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New Orleans has many reputations. Some are nice, and some are naughty. Some are special, while others are spicy. They are all excellent and make up why New Orleans is so unique.
The “Delta” region, which includes New Orleans, probably dates back to around 2200 BC. This period is when the Mississippi River changes direction and deposits silt from up north.
The first inhabitants are Native Americans. Archaeological evidence indicates inhabitants in the New Orleans area back to at least 400 A.D. The Mississippian culture is a mound-building civilization dating from 800 to 1600. A few mounds are remaining, the largest, Cahokia, is outside St Louis. Several of them, including one in Northern Louisiana, are now UNESCO World Heritage Sites.
They were trading back and forth using the Mississippi River as their major highway. Also, establishing portage trails between Bayou St John (leading to Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River).
Bayou Bonjour
In 1682, the French, without asking any of the Native Americans living there, claim the Mississippi River Valley for themselves. It stretches from the Appalachian Mountains to the Rockies and the Great Lakes to the Gulf. They call it New France.
It is not until the 1690s when the French explorers, fur trappers, and traders begin arriving in the region. They set up campsites amid the Native American villages, and all seems to be rather peaceful.
Circa 1700, the French establish Port Bayou St. Jean, a trading encampment. They also build a small fort, St. Jean (Old Spanish Fort), at the bayou’s mouth. The early settlers try growing wheat in the soggy soil with very little success.
Eighteen years later, the French Governor of the Louisiana Territory establishes La Nouvelle-Orléans, on a patch of high ground. Even then, the location was everything.
It was near the trading route and portage between the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain. From the lake, they could reach Biloxi without going 100 miles downriver to the Gulf.
Its location between two sharp curves in the river would allow for protection from Spanish and English groups.
Buying Swamp Land
The French appoint Scottish economist John Law to create a private bank and financing scheme to populate New Orleans. The scam, at first, brings hundreds of immigrants from Europe to the new city are region.
However, like most scams, eventually, the bubble bursts, and this took place ay the end of 1720. The company collapse, stopping the flow of investment money to New Orleans. It frees all the indentured servants, who now have more reason to make the area thrive. Two years later, the French will move the capital of French Louisiana from Biloxi to New Orleans.
At this time, New Orleans is not a beautiful city of gas lights and wrought-iron balconies. The structures are predominantly wooden (great for a wet climate,) and the swamp is right up to the town’s doorstep. The softwoods, full of Cypress and palmettos, are home to insects, snakes, alligators, and malaria.
The “New” New Orleans.
1722, a hurricane strikes the city, making remarkable improvements to the town by blowing almost everything away. The administrators set out a new city, following a grid pattern. This town is today’s French Quarter. Jackson Square is front and center in the plan.
Although the town has new streets and brick structures, it is still part of the wild west. The population includes trappers, gold-hunters and it becomes a penal dumping ground for non-desirables from France.
For the next 30 years, it remains French and wild.
Circa the late 1750s, France and Spain are at war with England (Seven Years War.) The French, fearing a loss to the British, cede the Louisiana Territory to Spain.
Nuevo Orleans
By 1763, the British control everything east of the Mississippi; they think from the French. New Orleans and everything west is now a Spanish property. The French and German settlers are happy with New Orleans and its surroundings, being French. Therefore, when the first Spanish governor arrives to preside, they do not roll out the welcome wagon. He flees for his life.
The Spanish, with a few troops from their stronghold in Cuba, return. They take control of New Orleans and the rest of their territory.
The Spanish touch to the town is charming. The Spanish add canals behind many of the houses as a way to deliver goods and people.
Unfortunately, New Orleans gets the chance to rethink and rebuild twice. 1788 a fire destroys over 850 buildings. Another one in 1794 destroys a section of more than 200 buildings.
The upside? To avoid fires leveling an almost all wood town, they rebuild with brick. Much of what you see today, especially in the French Quarter, are brick buildings from this period.
The Spanish were also fans of black decorative wrought iron, doorways with large arches, and courtyards. Although French and British colonial architecture would borrow some of this, the French Quarter is Spanish architecture.
By the end of the 1700s, New Orleans is bustling. The sugar industry is big business, and the port is receiving and sending goods worldwide. The Carondelet Canal opens, connecting parts of the city to Lake Pontchartrain. This canal is an excellent addition to commerce. The Spanish also give the Americans “Right of Deposit,” allowing them to move items through the port.
The 1800s
The Spanish are in financial problems. They have not been growing their colonies, merely living off the spoils they already have. The Louisiana territory does not have gold, silver, or jewels to “borrow” from the natives.
On the homefront, Spain has a growing problem in Europe; a Frenchman named Bonaparte. 1802, and they cede the territory back to France. The French reign is not long. Napoleon has his battles to fight, specifically the British.
To understand 1800 New Orleans, we need to go back to France circa 1789. The lower classes of France hear about a rough bunch of colonists in some new country declaring their independence. Something to do with taxation without representation. If the Americans can do it, so can the French, and we have a revolution on our hands.
That’s Revolting.
The French begin their revolution with the Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen. The Roman Catholic abbot Sieyès and the Marquis de Lafayette write this doctrine of natural rights that are universal. The Marquis gets suggestions from his friend Thomas Jefferson who has just finished a similar document in his country. He is now finishing up a Bill of Rights.
In the French colony of Saint-Domingue, today’s Haiti, anti-slavery and anti-colonial skirmishes begin within two years of the French declaration. The declaration does not seem to be applying to “all” men.
Slaves self-liberate themselves and go up against French colonial rule. The Haitian Revolution will end in 1804. It is the only slave uprising that leads to a new state. It is free from slavery, and non-whites and former captives are ruling.
When the Louisiana Territory passes back into French hands, circa 1800, people fleeing French Haiti make their way there. Over the next few years, close to 10,000 whites, free persons of African descent, and enslaved individuals arrive — the French-speaking population of New Orleans doubles.
However, the French rule is over quickly. Not only does France have a revolution to deal with, but Napoleon needs money for his growing army. To raise money and ensure the British do not get it, France sells the territory to the United States. The 1803 purchase by the United States for fifteen million dollars almost doubles the size of the U.S.
