by nolahistoryguy | Aug 6, 2026 | Patreon
Third Thursdays at the Jefferson Parish Library
In This Issue
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A Little History… – Our feature story
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Notes from the Lakefront – Updates
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Ad of the Week – advertising blasts from the past!
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How you can help NOLA History Guy – Things you can do right now!
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NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge – Exercise your imagination!
A Little History… Restaurant de la Renaissance, 1904
William Woodward painting
”Restaurant de la Renaissance,” by William Woodward, 1904. From the HNOC record for the painting:
View of Chartres Street from corner of Wilkinson Street, (formerly Jefferson), looking toward Jackson Square. At right, two story building houses a restaurant and cafe owned by August Pouy. The Cabildo and Saint Louis Cathedral are visible in the background
There’s no entry on this building from the VCC in the Collins Diboll database, so we’ll come at this painting from a more cultural/romantic side. HNOC’s Blog, “First Draft,” offered an article, Views of the Vieux Carré, on 15-December-2025. The article features Woodward’s painting and this passage from the diary of William C. Ordiorne in 1933:
“I dined at a score of different restaurants . . . none of the great and famous ones. I couldn’t afford them. But the standard of good cooking is higher in New Orleans than in the North. There were little French restaurants which served wine with the dinner, just as in France. Oysters, fresh from the bayous, were ten cents a dozen over the bar . . . and how delicious they were! I made the acquaintance of many dishes new to me, such as shrimp remoulade, jamalai, the famous New Orleans risotto, full of shrimp, peppers, and other mysterious ingredients.”
The smaller restaurants captivated the writer then, just as our “neighborhood” places draw diners in nightly today. While the prices may be higher, particularly the oysters, the sirens’ call of Shrimp Remoulade and other seafood dishes can still be heard.
As the Sicilian influence hit the Quarter in particular in the early part of the Twentieth Century, little French-style places changed their branding from “French” to “Creole-French,” to, in many cases now, just “Creole.” Instead of that interesting risotto described by the writer, “seafood pasta” dishes that swap the rice for fettuccine or linguini are standards on the menus of modern restaurants.
Wilkinson Street
Woodward paints the Restaurant de la Renaissance from the Uptown/Canal Street side of Chartres and Wilkinson Streets. He captures the half-block of Chartres leading up to St. Peter Street, then the Cabildo and St. Louis Cathedral. With the exception of the street activity, the scene hasn’t changed all that much. The building at 620 Chartres is still a restaurant, Doris Metropolitan. When I’m leading guests on an “upriver” French Quarter Walking Tour, we go from Jackson Square, up Decatur Street for half a block, then turn up Wilkinson. That brings us right to this location, where we stand directly in front of the origin point of the Great Fire of 1788. I always suggest to guests they go down the passageway of Sylvain Restaurant and peek into the courtyard (hopefully some of them are enticed to come back for dinner). After stopping for a moment on this corner, we onto Chartres and continue in the opposite direction, with more stories about food, riverboats, Sicilian taverns, and more.
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Notes from the Lakefront
why the lakefront?
Family time in D.C.
We’re up in Arlington, VA, for a couple of days. My firstborn lives here with his wife and their now-15-month-old son. So, we come up as often as we can to visit and watch him grow.
This trip, my boy asked if there was anything in particular we wanted to do/see, and I suggested the National Air and Space Museum, the original, just off the National Mall. The museum is wrapping up some extensive renovations, and has re-opened enough of the space to make the trip fun. The museum has a large exhibit on NASA’s Apollo missions. Two of the main artifacts are the Apollo 11 Command Module, Columbia, and the spacesuit worn by Neil Armstrong when he stepped onto the surface of the Moon. As a kid, I was very invested in the Apollo programs. As a kid from New Orleans, I was very proud that the massive Saturn-V rocket boosters which propelled those astronauts to the moon were built in New Orleans, at Michoud.
Vintage Ad of the Week
“Commander’s is the sauciest” — Ad for Commander’s Palace restaurant, Washington Avenue at Coliseum Street in the Garden District, in the Times-Picayune, 6-August-1969.
How You Can Help NOLA History Guy
Things you can do RIGHT NOW to help us out!
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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!
Books by NOLA History Guy!
NOLA Six Word Writing Challenge
In six words or less, write a story about this image. (@ladylunanola photo)
Post your story to NOLAHistoryGuy.com on BlueSky, or to New Orleans Uncovered on Facebook. You can also email yours to nolasixwords@nolahistoryguy.com.
What’s this all about?
by nolahistoryguy | Jun 13, 2026 | Patreon
I’m not big on saying I’m an Ally
Saying you’re an ally, particularly during June, Pride Month, is an odd flex. I don’t understand why folks feel the need to declare they’re not gay. Here are some reasons I don’t say ally:
It gives “no homo” vibes.
