Jefferson Attractions

Jefferson was a major port on Big Cypress Bayou. Steamboats were the main transportation and connected the city to New Orleans. A number of "firsts" occurred in Jefferson, including the first ammonia refrigerant ice plant in the world, and the first city to use artificial gas for street lighting. Today the town has more than thirty structures marked as historical sites by the state.

The turning point for the city came when it decided it could rely on steamboats for it's life line and refused an offer to have the railroad service the town. The town that once boasted a population of 30,000 could not keep pace with other railroad towns and the population and growth in the area began to recede.