Forgotten Communities, Cow Branch, Tangipahoa Parish Parish, Louisiana Submitted to the USGenWeb Archives by Sandra McLellan, Dec., 1999 Special thanks to Jim Perrin for donating it to the archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/la/lafiles.htm ************************************************ HISTORIC PONCHATOULA Forgotten Communities By JIM PERRIN Cow Branch Cow Branch is a small, unimpressive stream which runs between the City of Ponchatoula and Ponchatoula Creek to the north. The waters of this branch, which are crossed by the Illinois Central Railroad line and Range Road, are now canalized into the local drainage system. In 1853, Lorin Chapman purchased a number of acres at Cow Branch from Mary Spiller Watts, wife of Jacob J. Watts. Chapman and his wife, Caroline Prentice Chapman, decided by 1856 to lay out a town at Cow Branch and sell lots to families wishing to settle by the newly constructed railroad line. A few lots were purchased from the Chapmans in 1856, but the community never developed. Chapman's biggest customer was the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern Raiload, which purchsed 22.55 acres at Cow Branch. With that sale, and the growth of the nearby village of Ponchatoula, the idea of Cow Branch, La., as a viable community seems to have faded into the murky past. Anyone having information, photographs, or documents on the people, places and events that have shaped our community are invited to communicate with the author, Jim Perrin, at 14187 Randall Ave., Hammond, LA 70403