Michoud, New Orleans

Michoud [MĒĒ-shū] is an area in Eastern New Orleans, part of the Ninth Ward of New Orleans, Louisiana, located at latitude 30.03N, longitude -89.925W.

In the 19th century Michoud was a small rural village in Orleans Parish outside of the city limits on Gentilly Road. Before the American Civil War a sugar plantation and refinery was located here; the old brick smokestacks still remain as an area landmark beside Gentilly Road. After the construction of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway some industrial development of the area began, growing with military plants during World War II, most importantly Higgins Industries factories. A small military airfield was here in the 1940s and 1950s .