Self-employed folks in particular always seem to be afraid they’ll lose a potential market or segment of their client base, so they want to please everyone. Say you’re an ally, you think queers will respect you. It goes an extra step, though. You’re telling people who don’t like queers that you’re straight. The ally wants to straddle the fence, when they’re really standing with the straights, all-in.
You’re not going to impress the bigots.
There’s really nothing you can do to win over conservative bigots once you acknowledge that queers exist. They want nothing short of obliteration for queers. When Daesh (commonly referred to as ISIS) had greater influence in the Middle East, the easiest way for them to eliminate enemies was to declare them to be homosexuals. Then they could throw them off fifty-foot walls to the ground. While American homophobes usually don’t go that far, they stand with the sentiment. If you think declaring you’re straight helps you keep or attract business from these people, you’re delusional.
Queers aren’t going to hit on you.
Saying you support queer rights isn’t a declaration of availability. You don’t have to say “no homo” — the homos know who is and isn’t. If you want to date someone who is queer, conversation, body language. and overall attitude will communicate your interest. Otherwise, fear not.
You discourage and disparage queer kids.
Declaring you support queer kids while at the same time making it clear you’re straight is a mixed signal. The teen exploring their sexuality looks and listens, wondering why you have to distance yourself from what they are. Offer unequivocal support to young queers.
“Allyship” is a great way to ignore Trans people.
Even among liberals, even among some queers, transgender people are still discriminated against. Declaring you’re an overall ally enables one to skirt addressing the issues surrounding the trans community. There’s tons of shit trans folks have to endure, and all too many straight allies would rather wash their hands of any involvement in making life easier for them.
You’re here. They’re queer. Love and support them. It’s not about you.
by nolahistoryguy | Jun 11, 2026 | Patreon
Our Weekly Newsletter
by nolahistoryguy | Sep 12, 2025 | 1920s-1930s, CBD, Fellman's/Feibelman's, Gus Mayer, Maison Blanche, Patreon, Patreon NHG, Podcasts, S. H. Kress, Stein's
The more Canal Street 1935 evolved, the more it remained iconic.
Canal Street 1935
Franck Studios of Canal Street at St. Charles Avenue, 1935. The photographer stands in the neutral ground, on the river side of the outside streetcar track. The fiw on the left is of the 700 block of Canal, the Uptown side of the street.
700 Canal Street is the Pickwick Club building. At this time, it’s still the Crescent City Billiard Hall. The corner shop is Loft’s Candy. Here’s a comment from our friend Derby Gisclair on the corner:
This 1935 photograph by Charles Franck shows the corner of Canal Street and St. Charles Avenue. The Crescent City Billiard Hall on the corner looks rather dingy and dark compared to past images. A large sign directing drivers to the St. Charles Hotel juts out over the second floor on the corner above the Loft’s Candy Store. Loft’s at one time was owned by City Stores Company, parent company of Maison Blanche, and became the largest candy manufacturer in the world in the 1920s.
I remember when Derby said this, thinking, this explains why the Candy Department at MB was always so good.
The Pod
Listen to Podcast P10 here.
Billiards to Pickwick
The corner got a facelift when it was sold to the Pickwick Club. The sign for the St. Charles Hotel is typical for Canal Street throughout the Twentieth century. The big hotels were all off-Canal. So, to get you to the St. Charles, or the Monteleone, or even to the Holiday Inn on Royal Street, drivers could follow signs for where to turn.
Up the street. Next to the billiard hall is Steven’s, a store for men. You can see the secondary signs advertising Hart, Schaffner and Marx clothing. Additionally, there’s a wall sign saying “Steven’s” on the side.
Continuing down the block, these buildings remain today. The clock at Adler’s is visible towards the end of the 700 block.
Up to the 800 block, the onion spire on the edge of 800 Canal, the original Pickwick Hotel, is visible. In 1935, this was Stein’s Department Store. Leon Fellman’s/Feibleman’s moved up to Baronne and Common in 1931. Gus Mayer purchased 800 Canal after WWII. They demolished the building in 1947 and built a new store there.
Streetcars
The city completed their most recent street improvement program on Canal in 1930. That’s when the Union Sheet Metal light poles, with their fleur-de-lis lighting, appeared. So, this is just five years into their life. There are several arch roof streetcars up Canal. Our venerable 800- and 900-series streetcars dominated the routes at this time.
Radio
Not much of the French Quarter side of the street is visible in this photo. The Maison Blanche building towers over the Audubon Building in the 901 block. The large antenna on top of the MB building is the transmitter for WSMB Radio. WSMB broadcasted from the 13th floor of Maison Blanche’s office wing.
