Today. they call it Algiers Point, but in my generation (born in the 1930's) and the generations before, we simply called it Old Algiers or just plain Algiers. Algiers Point actually refers to that point of land on the Mississippi River where the river makes its turn to go down river and out into the Gulf of Mexico. Living and growing up in Old Algiers was special. As young kids, we did not know it at the time because we had not experienced life yet and our minds were innocent and young. All we wanted to do was play and have a good time, and that we did. But there comes a time in ones life when we reflect on the past and realize how special it was to live and grow up in Old Algiers.
Old Algiers is a small town on the west bank of Orleans Parish and when I lived and grew up there it had everything. Business, Doctors, Dentists, Schools, Churches, a library, playgrounds, swimming pool, open areas where ball could be played and much more. Louisiana Power and Light on Delaronde Street, Bell Telephone Company on Opelousas avenue, The Southern Pacific Railroad on Atlantic were major employers of many people. Every place was a short walk from a person's home and we walked every where we went. Very few families owned automobiles. If you lived in Old Algiers, your feet were made for walking. If a method was available back then to count your steps, it would be off the charts. Our parents and other adults walked the streets to shop and etc.
I was 7 years of age when WWII began and 11 when it ended. I do remember when it started but more when it ended. I remember the newspaper boys going through the streets selling the papers about the Atomic Bomb being dropped on Japan. No one knew what an Atomic Bomb was at the time. The hardships during the war touched every family. Food and consumer goods were rationed, every able body man wore the uniform, women worked the factories, city, state and the federal government had programs that put people to work so families would have income to purchase and satisfy their needs. Long lines would be at the Algiers Court House on Morgan Street picking up their food allowances. My brother and I spent time in that line with our little red wagon picking up our rations and hauling them home. Although we could see what was taking place we did not realize or understand the impact it had on our parents and others. We were kids growing up, our parents tried their best to let us be kids and never once did we feel neglected. During the war, just about every store had a large Uncle Sam sign in front of the business with Uncle Sam pointing saying, Uncle Sam wants you. Radio stations broadcast the same add and I will always remember one of the sayings on the radio at the time that went like this. your in the Army now, your not behind a plow, you'll will never get rich, you son-of-a-bitch, your in the Army now.
My brother, sister and I went to and graduated from Holy Name of Mary Catholic School which was a short 2 block walk from our house. The good Nuns were the teachers and the school had very, very few lay teachers. It was a time when the school was called "Sister School" and for good reason. The Nuns were great teachers, taught us how to learn and never believed in the saying that some people say today, "you have to go to school, but no one can make you learn. They would have no part of that because they were dedicated to teaching and knew a mind should never be wasted. School was from 8 am to 3 pm, with a 15 minute break every day at 10:15 am. Uniforms were not required at the time. We celebrated the end of the school year with the silly saying, "No more rice, no more gravy, no more teachers to drive us crazy." And the Nuns would give us that stern look when we would say, "Hail Mary full of grace, three little chickens had a race. Holy Mary mother of God, chase the horses out the yard." Summer vacation was a time of going barefoot, not wearing a shirt, getting sunburned, we never knew what sun tan lotion was. The blacktop burned our bare feet, but so what, we were free. The Nuns demanded discipline and it was enforced by punishment and some of us learned the hard way. I do not remember having a great deal of homework assigned to take home. But every week we would have pop quizzes and test during class and then test on a regular basis up until our mid terms. I realized later in life all the good things the Sisters taught us about life and the positive effect it had on our character. It was something I will never forget.
There were no shopping malls in my growing up life in Old Algiers, but us west bankers did have a Canal Street that had several major department stores and other shopping venues that we visited often, especially around the holidays and Christmas season when they displayed a lot of lights and Mr. Bingle. It was a very busy shopping area in downtown New Orleans. We would walk to the ferry boat that would leave us off at the foot of Canal street and would walk to the stores. It made for a long day but it was a fun day for us kids.