A New Landlord
The 1800s start well with the United States, allowing the territory to self govern itself. But the seeds of rebellion are already in the air, new settlers carrying them from Haiti. Many plantations in the south switch their crops to sugar cane because of the money it generates.
It is a problematic task relying on a large slave force. By 1802, there are 70 sugar plantations in Louisiana. Several hundred slaves rise in the 1811 German Coast Uprising. The army stops them before they reach New Orleans. They hang close to 100 of them for fighting.
A year later, the War of 1812 breaks out between the United States and Britain. Britain is also at war with France. In 1814, with Napoleon’s defeat, the British send reinforcements to the states, and the fighting increases. The Americans are also fighting Native Americans on several fronts.
New Orleans is incredibly essential as a supply center. Receiving goods and shipping them to the front lines along the Mississippi, Ohio, and other rivers. By December of 1814, the British are descending on New Orleans to cut off the supplies.
Both sides sign a treaty ending the war in December of 1814. The news does not reach New Orleans before Jan 8 when the British attack Andrew Jackson’s ragtag army. The Battle of New Orleans does not last long. Andrew Jackson comes out a hero, and the British are out of Louisiana.
The 1830s – 1861
This decade may be one of the largest in the growth of New Orleans. The population doubles as large numbers of German and Irish immigrants began arriving. By the end of the 1830s, the population will be close to 100,000 people. New Orleans is the largest and wealthiest city in the south. By 1840, it will be the third-largest city in the U.S.
1836 and the city splits into three municipalities: the French Quarter and Faubourg Tremé, Uptown (upriver from Canal Street), and Downtown (the rest of the town downriver). By the end of the 1830s, New Orleans has a branch of the U.S. Mint. It will produce currency up until 1861.
The city continues to grow while keeping some of its wild west frontier town spirits. In 1849 they moved the capital to Baton Rouge. This move is so that all the power and industry of the state are not in one place.
Reach Out.
The early 1850s is a time of reaching out. Telegraphic communication connects New Orleans with St. Louis and New York City. The next year, 1851, Illinois commissions a railroad that will reach from Chicago to New Orleans. They begin with the New Orleans, Jackson, and Great Northern railway, or the southern section. By 1861, they have 206 miles of track from New Orleans to Canton in Mississippi, just north of Jackson.
The Sabine and Galveston Bay Railroad and Lumber Company begin building a track from near Houston, east towards New Orleans. By 1861, it only reaches the Sabine River, which will later become part of Texas and Louisiana’s border.
By 1860 New Orleans is a world port with more than 30 steamship lines calling it home. They are importing and exporting more than 500 million dollars worth of goods.
As far as population, the city outnumbered the four next-largest Southern cities combined, with an estimated population of 168,675
So why do all the railroads come to a screeching halt in 1861?
Civil Unrest in 1861 – 1865
Abraham Lincoln becomes the president of the United States in March of 1861.
By April, secessionist forces are attacking Fort Sumter in South Carolina. Seven southern states secede from the United States, including Louisiana. The American Civil War begins.
From previous wars, it is obvious how crucial New Orleans will be as a supply depot. By May, Union ships are arriving at the mouth of the Mississippi. The following April, Union gunboats defeat the twin forts of Jackson and St Philip, approximately 70 miles downriver. By May 1, the Union seizes New Orleans. This victory is an incredible win for the north. It is even better for us. The North does not level New Orleans like many of the larger cities of the south.
The city splits on the slavery issue. A majority of citizens do not support it. You have the sugar and cotton industries that survive on free labor. You have a city full of southern people with a Union general administering rigorous martial law poorly. Maj. Gen. Benjamin Butler is a politician first and a military leader second. He manages to keep New Orleans together, but his confrontational proclamations and corruption keep tensions at a low boil.
Reconstruction Era 1865-1870
New Orleans is in good physical shape, so they should rebound quickly, right? New Orleans is a port of importing and exporting. The cotton, sugar, well, all fields are in shambles. The railroad track is missing in many places from bombing. The docks in the city are excellent, but there are no products to put on them.
Racial tension does not disappear because the north wins. While Abraham Lincoln tries to put the country back together again, the Democrats strongly oppose Reconstruction.
For his second term, Lincoln chooses Andrew Johnson, a War Democrat and Southern Unionist, as his running mate. He wants to send a message of national unity in his reelection campaign. Lincoln wins. A month later, and four days after Lee surrenders, he dies from an assassin’s gun.
Under Johnson, southern states return many of their old leaders. They pass the Black Codes suppressing many civil liberties for the freed blacks. Congressional Republicans come up with legislation to overrule the Southern actions. Johnson vetoes the Republican bills, Congress overrides him, setting a pattern for his presidency’s remainder. Johnson does not win the 1868 Democratic presidential nomination.
Scary Knights
On the state level, it is no better. In some parts, it is worse. In Louisiana and other parts of the south, the Ku Klux Klan forms to overthrow the Republican state governments by using violence against African-American leaders. Federal law suppresses them by 1871, but not before the murdering of many Republicans and blacks.
The 13th Amendment (1865) abolishes slavery. The 14th Amendment (1866) guarantees United States citizenship to all persons born or naturalized in the United States. It also grants them federal civil rights. Finally, the 15th Amendment passes in
1870. It decrees that you cannot deny the right to vote because of race, color, or previous servitude conditions.
Disenfranchisement 1870 – 1965
In the 1870s, white Democrats and paramilitary groups use violence and fraud to suppress the black Republican voters. They also turn Republicans out of office. After regaining control of the state legislatures, Democrats work to achieve widespread disenfranchisement.
From 1890 to 1908, Southern legislatures pass amendments and laws making voter registration (and voting) almost impossible for black citizens. They do the same for poor whites who will not vote for them. They nearly eliminate The Republican Party in the region for decades.
Southern Senators and Representatives become entrenched in Congress. They pass legislation that blatantly discriminates against blacks. Also, because black Southerners do not appear on local voter rolls, they do not serve on local courts. Southern juries are all white.
