Balan was originally a sugar plantation located in the Cul-de-Sac Plain, on the southwest edge of Etang Saumatre. For the foreigner, this is the most suitable place to disembark the mahogany woods transported via pond by canoes of the eastern part, and destined to be shipped to Port-au-Prince, because it is the closest point to the capital. Whenever it is a question of establishing a railroad in the Cul-de-Sac plain, Balan is spoken of as the head of the line.

Source: haiti.fandom.com