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Krauss Service Building along Basin Street, 1951
The Krauss Service Building more than doubled the size of the Canal Street favorite. Krauss Service Building 1951 When Leon Fellman built the storefront that became Krauss Department Store, the original two-story building didn't extend even half-way back in the 1201...
Bayou Brief – NOLA History Guy and nonprofit journalism
NOLA History Guy's new connection to the Bayou Brief Bayou Brief I'm pleased to announce that I'm accepting a position with the Bayou Brief. Lamar's dubbed me, Creative Content and Social Media Director. I'll be taking the lead on the publication's social media...
Canal Terminal 1941 – Street Level #StreetcarMonday
The Liberty Monument defined Canal Terminal 1941 Canal Terminal 1941 A NOPSI arch-roof streetcar makes the turn around Liberty Place. This charming photo from 1941 shows one of our classic "green" streetcars circling around the Liberty Monument. After completing the...
Gulf Wind – Louisville and Nashville service New Orleans to Jacksonville
Connecting New Orleans to Florida via the Gulf Wind From 1949 to 1971, the Louisville and Nashville operated passenger service from New Orleans to Jacksonville, Florida, via their Gulf Wind train. While the service sounded like a classic "name train," it was actually...
Desire Streetcar 19-December-1947 #StreetcarMonday
NOPSI 866 as a Desire Streetcar 19-December-1947 Desire Streetcar 19-December-1947 NOPSI 866, in the barn on 19-December, 1947. The note at the bottom says "Stiglets Case," meaning Franck Studios shot the photo as part of a lawsuit. NOPSI lawyers used Franck Studios...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 Krauss and Trains
Department stores and train stations on Basin Street on NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019 Two segments on NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-July-2019. First, our "Today In New Orleans History" for 20-July, and then we'll unpack a...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 – Lenfant’s plus photo unpack
This week's pic for "Today in New Orleans" on NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019 A Lakeview flashback for the NewOrleansPast.com pick this week, along with a photo unpack for NOLA History Guy Podcast 29-June-2019. Also, a brief...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 – WWI, Voudou
Two short segments on NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 22-June-2019 We're back after a week off, while we celebrated LT Firstborn's master's degree! The submariner earned a master's in Military History from the US Army Command and General...
WWII Lunchbox Lecture Wednesday June 19th by NOLA History Guy
UPDATE: Here's the link to the Facebook Live version of my talk last week at the National World War II Museum. Come see NOLA History Guy at the National WWII Museum for a WWII Lunchbox Lecture WWII Lunchbox Lecture Edward Branley presents a WWII Lunchbox Lecture, this...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 8-June-2019 – Industrial Canal and USCT
Two short-form pieces this week on NOLA History Guy Podcast 8-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 8-June-2019 We hope you enjoyed our conversations with Derby Gisclair over the last two weeks. Back to short-form this week, with our pick from Today in New Orleans...
Krauss Department Store 1910 – The store’s first expansion
Krauss Department Store 1910 - the first expansion of the 1903 building. Krauss Department Store 1910 Leon Fellman built the two-story building at Canal and Basin Streets in 1902. He leased it to the Krauss brothers. They opened "a veritable trade palace" that...
Streetcars Canals Baseball #StreetcarMonday in Mid-City
Streetcars Canals Baseball in Mid-City New Orleans Streetcars, Canals, Baseball! In one of our podcast conversations with Derby Gisclair, we discussed aerial photos of Heinemann Park/Pelican Stadium. Derby explains the neighborhood around the stadium used by the...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 1-June-2019 – Baseball in New Orleans
Talking baseball! Derby Gisclair conversation on NOLA History Guy Podcast 1-June-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 1-June-2019 We have a LONG "long-form" podcast today! It's our second conversation with S. Derby Gisclair, author and historian, about his book, Baseball in...
