Marvelously young

Way on down the Sassagoula River, near the area known as Port Orleans – Riverside, there is a secluded island known as Ol’ Man Island. Like most river-bound islands, it calls to the children of the area as a natural wonderland. For children islands of this sort are treasure troves of new adventures, secret meetings, a place to hide from whatever ills them away from the island, and a place to have more fun than they can shake a stick at. As far as Ol’ Man Island is concerned, however, it was a built as just this type of refuge for children, with plenty of entertaining escapes just waiting to be discovered.

According to the local legend, the island was first inhabited in 1835. A young man, seeking the solace of the Sassagoula found an island where he could live tranquilly. As time passed by the nearby Riverside area began to flourish, as wealth poured into the area so did new inhabitants and new dwellings. Eventually the children of Riverside journeyed out to the island and found a wealth of engaging activities. A swimmin’ hole filled with chutes, spouts, and even a deck to lay out in the sun was the main attraction, but the island also had a well stocked fishin’ hole for lazy afternoons when dropping a line into the river was the only activity that would do. In tribute to the man who had assembled the island wonderland, the residents of Riverside named the island Ol’ Man Island as a “tribute to the ol’ man and the happiness he gave to the children and all of Riverside’s neighbors.”