US Highwy 190 in Louisiana

My notes:
So many of my rides involved the vicinity of this road. I think I'm
going to elaborate a bit here, maybe post a few pictures?

Click map to enlarge.



Below are the "facts" from Wikipedia, the uncertain encyclopedia.

U.S. Route 190
Length: 875[1] mi (1,408 km)
Formed: 1926[1]
West end: I-10/TX FM 305 in Pecos County, TX
East end: US 90 at Slidell, LA
United States Numbered Highways
Spur of US 90
List - Bannered - Divided - Replaced

U.S. Route 190, also known as the Ronald Reagan memorial highway, is an east-west United States highway. It evolved from the shortest of intrastate routes in 1926 to a length comparable to a main Interstate highway route, leading from the piny forests of Louisiana to the West Texas desert.



The highway's eastern terminus is in the bayous near Slidell, Louisiana at an intersection with U.S. Route 90. This junction was once known as the "White Kitchen" after a restaurant that was once located there. Its western terminus is in the middle of Pecos County, Texas at an intersection with Interstate 10, 20 mi (32 km) from the tiny town of Iraan

Major Towns:

* Slidell, Louisiana
* Mandeville, Louisiana
* Covington, Louisiana
* Hammond, Louisiana
* Denham Springs, Louisiana
* Baton Rouge, Louisiana
* Opelousas, Louisiana
* DeRidder, Louisiana
* Jasper, Texas
* Huntsville, Texas
* Bryan, Texas
* Temple, Texas
* Lampasas, Texas
* Killeen, Texas
* Brady, Texas

History

In the original 1926 plan, US 190 served the purpose of modern-day Interstate 12, as the road around the north side of Lake Pontchartrain.

In 1935, the route was extended across the Mississippi River, taking over a section of U.S. Route 71.
{Me: There must have been a ferry there because the Huey P. Long Bridge was not opened until 1940. The HP Long bridge in New Orleans was opened in 1935. The Wiki writer may have made a mistake. Watch Wiki and do not trust the information although it is probably better than what I tell you since I like to make up stuff when it suits my fancy.}

It then ended in the West Texas town of Brady, Texas at an intersection with U.S. Route 87.

U.S. 190 was assigned an additional 150 miles (241 km) across the sparsely-populated area south of San Angelo, Texas in 1979.

The current U.S. 190 near Krotz Springs, La. is a new highway. The road was built as an elevated bypass around the road called Old 190.
{We'll see a little it down the road. It is between Lottie and East Krotz Springs}

The other bypass is the old bridge that once crossed the Morganza Spillway. It is bypassed by a single four-lane highway. {It is west of Krotz Springs}

The route is now used as an alternate route for Interstate 10, across the Atchafalaya Expressway. Traffic can be diverted along Louisiana Highway 975 to Krotz Springs, and Louisiana Highway 76 to US 190/La. 1.
{It you are diverted onto 975, you are looking at a single lane gravel road going through the swamp for 20 plus miles. If it is wet, be careful} {La. 76 can only be accessed from La.3000 and 77 at Grosse Tete which are off the Basin Bridge and do you no good if there is a problem on the elevated section between 3000 and the Henderson exit. Only 975 and one more, the Butte Larose exit can provide an escape from the bridge}

Okie Dokie, now my stuff. This will be a virtual ride on 190 when finished, which may be never. I've been told to leave a caption under each picture or group, so I will. Don't expect much as this is a little long.

White Kitchen, La.

This is the place where 190 meets 90 on its east end. It is labeled as "White Kitchen" on the map. There was a famous eatery there and maybe a truck stop. This is what was left a few years after Katrina. I remember the place as a landmark on the way to the Mississippi Gulf Coast from our home in New Orleans.



Slidell

The is the railroad depot at Slidell. It may have been built by the
GMO or the IC or the ICG, a combo of the two railroads.



Slidell gives you the first hint of the loveliness of the Lake
Pontchartrain Northshore. Slidell is a modern city. I don't find
"modern" attractive so throughout this tour, you'll see old and funky,
which I do find attractive.



Here's the historic downtown south of the railroad tracks.



Lacombe

I once had a shot of the museum. In place of that you can read this.











Big Branch
The coastal plane of the lake's north shore is gorgeous.
By the way, "Northshore" is a place and thus the spelling.
When written as 2 words, they are used as a location description.
There's a difference. Just because I can't explain it doesn't make
it not so. It's a facjac. Ok, in north shore, "north" is an adjective
and "shore" is a noun, whereas "Northshore" is a noun. It's deeper
than that, but this will have to do.







Water, Wind and Sky.



