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Podcast 56 - New! Premium Level on Patreon

A Premium Level ($5 month) rolls out in June. . map of the Spanish Fort resort area in the 1880s. Introducing a Premium Level for Patreon Supporters We’re rolling out a Premium Level for NOLA History Guy, beginning in June. We offer a $1 “basic” supporter level on Patreon for a while now. The way we get our news and communicate in general on the Internet has changed so much in recent years, it’s…

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 Podcast link: https://nolahistoryguy.com/blog/2025/05/18/podcast-54-maison-blanche-origins-abraham-shwartz/

Podcast 55 - Maison Blanche Origins: Simon J. Shwartz

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…

Podcast 54 - Maison Blanche Origins: Abraham Shwartz

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…

Maspero Exchange 1919

The Maspero Exchange is Still There More, as a restaurant on St. Louis and Chartres. The Maspero Exchange Photograph of the Maspero Exchange, from a 1919 publication, The Romance of New Orleans. It was published by Lybcus Publishing Company, with a New Orleans postal box address. The book lists no author. The seal of the city is prominent on the cover, but that doesn’t necessarily imply an…

"Coach Al"

Sail on, “Coach Al” Scramuzza. “Al Scramuzza Way” at Johnny Bright Playground in Metairie, courtesy WGNO-TV Al Scramuzza passes at 97 So, we lost Al Scramuzza, the owner of the late, lamented Seafood City, yesterday. He was 97. It was hard to avoid Seafood City’s television ads back in the 1980s. Scramuzza’s aggressive promotion of crawfish over crabs and shrimp increased the popularity of the…

Podcast 53 - Shushan Airport

New Orleans Lakefront Airport opened as Shushan Airport in 1934. Shushan Airport The airport out at Lake Pontchartrain and the Inner Harbor Navigation Canal (Industrial Canal) originally opened as Shushan Airport, and later became New Orleans Lakefront Airport (NEW). The “big” airport, Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport, came later. The FAA doesn’t move the three-letter code names…

1938 Eucharistic Congress

American Cathoiics converged on New Orleans in 1938 for a Eucharistic Congress. the monstrance used for the Eighth Eucharistic Conference in 1938 now resides at St. Mary’s Italian Catholic Church 1938 Eucharistic Congress As part of the Friends of the Cabildo Tour Guide training class, I toured the Old Ursuline Convent in the French Quarter. Additionally, we walked over to the church next door,…

Spanish Fort on the Lakefront

We’ve talked a lot about Spanish Fort over the years. Confederate Submarine at Over the Rhine at Spanish Fort, 1895 (Mugnier photo) Spanish Fort on Bayou St. John No new podcast this week. That’s because we’ve already talked about Spanish Fort in Episode 6. So, sorry-not-sorry, here’s some links to the various things we’ve written about the area: Podcast 06 – Beating the Summer Heat in Old New…

A Year and A Day

Our above-ground tombs are re-usable after a year and a day. A Year and a Day Greenwood Cemetery, Mid-City New Orleans (Infrogmation photo) Here in New Orleans, we bury our dead above ground. The explanations for this tradition are numerous, from “the water table is too high” (no), to “It’s a French custom” (sort of), to “We learned it from the Spanish colonials” (partly). Myths The “water…

Canal Street Walking Tour by NOLA History Guy

We’re working on a Canal Street Walking Tour. Publishing the project here, to put a Creative Commons license on it from the get-go. Canal Street Walking Tour START – CANAL PLACE Canal Place offers wide open public space for gathering the tour group. Guides will be visible. TOUR INTRODUCTION (talk 10 min) Begin tour with background, yes, there really was supposed to be a canal on Canal…

City Hall, 1848

By the middle of the 1800s, Americans moved City Hall to the American Sector. City Hall, 1848 Lithograph of Municipal Hall, New Orleans, by Thomas Kelah (T.K.) Wharton, 1848. The building, designed by renowned architect James Gallier, was built from 1845-1853. The city long desired to move its municipal offices out of the Cabildo, the Spanish Colonial government building at Jackson Square.…

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Podcast 52 - West End

The West End was an escape from the city and heat from the 1850s. The West End This was originally presented to the West End Kiwanis Club. So much fun talking to hard-working volunteer groups! This one was fun, so it’s part two of our series on the Lakefront. The Pod PDF here Overview West End Park, 1940s. The entertainment district had been cleared in favor of green space. The Southern Yacht…

Spanish New Orleans 1762-1803

To prevent the British gaining Louisiana France gave up the territory, giving us Spanish New Orleans. Spanish New Orleans 1762-1803 With the current President’s declaration that the Gulf of Mexico should now be called the “Gulf of America,” lots of folks are sharing maps showing just how long the body of water to the south of the Louisiana coast has been named for Mexico. On one of these posts,…

Podcast 51 - Winning the War on the Lakefront

The New Orleans Lakefront played many roles in the war effort of the 1940s. USCG Guardsman standing guard at Higgins Industries, New Orleans Winning the War on the Lakefront This was originally a talk given at the National World War II Museum, part of their “Lunchbox Lecture” series. Doing it again as a podcast episode because talk recordings don’t always catch good angles of the photos and…

New Canal, 1864

Many locals say “New Basin Canal,” but the Coast Guard just calls it the “New Canal.” The New Canal in 1864 Photograph of the turning basin for the “New Canal,” located at S. Rampart Street and Howard Avenue. Construction of the canal began in 1831. In spite of the original intent of city planners, there never was a canal built on Canal Street. Instead, the Creole community living in the Vieux…

Back Belt Intermodal consist

Amazon shipping containers are modern inspiration in Back Belt intermodal. (Crossposted to NewOrleansRailroads dot com) Container freight at Canal Blvd. Back Belt intermodal Seems like it’s been a while since an intermodal consist came past Lakeview on the Norfolk Southern Back Belt. Back Belt intermodal indicates freight passing through. While so much of the traffic going by the coffee shop is…

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