Enigmatic Stream

Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River by Richard Sexton

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Chalmette Refinery with ruins of De La Ronde Plantation principal house in foreground; Chalmette (2015) by Richard SextonThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Past and Present

Enigmatic Stream: Industrial Landscapes of the Lower Mississippi River is a series of contemporary photographs by Richard Sexton showing the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and Violet, Louisiana (just downriver from New Orleans). These images document a region transformed by heavy industry in the last century. Here, between and along the banks of the river, themes converge: innovation and decay, the manmade and the natural, the conspicuous and the mysterious.

Complementing Sexton’s photographs are artifacts that bear on various histories of the Father of Waters, offering some context for this 21st-century project. These appear in a section at the end of the exhibition, following the flow of Sexton's contemporary photographs. These items trace the Mississippi's changes over the course of days, decades, and centuries, while paradoxically attesting to the constancy of the waterway.

“The human exploitation of a capricious river has precipitated an extraordinary industrial infrastructure, which has formed an equally extraordinary contrast with the rural landscape around it,” Sexton says. “I have tried to portray it deliberately, purposefully, eloquently, and, above all else, honestly.”

View of St. Bernard Parish industrial waterfront; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, New Orleans (2014; printed 2015) by Richard SextonThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Mile Markers

Distances on the Mississippi River are designated in miles above Head of Passes or AHP. “Above” refers to the upriver direction; Head of Passes is the juncture on the river where the main channel splits into its bird-foot delta and discharges through multiple channels into the Gulf of Mexico. The stretch of the river covered by Sexton’s photographs, entirely in Louisiana, is not even a tenth of the river’s course, but it is unmatched in the density and variety of its industrial development. Next to each photograph, you will find numbers ranging from 84 (near Violet) to 234 (the US 190 bridge at Baton Rouge), which give an approximation of the location AHP where the photographs were made.

Convenience store on Paris Road with Chalmette Refinery in background; Chalmette (2015) by Richard SextonThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Mile Markers 84–107 (Meraux, LA, to Huey P. Long Bridge, Jefferson Parish, LA)

This stretch of the river, coursing through much of the New Orleans metropolitan area, is the most heavily populated region shown in Sexton’s photographs. Major landmarks include the port facilities of St. Bernard Parish and New Orleans, the two Mississippi River bridges at New Orleans, the ferry terminals in three parishes, and the Huey P. Long Bridge, which is the southernmost railroad crossing of the Mississippi.

View of St. Bernard Parish industrial waterfront; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2007; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 84

View of St. Bernard Parish industrial waterfront; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2007; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 84

View of St. Bernard Parish industrial waterfront; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 84

View of HHL Hong Kong cargo ship moored along riverbank; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 85

Ranch house adjacent to Valero oil refinery; Meraux, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 87

Ranch house, with post-Katrina X-code marking, adjacent to Valero oil refinery; Meraux, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 87

Lower Algiers / Chalmette ferry with Chalmette Refinery in background; Lower Algiers, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 88

Convenience store on Paris Road with Chalmette Refinery in background; Chalmette, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 88

Streetscape with Chalmette Refinery in background; Chalmette, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 89

Chalmette Refinery with ruins of De La Ronde Plantation principal house in foreground; Chalmette, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 89

Chalmette Refinery; from St. Bernard Highway in Chalmette, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 89

View of Domino Sugar refinery; from west bank levee in Lower Algiers, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 90

Vacant lot adjacent to tanker docked at Poland Avenue Wharf; Bywater, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 92

View of St. Bernard Parish industrial waterfront; from Crescent Park, Bywater, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 93

View of Bollinger dry dock; from west bank levee in Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 94

View of Bollinger dry dock; from west bank levee in Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 94

View of riverbend, including MSC Stella cargo ship; from Crescent Park, Marigny, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 94

M/V Col. Frank X. Armiger pedestrian ferry; Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 94

Detail of old Mandeville Street Wharf; Crescent Park, Marigny, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 94

View of Public Belt Railroad, floodwall, and cargo ship in port; Bywater, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 94

View of New Orleans skyline; from converted Piety Street Wharf, Crescent Park, Bywater, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 94

Converted Mandeville Street Wharf; Crescent Park, Marigny, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 94

Support structure for Crescent City Connection; Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2007; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 95

St. Bartholomew Cemetery with Crescent City Connection in background; Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2007; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 95

Carnival Dream cruise ship; from west bank levee in Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 95

View of Market Street power plant; from west bank levee in Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2007; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 96

View of cargo ship docked at Perry Street Wharf; from west bank levee in Algiers Point, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 96

