The History of Storyville

Storyville facing Basin Street.

 

This is the perfect time to tell another story, especially now that I am two weeks into my field school. For those of you who have enjoyed the stories I've made up or the experiences I've had-- yeah this isn't one of those. This is actually one that is more interesting....

Established before the turn of the 20th century in New Orleans, Storyville, the infamous red light district developed, as a 38 square block area in the Faubourg Treme in response to public outcry against prostitution. In 1897, city alderman Sidney Story proposed an ordinance that would contain illicit activities within this area which is bounded by Basin St., Iberville St., St. Louis St., and N. Robertston, and banned prostitution in the rest of the city. Storyville was conveniently located near two major transportation points in the city: the basin at the end of the Carondelet Canal and the tracks of the Southern Railway's Canal Street terminal. This provided easy access for entrepreneurs, businessmen, and travelers looking for adult entertainment. Storyville was modeled after port cities in Europe like Amsterdam with legalized red light districts.


Both black and white men served an all white male clientele, with the occasional white woman ( see The Last Madam) in brothels ranging from inexpensive "cribs", which were single bedroom establishments, to the more expensive elegant homes that developed later. African American men were barred from  legally purchasing services from these women regardless of her skin color. Black prostituted could openly serve a black clientele uptown from Storyville. By 1900 the district had become a fully fledged entertainment zone because of the restaurants and saloons that there established nearby. The prostitutes fees ranged from a little as 50 cents to 10 dollar and up; it is said that in some areas a man could get a bed, meal, and a woman for as little as six cents.

Arrest citations for prositutes

Although Jazz was not established in Storyville, it flourished there as well as it did in other parts of the city. Travelers may have believed that it was established within the district because they heard it there first before it spread to the northern reaches of the nation. What Storyville did continue to this unique style of music was a nurturing environment. The upscale brothels could afford to hire piano players for their parlors to entertain the couples before they went upstairs.


By 1910, Storyville was in a steady decline and by 1917 its era in the wickedest city of America was over. As the US entered into WWI in 1917, opponents of legalized prostitution began to push for the district to be closed once and for all. Because New Orleans was a major embarkation port for troops going to Europe for the war, the then Secretary of War Newton D. Baker joined forces with the opponents and pressed the government to close the district; Baker did not want the troops exposed to an illicit activity he considered to be immoral. Objections from the major and other city leaders were not enough to keep the brothels opened and they shut their doors for good in 1917, however, the area remained as a entertainment district throughout the 1920s.

In the 1930's, Storyville was demolished by the city, as part of the nationwide Public Works administration's efforts to clear slums and  make room for public housing. The Iberville Housing projects were constructed to provide affordable housing during the depression.


Lula White is one of the most famous madams in Storyville's history. She operated a four story brothel and employed 40 prostitutes.

Storyville is more than just an infamous red light district that closed its doors almost a century ago. It was an area that played a pivotal role in the creation of New Orleans' identity in the New South Era because of it developed in a context of developing racial, sexual, and gender ideologies and practices. Despite its establishment on the heels of the Plessy v. Ferguson case, Storyville was known for offering the services of octoroon, mixed race, women thus bringing intimate racial mixing out into the open.

For more information on the history of Storyville check out:

* Dr. Alecia Long explains the history of Storyville....    A Visit to Storyville
* The Great Southern Babylon: Sex, Race, and Respectability in New Orleans, 1865-1920
* Spectacular Wickedness: Sex, Race, and Memory in Storyville, New Orleans
* Guidebooks to Sin: The Blue Books of Storyville
* Storyville, New Orleans