Old Algiers was a special town to live and grow up in, everything was within a short walking distance. When I reflect on those times it tells an amazing story where kids were able to occupy their times and entertain themselves in so many different ways, many of them that were silly. It did not matter because we were just having fun and not a care in the world. Very little time was spent in the house, we roamed the streets, it was our playground from sun up to sun down where we met our buddies along the way. If we were not playing ball or games we were just hanging out. We played tag, cops and robbers, played card games with sport's cards or movie star cards and other popular people. Went swimming and played in the park on Opelousas Street swinging and using the sea-saw. We also sat upon the monument there. We would pick the green balls that grew on China Ball trees, smashed them in play sand and it would color the sand different colors. We would then put the colored sand in jars and sell them for a nickel a jar. The streets had gutters instead of roll over curbs and would overflow in a heavy rain. We would put on our bathing suits and go swimming in the gutters, talk about cold water!!! We did silly things for Halloween like marking up people's windows with soap and those who had a fence in front of their house we would take the gates off their hinges and just lay the gates down. It was not funny when some neighbor told on us and our parents made us wash the windows and rehang the gates. We played games on a large sandbar by the Mississippi River and would end up taking a dip in the river even though my parents forbid it. There is a saying today when going to the beach "going to get some sand between the toes." When you took a dip in the Mississippi you got sloppy mud between your toes. My brother and I operated a sno-ball stand a couple of summers and would shave the ice by hand. One scoop was 2 cents, 2 scoops was 3 cents and 3 scoops was 5 cents. Our best day was when we made $14.00. My mother would buy the syrup and mix it for us. We built our own stand and used a 25 pound block of ice every day. Most of us had yo-yo's and would spin tops. We had contest among ourselves with the yo-yo to see who could do the best tricks. I still have a yo-yo in my possession and a skate key.
One item sold at the movie theater was cups of ice cream that had a picture of a movie star on the cover lid. All eaten leftovers were thrown on the floor and the janitor would come the next morning and clean up the place. We would go in that morning and he would let us pick up all the cup lids and we would keep the pictures and trade them or sell them. On any given day our pockets would be loaded with marbles or japonicas. Playing marbles were a great past time and we played every where we found dirt to draw a marble ring and start the game. I won a lot, but also lost a lot, but it did not matter. Picking japonicas from trees was another great activity and the trees were plentiful. Good tasting fruit but sometimes we had to invade other people's property to pick them and got into trouble. Holy Name of Mary's church custodian lived on the corner of Eliza and Olivier streets and had a large japonica tree that over hung his fence. I guess it could be called a trophy tree it was so loaded always. But the custodian was an old grouch and would run us off when we tried to pick his tree. We kept trying and one day standing on each other's shoulder we picked a lot of japonicas and all of a sudden he appeared with a water hose and hosed us down. Needless to say, we never went back, there were too many friendly trees still ready to be picked.
Kite flying was another great past time for us kids. My Grandpa and Dad made our kites and taught us how to fly them. We also bought some kites. When my Dad made a kite and was ready to put the paper on it most would use glue. But my Dad would mix flour and water to a paste and use that instead of glue. When it dried it was just as good as glue. He also taught us how to send a message to the kites. He would take a hard piece of paper or thin cardboard, cut a hole in it, put the string through it and the wind would take the message all the way up to the kite. When we pulled the kite in the message was still against the kite. We also spent a lot of time making model airplanes that were easy to make. We would buy a kit that had everything needed to make the planes, put a propeller on it attached to a rubber band and would wind it before we launched the plane. It would not fly far or high but it flew, that is all that counted. Most of the models were of the planes used during WWII. On one occasion when we visited my aunt Pearl my brother and I took our model planes to fly in the back yard because it was a large yard. For some reason my plane would not fly after numerous tries so I picked up a tool she had in the yard and smashed the plane in a 100 pieces.
Old Algiers was a family town, where all knew each other. Family sat on their front porches at night and visited with each other while us kids were still playing in the streets. Because everyone walked, you ran into someone you knew every place you went. It was not uncommon for my mother and other mothers to visit during the day and have coffee. The fact that it was a family friendly town gave us kids a problem. When we mis-behaved and a neighbor saw that, they quickly told our parents and of course punishment followed. It was also a time when men and the ladies wore hats when they went out, especially to church and the movie theatres.
We also faced the other side of growing up and said things that brough about arguments and sometimes fights. I will always remember one time when we were playing cops and robbers, a game where the robbers would put a paper bag over their heads and cut the eyes and mouth out the bag so they could see and talk. Everyone took turns being a cop and robber. The robbers would find a place to hide in the block we were playing in and the cops had to find them to arrest them. After playing for a while one day we took a break and was just passing time when things started to become out of hand and a fight started. I picked up one of the paper bags, pulled it over my buddie's head and punched him in the face. I knew I should not have done that and was sorry afterward. The action did not last long and no one was hurt and before you know it we were all back playing together like nothing took place. When you are growing up with an innocent mind holding a grudge is never really thought about.
On a personal basis I did some things I am not proud of but did take place. Two of the events are as follows. Almost every Drug Store in Old Algiers had a pin ball machine and all the kids played them. Kids were allowed to play them and they paid off if you accumulated enough points by the ball hitting the features that registered. It only paid off if you hit the jack pot which paid $7. When we played we always had 5 or 6 of our friends around the machine and one day we decided we would cheat. I took my Dad's hand drill that was shaped like a T and cut a hole in the side of the machine. I brought a cut piece of clothes hanger with me, slipped it in the hole I drilled and kept hitting one of the features that registers points until the machine hit the jackpot. We collected the $7 and no one in the store knew what we were doing because we had the machine blocked off with all our friends. We used the money to buy funny books, marbles and eat at the soda fountain.
