MSS 123 - David L. Campbell Collection: Inventory

DAVID L. CAMPBELL COLLECTION 

(Mss 123)

Inventory

Earl K. Long Library

University of New Orleans

September 1979

 

Summary

 

 

Size:                           3 linear feet

 

Geographic

locations:                 New Orleans, Louisiana

 

Inclusive dates:      1968-1976

 

Summary:                 Legal files compiled by David L. Campbell as president and attorney of the Peniston-General Taylor Association.  Primarily concerned with the proposed location of a Mississippi River bridge in the vicinity of Peniston and General Taylor Streets (New Orleans), but including some material on zoning in the area.  Consists of correspondence; bridge and transportation planning studies; legal briefs, motions, affidavits, and judgments; newspaper clippings; resolutions; reports; maps; notes; and other miscellany.

 

Related

collections:              Marta B. Lamar Collection (Mss 62) and Addenda 1-3 (Mss 69, 76, 77); Mark P. Lowrey Collection (Mss 47); Suzanne L. Ormond Collection (Mss 59)

 

Source:                     Gift, March, June 1979

 

Access:                     No restrictions

 

Copyright:                Physical rights are retained by the Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans.

 

Citation:                    David L. Campbell Collection, Earl K. Long Library, University of New Orleans

 

 

Historical Sketch

 

            David L. Campbell amassed these documents in his role as president and attorney of the Peniston-General Taylor Association, which vigorously opposed plans to construct an Uptown Mississippi River Bridge.  Prominent in the collection are correspondence and lawsuit paperwork generated by the community leaders of both neighborhoods, protestors, and the proponents of the proposed Riverfront Expressway, to which the bridge would have connected if both had been built.

            The Mississippi River Bridge Controversy began in 1964 with protests against the Riverfront Expressway, which transportation pioneer Robert Moses proposed in his 1946 “Arterial Plan for New Orleans.”  Criticism emerged when, in October 1964, funding in the amount of $25 million was allocated to the 3.5-mile freeway project sponsored by the Mississippi River Bridge Authority (MRBA), a semiautonomous governmental body with the authority to build bridges.  The MRBA reviewed three proposals for bridge sites prior to settling on one which would cross through Uptown New Orleans.  The controversy centered around where the bridge should be located and what neighborhoods would be affected.

Race and class issues were inherent in the clash, as well as community welfare and preservation of the French Quarter’s culture and history.  Mostly residents of either the white, middle class Napoleon Avenue or the black, low-income General Taylor Street, the protestors voiced concerns about the negative collateral damage of building an expressway through their neighborhoods that would result inevitably in uprooting of long-time residents of both areas.  Originally the expressway was to pass only through Napoleon Avenue, but this was changed in a futile attempt to appease the white residents, who remained opposed to a bridge anywhere in the uptown area.  Another group of opponents to the bridge joined the fray, also staunchly against the Vieux Carré and Riverfront Expressway proposals because of the large-scale displacement of residents and the neighborhood environmental deterioration that would occur in what remained of the neighborhoods.

The freeway was to straddle the Mississippi Riverfront between Elysian Fields Avenue and the Pontchartrain Expressway.  The opposition finally won out July of 1969.  The plan was scrapped mainly because it would have ruined the French Quarter by bringing unwanted traffic into the area and taking away from the timeless essence of the oldest and most historic part of New Orleans by placing an elevated expressway in front of Jackson Square.  This controversial case shows the potential potency of standing in solidarity for a cause by groups that otherwise probably would not have worked together.  They did so to shape the political process for the good of their communities.

 

 

Sources:

Mumphrey, Anthony J., and Julian Wolpert.  “Equity Considerations and Concessions in the Siting of Public Facilities.”  Economic Geography 49 (April 1973): 109-121.

Point, By This. "New Orleans @ SouthEastRoads."  Welcome to SouthEastRoads.  <http://www.southeastroads.com/new_orleans.html>.  Accessed December 9, 2010.

