St. Bernard Port - Making History

St. Bernard Port, Harbor & Terminal District – Still Making History
From the early French settlers through Mark Twain and the riverboats until today, the Mississippi River flows with commerce and trade providing for an entire continent. It's no accident that the present and future of St. Bernard Port are closely tied to its colorful past. The location of the St. Bernard Port on the riverfront is a historically important site. In 1814, Americans defeated the British here and a future president of the United States emerged from the Battle of New Orleans. Over the ensuing years, passing ships have replaced their sails with steam engines and now diesel motors, as they continue to increase in size and cargo capacity. In the 1950's Kaiser built a state-of-the-art facility at this site. Since 1989, the St. Bernard Port has owned and redeveloped this former aluminum plant as an industrial park.

The mighty Mississippi and the St. Bernard Port are more important now than ever. The nation depends on this strategic waterway for the transportation of vital goods and materials. Metallic ores and minerals, ferro alloys, petroleum coke, zinc concentrates fertilizers and steel are just some of the important materials unloaded here from ocean going vessels. Then by barge fleets, rail and trucks, these cargos are shipped to plants and facilities throughout the U.S. Their destinations are Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Saint Paul, Chicago, St. Louis, Memphis, Little Rock, Houston, Birmingham, Georgia, Kentucky, Florida, Oklahoma and all points in between.

In 2010, the Port had a record year and by all indications 2011 should be bigger and better than ever. Efforts are ongoing for improving the Port's infrastructure and modernizing its facilities. The Mississippi River from Baton Rouge to the Gulf of Mexico is the largest shipping corridor in the world, and the St. Bernard Port continues to attract larger ships with greater cargo. Although much has changed over the years, our great location and accessibility will continue to be an attractive destination for Midwest and worldwide shippers.