Photograph: The Opelousas Town Market located on the corner of Bellevue and Market street in downtown Opelousas, pictured at the turn of the 20th century. The market housed a meat market, produce shops, coffee shop and other businesses during that time.
Carola Lillie Hartley
Publisher and Contributing Writer
Since the beginning of the Opelousas town market in early 1800s, there was always a meat market operated from there, as well as other businesses such as Gil’s Coffee Shop, established during the latter part of that century. Gil’s also served meals like Fat Goose Gumbo as a lunch special. The market was the place to gather during that time for a fresh cup of coffee, good conversation and to get the news of the day.
In the early part of the 20th century when the Opelousas Market House was managed by Joseph M. Boagni, it was the same. In a small room, away from the meat market, there was a coffee stand known as Joe Ducharme’s place.
Mr. Joe, as he was called, kept a big pot of coffee that was heated by charcoal fire, warming all day. He began brewing it around 4 o’clock each morning. Many of the town’s male population would gather there early in the morning for coffee. Some were great political figures of those days.
As the years passed, Joe’s Coffee Stand closed and was replaced with one run by Mrs. Bill Lewis in the southwest wing of the old market. She placed tables out in the open underneath the big oak trees on the courthouse square, and many local residents of the time would sit for hours around the table drinking coffee and discussing the topics of the day, most revolving around local politics.
Many of the political figures of those times had their coffee on a regular basis at one of those coffee stands in the old market house, or on the outside tables on the square. Some of those were Judge Gilbert Dupre, Lee Garland, Henry Estorge, St. Landry High School Principal T. H. Harris, Sheriff Marian Swords, Assessor Rene Fontenot, Sheriff Darius Fontenot, Sheriff Charles Thibodeaux, Chief Felix Chachere, and many others.
The practice of enjoying coffee at the ole town market continued in Opelousas until 1930 when the old building was remodeled and became the Opelousas City Hall. That building sits on the courthouse square in downtown Opelousas today as a contributing element to the Opelousas National Historic District, entered on the National Register of Historic Places in 1989.
The coffee stands of days gone by are not there anymore, and the old faces of those days have long gone. But what has survived are the stories that were handed down to us about life in Opelousas during those ole days.
We can record what we have learned from people who lived those stories so people who come after us will know what everyday life was like in the earlier days of our town. Opelousas has a fascinating history, with so many stories to tell. Listen, read, learn and share the stories of our community.