Ruins of Market Street power plant; New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 96

Ferry terminal; Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 96

Docked ferry with New Orleans skyline in background; Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 96

Vacant lot adjacent to ruins of Market Street power plant; New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 96

View across Stone Oil facility to Zatarain's food processing plant; from west bank levee in Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 97

Interior of Ward Lumber building (since demolished); Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2003; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 97

Facade of Stone Oil building; Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 97

View across flooded batture to Uptown wharves; from west bank levee in Gretna, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 97

Shadows of author and camera beneath electrical utility tower; Carrollton, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2008; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 102

View of Entergy Nine Mile power plant in Westwego; from east bank levee in Jefferson, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 105

View of Entergy Nine Mile power plant in Westwego; from east bank levee in Carrollton, New Orleans, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 105

The Huey Restaurant with passing train on the Huey P. Long Bridge in background; Bridge City, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 107

Rail cars on the Huey P. Long Bridge; Bridge City, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 107

Support piers for the Huey P. Long Bridge; from east bank levee in Elmwood, Richard Sexton, 2003; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 107

Undercarriage of the Huey P. Long Bridge; from west bank levee in Bridge City, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 107

Detail of the footing of the Huey P. Long Bridge; Bridge City, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 107

Children playing in a rear residential yard adjacent to oil refinery; Norco (2015) by Richard SextonThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Mile Markers 117–147 (Destrehan, LA, to Donaldsonville, LA)

Upriver from New Orleans, population centers become smaller and industrial sites take on greater prominence. Grain elevators, power plants, and chemical refineries are some of the wall-to-wall industrial facilities lining the east and west banks of the Mississippi. This pattern is interrupted by the Bonnet Carré Spillway, a flood control project that has the capacity to divert water from the river into Lake Pontchartrain. Bridges connecting Destrehan and Luling, Gramercy and Wallace, and Sorrento and Donaldsonville are features of the stretch documented in the next group of photographs.

ADM/Growmark grain elevator with plant office in foreground; Ama, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 117

ADM/Growmark grain elevator; Destrehan, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 119

Detail of ADM/Growmark grain elevator conveyor system; Ama, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 120

View of grain elevator and cargo ship in Destrehan at night; from west bank levee in Luling, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 121

Hale Boggs Bridge; from east bank levee in Destrehan, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 122

Detail of Hale Boggs Bridge; from west bank levee in Luling, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 122

View of Norco petrochemical facilities; from west bank levee in Hahnville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 126

View of Norco petrochemical facilities; from west bank levee in Hahnville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 126

View of Norco petrochemical facilities; from west bank levee in Hahnville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 126

View across flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway to Norco petrochemical facilities; from near Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 127

Norco petrochemical facilities; from the intersection of Good Hope and Third Streets in Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 127

View of Norco refinery; from Highway 61 drainage canal between Destrehan and Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 127

Fence at Bonnet Carré Spillway during a rainstorm; Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 127

Children playing in a rear residential yard adjacent to oil refinery; Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 127

Holy Rosary Cemetery surrounded by Union Carbide petrochemical plant; Taft, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 127

Warning siren with Union Carbide petrochemical plant in background; from west bank levee in Taft, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 128

View across flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway and river to Union Carbide petrochemical plant; from Norco, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 128

View across dry Bonnet Carré Spillway and river to Union Carbide plant at twilight; from Norco, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 128

View of tankers moored adjacent to flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway; from near Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 128

View across flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway to Norco petrochemical facilities; from near Norco, Richard Sexton, 2014-2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 128

Tanker moored adjacent to flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway at late twilight; from near Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 128

Night fishing in the flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway; Norco, Richard Sexton, 2016, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 129

View across dry Bonnet Carré Spillway and river to Entergy's Waterford powerplants; from Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 129

Fishing in the flooded Bonnet Carré Spillway with moored tankers in background; near Norco, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 129

Entergy's Little Gypsy power plant; LaPlace, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 132

View of cargo docks in Reserve; from old ferry landing in Edgard, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 139

Pipeline system at Marathon oil refinery; Garyville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 141

View of docked cargo vessel at alumina plant in Gramercy; from west bank levee in Wallace, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 145

Alumina plant on River Road; near Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 145

Pipeline passing over the levee; near Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 146

View of Gramercy industrial waterfront; from west bank levee in Wallace, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 146

Willows growing on the riverbank beneath the Veterans Memorial Bridge; Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 146

View of alumina plant; from west bank levee in Wallace, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 146

Detail of Veterans Memorial Bridge; from east bank levee in Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 146