This political disenfranchisement does not end until the passage of the Voting Rights Act of 1965. The federal government monitors voter registration practices and elections in areas historically underrepresented. It does not fix things overnight, but it’s a start towards equality. Some of these archaic laws and amendments are still on some books.
And Some Other Things Happen
In the 1890s, they electrify much of the city’s public transportation system.
1897 the red light district of Storyville opens and becomes a famous attraction. Its running is under the New Orleans City Council so that they can regulate prostitution and drugs. It lasts for approximately 20 years.1917 the Department of the Navy closes the district over the opposition of the Mayor.
By the 1910s, they have an ambitious plan to drain the city, using large pumps. They still use these pumps today when there are heavy rains. Not only does it allow the city to expand, but it also makes mosquito-based epidemics easier to suppress.
During a 1920s effort to update the city’s look, they remove most of the cast-iron balconies along Canal Street. Epic fail.
By 1923 they create a direct shipping link between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River, the Industrial Canal.
The great Mississippi Flood of 1927 almost breaches several of the city levees. Projects begin immediately to strengthen them and add ridges along Lake Pontchartrain.
That Doesn’t Apply to Him.
The following year, Huey P. Long becomes the governor. He immediately fires hundreds of opponents in the state bureaucracy, replacing them with his network of supporters. He wants to spend spend spend to help the poor and build the state’s infrastructure. A significant source of funding for this is the treasure chest of New Orleans and the oil companies.
By 1929, impeachment proceedings to remove him begin. The process suddenly dies from what are blatant bribes among the voting group. Long wastes no time, nor hides his attempt to remove those responsible for the impeachment attempt.
By 1931, he becomes a senator. 1934, and he launches a socialist party platform that he calls his Share Our Wealth plan. It offers free money, free college, free one-month vacation, free everything. Bit by bit, he is stripping all power from the local levels. Historians say his regime is possibly the closest thing to a dictatorship America will ever know.
1935, a member of the opposition shoots him. His bodyguards put more than 60 bullets into the assassin, to make sure he is dead. Long’s roots go so deep. It will take decades to eradicate all of them.
The Fort Lauderdale hurricane of 1947 floods many of the new post-war neighborhoods and the airport.
DeLesseps Morrison wins the mayoral election as a reform candidate in 1946. He will serve until 1961 and is responsible for the city’s post-World War II development. Although his administration accomplishes many improvements, he leaves the office with a minimal left in its coffers.
What Is That Sound?
Around the 1890s, Rag Time music is entering the white, mainstream world of music. It is the first African-American music to do so. Possibly originating from St Louis, it is an African-American take on a march, with new rhythms. It is music featuring a steady regular beat.
Ragtime makes its way downriver to New Orleans, where it is trendy. Piano professors (players) would bang out ragtime in the bordellos and bars. One of these professors was Jelly Roll Morton.
At the same time, another African American music style is coming out of the deep south. Its roots are in African musical traditions, work songs, and spirituals. They call it the blues.
The blues and ragtime meet head-on in New Orleans. Before long, they are creating a new sound, Traditional New Orleans Jazz. Soon, musicians add their style to jazz, and it splits into numerous types of jazz, including swing and Dixieland. Other influences on New Orleans Jazz come from Sicilian and Cuban immigrants.
An American Export
The soldiers take jazz with them to Europe during World War I. By the time it returns, it is the sound of a whole bawdy age about to explode. The Jazz age. New Orleans brass bands have become very popular. They are a way out of poverty for many of New Orlean’s youth. One of these is Louis Armstrong. He will advance New Orleans Swing Jazz, featuring solos by different instruments, more than anyone.
The 1930s is the swing craze. First, Americans, then the rest of the world, can not get enough.
The “big” jazz bands are the size of small orchestras. Many of the bandleaders are arrangers who pen their unique sound. Count Basie, Cab Calloway, the Dorsey Brothers, Duke Ellington, Benny Goodman, Glenn Miller, Artie Shaw, and others become household names.
Jazz softens racial tensions, at least for the duration of a concert. White bandleaders began employing black musicians, and more surprisingly, white musicians start playing for black bandleaders. Pianist Teddy Wilson, vibraphonist Lionel Hampton, and other black musicians will be part of small groups put together by Benny Goodman.
When in New Orleans, you need to hear some Jazz music.
The Ugly 1960s
The city, not realizing what it has, replaces the Canal Streetcar with buses. Eventually, they understand the error of their way and slowly, by 2004, have streetcars running most of Canal Street.
Even uglier is the growing racial tension stemming from the 1950s.
New Orleans is one of the more open thinking cities of the south. But Louisiana still has its share of people who do not believe in equality. And despite federal
New Orleans is the location of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals. During the late 1950s, it handles Federal appeals from 6 of the 11 states of the Confederacy. These are Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas.
During this time, it is home to the Fifth Circuit Four. (The Four.) Chief Judge Elbert Tuttle and three of his colleagues (Judges Wisdom, Brown, and Rives.) They pass crucial decisions in advancing the civil rights of African Americans.
The 1954 Supreme Court case of Brown v. Board of Education deems school segregation illegal. By 1960, no states in the American South have yet to take action to integrate their schools.
Busting School Children
In November of that year, New Orleans is on the front page of papers. Six-year-old Ruby Bridges becomes the first black student to attend the city’s William Frantz Elementary school. On the same day, Leona Tate, Tessie Prevost, and Gail Etienne enter the all-white school McDonogh No. 19. By the end of the school day, they are some of the only students still in school. White parents are boycotting the schools.
On the second day, a Methodist minister, Lloyd Foreman, walks his 5-year-old daughter Pam through the angry mob. Another white student joins them. Over several days, some white parents began bringing their children to school.
In 1961 the city’s white business leaders publicly endorse desegregation of the public schools. It will take ten years for the New Orleans public schools to integrate fully.
Louisiana is less violent than neighboring Mississippi and some other southern states, but it is not a cakewalk.
Hurricane Betsy hits in 1965, producing catastrophic flooding of the city’s Lower 9th Ward.
Also of Less Equality.
