Echoes of Downtown Shreveport

Downtown Neon Saturday Night! In 1998 Neon Saturday was going into its 5th season. This was the first year the event was set up in a horseshoe style around the courthouse.  Enjoy this glimpse into a piece of the downtown festival history. To view the full article, click on the blue button below.

The R.S. Barnwell Garden and Art Center, which opened in 1970, was a center for cultural activities for many years, offering art workshops, exhibitions, and events. It also featured a botanical conservatory with a variety of trees, flowers, and tropical plants, providing a space for public exploration and garden education. Now, years later, the Shreveport Aquarium calls this location home. Here are some photos from its earlier days.

Electric streetcars replaced the mule-drawn cars that had operated since 1870. This photograph shows one of those earlier cars picking up a passenger at Texas and Spring Streets about 1875. Behind is M. Levy’s founded in 1857. The department store operated until 1984.

507 Milam – Rick’s Rings & Things

This week Echoes of Downtown Shreveport showcases a special photo gallery featuring a collection of historical articles that cover the fascinating stories behind the naming of Shreveport’s city streets. Each street name carries a piece of the city’s rich heritage, reflecting the people, events, and cultural influences that have shaped Shreveport over the years. Join us on this journey through time and discover the historical significance behind the street names that contribute to the tapestry of Shreveport’s history. Whether you’re a longtime resident or a curious visitor, these stories will deepen your appreciation for the city’s unique identity and the legacy that continues to shape its future. Click each photo to enlarge the image.

The Downtown memories shared by Jack S. brought back the memory of the fire that occurred late on Sunday, October 9, 1983.  The three-alarm fire razed half a city block in the 400 block of Milam Street. The blaze, which injured three firefighters, destroyed several businesses including Big Ernie’s. For 20 years Big Ernie’s had been a gathering place for local politicos and candidates for office to talk politics among themselves and anyone else who wanted to eavesdrop. “It was pretty much a given if you wanted to hear what was going on around town, you’d go to The One-Arm Place for lunch.”  The fire was one of the biggest that downtown had seen in years.  The site is now the Pioneer parking lot at the NW corner of Milam and Edwards Streets.

Commerce Street in the 1900s – looking north from Milam Street.  “Although not taken until 1903, this photograph provides a sense of how Commerce Street appeared in the early years.”  (Shreveport A Photographic Remembrance, Thomson Bailey and Patricia Meador).

Pano’s Diner was located at 422 Milam Street for 38 years and was a gathering place for locals for early morning coffee breaks and lunch specials.  Over the years owners Andrew and Chris Panos welcomef diners and became like friends as evidenced by Jacob T’s memory.  The diner closed in 2013.

A beautiful message from someone who loved Miss Daisy Atkins in Pleasant Hill, La.  Apparently working hard in downtown Shreveport.

Texas Street looking west.  April 11, 1906

The Marcus Building was built in 1902 and still stands at 711 Milam Street. This 1904 view shows the building as it originally appeared. When completed, this five-story building was the tallest privately owned structure in the city.Downtown’s newest residential development, the Uneeda Biscuit Lofts is a “unique residential community designed specifically for artists in search of a space where they can create, collaborate, and thrive.”  For leasing information call 318-383-0142 or visit www.uneedalofts.com

The Shreve Memorial Library – Opened in 1923, the library at Edwards and Travis Streets was designed by local architect J.P. Annan to resemble an ancient Roman villa. In use as the central library until 1984, it is today home to the Greater Shreveport Chamber of Commerce, organized in 1910 to promote business in the Shreveport-Bossier City metropolitan area. Seen here about 1930, a monument to the Caddo Parish soldiers and sailors of the Great War – World War 1 – was erected that year on the building’s grounds, though it is not yet there in this image. (Curt Teich)  

The Marcus Building was built in 1902 and still stands at 711 Milam Street. This 1904 view shows the building as it originally appeared. When completed, this five-story building was the tallest privately owned structure in the city.

This historic building is now downtown’s newest residential development – Uneeda Biscuit Lofts, 711 Milam Street.  The property had been vacant for years.  Now it’s transformed into a “creative cultural community.”  For information on how to become a resident, visit:  https://www.uneedalofts.com/

Cool photo of Shreveport Day in 1955 – 400 block of Texas Street, downtown Shreveport!

The view above shows the Confederate Monument unveiled in 1906. In 1917, a large electrically lit US flag was hung from the corner of the tower at the level of the large arched window on the third floor. The photo below depicts the courthouse as seen from its Marshall Street side. In the background at far left is the Moorish-style Parish Jail, erected in 1907 on Milam at McNeil Streets. (Top card by Brown News Co. Bottom card Curt Teich).