List of Series

 

 

Series I.         Newspaper clippings, 1968 – 1976

 

Series II.        Conradt Engineering Report, Peniston—General Taylor vs. A. P. Tugwell, et al., 1969

 

Series III.       Zoning problems, 1972 – 1976

 

Series IV.      Lawsuits, 1969 – 1970

 

Series V.       Correspondence, 1970 – 1975

 

Series VI.      Lawsuit vs. Gov. John J. McKeithen, 1970 – 1971

 

Series VII.     Publications, 1962-1970

Container List

 

BOX 1

 

Series I.  Newspaper clippings, 1968 - 1976

 

Miscellaneous newspaper clippings and some correspondence, 1968-1976, re zoning problems in Uptown New Orleans and the controversy over the proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge (originally filed as Peniston—General Taylor Assn. Newspaper Clippings file D, T 8-7-72)

 

123-1              January 26, 1968 - August 23, 1968

 

123-2              January 7, 1970 - February 25, 1970

 

123-3              February 26, 1970 - April 28, 1970

 

123-4              May 1 - June 30, 1970

 

123-5              July 2, 1970 - September 17, 1970

 

123-6              October 20, 1970 - December 16, 1970

 

123-7              1971-1972

 

123-8              Miscellaneous materials originally filed with Newspaper clippings

Correspondence, 1968-1969

News release, 1968

Subpoena, 1969

Bill of lawyer fees

Form opposing passage of Amendment 26, New Orleans Election, November 1968

 

 

Series II.  Conradt Engineering Report, Peniston—General Taylor vs. A. P. Tugwell, et al., 1969

 

Report and materials associated with a related lawsuit (originally filed as Peniston—General Taylor Assn. File E, T 78-7-72).

 

123-9              Peniston—General Taylor Association and the Uptown Civic Association et al. vs. A. P. Tugwell et al., Supreme Court of the U.S. no. __, October term 1968; Summary of the Conradt Report, December 1969; “An Appraisal of the New Orleans Riverfront Expressway,” December 1969; Correspondence, January 1, 1970; biographical material on Robert Conradt, n.d.

 

 

Series III.  Zoning problems, 1972 - 1976

 

Zoning problems in Uptown New Orleans, 1972-1976, including correspondence, lawsuits, miscellaneous materials (originally filed as Peniston—General Taylor Assn. DLC 73-99-1572).

 

123-10            Correspondence and notes, n.d., September 9, 1972 - April 22, 1976

 

123-11            Zoning reports of the New Orleans City Council, October 5, 1972 - April 12, 1973

 

123-12            Lawsuits originally filed with Zoning problems

Clement Darfaw vs. Parish of Jefferson et al, 1967

Claude Robler et al vs. City of New Orleans and New Orleans Zoning Board, 1974

Agreement, 1972

 

123-13            Miscellaneous materials originally filed with Zoning problems

 

 

BOX 2

 

Series IV.  Lawsuits, 1969-1970

 

Zoning problems in Uptown New Orleans and proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge (originally filed as Peniston—General Taylor Assn. 70-99-0202)

 

123-14            Correspondence, July 24, 1969 - May 12, 1970

 

123-15            Sierra Club v. Volpe

                        Citizens Committee for the Hudson Valley, the Sierra Club and the Village of Tarrytown, New York vs. John Volpe, Walter J. Hichel, Stanley S. Resor, William F. Cassidy

                        Nos. 428-33 (U.S. Court of Appeals 2nd Circuit, September 1969).  Brief for petitioner

 

123-16            Lawsuits

                        State of Louisiana ev. Louise S. Korns vs. Board of Zoning Adjustment, May 5, 1969

                        State of Louisiana ex rel.—Peniston—General Taylor Assn. vs. Board of Zoning Adjustments of the City of New Orleans

 

123-17            Comprehensive Zoning for New Orleans, January 20, 1969 - April 23, 1970

 

123-18            Rayne Memorial Methodist Church vs. Board of Zoning Adjustments, n.d., July 24, 1964 - October 1, 1969

 

123-19            Proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge Controversy, January 1968-May 12, 1970

 

 

Series V.  Correspondence, 1970-1975

 

Chiefly correspondence and notes pertaining to zoning problems in Uptown New Orleans and proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge (originally filed as Peniston—General Taylor Assn. 1970-70-99-0202T)

 