Another group getting less than humane treatment is Native Americans. This disgrace is on a Federal level. New Orleans has always been a more accepting city than the rest of the country. That’s why I do not mention them in New Orleans history.
But, so you know, on the Federal level, the U.S. does not declare them citizens until 1969. By 1978, they pass the American Indian Religious Freedom Act, allowing them to exercise traditional religions, worshipping, and traditional rites.
Louisiana probably has one of the better records of humanity towards the local natives, in comparison. Today, Louisiana has eighteen Native American tribes. That’s more than any of the other southern states.
New Orleans Today.
Finally, in 1978, New Orleans elects its first mayor of African-American ancestry, Ernest N. Morial.
So New Orleans learns from its past to avoid flooding in the future, right?
Hurricane Katrina, one of two hurricanes to reach Louisiana in 2005, hits east of New Orleans. The most massive civil engineering disaster in United States history occurs as the city’s levee and floodwall system fail. Around 80% of the city fills with water.
Over 1,500 people perish in Louisiana. Another 300 in Mississippi.
A month later, Hurricane Rita will hit the area, breaching the broken levees once more. This time, people take the storm seriously and evacuate when the order comes. There are only seven deaths from the storm itself. The rest are from the evacuation period before the storm arrives.
Although several hundred thousand residents never return, the ones that do embrace the city. It takes many years to build the city back to what it is today. There are still signs of destruction and areas with few to no buildings in them. But the spirit of New Orleans is alive. You can feel that the minute you arrive.
What is in New Orleans for me?
See & Hear.
You can walk the French Quarter, admire the Spanish architecture, and hear jazz music drift out of clubs. You can sit on a bench along the river and listen to the steamboat whistle when it goes by. Or ride a streetcar through the Garden District and listen to the New Orleans dialect of locals around you.
Taste & Smell.
It’s hard to walk anywhere near Jackson Square and not smell beignets in the air.
It’s even harder not to sample them. Numerous restaurants are dating from the early 1900s. The tastes and smells coming out of their kitchens are part of New Orleans’s history.
Feel.
There is an energy about New Orleans. There are many. The one in St. Louis Cemetery No. 1 is different from the Garden District’s feel, which is not the same as the Quarter.
Take a seat at the Carousel Bar (if you can get one) and sip a Vieux Carre. Watch the diverse mix of people flowing in and out of the lobby.
There may be better ways to end your afternoon, but this one doesn’t suck.
Should-see in New Orleans.
The French Quarter – is one of New Orleans’s oldest (original) sections. Thanks to a Union Army victory early in the war, much of the unique brick structures still stand. Today, the Quarter is (too) much tourist trap with things you did not know you needed until visiting. Admire the architecture and find the jewels between the T-shirt shops.
I like to break the quarter up into five parts. Draw a line down Bourbon street. Then one down Orleans. However, Orleans does not stretch the entire depth of the quarter. Jackson Square is in the way. There is your fifth section.
Bourbon Street – is a historic street in the Quarter, extending thirteen blocks from Canal Street to Esplanade Avenue. Expect crowds on this street of bars and tourist shops. Many think Bourbon and streets parallel runs east to west. They run southwest to the northeast due to the river.
Jean Lafitte’s Old Absinthe House (#240 Bourbon) – is a bar dating from 2004. However, it is in the same building as the original Absinthe House, in operation from 1801 until prohibition. Major General Andrew Jackson, Jean Lafitte, and Samuel Clemens probably all had a drink here at one time, but not at the same time. Lafitte did not own it.
Bourbon Street East
Lafitte’s Blacksmith Shop (#941) – is probably the oldest structure in the United States in use as a bar. Parts of the building date from 1732. There is no record that either of the Lafitte brothers was ever an owner. Although, they may have done questionable (illegal smuggling) activities with the owners. Maybe it was a blacksmith shop at one time. Visit to see one of the city’s oldest buildings. Believe what you will after a few voodoo daiquiri. The current bar began in the mid-1940s and has had several owners.
Cafe Lafitte in Exile (#901) – is on the same block as Lafitte’s blacksmith shop. It has as much Lafitte “legend” as the former. The original owner of the blacksmith bar, after a run-in with his landlord, moved down the block in 1953. The bar’s claim is it is the oldest gay bar in operation in the United States. The same owner ran a “Bohemian” bar on the same block, with “Lafitte” in the name. Fact, Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and other colorful characters of the quarter were patrons. From there, and depending on the number of drinks, the events become fuzzy.
Orleans Street – Is the dividing line running northwest to southeast. It extends from St Louis Cathedral to N Rampart, splitting the quarter into east and west.
Jackson Square
When arriving by ship, Jackson Square was New Orleans’s front door in the olden day.
The city grid went out from the square beginning in 1721. Many of the buildings around the square are original from this period. Today, it is full of pigeons and artists of varying talents offering to paint your picture. My favorite time is early morning between sunrise and tourist onslaught.
St. Louis Cathedral – is the tiara of Jackson Square. This 1794 Spanish Colonial, Renaissance, Gothic Revival church is the oldest cathedral in the United States. Maps for self tours are available for a donation. Mass is daily at 12:05 pm. Please dress appropriately. We are travelers, not tourists, and we respect other people’s faith.
Museums
The Cabildo – dates from 1799 and is to the left of the cathedral as you face it from the square. This building is the Spanish City Hall. It will be the center for the New Orleans government until 1853. In this building, the finalizing of the Louisiana Purchase took place in 1803. In 1853, it became home to the Louisiana State Supreme Court.
Perhaps one of their most infamous cases was the Plessy v. Ferguson (separate but equal) decision in 1892. Today, they refer to it as one of the worst decisions in U.S. Supreme Court history. However, it still stands. Other rulings weaken it until it dies by defacto, but the court never overturns the decision. In the early 1900s, the building becomes a State museum. Today is one of the best places to learn about Louisiana’s history.
The Presbytère – is to the right of the cathedral. It has the same architecture as the Cabildo. The Casa Curial or Ecclesiastical House was a place for commercial events until 1834 when it became the city courthouse. Later, it becomes part of the Louisiana State Museum. Today, it has two permanent exhibits, both a look into the New Orleans people’s psyche.
