NOLA History Guy

Podcast version of our Third Thursday Sicilian talk. Podcast 61 – When the French Quarter was Sicilian Thanks to everyone who came out last Thursday night for our fourth talk in our “Third Thursday Lecture Series.” This talk is essentially a lecture, now podcast, version of part of my “down-river” French Quarter Walking Tour. We explore the part of the Quarter known as “Little Palermo” in the early part of the 1900s. From the riverfront to the French Market, up into the neighborhood, we talk about produce farmers, market vendors, grocers, bakers, organized crime, and a well-known ice cream guy. As mentioned in the presentation, I am a volunteer tour guide for the Friends of the Cabildo (FOC). The FOC offers one of the best French Quarter Walking Tours, and I’m proud they let me do them! This presentation is more-or-less a verbal/image “walk” like my tour. When going “down-river” from Jackson Square, you just can’t avoid talking about the Sicilian influence in the French Quarter, beginning in the 1880s. You’re most welcome to join us on the tour–click the link for more information. The Pod PDF of the presentation here. Creole Italian by Justin A. Nystrom (link to bookshop.org) While there are several good books on the Sicilian influences and history in New Orleans, I really enjoy Dr. Nystrom’s. The book goes well beyond just Da Quarters, but his thoughts on “Little Palermo” are excellent. Scenes Sicilian Lemons, which became part of the tariff issues in 1897. Produce stall at the French Market, 1920s (colorized by NOLA History Guy) Central Grocery ca. 1926, New Orleans — Woman driving horse drawn wagon in New Orleans. — Image by © Photo Collection Alexander Alland, Sr./CORBIS Central and Progress Groceries While Progress Grocery ain’t there no more, Central Grocery is still selling muffulettas at 923 Decatur Street. The Peronne family closed their grocery at 1003 Decatur, but still operate as a wholesale business. You can buy Progress Grocery brand olive salad and other products at local supermarkets. The post Podcast 61 – When the French Quarter Was Sicilian appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.

Canal Revival remembers Waterbury’s Drugstores.   Waterbury’s Drugstores In Podcast 60, we tell the story of Waterbury’s Drugstores on Canal Street and its expansion stores. Waterbury’s had four locations, from 1930 to 1984: #1 Canal and Camp Streets #2 Canal and S. Rampart Streets #3 1632 Dryades Street #5 766 Harrison Avenue There was a #4 store planned for Westgate Sholpping Center in Metairie, but the plan didn’t materialize. The Pod PDF here   Waterbury Chemical Company Waterbury Chemical Company manufactured and sold “patent medicines” like “Waterbury’s Compound.’ They based this “tonic” on cod liver oil, adding vitamins. They claimed it was one of the “best cures for coughs and colds.” Waterbury Chemical operated a plant on Gravier Street in the CBD. They sold the “compound” nationwide. Manufacturer to Retail In 1930, C.C. Waterbury, son of the company’s founder, leased the two-story building at Canal and Camp, on the river side of the intersection. He opened the drugstore in April, 1930.An article in the Times-Picayune in August, 1930, shows “The Busy Corner” and its businesses at the time. Avit Cancienne, ad for Waterbury’s in the Times-Picayune, 4-February-1932 While the drugstore was an immediate success, C.C. Waterbury lost interest in the retail project. He sold the drugstore to a long-time employee, Avit Cancienne. Cancienne was a pharmacist originally from Thibodaux. He took over Waterbury’s in December, 1930. His family ran the store from that point until its closure in 1984. S. Rampart Street Cancienne acquired a drugstore, Walsdorf’s, at 1036 Canal Street, in 1932. He opened Waterbury’s #2 there on 14-October-1932. The store stood on the corner of Canal and S. Rampart Streets, next to Haverty’s Furniture Store. Waterbury’s #2 gave Cancienne stores on both sides of the Central Business District. While the original store at Canal and Camp evokes the most memories (after all, it lasted until 1984), Canal and S. Rampart fascinates me much more. This corner evolved into downtown’s transit hub. The West End and Spanish Fort streetcar lines originated here. Terminal Station (Southern Railway, GM&O) stood just a block up the street, at Canal and Basin. Union Station and the L&A terminal were just up Loyola Avenue a few blocks. Just like store #1, this store operated 24 hours. While the night crowd at Camp Street was mostly moviegoers, Canal and S. Rampart enabled travelers to pick up the things they forgot. Dryades and Euterpe Store #3 operated at 1632 Dryades, corner Euterpe, in the Dryades Market corridor. Cancienne opened the store on 15-November-1937. Celebrate Canal!   Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy ​Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects. ​Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows. ​Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me. ​Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join! The post NOLA History Guy Podcast 60 – Waterbury’s Drugstores appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.

