City of Slidell, Louisiana

09/04/2026

🔹 𝙃𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝙎𝙡𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡 🔹
𝐇𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐡𝐲 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐒𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐍 𝐢𝐬 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥?

In the early 1880s, Fritz Salmen moved to this area just as the railroad was being built. He bought land alongside the railroad right-of-way and started a small brick business. By the 1890s, his brothers had joined him opening other industries.

By the 1900s, 𝐒𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐁𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫’𝐬 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 was a flourishing international business based in Slidell. By that time the Salman brothers still had the brick business with brick yards across the Southern United States. They operated three lumberyards along the bayou in Slidell, with additional lumberyards spread across the country and in foreign countries. They operated shipyards along the bayou in Slidell, building ships to sell and to use for their own businesses, sending them to foreign countries to bring resources and materials for their factories in Slidell. The Samen Brother maintained their own railroad company with hundreds of trains and engines, mainly to support the brick & lumber industries.

The area south of Slidell, south of Old Town and Bayou Patassat (that runs behind Brock Elementary) was called “Salmentown.” That was before Slidell grew and expanded. Salmentown was a turn-of-the-century industrial town with homes, stores, schools, churches and even a cemetery developed to support the nearly 800 hundred Salmen employees who worked in the nearby industries. At the time, The “Salmen Commissary,” on Cleveland Ave., was the largest retail store in St. Tammany Parish.

Here is an old newspaper photo (sᴏʀʀʏ ꜰᴏʀ ᴛʜᴇ ǫᴜᴀʟɪᴛʏ) from the 1930s. It’s the Slidell Brick & Tile Company (after it changed from the Salmen Brothers Brick and Lumber Company). This photo represents a fraction of the industrialized area where Salmen Brother’s operated.

[Sʟɪᴅᴇʟʟ Mᴜsᴇᴜᴍ, ɢ.ꜱᴄᴏᴛᴛ, ꜰᴇʙ. 2020; ᴀᴜɢ. 2026 ]

09/04/2026

☀️ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐤𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐧! ☀️

The Lionel J. Washington Community Pool is getting ready to close for the summer, but don't worry, it's open this weekend!

𝐋𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥 𝐉. 𝐖𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐨𝐥
📍Possum Hollow Park, 801 Cousin Street
🗓️ Open Sept. 5 - 7
⏱️ Labor Day Weekend Hours: 12–6 p.m.
🎟️ $1 admission per person

Bring you family and friends and come cool off and enjoy the pool this Labor Day Weekend!

09/04/2026

Join Leadership Northshore’s Class of 2026 for the opening reception of Northshore Trashformation on Friday, Sept. 18, from 5 to 8 pm at the George Dunbar Gallery at City Hall. Admission is free.

09/04/2026

In observance of Labor Day, city offices will be closed on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, and will reopen during regular hours on Tuesday, Sept. 8.

Essential personnel will remain on duty. If Slidell residents experience problems with their water or sewer service, they should call the City Services 24-hour emergency hotline at (985) 643-6140.

09/03/2026

ATTENTION CUSTOMERS OF CES

We will be running our regular routes on Labor Day, which is this Monday September 7th. Please place your cart(s) to the curb on Sunday night or by 4am on Monday morning.

Our office will be closed on Monday. We will reopen for normal business at 8am on Tuesday morning.

We wish everyone a Safe and Happy Labor Day!

City of Slidell, Louisiana

Town of Abita Springs

St. Tammany Parish

09/03/2026

Today, we broke ground on the new Slidell Police Department facility! Watch the video from today’s groundbreaking ceremony and help us celebrate this important milestone for our community.

The new facility, expected to be completed in spring 2028, will provide a larger, modern space to better serve Slidell’s growing community and support the dedicated work of our police officers and staff.

09/03/2026

This morning, Mayor Randy Fandal joined Police Chief Tommy Williams, members of the Slidell City Council, city administration, elected officials, community leaders, members of the public and special guests from Bonne Ecole Elementary for the groundbreaking ceremony of the new Slidell Police Department facility.

“Today is a very special day for me, both as mayor and someone who has had the privilege to serve as the Chief of Police for Slidell,” said Mayor Fandal. “Nine years ago, we began talking about our police department and what our community would need in the future. We worked with our citizens, and in April 2024, the citizens of Slidell passed a public safety tax, allowing us to begin our future. After a year of planning, hard work and commitment, we’re finally here.”

Expected to be completed in spring 2028, the larger, modern facility will better serve Slidell’s growing community and support the dedicated work of its police officers and staff.