Would You Believe?
Orleans Alley, (Pirates Alley,) is an alley between the Cabildo and the Cathedral. Legend (stuff they make up with no physical evidence) is thick here. Some say this is where General Andrew Jackson and pirate and smuggler Jean Lafitte would meet. Smugglers do not usually hang out in the middle of town or next to the Cabildo, which houses the jail.
A Fictional Writer?
William Faulkner is a part legend. William Faulkner House (#624) was never his house. It was a boarding house where he would share rooms with William Spratling. Spratling, an instructor at Tulane’s School of Architecture, would later gain fame by reestablishing a silver industry in Taxco, Mexico. Faulkner lives here for six months, with a room on the first floor. He is maybe writing the first draft of his first novel here.
There was no bookstore on the ground floor during Faulkner’s time. However, using his name, the current bookstore has an excellent selection of his work, some first editions. If you have never been to a locally-owned bookstore, you deserve to step inside.
What we know about Faulkner is that the city’s Double Dealer literary magazine publishes one of his stories in 1922. Arriving in 1924, he tries to get more work and stays with friend Sherwood Anderson, an author of short stories. He overstays his welcome by several months, moving to the boarding house on Orleans Alley. Anderson will have one bestseller, “Dark Laughter,” about his time in New Orleans. The next year, Faulkner will publish his first novel, “Soldier’s Pay.”
The alley gets its pirate name in the 1960s when they make the streets around Jackson Square pedestrian. Maybe it refers to the pirate’s walk to the prison. The alley hosts an art show in the spring and a literary festival in the late fall.
Southwest Section
I could spend a whole day (and night) in this section.
The LaBranche House – is a Kodak moment. The private house at the corner of St Peter and Rue (street) Royal must be the number one photo stop in town. It is the poster child for New Orleans architecture. The structure, dating from the 1830s, is for wealthy sugar planter Jean Baptiste LaBranche. Like every building in New Orleans, it has several ghosts. One is the mistress, who the widow invites for tea after learning of the affair. The mistress never leaves. The other is of the widow. The widow, while alive, builds ten other houses similar to this one.
Pat Obriens – is a tourist trap, and I cannot stay away. It is a few buildings up from the LaBranche House, and on the other side of Rue St Peter. Pat O’Brien ran a speakeasy during prohibition. Circa 1942, he and partner Charlie Cantrell buy the building on St Peter that dates from 1791. They develop it into one of the most iconic nightclubs in America. They are famous for their audience participating, dueling grand pianos in the 1940s. Dueling pianos date from 1890 and the ragtime era but as a show, not a sing-along.
During the war, alcohol becomes scarce from U.S. distilleries. But there is an endless supply of rum coming up the Mississippi from the Caribbean. They experiment with many mixers and hit upon passion fruit. They serve this rum punch in a glass that looks like a hurricane lamp. Pat Obrien’s is home to the Hurricane Cocktail. Today, there is a second entrance on Bourbon St that connects via the courtyard.
An Institution.
Preservation Hall – dates from 1961, but feels much older. It is right next door to Pat O’Brien’s on Rue St Peter. It has been preserving the sound of New Orleans for over 50 years. The popularity of jazz takes a downturn in the 1950s. At about the same time that racial tensions seem to flare. Coincidence?
Many artists cannot find work. Preservation Hall begins as an art gallery. What? Larry Borenstein, the proprietor, finds that work is getting in the way of him attending local jazz concerts. So, he invites local musicians to hold jam sessions in the gallery.
Many of these musicians are the original New Orleans Jazz players. Soon the art gallery moves elsewhere to make room for the musicians. Allan and Sandra Jaffe take over and begin selling tickets. Preservation Hall is born. Except for a period after Hurricane Katrina, New Orleans Jazz musicians have been “blowin the blues” nightly. Today, PH is a show, a band, and a preservation society. The show is now a well-oiled machine. I get it; it’s a business. But the music and history make a performance something you should experience. Or at least buy one of their C.D.s and support them.
Rue Royal
Maybe my favorite street in New Orleans. Even when there are one million tourists on it, I still get a real feel for old New Orleans.
Starting at Rue St Peter, going southwest (toward Canal) is the 600 block of Royal. It has the nickname Governor’s Row as many of the first governors of Louisiana had homes here. There were two State Supreme Court Justices and future U.S. Supreme Court Justice Edward White in addition to five governors. “Legend,” says Zachary Taylor, was a resident at 621 Royal long before becoming president.
Court of Two Sisters (#613-15) – The current building, dating from 1832, is in place of an original structure from 1726 (a governor’s house.) The first owner of the building was a banker. From 1854 until 1886, the ownership is fuzzy. Emile Angaud became the owner in 1886, and his daughter-in-law, Bertha, and her sister Emma begin a notions shop. From time to time, they serve tea in the courtyard to their frequent customers. The current restaurant (and owners) date from the 1960s. Most famous for a jazz buffet daily between 9 am – 3 pm in the courtyard.
The Historic New Orleans Collection (#533 and 520) – is a museum, research center, and historical group. Their focus is on the study and preservation of the history and culture of New Orleans and the Gulf South region. The exhibition center at 520 Rue Royal is complimentary. The 1889 Williams Residence at #533 offers tours on select days. There is an admission, and reservations are a good idea.
Supreme Court of Louisiana (#400) – is not open to public touring. But it is an impressive building to see from the outside.
A Must on My List
Brennan’s – If it is Sunday around noon, and I am anywhere near New Orleans, I will be in one of the many dining rooms in Brennans. Starting with a Cajun Bloody Mary, a Brandy or Caribbean Milk Punch, I am in for a leisurely dining experience. The entree is usually Eggs Hussarde, their take on Eggs Benedict. Although it is always good, towards the end, I only have one thing on my mind, dessert. This restaurant is the birthplace of Bananas Foster, a favorite of mine. I have been coming here since the 1980s and always find the food to be enjoyable. Unfortunately, since Hurricane Katrina (2005), I find the service to be up and down.
