback for the area; however, much of the war-damaged railroad was restored by 1866.
A view of downtown Hammond, LA looking north toward the train depot from Cate’s sawmill.
The rights to this image belong to the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and Archives at Southeastern Louisiana University.
The Reconstruction Period was marked by significant developments including the creation of Tangipahoa Parish on March 6, 1869 by Louisiana Act 85. The parish carved out the most economically prosperous and heavily populated regions along the railroad from the four existing parishes: St. Tammany, Washington, St. Helena, and Livingston. It is for this reason the shape of the parish reflects the railroad line. Unfortunately, Peter Hammond lost most of his wealth during the Civil War and lived out his final days in the area until 1872. He is buried under a mighty oak at the Peter Hammond Family Cemetery located on East Charles Street.
As the area was rebuilt, Cate hired a surveyor to lay out streets running east and west in a grid pattern, following the axis of the railroad, marking the initial development of the City of Hammond. The commercial life of the town centered around the railroad and these corridors became lined with Hammond’s first commercial buildings. Hammond was chartered as a town in 1889 and shortly after, Henry Clay Mooney was elected as the first mayor.
A view of downtown Hammond, LA from the railroad crossing at Thomas St., looking east at Cate St.
The rights to this image belong to the Center for Southeast Louisiana Studies and Archives at Southeastern Louisiana University.
For more of downtown Hammond’s history, take a trip to Railroad Park to enjoy our history panels!
