HISTORY OF THE AREA

Beau Chene shares with the surrounding area a rich and varied history. Discovered by the French explorers Bienville and Iberville in 1699, the land was occupied by Colapissas and Choctaw Indians. It was not until the late eighteenth century that the area began to develop as a trading center and resort area. By the time President Madison declared it part of the United States in 1810, the area had passed through the hands of the Indians, French, English, and Spanish, absorbing a part of the culture of each. The parish was named St. Tammany, after the Indian chief Tamenand, as a peace gesture.

In 1811, the town of Coquille, or Cokie Bank, was renamed Madisonville. Situated on the Tchefuncta River just two miles from its junction with Lake Ponchartrain, Madisonville was a shipbuilding center, and a depot for country produce destined for New Orleans. It was also the most advantageous place of landing for travelers between New Orleans and the great American wilderness from, which the nation was beginning to emerge. Nearby Covington, a major trading center was served by the port of Madisonville. Sailing vessels plied their way from the lake and up the Tchefuncta past Madisonville and the site of Beau Chene as far as Covington, and began to be replaced by regular steamboat service in the 1830's.

For nearly a century the area around Beau Chene was regarded as a health and vacation resort, and the surest refuge against the plagues that came to New Orleans each summer with alarming regularity. The nearby town of Mandeville was established in 1834 by a New Orleans bon vivant as such a refuge from the plague and as a place where his hothead Creole friends could duel in the shade of the oaks.

The area's economy was stagnant after the Civil War. However, late in the 1800's lake steamers, and later commuter trains, enabled development of the area. Eventually, bridges and highways spurned more development. With the construction of the 24-mile Causeway Bridge in 1957, development in western St. Tammany was even more encouraged. The north shore area has continued to grow, and in the last 25 years has been one of the fastest in the country. A description of the north shore from the 1800's is still accurate: "The land is high and dry, covered with beautiful forests of pine, oak, magnolia, beech, holly, and gum supplied with clear, pure artesian well water, and intersected by romantic roads and lanes."

HISTORY OF BEAU CHENE

Beau Chene is located on some 1250 acres. Approximately 500 acres in the western portion of the community was made up of two old homesteads of the Penick and Weiss families.

The history of the Penick property really goes back to the 1700's. A house had been on the land since the mid 1700's. Some two miles from Madisonville on the east bank of the Tchefuncta River was a portion of land claimed by Charles Parent, the Spanish government's commandant of the District of the Tchefuncta. However, in 1814, the U.S. government granted the land to Jacques Lorance, who had possessed it from 1804 to that time. The property included over 2,000 acres, a portion on which he operated a brickyard.

Later, one E.H. Samory owned the property, calling it the Oakland Stock Farm. By 1897, he decided to build a health resort called Pineland Park. It included cottages, a large Greek revival building, dining hall, and pavilion for entertaining. A steamboat named New Camelia brought people and supplies from New Orleans and the south shore of Lake Ponchartrain on Wednesdays and Sundays.

Pineland Park had a 1,500-acre farm and a resident physician. Available activities included boating, fishing, swimming, and horse races. All of this was available for $1.50 daily, $10 weekly, or $35 per month! A portion of the Beau Chene Oak Golf Course is located where the racetrack was. The popularity of Pineland Park was short-lived. The railroad came and as a result lake trade and boat excursion business declined. Unfortunately, Samory soon was bankrupt.

A gentleman named Harrie Hayden bought Pineland in 1905. He had a 103-foot yacht built in Boston to carry guests to the resort. It was named the Pineland, captained by Joe Ballam of Madisonville.

Hayden eventually ceased to operate Pineland, and later moved into a home above a lumber mill. He operated the mill store and post office in Houton, an area west of Beau Chene. In 1930, he sold the Pineland home and 10 acres to Frank Otis, who called it Fairview. Today it is a museum adjacent to Fairview State Park.

In the 30's, William Penick bought the deserted overgrown Pineland Park. Penick was a lawyer and the founder of the H.G. Hill grocery store, later bought by Winn-Dixie. Penick built a large colonial mansion. It featured an alley of oaks from the house to the nearest road, and a double row of camellias going to the river. There was also a 3-hole golf course. The house was named "Beaux Chenes" - beautiful oaks. The house later served as the original Beau Chene office, and is privately owned today. It is located on Plantation Drive.

Leon Weiss was the state architect under governors Huey Long and Dick Lesch. He designed the State Capitol. He built a large house with a swimming pool, artesian well, and pigeonnier, which is located at the end of Kiskatom Lane. An unusual home was later built (to sell) by Beau Chene developer Morgan Earnest around the pigeonnier.

An old stable on the Weiss property was converted into a unique personal home by Lester Kabacoff, the other original Beau Chene developer. This home is on Gloria's Place and is owned by others today.

U.S. Senator Russell Long bought the land that had been the Weiss and Penick properties from Mr. Mark Smith, Jr. He later asked developers Morgan Earnest and Lester Kabacoff of New Orleans for advice regarding the property. These developers (Beau Chene, Inc.) bought the property and began to develop Beau Chene in 1974.


Desiring to build a gated, golf course community, the developers concluded more land was needed. So the adjoining 750 acres belonging to the Irbin Pailet family was acquired in the 1980's. This property comprises roughly the middle and eastern portion of Beau Chene.

Much of Beau Chene is built around 36 holes of golf and the Beau Chene Country Club, which includes dining, swimming, and tennis facilities. The Earnest Corporation owns and operates the Club separately form the Beau Chene Homeowners Association.

Beau Chene has grown from a community of 73 property owners represented at the first Annual Meeting of the Homeowners Association in 1975, to 1508 property owners. These are some 17 miles of streets. There are now over 1430 dwellings (over 1,153 single family homes, 355 condominiums, boathouses and town houses) and over 61 vacant lots. The estimated population is 4,500 persons. Beau Chene includes Marina Beau Chene, developed by John Lauricella, Jr. and Franks Renaudin on 125 acres. Marina Beaue Chene, including a 137-slip marina privately owned, became part of Beau Chene in 1979. Marina Beau Chene II, with 20 single-family lots, was developed in 1993 by the Earnest Corporation and is also a part of Beau Chene.