Dubreuil Canal

In 1736, Claude Dubreuil initiated a canal at this site, from the Mississippi River to Bayou Barataria. One hundred years BEFORE the Harvey Canal, it was the FIRST man-made waterway accessing New Orleans to the Gulf of Mexico. That canal provided transport of people, timber, seafood, game, furs, and shells aiding colonization of Barataria. Jean Lafitte reportedly used the canal to transport goods to defend America in the Battle of New Orleans. It still serves as the Gardere Canal.