NOPSI Patriotic Support – Memorial Day Memory #StreetcarMonday
During World War II, NOPSI Patriotic Support traveled the street rails. NOPSI Patriotic Support When America went to war in Europe, New Orleans stepped up and did her part to support the cause. In World War I, the retailers on Canal Street regularly used their...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 25-May-2019 Doberge and Baseball
Talking Baseball on NOLA History Guy Podcast 25-May-2019 Early Baseball in New Orleans by S. Derby Gisclair NOLA History Guy Podcast 25-May-2019 Our first long-form pod in a while! We feature this week a conversation with S. Derby Gisclair on his book, Early Baseball...
Bus Stop Iroquois Street Gentilly before the Seminary
Riders wait for the Broad line at a bus stop Iroquois Street Gentilly Bus Stop Iroquois Street Gentilly Bus stop at Gentilly Blvd. and Iroquois Street, 10-Jun-1946. This Franck Studios photo has a court docket number in the corner. I haven't looked up why NOPSI...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 18-May-2019 – French Market and The Beast
More Southern Rebellion in NOLA History Guy Podcast 18-May-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 18-May-2019 Two segments as we've been doing for NOLA History Guy Podcast 18-May-2019. We discuss the French Market and Mayor Cantrell's ideas on re-vamping the market in the...
1945 Streetcar Track Map offers insight into changes #StreetcarMonday
A not-to-scale 1945 streetcar track map shows many changes in the system. 1945 streetcar track map I found this 1945 streetcar track map on a blog called "NOLAgraphy." That blog appears to be in suspended animation. 1945 NOPSI highlights This diagram shows only...
NOPSI Bus roll signs – buses on #StreetcarMonday
NOPSI bus roll signs remind me of my high school years NOPSI bus roll signs A different story today for #StreetCarMonday. Aaron Handy shared several "roll signs" from NOPSI buses to the Vintage New Orleans Transit group a while back. Through some Facebook strangeness,...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 4-May-2019 – Streetcars and Spoons
Talking green streetcars and Benjamin Butler in NOLA History Guy Podcast 4-May-2019. NOLA History Guy Podcast 4-May-2019 Two segments this week. We talk about our pick of the week from Today in New Orleans History. Then we "unpack" a photo from 1960. May 1, 1862 While...
New Foodie Group on Facebook – YatCuisine (the group)
Because of the uncertainty surrounding The Advocate's nuking of the Times-Picayune, I've created a new food/beverage/dining/culture group on the Book of Face. We don't know what's going to happen to the T-P's "Where NOLA Eats" group, since The Advocate's social media...
Times-Picayune Farewell – preserving the memories
The Times-Picayune Farewell begins. I have concerns. (cross-posted to YatPundit.com) Times-Picayune Farewell The phone delivered a tweet with a story about The Advocate acquiring the Times-Picayune yesterday afternoon. I feel a sense of anxiety and urgency over this...
Bernadotte Street Yard in Mid-City #TrainThursday
The Bernadotte Street Yard ran from Canal Blvd. to Jefferson Davis Parkway Bernadotte Street Yard Throughout the first half of the 20th Century, the portion of Mid-City that ran from Jefferson Davis Parkway to City Park Avenue was much narrower than the neighborhood...
Screen Porch Houses harken back to before central a/c
If you didn't have air-condition or a lot of fans, you might have lived in screen porch houses growing up. (cross-posted to Eloquent Profanity) Screen porch houses Before central air-conditioning became part of everyday home life, screen porch houses lined the blocks...
Steamboat President – the last years in New Orleans
The last years of the Steamboat President in New Orleans Steamboat President Midland Barge Company built the President in 1924. The steamboat operated in overnight packet service, running from Cincinnati to Louisville. Streckfus Steamers acquired the steamboat in...
