Pleasure Resorts West End (1892)
Dear Julia,
In the Times-Picayune paper dated July 21,1880, there was an article concerning my great grandfather Ferreole Micholet. It said he was the proprietor of a new hotel called the West End Hotel. His father-in-law, my great great grandfather, F. Huppenbauer, was the manager. It seems that Huppenbauer was the veteran caterer of the once popular United States Restaurant on Common St.
My question, are there pictures of the hotel, the restaurant or my grandfathers? Where exactly would both of establishments be on our New Orleans map?
Thank you so much for your delightful column. I love reading it and learning more about my hometown.
– Cathey Theriot (Terrytown, La.)
For many years, Fritz Huppenbauer ran the United States Restaurant, which was located at 128 Common Street, between Camp and St. Charles. The restaurant’s 19th century address roughly corresponds to the middle of the present-day 600 block of Common; the restaurant itself was demolished years ago.
I found no images Fritz Huppenbauer, Ferreole Micholet or the United States Restaurant. The picture accompanying this column shows the West End Hotel as it appeared around 1892 (it’s the three-story building with the tower at far right). The old West End resort was built on a platform extending into the lake.
Although it was near the present day Southern Yacht Club, its exact location no longer exists.
It appears your great-grandfather and his father-in-law were only briefly associated with the West End Hotel. Less than three years after its July 1880 grand opening, the establishment had been leased to Edward F. Denechaud. After the original hotel burned to the ground in May 1894, a two-story replacement was erected. It was this replacement, not the hotel your great-grandfather managed, which was demolished in the summer of 1912.
Dear Julia,
In the summer of 1954 when I was 15 years old, I lived in an apartment building with 8 one- bedroom units. The apartment had a Murphy bed that I slept on. The apartment was located at 4800 St. Charles Avenue at Bordeaux. I lived with my seldom at home father, who was a traveling liquor salesman. The two-story apartment complex has since been converted into beautiful luxury town home.
I had a job as a bag boy at the Piggly Wiggly grocery store at the corner of Napoleon Avenue and St. Charles Avenue. That summer was special to me, as I was training to try out for the Fortier High School football team. I made the team and lettered, although Fortier went 0 and 10 for the season.
As I was often alone late at night, I would walk a short distance to a 24-hour donut/bakery shop at the corner of Camp and Valence St. that had a wooden window in the back of the building. One had to knock on the wooden window to get service late at night. Wonderful super-sized glazed donuts served in brown paper bags sold for 35 cents a dozen. I would meet my friend, Brent, who also lived in the vicinity and was the son of the great All American Tulane University football player, Jerry Darylrimple. The two of us would eat the dozen donuts easily. The donut/bakery shop was also a late night date location.
I would very much like to be reminded of the name of the donut/bakery shop and any information regarding it demise, as I feel that it may no longer be there. It was a “time and place” never to be again,” but not forgotten.
– Kent Willoughby (Silverthorne, Colorado)
You’re trying to recall Breath’s Bakery. Altough altered, the building still stands.
Prior to running Breath’s Bakery, proprietor Charles A. Breath, Jr. worked for the Dixie Baking Company, as had his father. The Breaths originally hailed from Bay St. Louis, Mississippi, where the elder Charles’ father, James H. Breath, was a well-known baker.
Dear Julia,
Re: Know Your Tricentennial quiz Oct. ‘17 issue, pg. 68
My husband and I are natives of New Orleans. We enjoy your magazine and are interested in the Quiz, and particularly, question No. 17, “Who Gave Louisiana its name?” You featured a lithograph of Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle claiming the region for King Louis XIV of France.
We have this framed lithograph hanging in our home. It came to us from my husband’s family, and we are curious about how old it is and the origin. We have seen it used in publications and displays before and wonder if you can provide any information.
Thank you, Freddie Anne Lambremont (St. Marys, GA)
I can understand why you may have assumed the illustration showed de La Salle but the text also mentioned that Louisiana was named for Louis XIV, who was then the ruling French monarch. It is Louis XIV (1638-1715), the “Sun King,” who is depicted.
The illustration you saw in our October issue is from the Historic New Orleans Collection and is their accession number 1991.34.4; it is an illustration from Alcée Fortier’s multi-volume A History of Louisiana, which Goupil and Company published in 1904. It is based on an official royal portrait which artist Hyacinthe Rigaud painted in 1701.
Rigaud’s portrait, which shows an idealized monarch, was to have been given to the king’s grandson, Philip V of Spain, but proved so popular at home that it was never sent. The painting remained in the royal collections until after the French Revolution. In 1793, it was given to the Muséum Central des Arts de la République, now known as the Musée de Louvre, where it remains.
The portrait shows the 63-year-old monarch in his coronation robes. He holds a scepter and his sword is at his side while his crown sits on adjacent stool.
WIN A RESTAURANT GIFT CERTIFICATE
Here is a chance to eat, drink and have your curiosity satiated all at once. Send Julia a question. If we use it, you’ll be eligible for a monthly drawing for a Jazz Brunch for two at The Court of Two Sisters. To take part, send your question to: Julia Street, c/o New Orleans Magazine, 110 Veterans Blvd., Suite 123, Metairie, LA 70005 or email: Errol@MyNewOrleans.com. This month’s winners are Cathey Theriot, Terrytown, LA and Kent Willoughby, Silverthorne, CO.