123-20            Correspondence, notes, n.d., January 6, 1970 - February 5, 1970

 

123-21            Correspondence, notes, February 13, 1970 - March 30, 1970

 

123-22            Correspondence, notes, April 1970

 

123-23            Correspondence, notes, May 7, 1970 - December 30, 1970

 

123-24            Correspondence and notes, n.d., January 11, 1971 - March 30, 1975

 

123-25            Resolutions passed by New Orleans City Council re proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge, February 17, 1970 - April 22, 1971

 

123-26            Address by David Campbell to New Orleans City Council, re Uptown Mississippi River Bridge, April 24, 1970

 

123-27            Phil Trice vs. City of New Orleans et al.

                              Bill of complaint

 

123-28            Miscellany re proposed Uptown Mississippi River Bridge Controversy: clip­pings, 1970, 1975; reports, n.d. 1970-1971; Phil Trice vs. City of New Orleans, n.d.; tolls on Greater New Orleans Bridge, n.d.; Indenture and deed of trust of MRBA to NBC, November 1, 1954; poster, April 24, 1970

 

 

Series VI.  Lawsuit v. Gov. John J. McKeithen, 1970-1971

 

                        Suit vs. Gov. McKeithen et al.  (originally filed as (Peniston—General Taylor Assn.—B.  Suit vs. Gov. McKeithen et al., 70-99-0202-B)

 

123-29            Correspondence and notes, November 12, 1970 - April 7, 1971

 

123-30            Reports and resolutions, 1968-1970

      Committee report to Gov. J J. McKeithen, January 31, 1968

      Resolution by Councilman Eddie Sapir, April 9, 1970

      Newspaper clipping New Orleans States-Item, December 9, 1970

 

123-31            Peniston—General Taylor Association vs. Governor McKeithen et al., 1970; U.S. Marshal process service, November 16, 1970; affidavit, November 1970; civil action 70-3221, November 13, 1970; newspaper clipping, December 9, 1970

 

123-32            Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana 516-433 Div. G Docket 5, November 16, 1970

                        Civil District Court for the Parish of Orleans, State of Louisiana 516-433 Div. G Docket 5, December 7, 1970

 

123-33            Peniston—Gen. Taylor vs. McKeithen et al.

                        Motion to dismiss proceedings, December 4, 1970; correspondence, December 29, 1970

                        U.S. District Court and Civil District Court and Press Release

 

123-34            Claude L. Robler et al. vs. John J. McKeithen et al., # 516-433, December 16, 1970

 

 

BOX 3

 

Series VII.  Publications, 1962-1970

 

            Subseries VII.1.  Reports

 

123-35            “Uptown Bridge: Feasibility Study Interim Report.”  Prepared for the Mississippi River Bridge Authority as a joint venture by Sverdrup and Parcel and Associates, Inc., and De Laureal Engineers, Inc., December 1969.

 

123-36            “New Orleans Metropolitan Area Transportation Study, 1960-1968,” Vol. 2: “Outlook for the Future.”  Prepared by Traffic and Planning Section, Louisiana Department of Highways in cooperation with the Bureau of Public Roads, U.S. Department of Commerce, 1962.

 

123-37            “A Summary: Mississippi River Crossing Studies, 1954-1970.”  Prepared for the Mississippi River Bridge Authority as a joint venture by Sverdrup & Parcel and Associates, Inc., and De Laureal Engineers, Inc., April 1970.

 

            Subseries VII.2.  Maps

 

123-38            “The Mississippi River Bridge Authority: Uptown and Chalmette Bridges and Approaches.”  Prepared by De Laureal Engineers, Inc., [ca. 1970].

 

123-39            “Proposed Bridges and Approaches for Second Bridge over Mississippi River in Greater New Orleans Area.”  Prepared by Joint Study of De Laureal Engineers, Inc. and Howard, Needles, Tammen and Bergendorff, [ca. 1970].

Index Terms

 

Bridges—Louisiana—New Orleans

Bridges—Mississippi River

Campbell, David L.

Highway planning—Louisiana—New Orleans

Louisiana Mississippi River Bridge Authority

Peniston-General Taylor Association

Urban planning—Louisiana—New Orleans