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!
by nolahistoryguy | Sep 9, 2025 | 1970s, Amtrak, L&N, Lakeview, Patreon, Podcasts
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
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After 1954, L&N passenger trains like the Pan American ran on the Back Belt to UPT.
L&N Pan American 1970
Listen to the podcast here.
This 1970 photo shows the Louisville and Nashville (L&N) Pan American passenger train heading to Union Passenger Terminal on Loyola Avenue. From Mike Palmieri:
L&N No. 9 – NEW ORLEANS – Circa 1970 – Photographer Unknown
Louisville & Nashville train No. 9 – the southbound PAN-AMERICAN – was on the Southern Railway’s BACK BELT at East City Junction, about four miles from its destination at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. The diverging track is the Southern’s St. Louis Street Line, which once served Terminal Station on Basin Street at Canal Street.
Prior to the opening of Union passenger Terminal (UPT), L&N trains arrived and departed from their passenger terminal at the head of Canal Street. When the city merged the five passenger stations into UPT in 1954, L&N trains approached the station via the Southern Railway (now Norfolk Southern) “Back Belt.” The trains came into town via the Rigolets bridge, then switched onto the Back Belt. As Mike mentions, the track curving off connected the Back Belt to Southern’s terminal at Canal and Basin Streets. The trains ran down Basin Street to tracks just before St. Louis Street. They turned north on St. Louis, connecting here to head to the “5 Mile Bridge” across Lake Pontchartrain. After 1954, that track saw limited use, as the Southern passenger trains also shifted to UPT. SR shifted most of its freight operations from their Bernadotte Yard in Mid-City to Gentilly. So, most of the track at St. Louis Street vanished over time. The path morphed into the Lafitte Greenway bicycle/walking trail.
Approach to the station
L&N #9 heads towards the back of Greenwood Cemetery. It turned into town at what was the east bank of the New Basin Canal. The track followed the canal, originally to Union Station on S. Rampart. Street. The city closed the canal in 1949. The Pontchartrain Expressway opened in its place. So, the end of this access track changed to UPT in 1954.
Amtrak uses this track for the Crescent (#19/#20) to New York. Additionally, the Sunset Limited extension to Jacksonville operated over it. That route closed in 2005. This summer, Amtrak inaugurated the Mardi Gras route, from UPT to Mobile, Alabama. Mardi Gras runs both ways, morning and evening. So, those four trains follow the route taken here by the Pan American.
Crescent City to Queen City
L&N operated the Pan American route, from New Orleans to Cincinnati, from 1921 to 1971. The railroad turned its passenger operations and equipment over to Amtrak in 1971. The new passenger rail company discontinued the Pan American in 1971. So, this photo shows the route in its last few months of operation.
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!
by nolahistoryguy | Jun 16, 2025 | Patreon
The Cor Jesu Juniors posed for homeroom photos in the fall of 1960.
Cor Jesu Juniors in 1960
Photo of the Juniors of Homeroom 204 at Cor Jesu High School in October, 1960. So, if this photo is their junior year, this makes them the Class of 1962.
Dress code
Now that we’re fifty-five years into Brother Martin High School’s rich history and traditions, many may not realize that Cor Jesu (CJ) never required school uniforms. The school opened in 1954, on Elysian Fields Avenue. The Brothers designated the mission of CJ as “college prep,” in contrast to the more general-studies curriculum of St. Aloysius. So, the boys at CJ looked straight out of the “Happy Days” cast. I’m sure the moms double-checked their boys before they left the house on picture day, but their wardrobe choices fit those of a typical school day.
The “Old Building”
Cor Jesu’s footprint consisted of the two-story classroom building and the single-story administration wing at this time. The school’s main entrance joined the buildings together.The Resource Center wing, behind the original building, appeared in August of 1969, when the combined school, Brother Martin, opened.
By the time I got to BMHS in August of 1971, the old building was our home. Class 8A (mine) had our morning classes (Louisiana History, English, and Religion) in room 101. We went upstairs to the Reading Lab for Fourth Period, then the gym for PE at Fifth. (Side note: when this class posed in 1960, the gym wasn’t there yet. CJ originally did not have athletics teams. That changed in the mid-1960s.
Upstairs
I’m not sure which upstairs classroom was Room 204. The photo was likely taken downstairs, by the auditorium. The upstairs hallway had the Reading Lab, then Biology and Chemistry Labs facing Elysian Fields. Across the hall stood a classroom by the stairwell, then the A-V equipment room, faculty offices/lounge, and Foreign Language classroom. At BMHS, these rooms connected on both sides, to the original building hallway and the Resource Center.
Photo ID
We don’t have a photo ID of these homeroom classes, unfortunately. If any of y’all were Class of 61 or 62 and remember these guys, please drop us a line with some names!
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!
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