Kenner

Has anyone ever heard the expression, “Ça date du temps d’Artaguiette”? It means “it goes all the way back to the days of d’Artaguiette,” as far back as you can go in Louisiana history. Well, Kenner’s history stretches back to those very days. In 1720, two plantations were established here in what was then a wilderness of cane reeds, called Cannes Brulees, the land of burnt cane. These plantations were founded by Jean Baptiste Martin d’Artaguiette and Count Joseph Montespuiou d’Artagnan, yes, *that* d’Artagnan, the one whose family name inspired Alexandre Dumas’s *The Three Musketeers*. Father Pierre Charlevoix, visiting in 1722, even noted a giant cypress cross where the d’Artagnans sang vespers. Kenner wasn’t always called Kenner though. It began as Cannes Brulees, meaning “burnt canes,” named by French explorers who saw Native Americans burning reeds to hunt. By the turn of the 19th century, William Kenner arrived, establishing a successful business and even playing a role in the Louisiana Purchase. The city of Kenner itself was founded in 1855 by William Kenner’s son, Minor. He envisioned a bustling city, fueled by the burgeoning railroad industry and the growing need for an escape from disease-ridden New Orleans. His vision included streets and a layout much like what you see in Old Kenner today. Kenner also played a crucial role in the Civil War. Duncan Kenner, another of William’s sons, undertook a secret mission for Jefferson Davis in 1864. He was tasked with negotiating recognition of the Confederacy by England and France, in exchange for emancipating enslaved people. Unfortunately, his mission failed. Kenner’s location also made it a strategic point during the war, leading to its occupation by Union troops. Kenner’s transformation from plantation land to a thriving city is truly remarkable. From burnt canes to bustling streets, Kenner’s history is etched into the very land we stand on.