Fontainbleau State Park

The park is one of the old ones. This area was a
retreat for New Orleaneans forever. It was called
the Ozone Belt. Google it. Ozone was considered a
good thing, unlike your nightly air quality alerts.
Could there be good Ozone and bad Ozone? Like
good cholesterol and bad cholesterol?








Remnants of the ancient sugar mill.







Mandeville

Mandeville, what a neat old town. The homes were very near the
water. The attraction is obvious. It is a large bustling town now.





Large restaurants were located over the water, free ac and a wonderful
view.



Once the lake was bordered by a cypress forest.



Covington

Covington is north of Mandeville, inland from the lake.
It has a historic downtown and rail depot. It is likewise
a modern town and 190 here is a nightmare at rush hour.
This road isn't.
This bridge was once a trestle.





Robert

Robert is a crossroads town. 445 takes off north and
south from this point. The old rail bridge over the
Tangipahoa River is my main point of interest since I've
been on it. The next day I committed myself.

It has since fallen into the water. A flood has dislodged it and now it is a short distance downstream.





Hammond

Hammond is another bustling Northshore town. It has
a college and historic downtown. I-55 crosses 190 and
I-12 going north and south here. It is also crossed by
US 51, a very historic road. There are attractions in
all directions.

Albany



Holden
The Tickfaw River is the main attraction here.



Livingston
Tickfaw State Park is one to see.



Satsuma

Satsuma is now a bedroom community of Baton Rouge.

Walker is, also.

Denham Springs
DS likewise has a historic downtown which is famous for its antique shops.
I need a picture of it.

Baton Rouge

Many attractions. 190 is Florida Ave. entering town and Airline
Highway exiting. I can't say anything positive about either.

Belmont



Clearing Baton Rouge is like being released from jail. The ride
over the old bridge can only be beat by meeting a train on top.

Erwinville

No pictures. Erwinville was the gateway to a oil and gas discovery
in the 80's. The Missouri Pacific had a branch which reached north to False River.

Torbert
Torbert is probably invisible.

Livonia

Watch your speed.

Old syle service facility. It also has viable ones. The main town
is on La.78, north of 190, but the cops patrol 190 for a good ways.
Be alert to the speed signs.



Blanks

Blanks is the name of an unincorporated community located in southwestern Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana, United States.

The town is said to have gained its name from Handsell B. Blanks, of Warren County, Mississippi. Mr. Blanks was a lumberman and part owner of the Bomer-Blanks Lumber Company. A post office was established in the community of Blanks in 1913, but it is no longer in operation.

Bomer-Blanks Lumber Company, Incorporated, 1917-1928
I talked to a Smith relative, mentioned below. Blanks and Lottie are very close.
This is part of the Smith Plantation, or not.



Pray for a train to come along as this stretch gets a little sleepy.



Lottie

When William Smith was appointed postmaster for a new post office to be located about five miles west of Livonia, Louisiana in 1900, the residents of this rural area had to come up with a name. After some thought, and no consensus was able to be reached, it was suggested that a drawing be held. Lottie Raby's name was drawn and this southern Pointe Coupee post office has been named for her for over a century.

This old service station has been flattened. RIP



Her an old Stuckeys Restaurant remains. They were landmarks
in the 60's. They sold ice cream, gasoline and.trinkets to tourist.
The building is still there but in horrible condition.




The Morganza Spillway is entered here. It is a dump for the
Mississippi River if New Orleans is ever threatened by a flood.
Lot of good it did during Katrina.

It's Lottie's claim to fame.



The levee here is serious.



This bridge replaced the original US190 in 1942, approx. There
are no shoulders and if you have a problem you may become a
a bump for some semi.



The old road is down below. I've never done it, though tempted.





You don't want these guys "protecting" you. Ask any deer.
I've never seen a more BS name anywhere. Wait, the Democratic
Congress members out do them. "Stimulus". That's a good one.



I know someone that has ridden it.



That concrete is ancient and it's been flooded. Why can't we
build roads like that?



Above is his picture.

Is I-10 a diversion for US 190? If these waiters would turn right down
at the bottom of the Krotz Springs bridge (shot from the bridge looking east),
they would be on La.975 headed south for I-10. It would take forever
and they might not make it, but it would be fun trying At least they
wouldn't be sitting.



Krotz Springs

KS is about the bridges over the Atachafalaya River. It is also
a fuel stop. I've seen what looks like a good restaurant on the
west side of town. The last scene of Easy Rider was filmed
about 2 1/2 miles north of town on La.105. I sell souvenirs
there on the weekends.

These are the KS bridges.