Residential street with Dixie Crystals sugar refinery in background; Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 147

River Road residences; near Gramercy, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 147

View of docks and Louisiana State Capitol; from west bank levee in Port Allen (2015) by Richard SextonThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Mile Markers 167–235 (Donaldsonville, LA, to Baton Rouge, LA)

Industrialization along both sides of the river continues from Donaldsonville (where Bayou Lafourche enters the Mississippi) to Baton Rouge, Louisiana’s capital. The Cinclare and Cora Texas sugar facilities along this portion of the river allude to the dominance that sugarcane farming held for nearly two centuries. Two more bridges span the river at Baton Rouge, whose port marks the practical terminus for vessels that have entered the Mississippi from the Gulf of Mexico, hundreds of miles to the south.

View of Sunshine Bridge during painting repairs; from Highway 70 near Donaldsonville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 167

View from Sunshine Bridge looking upriver; near Donaldsonville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 167

Cow pasture with fertilizer plant under construction in background; near Donaldsonville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 168

Moonrise over Motiva oil refinery; from Highway 70 near Donaldsonville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 168

Warning siren with vulture; Philadelphia Point on River Road near Donaldsonville, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 182

Cane stubble along Highway 1 with Cora Texas Manufacturing sugar mill; near White Castle, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 192

Semitruck used for hauling cane harvest to the Cora Texas Manufacturing sugar mill; White Castle, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 192

Cinclare Sugar Mill; Brusly, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 225

Multiple-effect evaporators at Cinclare Sugar Mill; Brusly, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 225

Detail of cane grinders at Cinclare Sugar Mill; Brusly, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 225

Detail of electrical panel at Cinclare Sugar Mill; Brusly, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 225

Detail of Cinclare Sugar Mill facade; Brusly, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 225

View of docks and Louisiana State Capitol; from west bank levee in Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 230

Old water tower with river barge traffic in background; Baton Rouge, Richard Sexton, 2014; printed 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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East 230

Residences adjacent to wood pellet plant; Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 231

On-ramps to the U.S. 190 Mississippi River bridge; Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 234

View of U.S. 190 Mississippi River bridge; from west bank levee in Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 234

View of ExxonMobil Baton Rouge oil refinery; from cane field near Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 235

View of Exxon Mobil Baton Rouge oil refinery; from west bank levee in Port Allen, Richard Sexton, 2015, From the collection of: The Historic New Orleans Collection
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West 235

Coast Directory Algiers to St John ParishThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Historical References

Richard Sexton’s photographs provide one modern examination of the Mississippi River. Since the European settlement of the river valley began over three centuries ago, other explorers, cartographers, writers, and artists have documented this waterway. Items in this section—dating from the early 19th to mid-20th centuries—hint at the varied richness of this historical record, including geographic data in maps and charts, items of popular culture, literary works, and watercraft that floated on the river’s surface.

The Navigator, seventh edition The Navigator, seventh edition (1811) by Zadok CramerThe Historic New Orleans Collection

The Navigator, seventh edition
by Zadok Cramer
Pittsburgh: Cramer, Spear and Eichbaum, 1811

The Navigator, seventh edition pages 22-223, maps XII and XIIIThe Historic New Orleans Collection

The Navigator was a guide to the Monongahela, Allegheny, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers published in 12 editions by Zadok Cramer of Pittsburgh from 1801 until 1824.

Used by travelers and boatmen alike, this copy exhibits detailed annotations of the stretch of the Mississippi between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. Some of these notes can be seen in the pages reproduced here.

Airline Motors Inn placemat (1989) by unknownThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Airline Motors Inn placemat
1989; printed in color
gift of Mrs. and Mr. John H. Lawrence

This placemat, commemorating the 50th anniversary of a LaPlace restaurant, displays and celebrates the density of industrial activity along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge.

Coast Directory Coast Directory (1847) by Charles J. Pike and R. W. FishbourneThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Coast Directory
1847; lithograph
by Charles J. Pike, publisher; R. W. Fishbourne, lithographer
The L. Kemper and Leila Moore Williams Founders Collection

Coast Directory Algiers to St John ParishThe Historic New Orleans Collection

This “ribbon map” offered vessels traveling the Mississippi River between Port Hudson and New Orleans detailed information on river distances, parish lines, and property owners whose lands abutted the river.

In contrast to the information on the Airline Motors Inn placemat, this map demonstrates that the riparian land at this time—the mid-19th century—was not used for heavy industry but for agriculture, by individual owners.

