The area now known as Gert Town was originally part of the Jeanne de McCarty plantation, which was purchased by the New Orleans Canal and Banking Company in the 1830s to extend the New Basin Canal. During this time much of the area was undeveloped and cut off from the rest of the city. Residential development was slow to take hold due to geographic challenges. For one, the early street pattern was the result of land development following the bends of the Mississippi River. For another, because it was a part of the swampy "Backatown" region, many streets stopped before entering the area. After some residential development at the end of the 19th century, the established Uptown streets running perpendicular to the river were extended into Gert Town and Mid-City. However, many of the streets in Gert Town remained unpaved well into the 20th century.