Palmer Park: A History By Kevin McQueeney Copyright 2014 Kevin

Palmer Park: A History
By Kevin McQueeney
Copyright 2014 Kevin McQueeney
1
This booklet takes its reader on a tour through the history of Palmer Park, located in the
Carrollton neighborhood of New Orleans at the intersection of South Carrollton and
Claiborne avenues. The uptown end of the St. Charles Avenue streetcar line is located
across the street from the park.
Front Page Pictures
Picture of the Palmer Park arch from 1947. Courtesy of Charles L. Franck / FranckBertacci Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection.
Picture of the arch 2014. Taken by the author.
2
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. HAMILTON SQUARE: THE ORIGINAL PALMER PARK
2. PALMER PARK: THE NAME
3. RACE AND PALMER PARK
4. PALMER PARK ARCH AND EARLY IMPROVEMENTS
5. THE JULIA MONTGOMERY MEMORIAL OAK, PALMER PARK
6. MUSIC IN PALMER PARK
7. POLITICAL RALLIES IN PALMER PARK
8. RECREATION AND ROWDYISM IN EARLY PALMER PARK
9. TINETTE LICHTENSTEIN: DEFENDER OF THE STATUS QUO IN PALMER PARK
10. THE WORLD WAR II AND CARROLLTON CENTENNIAL MONUMENT IN PALMER PARK
11. KREWE OF CARROLLTON AND PALMER PARK
12. CHANGE AND CONTENTION: PALMER PARK DURING THE 1970S
13. CRIME AND DECLINE: PALMER PARK DURING THE 1980S
14. THE ARTS MARKET, HOLIDAYS, AND PLAYGROUND IN PALMER PARK
END NOTES
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
3
1. HAMILTON SQUARE: THE ORIGINAL PALMER PARK
In 1831, the Macarthy Plantation, located upriver from the central hub of New Orleans,
was bought by investors including the New Orleans Canal and Banking Company and
Senator John Slidell. Two years later the property was subdivided into squares and lots.
The new land was designated as the village of Carrollton in 1845; it is believed this was
done in honor of William Carroll, a general under Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New
Orleans. 1 The main street dividing the town was originally named Canal Avenue. The
streets running parallel to Canal were named in honor of presidents-Washington,
Adams, Jefferson, Madison--and other public officials--Hamilton, Clay, and Livingston.
The streets crossing Canal were numbered. The annexation of Carrollton in 1874 by New
Orleans resulted in the changing of street names that conflicted with existing streets in
New Orleans: Canal became Carrollton, numbered streets were replaced with the names
of trees, and most of the streets named after presidents and public officials were
changed as well when they conflicted. 2
The original plan for the village, drawn up by Charles Zimple, included three pieces of
property that were not designated with lot numbers. These areas were designated as
Green Square-bounded by 6th (later changed to Birch), Green, and Leonidas, and later
the site of the Walter C. Flowers Public School; Frederick Square-bounded by Hamilton,
Laurel Grove, Olive, and Edinburgh, and later the site of Humphreys Playground; and
Hamilton Square, bounded by Canal (later changed to Carrollton), Sycamore, Dublin,
and Mobile. Hamilton Square is believed to have been named after Alexander Hamilton,
one of the principal figures in the creation of the American republic. Originally
designated for “public use” by the village in 1861, the squares were “formally” redesignated for “public use” by an ordinance of the city of New Orleans in 1902. 3
John Paul Bordes, in his “Carrollton Columns," remembered being in Hamilton Square
as a child: "My first experience with Palmer Park took place in 1899, when I was 5 years
old. It was a low spot of land, filled with briar bushes. The cows from the surrounding
dairies used to get all tangled up in there. I had wandered away from home, which was
4
only ll blocks away, but I got lost in the high bushes, and I couldn't find my way out. I
kept yelling and crying so loud that my brother finally heard me and came to my
rescue.” 4
Street Map of Carroltton 1854 or 1855. Courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection.
Street map of Carrollton, 1854 or 1855, showing the location of Hamilton Square.
Courtesy of The Historic New Orleans Collection.
5
Picture of William Carroll, Governor of Tennessee and leader of militiamen that fought
with Andrew Jackson at the Battle of New Orleans. Carrollton was named in his honor.
Courtesy of The Times Picayune July 18, 1926.
