Ponchatoula is the second-largest city in Tangipahoa Parish, Louisiana. The population was 6,559 at the 2010 census and 7,545 at the period of the 2020 population estimates program.

It is speculated that the herald is derived from the Choctaw words Pashi meaning “hair” and perhaps itula or itola meaning “to fall” or “to hang” or “flowing” in the Choctaw language

Ponchatoula was originally expected as a little fishing village on 1820. Then in the year 1839 a man named William Akers moved into town and purchased exceeding 1000 acres from the United States Federal Government. William began gardening and harvesting the local virgin pine timber and pulling the logs to a approachable sawmill when teams of oxen. According to some sources William Akers had several Native Americans vigorous in his timber crew and they provided the name Ponchatoula. It was the Native American showing off of expressing the beauty of the location, with beautiful Spanish moss hanging from the large oak trees.

As more settlers arrived in the Place William began selling his home to those families. Then upon February 12, 1861 Ponchatoula incorporated as a town. William Akers was appointed as the first mayor and is official with founding the town. In the 1880s Akers reported that he had sold nearly 700 acres of estate and lonely had virtually 300 acres of home remaining. He was a leader in the Temperance bustle and fought difficult to keep alcoholic beverages out of Ponchatoula. He was after that a aficionada of the local Masonic Lodge and was unconditionally active in the Methodist Episcopal Church.