Latrobe’s (#403) – is now a place for catering events, but stop and admire the exterior. Dating from 1822, it was initially the Louisiana State Bank. The architect was Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the “father of American Architecture.” Other works by him include the US Capitol, the White House Porticos, and the Baltimore Basilica.
Rillieux – Waldhorn House (#343) – is across Conti from Latrobe. Dating from 1795, the building’s big claim to fame is that Rillieux was the great grandfather of painter Edgar Degas.
Hotel Monteleone (#214) – Since 1886, the Monteleone (Sicilian, not French) family has been running a hotel. It is part of New Orleans. The small revolving Carousel Bar here appears in the writings of Ernest Hemingway, Eudora Welty, and William Faulkner. Tennessee Williams and Truman Capote were regular patrons, and Capote would claim he was born here. A Vieux Carré cocktail at its birthplace seems obvious. Know going in that getting a seat at the small revolving bar is often a challenge. You may need to sit at a cocktail table and sip it, watching the people spin.
Chartres Street
Unfortunately, many historical places along Chartes did not survive time. Luckily for us, there are several historical markers to give us a feel for old New Orleans.
Site of Kolly Townhouse First Ursuline Convent and Charity Hospital (#301) – is on the side of a building dating from 1718. The convent was in operation from 1727-1734 and the hospital later. The plaque is on the Bienville Street side of the three-story building, now a seafood bar.
While there, walk north towards Rue Royal. You will come to Exchange Place. Turn right. #307 was once a home of the Musson family, including Celestine, who would marry Auguste Degas. Her son, Edgar Degas, would inherit the house upon her father’s death. He sells the house in 1866, never seeing it. He would visit New Orleans at the beginning of his painting career in 1872 for five months. And yet, there are many “legends” about Degas and this house.
Williams Research Center (#411) – is part of the Historic New Orleans Collection. Here there are more than 30,000 items on subjects including colonial Louisiana, the Louisiana Purchase, and the Battle of New Orleans. Mississippi River life, plantations, Louisiana artists and writers, architecture, the French Quarter, jazz, and Mardi Gras.
New Orleans Pharmacy Museum (#514) – Dating from 1823, this once apothecary is now a museum with exhibits of medicines, superstitious cures, and other things from the period. Learn more about Louis Dufilho, Jr., America’s First Licensed Pharmacist.
Decatur Street
Jean Lafitte National Historic Park and Preserve French Quarter Visitor Center (#419) – is a center run by the National Park Service. Explore history exhibits, or join a guide for different walking tours on specific days.
New Orleans Steamboat Company (#600) – The booking office for the Steamboat Natchez is inside the original Jackson Brewery. The building is now a mall. The present-day Natchez dates from 1975 and is one of two true sternwheelers under steam-power operating on the Mississippi. She has parts from many older ships. River cruises take place several times a day.
Southeast Section
Starting at Jackson Square, one of the most prominent tourist destinations is across the street.
The Original Cafe Du Monde (#800 Decatur) – Is home to an iconic cafe known for café au laits, chicory coffee, and beignets since 1862. Is it the first or best, probably not, but it is a tradition. In the early morning or late at night, it may be a little less crowded. There are now seven other locations.
The French Market Place – starts behind cafe Du monde and stretches approximately five city blocks. This area is the old city market. Today, it is predominately shops and small cafes looking for tourists.
New Orleans Jazz National Historical Park (#916 North Peters St) – is the headquarters of the National Park to Jazz. Here you can get information on tours, performances, and other jazz activities. It is inside one of the market buildings.
New Orleans Jazz Museum (400 Esplanade Ave, between Peters and Decatur) – is in the old New Orleans Mint building from 1838. Everything you want to know about jazz, you can find here. The history in all its forms is visible in interactive exhibits, educational programming, and musical performances.
Frenchmen Street – is across Esplanade Ave from the museum. In a three-block section, there is a wide variety of live music venues.
A Side Step
Esplanade Avenue – Is the east (north) boundary to the French Quarter. In the early 1800s, they drew up plans for a wide European-style Boulevard. They chose the top (high ground) of the ancient Native American portage. The natives would carry their boats from the river to Bayou St. John. As much of this was a swamp during that day, they choose the high areas for passage. This high ground was attractive to prominent New Orleanians, especially the upper-class Creole residents. By the mid-1800s, they make Esplanade Avenue their preferred address. Several of these homes still exist, making a drive on Esplanade a treat.
Dufour-Baldwin House (1707 Esplanade Avenue) – is a prime example. Circa 1859, attorney Cyprien Dufour builds this house.
Chartres Street
Back in the French Quarter.
Old Ursaline Convent Museum (1100 Chartres) – The convent is the oldest building in the Mississippi Valley. They offer self-guiding tours to learn about the Catholic Church’s cultural heritage and the city of New Orleans.
Beauregard-Keyes House (#1113) – This 1826 house is now a museum offering a glimpse into the past. It is across the street from the convent.
Royal Street
Gallier House (#1132) – dating from 1857, was the home of prominent architect James Gallier Jr. Today, it is a museum, and you can tour the lavish rooms, garden, slave quarters, and a carriageway. Gallier built the home in 1857.
Lalaurie Mansion (#1140) – Marie Delphine Macarty was a New Orleans Creole socialite and serial killer. Responding to a fire, firefighters found bound slaves she was torturing and killing. The current house is a new structure after mobs burned the original. It is a private residence.
John James Audubon’s first studio (#706 Barracks Street) – is a 2-minute walk from the Lalaurie Mansion. There is no marker, and it is a private residence. However, it is cute, and you are in the area.
Dumaine St
New Orleans Historic Voodoo Museum (#724 between Royal and Bourbon) – This tiny two-room museum has enough items to fill four or five rooms. There are self-guiding tours. They also offer voodoo cemetery tours.
Madame John’s Legacy (#632) – is one of the oldest buildings in the quarter, dating from 1788. Fact, it is one of the best examples of French colonial architecture in North America. It has a historical marker and tiled street sign from the Spanish occupation on the front. Legend – It is the oldest building on the Mississippi River. It is currently (2019) under restoration with no reopening date, so tours inside are not available.
