Labarre Road
Significance:
The marker commemorates the origin of the name “Labarre Road.” It highlights the de La Barre family, particularly François Pascalis de La Barre I, a noted colonial official who owned a large tract of land stretching from the Mississippi River to Lake Pontchartrain in 1750. By the 1800s, further family holdings made the Metairie area popularly known as “La Plaine Labarre,” which translates to “the Labarre Plain.” This marker is significant because it:
- Preserves local history: It documents the historical roots of a prominent street name in Metairie.
- Connects the present to the past: It reminds residents and visitors of the early colonial landowners and their influence on the area’s nomenclature.
- Explains a local name: It clarifies the origin of the name “Labarre” and its historical association with a significant family and area.
- Highlights early land ownership: It provides insight into the patterns of land ownership and development in the region during the colonial era.
The Labarre Road Highway Marker is a local historical marker that explains the origin of the street name by detailing the significant land ownership of the de La Barre family in the colonial era and the subsequent popular naming of the Metairie area as “La Plaine Labarre.