Wooden canoe (ca. 1938) by UnknownThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Canoe used to descend the Allegheny and Mississippi Rivers from Pennsylvania to New Orleans
ca. 1938; wood, canvas
gift of Irma Marie Stiegler

American Indians had been using the Mississippi River as a central transportation and trade route for thousands of years before Europeans arrived in North America and began using it for similar purposes. But wanderlust, not commerce, motivated two college students, Albert J. Ivancic and Donald Rycroft, who in the summer of 1938 used this canoe to travel the Allegheny, Ohio, and Mississippi Rivers from Pennsylvania to New Orleans. The two men—both originally from Buffalo, New York—departed from Corydon, north of Pittsburgh on the Allegheny. Covering more than 1,200 miles in about five weeks, the trek included winding river routes through the Old Northwest and down the mighty central artery to the Crescent City. The young men stopped to prepare meals along its banks—often eating catfish caught fresh from the river—and took turns paddling and sleeping in the canoe.

When Ivancic and Rycroft got to Baton Rouge, they met up with Ted Sprague and his pet spitz dog, who were on their own epic descent of the river on a small sailboat. The three men (and the dog) finished the final stretch of the journey together. Sprague’s captain’s log makes note of some the challenges met on their final days: huge wakes cast off by a large sternwheeler, torrential downpours, and boat leaks. On August 18, 1938, they reached the Industrial Canal in New Orleans, where Ivancic sold the canoe to Rene Stiegler, superintendent of the docks, for $7.

Lower Mississippi River Early Stream Channels ... Cairo, Ill. To Baton Rouge, La. (1939) by US Army Corps of EngineersThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Lower Mississippi River Early Stream Channels at Approximate Half-Century Intervals
1939; color lithograph
by the US Army Corps of Engineers, publisher
gift of Col. and Mrs. L. B. Wilby

This map is one of 12 sheets detailing historical courses of the Mississippi River between Cairo, Illinois (where it is joined by the Ohio River), and Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Previous courses of the main channel are represented by different colors and come from older maps published since the mid-18th century. The Mississippi as we know it dates back millennia to the last ice age, and its particular course has changed significantly over that life.

Survey of the Mississippi River, Chart No. 72 (1894) by Julius Bien & Co. and United States Coast SurveyThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Survey of the Mississippi River, chart No. 72
lithograph
by United States Coast Survey, creator of original survey; Julius Bien & Co., lithographer
from Detail Charts of the Lower Mississippi River from Mouth of the Ohio River to Head of Passes, La. (St. Louis: Mississippi River Commission, 1894)

The Mississippi River Commission published this detailed survey of the river and its banks in sections, beginning in 1879 and concluding in 1894. In addition to listing depths in the river’s channel, the displayed chart shades the land along each bank to differentiate the various crops grown and the type of natural terrain in uncultivated areas.

Even the layout of buildings on some plantations can be seen, as well as railroads that served as the terrestrial commercial network for these enterprises.

Life on the Mississippi (published 1883) by Mark TwainThe Historic New Orleans Collection

Life on the Mississippi
by Mark Twain
Boston: J. R. Osgood, 1883
The L. Kemper and Leila Moore Williams Founders Collection

Mark Twain’s experience as a river pilot informed his writing in the first section of Life on the Mississippi. In later chapters, years removed from his piloting days, Twain writes as a passenger traveling from St. Louis to New Orleans, making classically piquant observations of people and places along the river and on board the boat that reflect upon natural history and human nature. Even 136 years ago, management of the Mississippi River inspired a wide variety of opinions. “During our trip to New Orleans and back,” Twain wrote, “we had many conversations with river men, planters, journalists, and officers of the River Commission—with conflicting and confusing results.”

Credits: Story

All photographs © Richard Sexton. Their acquisition by The Historic New Orleans Collection was made possible by the G. Henry Pierson Jr. Photography Fund.

This virtual exhibition was created from a physical exhibition on view from September 17, 2019, to April 5, 2020, at The Historic New Orleans Collection. The exhibition’s companion catalog features select photographs from Enigmatic Stream and essays by Richard Sexton, curator John H. Lawrence, and author Paul Schneider. More information can be found at https://www.hnoc.org/publications/books/enigmatic-stream.

This virtual exhibition was assembled by the staff of The Historic New Orleans Collection, which gratefully acknowledges the generosity of donors Mrs. and Mr. John H. Lawrence, Irma Marie Stiegler, and Col. and Mrs. L. B. Wilby.

Credits: All media
The story featured may in some cases have been created by an independent third party and may not always represent the views of the institutions, listed below, who have supplied the content.