Echoes From The Attic and Poems, Ponchatoula Country Market, Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana
Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Don Johnson, Mar. 2001
Typed by Belford Carver
Written by by Edna F. Campbell
Copyrighted by Edna F. Campbell
With special thanks to her family for permission to use her works.

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WOMAN'S DREAM GOES TO MARKET

The old train depot built here before the Civil War, a manmade structure, is the 
pride and joy of Ponchatoula.  It is now the home of the Country Market, which 
marked its sixth anniversary this month with an arts and crafts show.  The market 
is the brainchild of a city-bred woman - Mrs. Ned Richardson.

The former Patricia Woodward of New Orleans became obsessed with the market idea 
after seeing the farmer's markets while on vacation in North Carolina and adjoining 
states.  Combining the fascination with her creative instincts and community 
loyalty, Patricia began her crusade with the simple question, "if others can do 
this, why can't we?"

From this point her ideas generated and multiplied.  The enthusiasm with which she 
took hold was summed up by the town's former mayor, Dr. Charles Gideon, who said, 
"Mrs. Richardson became a woman set afire with an idea."  

"I had my eyes on the Illinois Central depot," she said, "from the beginning, I 
knew this was the ideal spot."

In reviewing the progress of the museum over the past six years, Mrs. Richardson 
said, "obtaining rights to the forsaken and abandoned depot was the first step 
forward, but far from being all."  The building had been vacantfor many hears and 
was in dire need of repairs.

The project had the blessings of the Chamber of Commerce and the sanction of the 
town Council after the city fathers realized it would be an asset to the town 
netting financial profits.  Influential businessmen formed a nucleus for the board 
of directors and rules and regulations were devised.

Oriented with the idea to have the building retain much of its original atmosphere 
and to create a rustic effect, nothing was done to the high ceilings and beaded, 
tongue and grooved wall paneling except to paint both in off white.

The greatest transformation was with the exterior as the splashing coat of red 
paint drastically changed the dingy gray finish.  Gallons and gallons of paint 
plus hours of work went into making the building useable.  In addition, there were 
plumbing, carpentry and electrical works included in the general facelifting and 
remodeling of the structure.

The market has proved to be a surprising success story culminating one woman's 
dream, enthusiasm and zeal combined with combined efforts and cooperation of the 
townspeople.

(From ECHOES FROM THE ATTIC, X, 1979, by Edna Campbell)

(Pic of the depot)