NOPSI Maps from the past #StreetcarMonday
Bus and streetcar routes in New Orleans were laid out in NOPSI Maps. NOPSI Maps Maps of the local transit system are essential for riders. While those maps are most often found online these days, proper paper maps existed for generations before handheld devices with...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-April-2019 Southern Rebellion
The best of "Today in New Orleans History" for this week, and unpacking a photo on this week's NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-April-2019. NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-April-2019 Two short segments today on NOLA History Guy Podcast 27-April-2019. Take a moment from your...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-April-2019 Unpacking Bayou St. John
NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-April-2019 - Unpacking Bayou St. John. NOLA History Guy Podcast 20-April-2019 Happy Easter! Happy Elmer's Gold Brick Eggs. The Elmer's truck is from Pop Evans' fun group, New Orleans "Black" in the Day on Facebook. Elmer's Gold Brick was...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 13-April-2019 M.A.R.T. and City Park Avenue
NOLA History Guy Podcast 13-April-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 13-April-2019 Another short-form pod this week! Two items, "New Orleans Past" and unpacking a photo from 1951 M.A.R.T. Our "New Orleans Past" item, from Catherine Campanella's website, is her 11-April...
NOLA History Guy Podcast 6-April-2019 – K-Doe and Signs
NOLA History Guy Podcast 6-April-2019 NOLA History Guy Podcast 6-April-2019 I need to do the pods more, so we'll be dropping "short-form" eps weekly. The long-form pods are fun, but they take time. That means they're less frequent, therefore fewer eps. So, let's do...
Basin Street 1900 – Before Terminal Station #TrainThursday
Basin Street 1900 - Before Terminal Station on Canal Street Basin Street 1900 This postcard, published by C.B. Mason, shows the Storyville District, three to five years after it's creation (legally). Here's the note on the postcard: "Bird's-Eye View Of New Orleans LA....
Magazine Street Trackless Trolley Conversion #StreetcarMonday
Magazine Street Trackless Trolley Conversion - electric with no rails Magazine Street Trackless Trolley Conversion New Orleans Public Service, Inc (NOPSI) discontinued streetcars on a number of lines after World War II. Magazine Street was one of these lines. While...
Napoleon Avenue at St. Charles 1860 #StreetcarMonday
Napoleon Avenue links the river to Broadmoor Napoleon Avenue in 1860 The first streetcar service in New Orleans was along St. Charles Avenue. The New Orleans & Carrollton Railroad Company started at Canal Street. They expanded service in stages, as demand and...
Missiles in Avondale – Southern Pacific Railroad #TrainThursday
Missiles traveling through Avondale Missiles in Avondale a Southern Pacific Railroad train pulls missile parts through the railroad's yard in Avondale, Louisiana, 7-Sep-1960. Several Alco road switcher engines pull flatcars containing the parts. Avondale Shipyards In...
Riverfront Arch Roofs roll from Canal to Esplanade
Riverfront Arch Roofs - 1923-vintage streetcars operating off St. Charles Avenue Riverfront Arch Roofs The New Orleans Regional Transit Authority opened the Riverfront line in 1988. they used two of the 1923 arch roof streetcars and two Melbourne W-2 streetcars. The...
Clothes Horse ad from 1979 – four locations! #NOLAshopping
Clothes Horse was a womens clothing chain. Clothes Horse In 1979, Clothes Horse operated four locations in New Orleans. You shopped at Clothes Horse in Uptown Square (Broadway and River Road), The Plaza at Lake Forest (in Da East), and Village Aurora. My memories of...
Amtrak New Orleans – Get away for Spring Break!
Amtrak New Orleans offers solid train travel options Amtrak New Orleans Winter Getaways! The more things change, the more they remain the same. College students wanting to get away during their break is one of those. This 1996 ad in the Loyola Maroon tempts students...
Arch Roof streetcars at the Cemeteries 1963 #StreetcarMonday
Arch Roof Streetcars stack up at the Cemeteries Terminal, 1963 Arch Roof Streetcars in 1963 The 1923-vintage 800- and 900-series arch roof streetcars serviced the Canal line starting in the 1930s. Prior to 1935, the American Car Company's "Palace" cars ran on Canal....
