Ruddock, Louisiana
Encyclopedia
Ruddock is an ghost town
in St. John the Baptist Parish
, Louisiana
, United States
. Ruddock was located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas
and Lake Pontchartrain
, 10 miles (16.1 km) north-northeast of LaPlace
. Although the town was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915, it is still signed as an exit on Interstate 55
and marked on Louisiana state highway maps.
and a town to serve their business, the latter of which became Ruddock. In 1902, the sawmill burned down, though it was later rebuilt. By 1910, the town had a population of 700. In September 1915, the 1915 New Orleans Hurricane hit Ruddock, destroying the town and killing 58 residents in Ruddock and the nearby town of Frenier. Ruddock has since become overgrown by vegetation, and all that remains of the settlement is rotted wood from the buildings.
Ghost town
A ghost town is an abandoned town or city. A town often becomes a ghost town because the economic activity that supported it has failed, or due to natural or human-caused disasters such as floods, government actions, uncontrolled lawlessness, war, or nuclear disasters...
in St. John the Baptist Parish
St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana
St. John the Baptist Parish is a parish located in the U.S. state of Louisiana.The parish seat is Edgard, an unincorporated area and the unofficial parish captial is LaPlace, an unincorporated area. St. John the Baptist is one of the original 19 parishes in Louisiana. In 2010, its population was...
, Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Ruddock was located on an isthmus between Lake Maurepas
Lake Maurepas
Lake Maurepas is located in southeastern Louisiana approximately halfway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge directly west of Lake Pontchartrain.-Namesake:...
and Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain
Lake Pontchartrain is a brackish estuary located in southeastern Louisiana. It is the second-largest inland saltwater body of water in the United States, after the Great Salt Lake in Utah, and the largest lake in Louisiana. As an estuary, Pontchartrain is not a true lake.It covers an area of with...
, 10 miles (16.1 km) north-northeast of LaPlace
Laplace, Louisiana
LaPlace is a census-designated place in St. John the Baptist Parish, Louisiana, United States, along the east bank of the Mississippi River in the New Orleans metropolitan area. The population is 32,134 at the 2010 census....
. Although the town was destroyed by a hurricane in 1915, it is still signed as an exit on Interstate 55
Interstate 55 in Louisiana
Interstate 55 is a major north–south Interstate Highway that serves the middle of the United States. It runs from Interstate 10 in Laplace, Louisiana - about west of New Orleans to U.S. 41 in Chicago, Illinois.-Route description:...
and marked on Louisiana state highway maps.
History
In 1892, William Burton and C. H. Ruddock founded the Ruddock Cypress Company. They constructed a sawmillSawmill
A sawmill is a facility where logs are cut into boards.-Sawmill process:A sawmill's basic operation is much like those of hundreds of years ago; a log enters on one end and dimensional lumber exits on the other end....
and a town to serve their business, the latter of which became Ruddock. In 1902, the sawmill burned down, though it was later rebuilt. By 1910, the town had a population of 700. In September 1915, the 1915 New Orleans Hurricane hit Ruddock, destroying the town and killing 58 residents in Ruddock and the nearby town of Frenier. Ruddock has since become overgrown by vegetation, and all that remains of the settlement is rotted wood from the buildings.