City of New Orleans history

The era of the modern Port of New Orleans began in 1879 with the construction of jetties in South Pass, one of three passes that flow from the river into the gulf.

Another major step forward for the port was taken in 1896, when the state legislature removed wharf facilities from the control of private contractors and created the Board of Commissioners of the Port of New Orleans (the Dock Board), a body charged with administering the public wharves.

The Public Grain Elevator begins operation, and 18 new wharves have been built since 1903.

In 1908 the Dock Board was authorized to issue negotiable bonds for the improvement of port facilities.

New Orleans Museum of Art was founded in 1910.

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration established the Michoud Assembly Facility in New Orleans in 1961 to produce the giant Saturn rocket boosters used in flights to the Moon.

In 1963 the Mississippi River–Gulf Outlet, a ship channel shortening the passage to the gulf by 40 miles (64 km), was opened to maritime traffic.

Hurricane Betsy visited New Orleans in 1965, blowing out windows and flooding more than 160,000 homes.

The New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum was founded in 1972.

The Superdome opened in 1975.

In 1977, the Parish conducted its first study of the area

But in 1978, New Orleans elected its first African-American mayor, Ernest N. “Dutch” Morial, who served the city for 8 years.

The Julia, Erato, and upper Poydras wharves were developed as the site of the 1984 Louisiana World Exposition.

His son Marc Morial was elected mayor in 1994.

In August 2005 New Orleans suffered massive damage as a result of Hurricane Katrina.

People slowly returned to the city and in 2006 the Superdome reopened.

A highlight of the post-Katrina era came on February 7, 2010, when the city’s beloved New Orleans Saints won the team’s first-ever Super Bowl.