“Today, the ground we break is more than soil, it’s the beginning of a home where service, courage and commitment will take shape for decades to come,” said Chief Williams. “Our current building has withstood countless storms, floods, small electrical fires and numerous mechanical challenges for more than 60 years. This new police facility represents our belief in a safer, stronger future for the City of Slidell.”

Mayor Fandal and Chief Williams also thanked past and present members of the Slidell City Council and city officials, the Slidell community for their overwhelming support, and everyone who has worked so hard to bring the project to this point.

In a fitting twist, the new facility will be located at 911 Robert Blvd., an address that seems especially appropriate for the new home of the Slidell Police Department.

08/29/2026

On a day filled with heavy emotions, here’s a little something to hopefully bring a smile to your face.

Last year, the City of Slidell hosted the Spirit of Louisiana: Katrina 20 Year Commemorative Ceremony. During the event, Vince Vance performed a special version of his song, “I Am New Orleans,” which he originally wrote following Hurricane Katrina.

“𝐈 𝐀𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥" 𝐛𝐲 𝐕𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐕𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

I'm 30 minutes from New Orleans and I'm All-American
I'm the Pride of St. Tammany, the very heart of Louisian
Culture is my middle name, but I'm down-to-earth, as well
They call me the Camellia City…to the World 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I am Bayou Bonfouca, the Pearl River, Honey Island Swamp
I'm sailing on Lake Pontchartrain; I'm on a hiking romp
I'm camping, I'm fishing, canoeing. The hunting here is swell
I'm a Boy Scout at Camp Salmen and 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I'm Christmas Cottages at Griffith Park, an Olde Towne tradition
We Keep Slidell Beautiful, lighting Front Street our ambition
I'm Patton's Sunday Brunch, Phil's Marina, Joe's Italian as well
I eat at KY's Bicycle Shop, Bonnie C's, Copeland’s, 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I'm Ronnie Kole, Glitter & Gold, Heritage Park for Bayou Jam
I'm Gatemouth Brown, Cyril Neville, Bobby O, I am Vince Vance
I'm Zydeco Fest, Metal Fest, Antique Umbrella Alley, do tell
I'm the music producer Jay Ceravolo and 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I'm McGruff the Crime Dog helping keep Slidell children safe
I'm an EMT, a fireman, a policeman praying to be brave
We are generations of City Fathers sharing water from the well
I'm the Blue L.A. Pines Water Tower and 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I'm a carved duck by Phil Galatas, a crawfish named Red Bean
I'm the artist George Dunbar, my abstracts the thing of dreams
I'm a Mona Lisa & Moon Pie; Lori's Beatles-signed piano shell
I am Palmetto's on the Bayou and, yes...𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

I'm black, white, every color, creed and in God I trust
Our elections, fair, our mayor cares and our police chief is just
I am a three-year-old at daycare singing Farmer in the Dell
And when I retire it will be right here in the City of Slidell

I'm a Chef named Frank Davis, Twins Spans are named after me
I'm a Spartan, Tiger, Panther fan who prays for a Saints' victory
I'm Dr. Lacoste of LA Dental, Kendra, the cancer survivor as well
Katrina Changed Me Forever, but still 𝐈 𝐚𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐥𝐥

𝑊𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑛 𝑢𝑝𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑡𝑤𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑖𝑒𝑡ℎ a𝑛𝑛𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝐻𝑢𝑟𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑛𝑒 𝐾𝑎𝑡𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑎
𝐿𝑦𝑟𝑖𝑐𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐 𝑏𝑦 𝑉𝑖𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑉𝑎𝑛𝑐𝑒

08/29/2026

Today is the anniversary no one wants to remember, but it is one we will never forget.

Twenty one years ago today, Hurricane Katrina devastated Slidell, St. Tammany Parish, the New Orleans area and communities along the Gulf Coast.

Today, we remember and thank the first responders who braved the storm and its aftermath. Our city and parish employees, police officers, firefighters, EMTs, hospital personnel and military members, who worked around the clock to protect our residents, restore essential services, rebuild infrastructure and help bring Slidell back to life.

Slidell was one of the first affected communities to reopen after the storm, thanks to the resiliency of our citizens and the many volunteers, relief teams (thank you, Zanesville, Ohio!), service groups and faith based organizations who came to Slidell in the days, weeks and months after Katrina. Together, we rolled up our sleeves, cleared debris, covered roofs, gutted homes, and helped our neighbors, showing everyone what community truly meant.

The greatest story of Katrina is not the destruction it left behind, but the people who came together in its aftermath. Neighbors helping neighbors, strangers becoming friends, a resilient community coming together, and all those who came here to help rebuild Slidell.

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