RELATED SOURCES

FOR FURTHER READING ON THE HISTORY OF CARROLLTON:
JOHN KENDALL, HISTORY OF NEW ORLEANS (CHICAGO: THE LEWIS PUBLISHING GROUP,
1922). CHAPTER 46: “THE ANNEXED
TOWNS”: HTTP://PENELOPE.UCHICAGO.EDU/THAYER/E/GAZETTEER/PLACES/AMERIC
A/UNITED_STATES/LOUISIANA/NEW_ORLEANS/_TEXTS/KENHNO/46*.HTML.
MELONCY C. SONIAT, “THE FAUBORGS: FORMING THE UPPER SECTION OF THE CITY OF NEW
ORLEANS,” THE LOUISIANA HISTORICAL QUARTERLY, VOLUME 20 (JANUARY-OCTOBER
1937): 192–
211.HTTP://WWW.NEWORLEANSPUBLICLIBRARY.ORG/~NOPL/LINKS/NOLINKS/FAUBOU
RGS.PDF.
6
2. PALMER PARK: THE NAME
Hamilton Square, a public space created in 1833 in what is now the Carrollton
neighborhood of New Orleans, was renamed Palmer Park through a city ordinance in
July 1902. The name change was spearheaded by Adam Junker, a Carrollton business
and civic leader. The president of the Carrollton Bank, Junker also served as a city
councilman; he played a major role in the development of Carrollton, including the
paving of Carrollton Avenue, the building of schools and a firehouse on Oak Street, and
planning the creation of Palmer Park. 5
The city ordinance changed the name to Palmer Park as a "testimony to the honor of the
late B. M. Palmer." 6 Benjamin Palmer was the pastor for the New Orleans First
Presbyterian Church. His 1860 Thanksgiving sermon has been cited as one of the main
influences upon the state's decision to join the Confederacy. 7 In the speech, delivered
shortly after the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Presidency, Palmer staunchly
defended slavery and endorsed secession:
"If then the South is such a people, what, at this juncture, is their providential trust? I
answer, that it is to conserve and to perpetuate the institution of domestic slavery as
now existing...
Without, therefore, determining the question of duty for future generations, I simply
say, that for us, as now situated, the duty is plain of conserving and transmitting the
system of slavery, with the freest scope for its natural development and extension." 8
Palmer spent much of the ensuing war preaching to Confederate soldiers. Robert E. Lee
reportedly said the following of Palmer: “I would rather have Dr. Benjamin Palmer in
my camp than an entire regiment of troops.” 9 Palmer died in New Orleans in 1902 after
being struck by a streetcar on St. Charles Avenue.
In 1912 Father Francis Prim of Mater Delorosa Church proposed to name the park after
the recently deceased Francis Janssens, archbishop of New Orleans from 1888-1897.
7
The commissioners for the park were willing to change the name but approval by the
city council was needed. Prim withdrew the name after he found out the park had been
named after Palmer; he told the city council he wished to avoid a "religious
controversy." 10
Photographs of Benjamin Palmer, Louisiana Historical Association Collection, Tulane
University.
8
Picture of Adam Junker, the creator of Palmer Park. Courtesy of The Times Picayune
Nov. 17, 1924.
RELATED SOURCES
BENJAMIN MORGAN PALMER'S "THANKSGIVING
SERMON": HTTP://CIVILWARCAUSES.ORG/PALMER.HTM.
TO LEARN MORE ABOUT BENJAMIN PALMER:
CHRISTOPHER DUNCAN, “BENJAMIN MORGAN PALMER: SOUTHERN PRESBYTERIAN DIVINE.”
A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE GRADUATE FACULTY OF AUBURN UNIVERSITY IN
PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF
PHILOSOPHY (2008)
HTTP://ETD.AUBURN.EDU/ETD/BITSTREAM/HANDLE/10415/1467/DUNCAN_C
HRISTOPHER_31.PDF?SEQUENCE=1.
THOMAS CARY JOHNSON. THE LIFE AND LETTERS OF BENJAMIN MORGAN PALMER
(1906).HTTPS://PLAY.GOOGLE.COM/STORE/BOOKS/DETAILS?ID=ACTLAAAAMAAJ&R
DID=BOOK-ACTLAAAAMAAJ&RDOT=1.
