Pearl River: St. Tammany’s “Pearl”
by JoBeth Kavanaugh
Nestled against the West Pearl River, where some folks take a vacation day to go fishing or ride their four-wheelers along the dusty back roads, is the small town of Pearl River, La.
This one-hundred-year-old town in St. Tammany Parish is rich with generations of family traditions and values. The storeowners still unlock the door after closing time to help a friend, and in this special place there is certainly no shortage of friends. Accessible by I-12, I-59 or Highway 41, Pearl River is anything but a “best-kept secret” these days. This once quiet, sleepy town has opened its heart and wrapped its arms around the future since the influx of so many seeking safe haven after Katrina. Local officials are proud of the town’s hospitality, low-to-no crime rate and a higher elevation that has made the area particularly attractive to the former residents of St. Bernard Parish.
Pearl River’s city limits are estimated to enclose approximately 2.5 square miles. While that might not seem like much, turn down any side road and you will find landscapes of beautiful country homes passed from one generation to another. In fact, you do not have to drive far to find a street named after someone you meet along the way. You will also discover new home developments and the awe-inspiring oaks and grounds that greeted their new inhabitants.
Between 2000 and 2006, the community grew 16.5 percent to 2,143, and increased more in the past year. Try driving down Highway 41, a two-lane thoroughfare, anytime between 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. to see the results!
St. Tammany Parish can proudly boast about its public school system—one of the best in Louisiana—and its Pearl River schools are feeling the growth spurts in record amounts. As Gayle Sloan, St. Tammany Parish Schools superintendent, has pointed out, Pearl River is one of the fastest-growing areas within the school system. Riverside Elementary, Creekside Jr. High and Pearl River High School have seen an average increase of 100 students per school. Pearl River High School, with its increase in enrollment, has been moved from a Triple A school to a Quad A school. Riverside, home each day to pre-k through 5th grades and presently the only elementary school in Pearl River, will see much-needed relief soon. A new Childhood Development Center on Highway 11 being completed for the 2008-2009 school year will host pre-k-1st grades.
As in most small towns, you don’t have to look far for family fun. In May 2006, Pearl River celebrated its 100-year birthday with a citywide “May Family Fun Fest,” complete with war reenactments, games, rides, craft booths, live music, dancing and more food than imaginable. This successful annual event held the last weekend in May is free and open to everyone. Mark your calendar now so you won’t miss this chance to witness first hand the charms of the Pearl River community!
Tuesday nights at 7:30, don’t make plans! The Lions Club hosts Bingo and Burgers. And, trust me, that is the finest burger around! Cavenham Baseball Park on Highway 41, past the “Big Chicken,” is home to the best little leaguers for miles. Even if you don’t have someone playing ball, that is where your neighbors are, so you have to go anyway. By the way, Jim’s Feed and Seed is home of the “Big Chicken,” a 10-foot metal chicken statue on top of the store. Stop in, say hi and look around.
Also known as the Sportsman’s Paradise for its alluring wilderness, Pearl River has supported wild game hunting and fishing for generations—and is home to the Honey Island Swamp Monster first spotted by Harlan Ford in 1963. If you aren’t too frightened, a tour of the 250-square-mile swamp offers views of moss-laden cypress trees, wild azaleas and 70,000 acres of protected wildlife. Dr. Paul Wagner of Honey Island Swamp Tours assures us that “winter should not be a deterrent to taking a boat ride! So much vegetation dies down in the fall that the view of cypress stumps is a beautiful, not-to-be-missed sight. Besides, the alligators eat year ’round!”
Pearl River has one red light, nine full-time police officers, and no public transportation. That is very likely to change in the near future. With the influx of new residents, new businesses are coming into this once-small town. Soon, the town will be boasting about an additional 200-plus job opportunities. On Highway 11, 84 Lumber has opened a warehouse on property that includes an access street crossing the railroad tracks. Travel just a bit to see the new Jubilee Supermarket, owned by a relocated St. Bernard family. Texaco, with a full-service store and deli, has opened. Highway 41 will be the home of Planet Storage, a 300-plus-unit storage facility that is expected to have elegant office space in front to enhance the highway property. The anticipation is growing for a strip mall that will be home to Pearl River’s first Chinese restaurant, with office spaces available. A new, neatly manicured carwash is home to a lube center for automobiles. With a prime I-59 location, Louisiana Outdoors, a sportsman’s outfitter store, is complete with an indoor virtual archery range. Owners Brad Ripp, a Pearl River native, and his wife, Marnie, agree, “Business is great since our opening just in time for hunting season.”
Trina Smith found land on Highway 41 for her tea and coffee shop called “Precious Pearls.” Here, not only will you be entertained in an antebellum setting, complete with china teacups, but you will be able to shop for that special someone in her adjacent gift shop. When talking with Trina, you can’t help getting excited about new opportunities. She says, “Construction had been slow because of some contracting issues, but the whole community pitched in to help. I hope people will stop by to fill their gift lists or relax in my café after a long day.”
If there is anyone who sees everyone in town, it is David Evans of Evans Drugs, the only pharmacy in Pearl River. David lost his Slidell home to Katrina, but was determined to keep the pharmacy open. With a camper in the parking lot and no electricity, he and his employees stayed open 24 hours a day, just days after the storm. He said, “People would knock on the door and tell me they had a need and we tried to fill what we could. Everyone understood. This town really pulls together—Katrina taught us that!”
“The Pearl,” as locals refer to their hometown, lures folks with its old-time legends, passion for family and a new dedication to business. The residents invite you to visit. Maybe stop by Mama’s Kitchen on Highway 41 for coffee and pie, and surely the best pork chops and turnip greens for miles.
Pearl River, La. A pearl indeed.