The Creole townhouse at 601 Chartres was built in 1793. 601 Chartres Street This townhouse from the Spanish Colonial period offers a look into the entire 19th Century in the Vieux Carré. The first floor’s retail space tells many stories. The Pod PDF here   Before the fire Street grid from 1722, only a year after de Pauger drew up the plan. The plan shows the original house at 601 Chartres. Follow Chartres Street left from the church to Toulouse. Post-rebellion The house held a number of retail businesses prior to the Southern Rebellion. As the Sicilians expanded their influence in the Quarter, Creole shops and stores gave way to Sicilian groceries. Such were the differences in diet and taste between the communities that the Sicilians didn’t merely take over existing shops. They re-shaped French Quarter commercial space. Here’s Victor Valentinian’s Grocery in 1890. Prohibition Like many retail outlets in New Orleans, Victor’s continued to sell alcohol after the passage of the 18th Amendment. Victor’s branded as a “soft drink saloon” during Prohibition, but still kept beer in the cooler. Additionally, the store sold “Punch Boards,” an early form of modern-day lottery “scratch-off” tickets. Victor’s Cafe This 1937 photo of the townhouse contains interesting elements, most notably, the sign advertising “Boiled Crawfish.” This is the earliest we’ve encountered the spelling “crawfish,” as opposed to “crayfish” in New Orleans. Postcard From the 1910s into the 1960s, businesses from restaurants to amusement parks printed postcards. Travelers and business people communicated with folks back home/at the home office via postcard. Victor’s planted the visual in the minds of potential new visitors with this 1940 postcard. “Miss Lady” Winifred Moore performed regularly at Victor’s after World War II. She attracted a strong following in the Victor’s cocktail lounge. Ground Pat’i By the 1970s, Victor’s was no more. The upscale burger restaurant chain, Ground Pat’i, leased 601 Chartres. For Lease via Google Maps More-recent tenants of the townhouse included Chartres House and Willie’s Chicken Shack. Both businesses moved to other Vieux Carré locations. Not sure if the landlord wants a high rent, or if the other locations offered something different. Discord NOLA History Guy now has a Discord server, available to supporters at all levels. How it works Go to patreon.com/nolahistoryguy to sign up! Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy ​Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects. ​Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows. ​Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me. ​Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join! The post Podcast 58 – 601 Chartres in the #FrenchQuarter appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.

Maison Blanche Origins continues with Simon J. Shwartz, who worked in the family business before striking out on his own. New Orleans Illustrated in Photo Etching (1892), published by James P. Craig Maison Blanche Origins – Simon J. Shwartz Continuing the Maison Blanche Origins story of the “Greatest Store South” with the early career of Maison Blanche’s founder, Simon J. Shwartz. Simon worked for his father, primarily in New York City. He brought home innovative retailing ideas. The Pod MB Origins Part 1 – if you want to catch up PDF Here Who was Simon J. Shwartz? The youngest of three brothers, Simon worked for his father, Abraham, since he was a young boy. While the “& Son” of A. Shwartz and Son was his older brother, Nathan Issac, Simon backed the family business. Photo is from History of the Jews of Louisiana, 1903. 123, 131, 133 Canal Street By 1890, A. Shwartz & Son occupied three units in the 701 block of Canal Street. Note the addresses are the “old” format. The City of New Orleans switched to block addressing By 1890, the company expanded the unit on the corner of Canal and Bourbon. They installed an elevator, and opened as a major competitor to the larger stores such as D. H. Holmes, Krauss, and Godchaux’s. The expanded store opened on 6-October-1890. The Daily Picayune reported on it the following day. Note that the store is now “A. Shwartz & Sons,” reflecting Leon and Simon’s entry as partners. The Fire Over half of the 701 block of Canal Street went up in flames on 16-February-1892. The fire all but destroyed A. Shwartz & Sons. Simon had already been working on leasing space in the Mercier Building at 901 Canal Street. He put those plans on hold and worked with his brothers to move the family business up the street. They bought up inventory from a couple of stores going out of business and re-opened at the end of February, 1892. The image at the top of the article shows A. Shwartz & Sons at 901 Canal. Patriarch Passes Abraham Shwartz passed away on 8-March-1892. Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy ​Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects. ​Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows. ​Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me. ​Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join! The post Podcast 55 – Maison Blanche Origins: Simon J. Shwartz appeared first on Edward Branley - The NOLA History Guy.