As mentioned in the Wiki material, another bypassed section of
of 190 lies below another raised portion. This is the 190 I remember
from my youth. It is west of town on the south side of the present
road. I don't remember the last one pictured. I remember the new
bridge from Lottie to east KS. Put my remembering at 1956.



I once brought a chair and meditated while sitting on this road
of my youth. Who would have ever thought the road would sport
a "Dead End" sign. Thought provoking.







McClure

McClure was down on old 190 overlooking Darbonne Bay. I think
it's been covered by highway fill.

Bayou Courtableau
This is where the west levee is. There is a large control sturcture
here also. It moderates the the Courtableau's flow into the Henderson
Swamp.



A very large neighborhood of camps is here.



This was taken from that levee.


Hazelwood
These homes are on the natural levee of Bayou Courtabeau.




Port Barre

Watch your speed.





Near the confluence of Bayou Teche and Courtableau.



Gibbs

The rails and US 190 cross the Little Teche Bayou here.



La.742 follows the bayou north and south of 190.
Fog at 2:00 PM. What humidity?



Opelousas
Opelousas has too many beautiful homes
to start showing. It has a museum as
you enter town from the east that is not
to be missed. Google "Opelousas, La."
The downtown and adjoining neighborhoods
are gorgeous, but then I like old and funky.



Opelousas has an important railroad history. This
interesting place was on the Texas and Pacific coming
in from Lewisburg in the railroad district.



Opelousas was a target of the Soviet Union during the Cold War.
The nature of the target is still a mystery. Nevertheless, individual
nuclear bomb shelters sold like hot cakes. This one is probably 53
years old. No kidding. You can find them throughout the town.
Were you told to hide under your desk if under nuclear attack? I
remember the drills.



This is the Southern Club. Ever hear of Swamp Pop? This is
a cathedral of that genre.



At Opleousas, the Cajun Prairie begins.

Veazie

Veazie is on the way to Lawtell.

Lawtell









Lawtell saw its better days a few days back.

Swords
Andrepont's Grocery (now a home with vinyl siding).



Savoy

Home of Savoy Music Store, a historic Cajun Music cathedral.

Eunice cannot be appreciated from 190. You will have to go one
block south.















Basile
Basile, what can you say?







Elton

Rice irrigation canal.



Elton is working farm town.



And Indian country. The jail.



The blue eyes are not doing as well as the red skins at the casino.



Elton evidently is not on the reservation.



I like the western "flavor" of this place's name. Once it was
the Bareback Saloon Post Office. Doesn't your bar display its
zip code? I wonder if the "Do not enter with a drink" was
written above the door in its post office days?



Lauderdale

Lauderdale is where La.99 meets 190. You can take it south to La.14.

Kinder

Kinder is the home of a historic lumber mill. It's a place on the
tracks like most of 190 is or was. In fact it is at the cross tracks
of two important railroads.



This looks like a great set for a Hollywood B movie.



This old store is on 190 as it once again turns west after touring
Kinder.





Stanley

First is the Calcasieu River.



LeBlanc

Then the old settlement of LeBlanc.



This is the new attraction there, the "Whiskey Chitto" River.



The roads are great, but they end.



But first you see sights like this, a little piece of Destin Fla.



And visions of life when things were simpler. Note the outhouse.



Now, throngs from Lafayette and Alexandria pilgrimage here.









Reeves

The road relaxes and stretches out. I was going to sleep one
time and I heard a loud horn that almost threw me off the bike.
It was a loco on the rails doing its thing crossing roads and driveways.



Bel

Edith

Maybe Bel and Edith were Fulton's children?

Fulton (Historic railroad crossing) The SP crossed the MP here.
The SP was headed to DeRidder. The MP had shadowed 190
since the Baton Rouge bridge.



This is where the depot was.



Ragley
This is the location of one of Beauregard Parish's libraries. Cool.



Longville

At Ragley, 190 turns north and goes through this historic lumber
town. The RR from Fulton came this way.





This is the mill's pond.



Tula

Swamp Smith
That may be a road name. More investigation is needed.

Deridder
The proximity of Texas is becoming even more evident.






Junction
Of what, I don't know. La.111 meets 190 here.
111 will take you north to Toledo Bend Land.

Merryville

Merryville is another historic lumber town. But, it is
also a frontier town. This area was known at the "Neutral
Zone". It was a lawless area between Spain's rule and that
of the United States and possible France before being the US's
problem.





Green is US 190 to Junction where 190 dives south. US 190
was not always the most direst way to get from point a to b.



Then it enters:

Texas



That's it. Louisiana is indeed a small state.