9
3. RACE AND PALMER PARK
Palmer Park for many years was kept as a “white” space. Black residents were not
permitted, and antagonism could be seen in several areas. The naming of the park, after
Benjamin Palmer—a staunch defender of slavery and leading segregationist—set an
early tone. The ordinance changing the name from Hamilton Square, written in 1902 by
the city council, praised Palmer and noted the name change was a “testimonial of
esteem to the memory” of Palmer. 11 Edgar A. Perilloux, historian for the Carrollton
Men’s Business Association and author of the Carrollton Centennial booklet, defended
the “white” history of the park. In reference to a popular idea about the park's origins, he
wrote:
“Despite the fact that the official records prove the contrary, many people of the
Carrollton section, including many who should know better, cling tenuously to the story
handed down from one another, that Palmer Park was donated by some old negro.” 12
His research demonstrated the property originally belonged to a white landowner.
Events in the park further demonstrated racial prejudice throughout the Jim Crow era.
During a 1924 speech in Palmer Park, Shreveport Mayor Lee E. Thomas, challenging
Senator Randsell for his seat, drew loud applause when he accused the senator of
signing a letter supporting a black man for a federal job; the mayor's allegation sought to
condemn of the senator's egalitarian gesture. 13 Similar racism could be seen in reaction
to a 1934 incident. Residents nearby the park and civic organizations complained about
an unlicensed shoe shine stand, "Sam's Shine Parlor," which appeared in the park. The
stand, aimed at people waiting nearby for the bus to Kenner, was originally chained to a
tree in the park. The black vendor's chair was removed. 14 White vendors, like the man
who sold hot tamales, were allowed in the park.
African Americans were denied access to “white parks” in New Orleans until the late
'50s and early '60s. The Supreme Court had struck down segregation in public parks in
1955, but it was not until 1958 and the threat of federal intervention that City Park’s
10
facilities were desegregated. 15 The New Orleans Recreation Department (NORD),
despite being recognized in 1949 by Life Magazine as “the most progressive in the U.S.,”
did not desegregate its parks until it was ordered to do so by a judicial ruling in 1963. 16
The judicial panel in that case, Barthe v. City of New Orleans, noted that NORD had
built separate spaces for blacks after it was created in 1946; however, only 19 such
spaces were provided for African Americans and over 100 for Whites. The review also
commented that the parks were “by no means equal.” They argued the segregation was
unconstitutional and ordered an immediate desegregation of all city parks. The city
appealed, but The Supreme Court affirmed the ruling in a 6-3 decision in 1964. 17 The
desegregation of parks was one of the factors contributing to “white flight” from the city
to the suburbs, and NORD lost substantial support and funding as a result. 18
In 1972, a proposal was put forward to incorporate Palmer Park into the NORD, which
would in effect integrate the park. Neighborhood residents opposed the measure and
placed an advertisement in the Times-Picayune. 19 The creators of the ad, identified as
“Concerned Citizens of Carrollton,” argued the park would become a “public disgrace,”
similar to Samuel Square, another park that had been integrated after a takeover by
NORD. They warned that property values would plummet, adding, “No wonder 90,000
former residents of Orleans Parish have migrated to neighboring parishes,” referencing
the white flight from New Orleans. 20 The NORD takeover was defeated in 1972,
although the park did officially become part of the city system in 1977. Similar tones
could be seen in letters to the Times-Picayune after integration complaining of children
from outside of the neighborhood playing in the park. 21
11
Portrait of Reverend Doctor Benjamin Morgan Palmer, 1880. Courtesy of the Louisiana
State Museum.
The owner of this shoeshine stand, an African American, was forced to remove his chair
from Palmer Park; white vendors were allowed to continue their trade in the park.
Courtesy of The Times-Picayune Oct, 31, 1934.
12
Ad Opposing 1972 NORD Takeover of Palmer Park: "Concerned Citizens of Carrollton"
voiced their objections to NORD's proposed takeover of the administration of Palmer
Park. Courtesy of The Times-Picayune, May 10, 1972.
RELATED SOURCES
“BARTHE V. CITY OF NEW ORLEANS” (1963)
HTTP://WWW.LEAGLE.COM/DECISION/19631007219FSUPP788_1879.
“CITY OF NEW ORLEANS V. BARTHE” (1964)
HTTP://SUPREME.JUSTIA.COM/CASES/FEDERAL/US/376/189/CASE.HTML.