2-8-0 Steam Locomotives in Gentilly #TrainThursday
2-8-0 Steam Locomotives operated regularly in Gentilly 2-8-0 Steam Locomotives We mentioned the New Orleans and Northeastern Railroad (NO&NE) last week, in our discussion of Homer Plessy's ticket to Covington. Plessy was arrested at Press Street Station. That...
Rapp’s Luggage, 604 Canal Street #fadingsignsNOLA
Rapp's Luggage still sells leather goods and luggage in Metairie Rapp's Luggage George Rapp came to New Orleans from Germany, just at the end of the Civil War. He got settled and entered the leather goods business. By 1865, he put together the means to purchase Mack's...
Homer Plessy – The trip to Covington he never took
Homer Plessy bought a ticket to travel to Covington, LA, but never left New Orleans. Homer Plessy In 1892, the Comite des Citoyens (Citizens Committee), an organization of civil rights activists, wanted to challange the Separate Car Act, a bill passed by the Louisiana...
Race Screens on NOPSI 930 – Segregation on New Orleans transit
Race Screens on NOPSI 930 were typical on the 800 and 900 streetcars. Race Screens Jim Crow segregation began in the 1890s. They started in the wake of the landmark Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision. It comes as no surprise that the city where Homer Plessy and...
Canal-Baronne Transit Operations, 1906 #StreetcarMonday
Canal-Baronne Transit Operations were important at the turn of the 20th Century. Canal-Baronne Transit Single-truck streetcars along Canal Street in 1906. This postcard shows common Canal Street operations at the time. We're eleven years into the electric era here....
Cash Boys kept the money moving on Canal Street
Cash Boys moved the money before cash registers Cash Boys Cash Boys were employees of large dry goods and department stores. Before cash registers, these stores puzzled over how to control money on the sales floor. Cash drawers meant money spread out everywhere....
Sears Feibleman’s, Fellman’s, Canal Street, Baronne Street
Sears, Feibleman's and Canal Street retail. Sears, Feibleman's and Canal Street With Sears, Roebuck all but closing down nationwide, let's look back at how Sears came to New Orleans. The Chicago company acquired stores owned by the Feibleman family, most notably,...
Southern Railway – Pontchartrain Expressway #TrainThursday
Southern Railway, now Norfolk Southern, maintains the #BackBelt railroad connection. Southern Railway The New Orleans and North Eastern (NONE) Railroad connected New Orleans with Meridian, Mississippi, in 1883. NONE operated from Terminal Station, located at Canal and...
Basin Street – Southern Railway Switching and Steam #TrainThursday
Basin Street was the location of Terminal Station Basin Street Terminal Station serviced Southern Railway and the Gulf, Mobile, and Ohio Railroad, from 1908 to 1954. Travelers and shoppers on Canal Street saw the arched facade of the building. Those keeping the trains...
Just Hotels – The Transition of Canal Street #FadingSigns
Just Hotels - Where once retail ruled. Just Hotels This photo from the 1950s sums up the "before" of Canal Street beautifully. The corner of Canal and Camp Streets was one of the first to be demolished, to make way for a hotel. While the old Godchaux Building gave way...
Algiers 1865 – New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western RR
Algiers 1865, The railroads were a lifeline for the Union. Algiers 1865 Trains at the Algiers Terminal of the New Orleans, Opelousas and Great Western Railroad, in 1865. The NOO&GW served the Union forces after the capture of New Orleans in 1862. The NOO&GW...
Pathways reveal the reasons for #FadingSigns in New Orleans
Pathways lead the way to fading signs. Pathways We all follow paths and pathways in our lives. Some of us step off the well-trodden paths, forging ahead, making new ones. Most of us, however, follow regular paths. So, we leave home and go to work. At lunchtime, we...
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