In 1904, Mayor Forsythe had big plans for Monroe. The city needed a new jail, city hall a streetcar system and a city market. He brought before the citizens of Monroe a mil tax to help pay for it all. Against very stiff opposition, it passed on June 16th.
The first day of operations for the new city market, located at the corner of Catalpa and DeSiard, was January 2, 1905. It was hailed as one of the prettiest buildings in the city, at a cost of over $30,000 to build. Fresh produce and goods were sold inside and it became the only place you could legally buy fresh butchered meat.
Over the years, the building fell into disuse. By 1917, the building sat idle. Part of it was used as a streetcar barn. The building was torn down around 1921 and in 1924, People’s Homestead built their new bank on the site, which still stands today.
Ouachita Parish History Tidbits 