North (west) of Bourbon
Dauphine and Burgundy Streets run parallel to Borbon Street to the north (west). Neither street seems to hold as much history. If it does, it’s not telling.
Gardette-LePretre house (#716 Dauphine) is an 1825 building known by locals as the Sultan’s House. It is a private residence and a stop on every ghost tour. Legend is a Sultan’s brother stole five harem girls and ran to New Orleans. The jilted Sultan got revenge, and their headless ghosts walk the halls of this apartment building.
Xiques Mansion (#521 Dauphine) – is an 1852 mansion for a Spanish merchant. It has also been a gambling house, cigar factory, fight club, and rooming house. Today, it is a private residence.
John James Audubon residence (#505 Dauphine) – is a small cottage Audubon was renting his first year (1821) in the area. There is no sign, and it is a private residence.
Hermann-Grima House (#820 St Louis St) – is an 1831 Federal-style mansion with a courtyard. Tours of this house museum are possible. The property’s carriage house was home to the 1880s Woman’s Exchange, an essential part of New Orleans Women’s history.
Mardi Gras Museum of Costumes and Culture (#1010 Conti St) – What do you know about Mardi Gras? Can you explain Carnival ball royalty, Mardi Gras Indians, Cajun Mardi Gras, Pleasure Clubs, or Walking Clubs? Take their 45-minute tour and learn more about this significant New Orleans tradition.
Central Business District
The area between Canal Street and Martin Luthur King Jr. Blvd. Starting at the river, it ends at Claiborne? S Jefferson Davis? It seems to depend on who you ask. Let’s start at the bottom of Canal Street.
Woldenberg Park – is a riverfront park at the foot of Canal Street. There are 16 acres of green space, jogging paths, and river views.
Audubon Aquarium of the Americas, (#1 Canal St) – focuses on the Gulf of Mexico marine life. There is a 400,000-gallon tank with coral reefs, marine life, and a walk-through tunnel.
Audubon Butterfly Garden and Insectarium (#423 Canal) – is in the U.S. Customs building. (Security check is mandatory.) A great museum for kids and their parents. It is the largest insect museum in N America. Many interactive exhibits, and it is much more interesting than it sounds.
Upper Canal
The Roosevelt New Orleans, (Roosevelt Way at Canal) – is a grande dame hotel dating from 1893 first as The Hotel Grunewald. After Hurricane Katrina closed it in 2005, it underwent a massive renovation to bring back its grandeur. Try a Ramos Gin Fizz or a Sazarac Cocktail in the Sazerac Bar and learn about the history and legends.
Saenger Theatre, (#1111 Canal) – is one of the grande theater palaces. Also, a victim of Hurricane Katrina, a multi-million dollar renovation has brought back the splendor. Hosting live concerts and touring broadway shows, it is a significant part of New Orleans entertainment. Take a photo tour on the theater website.
Orpheum Theater (Roosevelt Way at Canal) – is a Beaux-Arts style theater opening in 1921 for Vaudeville. It would become a movie theater soon after. Also, a victim of the 2005 hurricane, after much T.L.C., it is a grande dame again. Home to the local Philharmonic Orchestra, also hosts live concerts, comedy performances, and movie festivals.
The Superdome (Poydras St at Superdome Drive) is the New Orleans Saints football team’s home. It hosts other events throughout the year. During the 2005 hurricane, it became a makeshift shelter. Tours are currently not available.
Piazza d’Italia, (#377 Poydras) – is a memorial to the city’s Italian immigrants. The postmodern plaza and fountain are by architect Charles Moore and Perez Architects of New Orleans. It is behind the Loews Hotel.
Politics
Gallier Hall, (#545 St Charles Ave) – is the former city hall. This Greek Revival building, dating from 1853, is now available for private events. It is across the street from Lafayette Square.
5th Circuit Court of Appeals (#600 Camp St) – is possibly best known for several momentous decisions they passed in favor of school integration. Visitors can schedule a tour of the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals with an appointment.
Museums Galore
Louisiana Children’s Museum (#420 Julia St) – has 30,000 square feet of interactive exhibits and activities.
The National WWII Museum (# 945 Magazine St) is a military history museum that takes visitors on an immersive tour of World War II through every war theater. Choose a virtual submarine ride, watch a 4-D movie featuring Tom Hanks, or choose from several hands-on tours.
Confederate Memorial Hall Museum (#929 Camp St) – is across the street from the WWII museum. Dating from 1891, it is the oldest museum in Louisiana and houses the second-largest collection of Confederate memorabilia.
Lee Circle, (Andrew Higgins Blvd at St Charles) – is Tivoli Circle. The center ring is Lee Place. In the center is a monument appearing on the National Register of Historic Places honoring Robert E. Lee. The 16-foot statue, dating from 1884, became a target of anti-historians in 2017. Citing all signs of the confederacy are wrong, they remove the figure against the wishes of many. This plaza is a great place to catch the St Charles streetcar to the Garden District.
Nearby
Along the river is a little pocket area between the Central Business and Central city area. Some call it the port area, some the Lower Garden.
Mardi Gras World (1380 Port of New Orleans) – is a 400,000 square foot (no typo) warehouse where they make and store Mardi Gras floats. Blaine Kern and his dad are responsible for the first New Orleans float in 1932. Bt 1947, Kern Studios was doing most of the floats. There are tours daily, and you can call for a shuttle from the French Quarter and Central business areas.
Race and Religious, (510 Race Street) – is a special events property. What makes it unique is that it resides in a two-story 1930s Creole cottage. And, an adjoining three-story Greek Revival Rowhouse complete with the historical Slave Quarter. For a glimpse of old New Orleans, take a drive by this space at the corner of Race and Religious.
Garden District
The Garden District is a subdistrict of the Central City Area, and it depends on who you ask what the boundaries are. In general, it is St. Charles Avenue to the north, and Magazine Street to the south. Toledano Street in the west end and 1st Street on the east. The National Historic Landmark district extends the borders a little farther. Many consider it one of the best-preserved collections of historic homes in the Southern United States.
