Large Snowfall on DeSiard

76 years ago, downtown Monroe had a record snowfall of 9 inches. The below photo was taken from the Bernhardt building and published in the News Star Jan. 31, 1949.

The Bernhardt Building in 1948

A Bish Mathis Institute Newsletter from 1948 came across my desk last week and on the front cover was this great photo of downtown Monroe. You can see the side of the Palace Department store in the foreground, along with the Bernhardt building, which housed BMI. All of those buildings next to the Palace are … Continue reading The Bernhardt Building in 1948 →

A Parade Down DeSiard, circa 1937.

This last photo from the collection I bought, is a bit of a puzzle. The seller claimed the three photos were from 1937, but the flood photo was 1932. There were a TON of parades going on throughout 1937. It seemed like every convention, rodeo and circus held in the city had to have a … Continue reading A Parade Down DeSiard, circa 1937. →

Downtown View of DeSiard Street in 1959

To give you an idea of where you are in this photo, the strip of buildings on the right foreground is the area where Rain the Salon is now. The crossing streets are Catalpa and North 4th. You can see the Palace, the ONB building, the Bernhardt Building and even the Paramount! At the far … Continue reading Downtown View of DeSiard Street in 1959 →

Art Alley in 1927

This was taken from the News-Star building in 1927 by Griffin. At the time, this street was known as 2nd Street, but is now known as Art Alley. Most prominent in the shot is the construction of the Bernhardt building, now known as 141 Lofts. You can see the Palace Department store on DeSiard, known … Continue reading Art Alley in 1927 →

DeSiard in Snow

A few weeks back, I shared a photo of a street scene at the corner of DeSiard and Jackson Street. This is the same spot but at a different angle. You can see the Palais Royal, The F.W. Woolworth Building and the Willard Hotel. The Bernhardt building is seen in the distance.

St. John Street Looking North

From the look of the cars, the above photo would have been taken in the 20's. On the west side of the street we can see the old City Hall, the Virginia Hotel and Ouachita National Bank building. On the East side are First Baptist Church, the Old Post Office, Monroe Office Supply/Durrett's Furniture and … Continue reading St. John Street Looking North →