NEW ORLEANS PUBLIC LIBRARY, “A PLACE TO PLAY: THE FIRST YEARS OF THE NORD, 19471948.”HTTP://NUTRIAS.ORG/~NOPL/EXHIBITS/NORD/NORDINTRO.HTM.
13
4. PALMER PARK ARCH AND EARLY IMPROVEMENTS
Palmer Park, previously full of briar bushes and not else, underwent some major
changes in the early 20th century. In 1910, Carrollton Avenue was dug out by hand and
paved; the excess mud was put onto carts and pulled by mules to the park where it was
dumped. Oak trees were planted at this time as well. 22 In 1912, the Palmer Park arch
was built. Palmer Park Commission President T. M. Thompson and City Engineer
Hardee designed the arch and it was funded, at the cost of $1500 dollars, by the city.
The arch was originally opposed by nearby residents who did not want to see changes to
the space. 23
Carrollton Ave, circa 1920. Palmer Park, and the arch, are located on the left-hand side
of the photograph. Courtesy of the Franck-Bertacci Photographers Collection, The
Historic New Orleans Collection.
14
Palmer Park Arch 1919. Courtesy of The Times Picayune October 12, 1919.
Picture of the Arch from 1947. Courtesy of Charles L. Franck / Franck-Bertacci
Photographers Collection, The Historic New Orleans Collection.
15
5. THE JULIA MONTGOMERY MEMORIAL OAK
In March 1923, an oak tree was planted in Palmer Park to honor the death of Julia
Blocker Montgomery, a nearby resident. The Daughters of the American Revolution
dedicated the tree in memory of Montgomery, who often played with children in the
park. She had reportedly told friends, “I wish I were an Oak Tree that I might live
forever.” 24 The tree, missing the original iron fence and plaque, is located behind and to
the left of the park arch.
Montgomery had been a school teacher for fifty years in Louisiana, Alabama, and Texas,
where she was “one of the leading women educators in the state," noted a May 1897
Times Picayune article. 25 Julia had started a school in Mobile, Alabama, to support her
family after her husband returned from service in the Civil War "broken in body and
fortune." 26 She was a mother of seven children, including Virginia Montgomery,
described as a leading artist in the city and the designer of the Confederate monument
in San Antonio. 27 Montgomery retired from teaching at the age of 80 but remained a
leading figure in civic organizations such as the Daughters of the American Revolution
and was invited to give public speeches and recitations of her poetry, which appeared in
newspapers in New Orleans and Texas.
Montgomery’s birthdays in her later life were noted consistently in the Times Picayune
as the Daughters of the American Revolution celebrated their oldest member. A 1919
article commemorated “New Orleans foremost club woman” and the “beloved chaplain”
of the DAR, noting her birth month “always brings her a succession of affectionate
testimonials from friends and fellow members in the city’s clubs and patriotic societies
who delight to do honor to their beloved co-worker.” 28
She made national news when she became the "oldest college student in the nation" at
the age of 85, taking courses at Tulane in Spanish. She also continued to offer music
lessons in voice, piano, and guitar, and was described as a "suffrage leader," finally
receiving the right to vote two years before her death.
16
29
Montgomery died in November 1922 at the age of 91 and was buried in Metairie
Cemetery. Her obituary revealed an even more remarkable life -- if true. She was born
on a plantation near Carrollton, Mississippi, in 1831. Her family, claiming “squatter
sovereignty,” had taken the land from the Choctaw Indians without government
approval or paying any money. 30
Her maiden name was Blocker, and she claimed an incredible heritage: she was part
Native American and her great-great grandmother was Pocahontas; part French and a
descendant of Marie D’Ammonnett, a lady in the court of Marie Antoinette who had fled
the French Revolution and used her jewels to buy the land that is currently the site of
Petersburg, Virginia; and part Austrian, descended from Prince Von Blucher. 31
Prior to being a teacher, she worked as a newspaperwoman and had interviewed
celebrities like Oscar Wilde, who "expostulated on the homeliness of pots and pans" and
"regretted" that they were "not more beautiful," she told a reporter. 32
The obituary closed with an excerpt from one of her poems, “Stand and Salute as the
Flag Goes By”:
The mind and the heart and the loyal soul
Are far above Time’s haughty control
And throw o’er the form of more than four score
A mantel of love that will last forevermore 33
17
Julia Montgomery Memorial Oak Tree Palmer Park. Courtesy of The Times Picayune
March 15, 1923.
