author

Thomas Ewing Dabney

1885–1970

A New Orleans journalist and historian, he wrote lively books about the city’s growth, its major institutions, and some of the people who shaped modern American business. His work ranges from local history to biography, with a strong eye for commerce, industry, and civic ambition.

1 Audiobook

The Industrial Canal and Inner Harbor of New Orleans History, Description and Economic Aspects of Giant Facility Created to Encourage Industrial Expansion and Develop Commerce

The Industrial Canal and Inner Harbor of New Orleans History, Description and Economic Aspects of Giant Facility Created to Encourage Industrial Expansion and Develop Commerce

by Thomas Ewing Dabney

About the author

Born in New Orleans in 1885 and dying in Louisiana in 1970, Thomas Ewing Dabney built his writing around the history and public life of his home region. Reliable catalog and archive records show him as the author of works including The Industrial Canal and Inner Harbor of New Orleans, a detailed early-20th-century account of a major engineering and commercial project, and One Hundred Great Years: The Story of the Times-Picayune from Its Founding to 1940.

His books suggest a writer deeply interested in how cities grow: through newspapers, shipping, trade, and the people who finance and promote them. He also wrote biography, including The Man Who Bought the Waldorf, about hotelier Conrad N. Hilton, showing that his interests reached beyond Louisiana while staying connected to the story of American enterprise.

Much of his surviving reputation rests on this blend of journalism, civic history, and biography. Even when focused on institutions, his work aimed to make large subjects readable and concrete, which makes him a fitting author for listeners who enjoy regional history with a strong sense of place.