Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône chronological table
Timeline of Port-Saint-Louis-du-Rhône and its canal
| year | event |
| 1711 | During the winter, a great flood of the Rhône made it necessary to change the river bed between Chamone south of Arles and the sea to about 25 km. In order to compensate the landowners on whose land the new course of the river was now, the Royal Council decreed a tax for the residents of Lyon , the Dauphiné , Languedoc and Provence , which was levied on the shipping of salt from 1723 and financed the fortification of the new arm of the river, which was man-made as early as 1706 and was named Canal des Launes . |
| 1737 | The tax revenue was used to build the Saint-Louis Tower, which at the time stood at the main mouth of the Rhône. Some time before the tower was built, the diocese had a chapel built, which was named after King Ludwig , which led to the name of the tower. |
| 1802 | With the support of Napoleon Bonaparte , the canal from Arles to Bouc was planned, which should form a connection between the river and the Mediterranean while avoiding the Rhône delta. |
| 1834 | Realization of the 1802 plan. |
| 1863 | The decree on the public benefit of digging the canal trench was issued by Napoleon III. signed, the developer was Hippolyte Peut. |
| 1864 | Work begins on excavating the harbor basin. At that time the local area consisted only of swamps, in which the marsh fever was rampant and which led to a considerable mortality of the workers of this huge construction site. |
| 1866 | On September 2nd, the place was hit by a heavy flood. |
| 1871 | The canal was opened to traffic on August 15th. However, it was not finally completed until September 28, 1873. |
| 1880 | The place had almost 300 residents. By 1906 the number had grown to 2,500. |
| 1881 | The Compagnie générale de navigation settled in Port Saint Louis du Rhône and built its warehouses between the quays and the tower. They were entered on August 16, 1999 in the Inventaire supplémentaire des monuments historiques . |
| 1883 | Opening of the Saint Louis Canal. |
| 1885 | Paul Hence, a major French shipowner and Marseille trader, opened his first transit office in Port Saint Louis du Rhône. |
| 1887 | Opening of the railway line Arles-Port Saint Louis, which connected the town to the traffic to Arles, which until now was only carried out by a small steamer that made it possible to travel there and back in one day, except on Sundays and public holidays - when the wind blows and the water level made it possible. Settling in the harbor was becoming increasingly good business. The (later) Compagnie nationale du Rhône became operational. |
| 1892 | The place had about 1800 inhabitants in about 60 houses, the working population lived in simple "weekend houses". |
| 1904 | On March 28th the place became a commune . Antoine Calment became the first mayor. |
| 1906 | The city became a "city of men", three men to one woman. Many Italians lived in the village until the Greeks settled there after the First World War. They were mainly fishermen, shipmen, factory workers, salt workers and officials, preferably customs officials. The Catholic parish church of Saint Louis is built. |
| 1907 | The city's statutes are ratified through the construction of a town hall ( Hôtel de Ville ). |
| 1908 to 1909 | Construction of the Gautier mill by the two Gautier brothers, who were known as mill owners from Marseille. Trade with the colonies went through the port of Port Saint Louis. The shipping traffic between Lyon and Africa multiplied the return. |
| 1913 | Introduction of electricity. |
| 1930 | Feeding water from the Pissarote River near Grenoble. Before that, people drank the water of the Rhône, which was filtered through charcoal filters and, as long as it was brackish water, it had to be brought on boats from Arles to supply the population with fresh water. |
| 1932 | The city had 4,200 inhabitants. The port was now France's second trading port after Marseille and before Sète. Port Saint Louis du Rhône became a canton by law of November 15th, a very rare situation for a small municipality. |
| 1937 | The Arles Chamber of Commerce equips the port with a modern tool to respond to the needs of sea trade. |
| 1942 | The city was besieged by German troops and the beaches were closed. The liberation took place on August 25, 1944, but the port facilities were destroyed. |
| 1946 | The population exploded and grew at such a rate that it doubled by 1954 and reached over 10,000 by 1975. |
| 1958 | Construction of a Protestant church in the form of a guardhouse. |
| 1961 | Construction of an Orthodox Church. |
| 1963 | Founding of the Ferrigno canning factory , today (2004) the only French canning factory on the Mediterranean. |
| 1966 | Integration of the port into the Marseille Europort as part of its western expansion. |
| 1977 | Construction of a bullring and start of mussel farming. |
| 1980 to 1990 | The city is losing around 18% of its population in the course of economic decline and the relocation of economic activities to Fos-sur-Mer. |
| 1983 | Formation of a cooperative of mussel farmers ( COOPAPORT ) |
| 1992 | Inauguration of the marina in the central port basin. |
| 1994 | Inauguration of the movable bridge ( Pont mobile ), which replaced one from 1924/25 and was of the William Donald Scherzer type . The new bridge is 31 + 65 m long, 11.05 m wide, 9.50 m high and can carry 400 tons. |
| 1996 | Construction of the bell tower |
| 2004 | Celebrations for the 100th anniversary of the city |
source
- Festschrift for the 100th anniversary of the city, ed. Tourist office