St Charles Streetcar, (Middle of St Charles) – This is the only original streetcar line in New Orleans. The rest disappear during progress decades ago. Yes, even the streetcar to Desire. (A neighborhood). Since then, several have been re-installed. The St. Charles began as a freight and passenger line in 1835, making it the second railroad in New Orleans. Today, it is the oldest in the United States, still in operation. Steam engines would power trains from the separate town of Carrollton to New Orleans. Horse and mules would replace noisy, dirty engines, and eventually, electricity would be the power source. The St. Charles Line is a National Historic Landmark. It is one of only two moving streetcars with that status. The other is the San Francisco cable car system.
There are stops approximately every other block.
St Charles Avenue
Unfortunately, there are very few homes you can visit unless you know the owner. But a stroll or streetcar ride will reward you with beautiful exteriors.
House of Broel (#2220) – is now an events space. The house has a fascinating history. The second and third floors date from 1850. However, they do not build the ground floor until 1884, giving the house two distinct architectural styles. They raise the original stories to create a new ground floor for entertaining. Tours are available with reservations.
Van Benthuysen – Elms Mansion, (#3029) – is also an events space, but is not available for tours. Dating from 1869, it was a confederate officer’s home, and the German Consulate before the Elms family took possession.
The Columns Hotel (#3811) – is the only remaining example of an Italianate house that New Orleans architect Thomas Sully designed in the late 1880s. The house is on the National Register of Historic Places, and you can spend the night. Or enjoy a cocktail on the front porch.
Once you pass Octavia Street, you will begin to wonder if they are houses or hotels. When you get to the corner of Rosa Parks, you know they must be hotels. They’re not.
The Wedding Cake House (#5809) – dating from 1896, was built for Nicholas Burke, a grocer. The house is just over 12,000 square feet. The grounds and house are private property. From the street, you can see the exterior detail. Incredible.
Tulane and Loyola Universities – sit close to one another off St Charles. A stroll around their campus will reveal several styles of architecture. Across the street from the universities sits the north end of Audubon Park.
Prytania Street
What if I tell you the best houses are not on St. Charles? A block off (south) of St Charles is Prytania, a smorgasbord of architectural styles and history.
Starting at the corner of Philip, walk southwest. Some of the houses you will see include:
Bradish Johnson House, (#2343) – dates from 1872. It is in Reconstruction-era architecture.
Coliseum Street
Like Prytania Street, Coliseum (one block south (east) has an overload of beautiful homes. Starting at the cemetery (Washington Ave) is a restaurant.
Robinson House, (1415 Third St.) – is 12,000 square feet. Walter Robinson, a tobacco merchant, builds the home circa 1865.
Other Garden District Sites
Audubon Zoo – is at the southern end of Audubon Park. The zoo covers 58 acres. It is part of the Audubon Nature Institute. The zoo covers 58 acres and includes educational programs and hands-on animal encounters.
The park has trails for walking and hiking or just being one with nature.
Treme
On the other side of North Rampart from the French Quarter is the Treme Neighborhood. One of the city’s oldest neighborhoods and formerly the central community of free people of color. It has always been a racially-mixed neighborhood. Today, it is an important center of African-American and Créole culture.
St. Louis Cemetery No. 1, (425 Basin St) – First of three Roman Catholic cemeteries where most graves are above-ground vaults. Cemetery #1 and #2 are on the National Register of Historic Places. Voodoo high priestess Marie Laveau may be in the Glapion family crypt. Nearby is Homer Plessy, from the 1896 Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision on civil rights. The Catholic Church now requires visitors to be with a tour company that pays to access the cemetery.
Saint Louis Cemetery No. 2 (300 N Claiborne) is four blocks north of Cemetery #1. Several notable jazz and rhythm & blues musicians are buried here, including Danny Barker and Ernie K. Doe. There are several African American politicians as well. Guides are also mandatory here.
It Don’t Mean A Thing If It Ain’t Got That Swing.
Louis Armstrong Park, (835 N. Rampart St) – is a 31-acre park honoring the jazz great Louis Armstrong. It contains a park area and manmade lakes. Adjacent to the park is the Mahalia Jackson Theater for the Performing Arts.
Congo Square – is an open space within Louis Armstrong Park, where enslaved Africans would gather on Sundays to sing, dance, and play music. Today, it hosts concerts and other events.
Backstreet Cultural Museum (1116 Henriette Delille Street) is a small museum preserving and perpetuating New Orleans’ African American society’s cultural traditions. They do this through collections, exhibitions, public programs, and performances.
North of Downtown
Longue Vue House and Gardens, (7 Bamboo Road) – is a historic 1939 mansion and formal gardens spread over eight acres. It is a chance to tour a Country Place Era home, a way of life that is no longer.
City Park New Orleans – is a 1300 acre park in northern New Orleans. Dating from 1854, it is one of the nation’s oldest urban parks. Paths, fields, and ballparks dot the park.
New Orleans Museum of Art – is within the City Park. It has more than 40,000 pieces dating from the Italian Renaissance to the modern era. Works include Monet, Renoir, Picasso, Matisse, Pissarro, Rodin, Gauguin, Jackson Pollock, Georgia O’Keeffe, and more. The museum contains several works by the French Impressionist Edgar Degas, whose mother was from New Orleans.
New Orleans Botanical Garden – is also within the City Park. It is the first classical garden in New Orleans.
Sydney and Walda Besthoff Sculpture Garden – contains more than 90 sculptures on eleven acres in City Park. It is adjacent to the museum.
Outside New Orleans
Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve – is approximately 35 minutes south of the city. It contains wetlands, boat tours and is the site of the Battle of New Orleans.
Whitney Plantation – is an approximately one-hour drive upriver. It is the only plantation museum in Louisiana with a focus on the lives of the enslaved people.
Laura Plantation – is significant for its 1805 Créole-style big house. It has several surviving outbuildings, two of which are slave cabins.
Oak Alley Plantation – also along the Great River Road, is 20 minutes further upriver from Whitney. This famous sugar plantation has more than 200 years of history.