This photograph shows the tug H.S. Hoskins towing a sloop from the New Basin Canal into Lake Pontchartrain. The fanciful buildings (and the Ferris wheel visible just behind the center structure) were parts of the resort and amusement park at West End. The area declined following development of present-day West End Park by the City of New Orleans; nothing remains of the old resort, and only a small segment of the Canal itself survived the shift from waterborne to motorized vehicular transportation. The New Canal Lighthouse, shown at the left in Allison’s photograph, remained in place despite the changes all around it. Severely damaged by Hurricane Katrina, the structure is scheduled for a full restoration once funding has been secured.

Images of the City   |   Images of the Family