The Tree Today.
18
Picture of Julia Blocker Montgomery. Courtesy of The Times Picayune March 3, 1917.
19
"Dixie," a poem by Julia Montgomery. Courtesy of the Times Picayune July 1, 1917.
20
6. MUSIC IN PALMER PARK
Music has played an important role in the history of Palmer Park. A band stand was
built in 1923 and every summer a series of concerts were held in the park featuring
military bands, marching bands, and bands representing diverse groups. 34 The Works
Progress Administration’s federal music project, local dairy farms, and police
organizations all at times featured bands performing in the park. 35 The bandstand was
torn down in 1946 after years of falling apart and inactivity during World War II. 36
Carroltonian John Paul Bordes remembered the concerts in his 1978 Carrollton
Columns collection: “Who could forget the band-stand in the park, where every
Thursday night a band played and kids came to sit on the grass and listen, or play games
and eat candy and ice cream, or just walk around and flirt with each other! Friends from
all over Carrollton came. It was real good fun.” 37
Music did continue to be part of the park during celebrations like the annual Memorial
Day commemorations in the years after World War II. Concerts were brought back to
the park in the early 1970’s with free shows sponsored by the New Orleans Recreation
department and featuring performances from local groups like high school and college
bands, the Mardi Gras Chorus, the In His Name Singers, and the Storyville Jazz Band. 38
In recent years, bands have performed in the park as part of the monthly Arts Market,
held the last Saturday of each month, as well as an annual concert by the Louisiana
Philharmonic Orchestra.
21
Free concert put on in Palmer Park by the city 1971. Courtesy of The Times Picayune
April 2, 1971.
22
7. POLITICAL RALLIES IN PALMER PARK
Political rallies were another important part of Palmer Park’s early history. Local
political organizations held numerous rallies and speeches in the park in the first half of
the 20th century. The 1920 contentious mayoral campaign was notable for its intensity.
The Orleans Democratic Association held rallies in the park to support the reelection
efforts of Mayor Martin Berhman. The group exploded gasoline and drove around
“Behrman boo trucks” to get people to attend; local government employees were
ordered to come to the event. The incitement, and coercion, worked as 1800 people
attended the rally and heard Behrman’s assistant campaign manager promise he would
have men ready to fight at the polls in order to win the election. Governor Ruffin
Pleasant responded directly to this speech, pledging he would do whatever was
necessary to prevent fighting, and promising to be in town on election day and that he
would commandeer members of the public to make sure the election was not stolen.
Berhman lost the election to challenger Andrew McShane. 39
Other rallies also drew large crowds and featured fireworks and music by the likes of the
singing quadruplet sisters The Keys, during a 1939 event. 40 Some notable politicians
who spoke at political rallies in the park included Huey Long--and opponents who
accused the governor of running for Senate as an attempt to flee before the scandals of
his administration became public. Over four thousand people heard Lt. Governor Paul
Cyr say: "Long knows the crash is at hand and he is anxious to escape from it. He knows
the financial condition to which his extravagant and corrupt administration has brought
the schools and institutions of the state and he is trying to escape from it." 41
Hale Boggs, in his bid for a seat in the U.S. Congress representing New Orleans gave one
of his first speeches in Palmer Park. Boggs was a lawyer and resident of the Carrollton
neighborhood. During his speech, Boggs denied accusations from opponents that he was
a communist and promised to sue for "all defamatory and slanderous statements." 42
Boggs won the election and later served on the Warren Commission, investigating the
assassination of President Kennedy, and as the House Majority Leader. Boggs's plane
23
disappeared in Alaska in 1972; his wife, Lindy, won a special election for his seat and
served until 1991.
Political Rally Advertisement, Palmer Park. Courtesy of The Times Picayune Aug. 22,
1930.
24
Picture of the Boggs family in front of their home on Fern St. John Paul Bordes,
Carrollton Columns (1978): 33.
RELATED SOURCES

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT MAYOR BERHMANN: "ADMINISTRATIONS OF THE MAYORS OF
NEW ORLEANS, MARTIN BEHRMAN (1864-1926)." LOUISIANA DIVISION, NEW ORLEANS
PUBLIC LIBRARY.HTTP://NUTRIAS.ORG/INFO/LOUINFO/ADMINS/BEHRMAN2.HTM.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HUEY LONG: "HUEY LONG: THE MAN, HIS MISSION, HIS
LEGACY." LONG LEGACY PROJECT (2010). HTTP://WWW.HUEYLONG.COM/.

