Storyville 
Submitted by Maurice Duvic Sr

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I remember from the mid-twenties and early thirties that there were
these magnificent empty "houses" on the lake side of Basin Street.
Some, if not all, had what seemed,  to me, to be an  entrance to a
barroom; never any activity that I saw.  Of course, Prohibition was in
effect - legally - so they couldn't have been bars. Too obvious.

Later, I learned the story of Storyville but I was "too young" to hear
it earlier from my father.

During the Depression the  only "district" that I was aware of was in
the Vieux Carre.  Believe I reported earlier that some St. Aloysius
students use to walk from N. Rampart and Esplanade to Canal Street,
through this "district" and tease the "ladies" who were stationed behind
the shuttered doors of the "cribs."

The Maestri family - a brother was mayor of New Orleans - operated a
furniture store on the corner of N. Rampart and Iberville.  My father
use to say that their principal business was selling bedroom furniture
to the ladies of the night, re-possessing it and then re-selling it.

My grandfather had a livery stable business in a building that extended
from the 400 block of N. Rampart to Basin Street, with living quarters
on  the second floor.  My father told us of his watching a parade, on
North Rampart, of Teddy Roosevelt and his troops who had returned from
the Mexican War.  Electric lights were being installed, replacing the
gas lamps.  New Orleans Public Service use to manufacture gas and store
it in a huge black tank the heavy top of which moved up and down with
the quantity, designed to provide pressure in the distribution lines.

Someone let me know if I'm being repetitious !