The Italian Hall on Esplanade Avenue in the French Quarter was a place for the Italian community to hold various events that our family attended. One night there was a banquet to honor some occasion taken place in Italy which I do not remember what the occasion was. The event was a dinner and dance. I remember well that the Hall had large round tables that seated 10-12 people. My family, one of my uncle and aunt, my uncle's brother and his wife and all the children were seated at one table. Two or three other tables were occupied by other aunts and uncles and their children. Sometime after dinner was over, the adults would leave the table to dance and my cousin Sal and I would take sips of whiskey when they left the table. We kept that up until we were both intoxicated. After that we began doing silly things and all I remember is my Father coming to get me outside the building, sitting me in a chair at the table and ordered not to move. The next thing I remember is my uncle who drove us to the Hall drove us home. We lived in a raised shot gun single with steps that led into the house. I could not walk up the steps so my uncle and Dad had to carry me. Did not feel well when I got up the next morning and after breakfast my Mom told me I had to paint the kitchen cabinet. The paint back then really had a bad odor and as I was painting that odor made my sickness worse. I finished the job but it was one bad day. I could tell by the look in my Mom's eyes that was my punishment for my actions.
My sister, brother and I all had chores to do around and in the house and there was a time when my Dad worked the night shift and would sleep during the day. Our house was heated by a cast iron coal stove in the kitchen and two space heaters in other parts of the house. When my Dad worked the night shift my Mom told me I would have to light the coal stove in the morning to start heating the house. Why me? I was the youngest, but I dared not ask the question. Not only did I have to get up to a cold house, I had to go outside in the cold to the shed where we stored the wood and the coal. I started the fire with paper on the grill, wood pieces on top that I had cut previously with a hatched and then put a block of coal on top. Lit the paper that started the fire and once the coal started to burn the heat was on. We used the top of the stove to toast bread, keep coffee, tea and other food warmed. Every winter we burned one ton of coal that was delivered to the house curbside. My brother and I would haul the coal in our red wagon to the shed in the back yard.
There were also times when my Mom made me dust and wax the furniture. I hated that job, never understood the reason since I had a sister in the house. Growing up you don't understand a lot of things. Every month we would have to take medicine, milk of magnesia, 2 tablespoons before we went to bed. When asked why, we were told to clean out our systems. I had no problem, I went to the bathroom regularly every day. After you took that medicine you did not dare go out to play in the streets before you used the bathroom. To make things worse, the taste was horrible.
One of the best days of the year was Holy Name of Mary's school picnic that was held in City Park. It was a family affair where the parents would cook and set out our picnic site, lay down some blanket and camp there for the day. City Park also had a few covered areas with picnic tables but we always chose to set our picnic up outside. The Park had two large swimming pools, amusement rides, pony rides, bumper cars, fishing in the lagoon, paddle boat rides, areas to play ball and was a wide open Park where you could just run around. The first thing I always did was go swimming. We had the good fortune of being able to eat anytime we wanted to take a break, then go play again and come back again to eat. Parents could also bring friends and a few times my Mother brought her Aunt. it was a day of fun for all including the Nuns and the grown ups who participated in the activities. It was always night time when we arrived back home. On the merry go around if you caught the gold ring you were given a free ride. I was able to catch the ring several times every year.
Living and growing up in Old Algiers was unique and whenever I reflect on those times I can't help thinking about that uniqueness. I lived in the 400 block of Belleville Steet and the 800 block of Alix Street right around the corner. In a three block area from my house there were 3 drug stores, 4 grocery stores, 2 bar rooms, 2 bakeries, 1 homestead and1 bank, 2 doctors and two dentists, three barbers, 1 school, 2 churches and 1 movie theatre and two shoemakers. And that played out almost all through Old Algiers and those business venues were there for many, many years.
I also marvel that we roamed the streets day and night with our friends and were safe. We would walk the neighborhood block by block just hanging out. Sometimes we would pull a yo-yo out of our pocket and play, or stop and shoot marbles, just anything else that came to mind. We had no problem entertaining or amusing ourselves. Yes, we did some things that were wrong, most of those things were silly but we never hurt or injured anyone. Every time I reflect on those times, questions pop in my head. Why do we lose our innocent mind as we age? If we could maintain it, would it make a difference and make the world a better place to live? My thoughts also take me to the lyrics of a song about a magical place.
In short there's simply not,
A more congenial spot,
For happy ever- aftering
Than here in Camelot.
We were too young to understand, but living and growing up in Old Algiers was truly our Camelot.
This story written by Joe Lorio
