Slidell dates to 1882, and 7 of its places are on the National Register
More historic than 45% of U.S. towns · #64 of 161 in Louisiana. What drives it
Most of Slidell was built recently: 4% of its homes predate 1940 and the median home dates from 1979. 7 places in town are on the National Register, among them a historic district with 29 buildings. Below: 5 old photos and papers, maps from 1935 on, and the census since 1890.
Founding year: Wikidata; Wikipedia’s history section gives the same year. First post office: 1884.The full story ↓
History grade
What drives Slidell’s History grade
On its age, its old homes and the National Register, Slidell is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #64 of 161 in Louisiana. Its National Register listings hold the grade up; its share of homes from before 1940 pulls it down.
C+
HistoryA character grade: shown, never part of Slidell’s overall grade.
Louisiana towns list more on the Register than most of the country (a typical Louisiana town has 3.8 per 10,000 residents, the U.S. 2.4), so Slidell’s 14.0 sits above most of its state (72% of Louisiana towns have fewer) while its 40 historic buildings outnumber those of 83% of U.S. towns.
How sure. Graded on any two of the three inputs instead, the letter would range from C− to B. The pre-1940 share (±1.3 points) is firm at this size. Two sources give 1882.
Founding year: Wikidata (other dates in Quick answers). Homes: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register: National Park Service, May 2026 list; each listing counted once (boundary changes and added documentation belong to their listing), and a historic district counts its contributing buildings. How TownRatings grades history →
What stands out about Slidell’s past
Read from the archive, the National Register and the record. The page puts what stands out first.
One of the earlier settlers to the area was Foster Willie. Along with a younger brother, Wesley Coke Asbury Gause, Judge Wingate, and several others, he left Shallotte, North Carolina, on February 18, and arrived at Pearlington, Mississippi, on April 14, 1836. Wesley and his family remained there, while John and family crossed the Pearl River and built a log cabin on the west bank, a little further south. He then began a lumber mill in the fledgling town later known as Slidell. His traveling back and forth from lumber yard to home created a road known today as Gause Boulevard, a major east–west street in the town. The lumber yard was where Gause Boulevard crosses the railroad track. The log cabin was built at the east end of the road, just a few yards from the river. The house stood until the late 1990s, and a small family burial plot still remains where John is buried between his two w…
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
Nothing in the archives for these yearsWeddings on Main Street, storms, parades, school pictures, the old store. If it’s in your family album, it belongs here.
In 1882, according to Wikidata and Wikipedia’s history of the town. Slidell’s post office opened in 1884, and the census of 1890 counted 364 people here.
How does Slidell rank for history?
Slidell is more historic than 45% of U.S. towns, #64 of 161 in Louisiana. The History grade combines the town’s founding era, the share of homes built before 1940 and its National Register listings. It’s a character grade, so it isn’t part of the overall grade. How it works.
What is on the National Register in Slidell?
7 listings: 6 buildings, among them the Fritz Salmen House (listed 1991, the first), and 1 historic district, the Teddy Avenue Residential Historic District, with 29 contributing buildings. 40 historic buildings in all.
How old are the homes in Slidell?
4% of Slidell’s homes were built before 1940 (Census estimate, ±1.3 points), against a typical 3.4% for a Louisiana town; the median home was built in 1979.
Founding dates: Wikidata, Wikipedia, the U.S. post office records of Blevins & Helbock (CC0) and the Census. Homes by year built: Census ACS 2020–24. National Register of Historic Places: National Park Service (list of May 22, 2026). Old photos, postcards and papers: Wikimedia Commons, the Library of Congress and other public archives, credited on each item’s page. Maps: U.S. Geological Survey historical topographic maps (via Esri) and Sanborn fire-insurance maps (Library of Congress). History text and census tables: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Places that used to be: USGS Geographic Names Information System (2021).
From Wikimedia Commons (25), the Library of Congress (1), Wikidata (5), the National Register of Historic Places (7), Wikipedia, Wikidata and Wikipedia for famous people, U.S. Geological Survey historical maps, U.S. Census counts (via Wikipedia), the US Post Offices dataset (Blevins & Helbock) and the USGS Geographic Names Information System. Archive images are copied here with their credits and licenses, shown on each photo’s page. Refreshed monthly.
1880
Date?
Date?
2022
2021
2021
2021
2020
2019
2019
2018
2018
2017
2015
2014
2013
2012
2009
2007
2007
2006
2006
2005
2004