TO LEARN MORE ABOUT HALE BOGGS: "BOGGS, THOMAS HALE, SR., (1914 - 1972)."
BIBLIOGRAPHICAL DIRECTORY OF THE UNITED STATES
CONGRESS. HTTP://BIOGUIDE.CONGRESS.GOV/SCRIPTS/BIODISPLAY.PL?INDEX=B000594.
25
8. RECREATION AND ROWDYISM IN EARLY PALMER PARK
Palmer Park, despite its status as a public space, has faced much resistance from nearby
residents in allowing sports and recreation in the space. An effort to convert the park
into a baseball field for the PSAL youth baseball league was defeated in 1919, 43 as was
an attempt by the city to add proposed swimming pools in 1924; 44 a 1929 proposal to
add tennis courts--favored by local women but opposed by men; 45 and a 1937 proposal
by the mayor to add a wading pool. 46 The Times Picayune agreed with the opposition to
the tennis courts, arguing the park was a place of beauty and tennis courts were not
beautiful. 47 Neighbors were adamant about preserving the park as a tranquil space and
keeping out sports and play. They also feared "rowdyism" that they argued would be
associated with sports. 48 A 1927 Times Picayune article noted nearby residents calling
the police because kids were playing football in the park. 49
One Carrolltonian, Mr. Moors, in a letter to the editor in the Times Picayune in 1929,
wrote that women and children were "virtually barred from the park now by the
rowdyism of football and baseball players." He believed that these "rowdies" came from
all over the city, arriving in vegetable and ice wagons, and played sports while "scantily
clad." He suggested adding more trees to prevent games and also had discussed the
matter, unsatisfactorily, with the police. 50
A 1936 article went even further in its views on youth and rowdyism. Youth had been
suspected of previously breaking lights in the park and acts of vandalism had been
constant. The author was incredulous someone could continue to damage the park: "A
man may steal for food, and he may commit deeds of violence through rage or revenge,
but despoiling a public playground can give no satisfaction to any person except one
possessed of so distorted a brain that its owners were better locked up." 51
One notable exception to the ban on sports was croquet, perhaps because it was viewed
as a more refined activity and one played by adults, not by children. The sport became a
regular event in the park in 1928. Charles Williams, an employee of the New Orleans
26
Federal Bank, introduced croquet to the city and first tried playing at Audubon Park. He
moved the sport to Palmer Park because there were fewer people and games were held
every evening, mostly involving other high ranking officials from the bank. Williams
argued “there is no other game to equal croquet. In the first place, it takes real brain
work…Then there’s plenty of exercise in it, too: some people seem to think it’s a game
for old men and women, but after you’ve played a few hours you have had as much
movement as anyone could need…It doesn’t matter what else you do or your hobby is, if
you start playing croquet you will drop all other sports and play nothing but that.” 52
Croquet in Palmer Park 1928. Courtesy of The Times Picayune July 22, 1928.
27
9. TINETTE LICHTENSTEIN, DEFENDER OF THE STATUS QUO IN PALMER
PARK
Palmer Park in the first half of the 20th century was used primarily as an official public
space, with an emphasis on formal and public gatherings. The park was the site of
events like a 1918 “patriotic” Mother’s Day program, featuring speeches by the mayor
and an army general, and a performance by a navy band; 53 a formal review of Boy Scout
troops as part of the national committee meeting in the city in 1911; 54 meetings of the
17th Ward Civic League;
55
and performances of classical music and marching bands.
Proposed changes and use of the park for non-formal activities, especially sports, were
opposed by many local residents, led by Tinette Lichtenstein. Born in 1884, Lichtenstein
was an active participant in various civic organizations; she became the first woman in
the city to run for elected office when she ran for the Louisiana House of
Representatives in 1923. Lichtenstein was also a frequent contributor to the Times
Picayune, having her own column entitled “Sunshine News and Notes” in the 1910’s. 56
Despite the refined "sunshine" in her column, Lichtenstein was usually the voice of
opposition to change in Palmer Park, writing numerous letters to the editor in the Times
Picayune over several decades. She led the push to have Sam’s Shoe Shine Stand
removed from the park in 1934. She wrote against the proposed wading pool in 1937
because the park was “used mostly by nurses attending babies or accompanied by small
children, by recuperating invalids, pupils, by adults, and by persons waiting for buses.
