Podcast 63 presents the Allard Plantation, now New Orleans City Park.
Julius Robert Hoening’s 1898 painting by titled “Plantation and Oak Tree“ (Allard Plantation).
The Allard Plantation
The land along Bayou St. John, from Lake Pontchartrain to the “Great Portage” attracted members of Bienville’s exploration party from the first trips they made to what would be their Crescent City colony. While most of the French worked to establish the city, a few individuals broke off, heading back up the bayou, living with the indigenous. Small shacks evolve into farms, eventually becoming full plantations by the time of Spanish control.
One of those farms that becomes a plantation was owned by the Allard family. It’s the origin story of our beloved City Park.
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.
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)
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.
Recording and PDF of the talk, “The Royal Blue Line” by Edward.
‘The Royal Blue Line” on Napoleon Avenue
Thanks to everyone who came out Tuesday to hear the talk on the Napoleon Streetcar at the Jefferson Parish Library’s East Bank Regional Branch. PDF of the presentation and the recording of the talk are included here.
Streetcars ran on Napoleon Avenue from 1850 to 1953. The New Orleans & Carrollton Railroad (NO&CRR) operated the “Carrollton” line, later the “St. Charles” line, beginning in 1831. They began with steam train service, which morphed into mule-drawn streetcars in 1845. In 1850, NO&CRR extended their operations with a branch line on Napoleon Avenue. Starting at St. Charles Avenue, the line ran down Napoleon, to Tchoupitoulas Street. Turntables on either end turned the streetcars around.
Electrification
The Napoleon Branch line electrified in 1893, along with the main Carrollton line. Napoleon was arguably the first electric streetcar line in the city. NO&CRR installed their power station for the line in a building at Napoleon and Tchoupitoulas. That building still stands, across the street from Tipitina’s. So, to power the St. Charles line, the company ran wires up Napoleon Avenue. That means the electric cars operated on the branch first!
Once the lines operated with electric cars, the company extended the Napoleon Branch to Canal Street.
Royal Blue
In 1903, a new player entered the streetcar game in New Orleans. The Orleans and Jefferson Railway announced the creation of the “Royal Blue Line,” operating from St. Charles and Napoleon, up to Metairie Road. They extended the line out Metairie Road to the 17th Street Canal, at the parish line. In 1915, the line, now operated by New Orleans Railway and Light Company (NORwy&Lt) opened the “Shrewsbury Extension” of the Royal Blue Line. The line ran all the way out to Severn Avenue and Airline Highway. In 1934, New Orleans Public Service, Incorporated (NOPSI) converted the Metairie Road segment to bus service.
In 1953, NOPSI converted the remaining Napoleon line to bus service. New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA) operates the line as Route 9, Broad/Napoleon.
The Mercier Building 1885 when it was under construction is the subject of our first Premium tier pocast.
Mercier Building 1885
We came across this photo a few years ago. It’s identified as being from 1906. At that time, Maison Blanche demolished the Mercier Building 1885 to build the 13-story building we all know as the “MB Building.” That building is now the Ritz-Carlton Hotel New Orleans.
Thing is, there were a number of things that didn’t add up about that date. I posted the image with background, and this was my conclusion at the time:
UNO captioned this as “Mercier Building being dismantled, Canal Street, New Orleans,” but the photo actually documents the construction. This photo was taken in 1885, not 1906.
New Orleans Illustrated in Photo Etching (1892), published by James P. Craig
So, at the time, I figured one of the regular “experts” that love to point out my mistakes would “correct” me. Nobody did! Now we unpack the photo, with an 1893 image of the building as comparison.
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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 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.
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!
Abraham Shwartz and the family store are the origins of Maison Blanche Department Store.
Maison Blanche Origins – Abraham Shwartz
The story of the iconic store at 901 Canal Street begins with the father of the founder. Simon J. Shwartz of MB fame was the youngest son of Abraham Shwartz, a Jewish immigrant to New Orleans. Shwartz partnered with other retailers before opening his own store on Canal Street. That store led to his son moving up the street to start his own place.
Construction of Shushan Airport was part of a larger capital project proposed in 1922. The main component of the package was the seawall. The seawall functioned as a sort of dam along the lake shore. It ran from West End to the Industrial Canal. Construction of the seawall enabled the Orleans Levee Board to drain the water behind the seawall, then develop it. As we discussed in Podcast 51, Winning the War on the Lakefront, much of the reclaimed land became military installations during the run-up to World War II.
25 Chartres Street
Abraham partnered up with his brother-in-law, Simon Kaufman, in Shwartz, Kaufman, & Co., at 25 Chartres Street. This store was in the 100 block of Chartres, just off Canal Street.
161 Canal Street
161 Canal Street – Look for DH Holmes, the 4-story building on the right. Then go three doors up, that’s A. Shwartz & Son. The church on the left is Christ Episcopal, at Canal and Dauphine.
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.
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!
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