Rufus Ingalls (August 23, 1818 – January 15, 1893) was an American military general who served as the 16th Quartermaster General of the United States Army.

As early as 1832 there were plans to build a canal from the Mississippi to Lake Borgne via Bayou Dupre. The project was fraught with allegations of fraud. Nevertheless, part of the shipping canal was completed in 1874. The canal also allowed ships through, displacing up to 4 feet of water. In 1886 the Violet Canal was built. The St. Louis, New Orleans and Ocean Canal Transportation Co. built a 20-foot-wide lock across the canal with the help of money from the state of Louisiana. The project was abandoned before 1900.