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 →

Harrison Street in 1917

Christmas Fiesta Parade Float – 1939

This first photo shows a float lined up waiting to start the parade. From the angle of the photo, they were parked along Elysian Fields, next to the Old City Cemetery. https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/oplib-pho%3A544 This next photo shows the same float, now on DeSiard Street between the Palace and the Style Shop. Notice the banner over the … Continue reading Christmas Fiesta Parade Float – 1939 →

The Palace Style Show – 1924

ULM is the repository of the Griffin photo collection which is well known in Monroe for their flood photos. However, there is another set of photos taken almost 96 years ago on September 24, 1924. Each year the Palace Department Store had a style show to show off the latest in women's fashion hot off … Continue reading The Palace Style Show – 1924 →

Harrison Street

This is a very unique photo, looking straight up Harrison street all the way to Jackson. You can see the Jewish Temple with the ten commandment tablets at the top, with the Rabbi's house next to it. The site is now where Frances Tower sits. You can see the Palace department store on the left. … Continue reading Harrison Street →

Merry Christmas Everyone!

https://www.louisianadigitallibrary.org/islandora/object/state-lhp%3A1049 Photo of the 200 block of DeSiard street at the corner of Jackson street, decorated for Christmas circa 1940. Notice Liggett's Drug store on the corner of Jackson and DeSiard, the Palace all lit up and the Capital Theater sign. Everything up to the Palace on that side is gone and is now a … Continue reading Merry Christmas Everyone! →

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 →

The Grand Dame of Monroe: The Palace Department Store Building

For over seventy-five years, the Palace Department store was the Grand Dame of DeSiard Street. People came from miles around to do their shopping inside its walls. Many long time residents mourned its passing when the doors closed in 1982. For twenty-seven years the building sat empty and barren. The building received new life and … Continue reading The Grand Dame of Monroe: The Palace Department Store Building →