Encouraging children to gather in Palmer Park would endanger their lives, because of
traffic hazards,” a refrain used repeatedly in her written responses to new measures for
the park. 57 In 1938, she opposed a proposed bus shelter and community house in the
park, arguing there was already plenty of seating in the park with the iron benches. 58
She also argued that the primary purpose of the park was light recreation, and that the
house would obstruct views and thus be a safety issue. In 1941, she opposed the addition
of an auditorium because it would “deprive the underprivileged children of the
breathtaking space” for which Palmer Park was dedicated. 59 In 1943, she argued against
a proposed public toilet, calling it an “indecent outrage” to add the toilet to a park
28
located in a neighborhood that was “well built with far better than average homes.” She
noted a bus waiting room recently built nearby had been plagued by “unsanitary
conditions, wrong usage, immorality, and danger to neighborhood and passersby.” She
signed the letter:
“Yours in Constructive, not destructive measures,
Tinette Lichtenstein
Zoning Consultant and Authoritative Representative of Property Owners in Vicinity of
Palmer Park” 60
Her efforts were largely successful as nearly all changes she opposed were defeated. Her
string of success ended in one of her last efforts, her opposition to the World War II
Monument. Lichtenstein argued it was “little short of criminal, in my opinion, to make a
memorial park of Palmer Park." 61 She argued the funding and the material needed for
the monument should have gone to support the war effort; after it was built, but before
its dedication, she argued the funding should have been used to support living veterans
and it should be installed in the Carrollton Cemetery instead. She believed the
monument would turn the space into a memorial park, which would “sadden little
children and adults, expectant mothers, shell-shocked veterans, etc.” 62 Despite her
efforts, the memorial was installed in May 1945.
Lichtenstein died in 1955, after again defeating an effort to have swimming pools placed
in Palmer Park, but her legacy lived on. A 1963 article entitled “A History of ‘Those
Things’ in Palmer Park Is Cited” argued that Lichtenstein was responsible for the
concrete blocks, installed in the 1910’s throughout the park in an effort to prevent
football and baseball from being played in the park. 63 An article five years later revealed
the blocks had been created to beautify the park; urns with flowers were supposed to be
placed on top but the urn maker died before the project was completed. 64 The blocks,
without any inscription to indicate their purpose, were attributed to the efforts of
Lichtenstein to prevent sports in the park. Her status as the defender of the status quo
29
in Palmer Park was firmly entrenched.
Picture of Tinette Lichtenstein. Courtesy of The Times Picayune May 19, 1913.
A meeting of the Sixteenth Ward Civic League at the home of Tinette Lichtenstein 1929.
Courtesy of The Times Picayune August 25, 1929.
30
Concrete blocks in Palmer Park, mistakenly believed to have been put there by
Lichtenstein to prevent the playing of sports. Courtesy of The Times Picayune December
23, 1962.
31
10.
THE WORLD WAR II AND CARROLLTON CENTENNIAL
MONUMENT IN PALMER PARK
Palmer Park was a site for several of the city's World War II neighborhood bond shows.
A show in June 1944 featuring speeches by wounded veterans, a parade, and music
raised over $123,000 dollars. Residents throughout the city bought over 20 million
dollars’ worth of war bonds. 65
March 11, 1945 was a notable day of commemoration and remembrance in Palmer Park.
The day marked the beginning of a week-long celebration of the centennial of the
incorporation of Carrollton. The Carrollton Men’s Business Association organized the
event which featured speeches by Archbishop Joseph Rummel, Lt. Governor Emile
Verrer, and Edward Alexander Parsons, president of the Louisiana Historical Society.
The New Orleans Police Band performed. The main event was the dedication of a
monument in the center of the park. The monument bore inscriptions commemorating
the centennial and included a dedication to the residents of Carrollton who had fought
in World War, still ongoing at the time; names of those who had been killed during the
war were also inscribed. 66
Palmer Park was the site of yearly Memorial Day services after WWII. The
commemorations in the immediate years after the war were large events in which
wreathes were laid at the monument, Gold Star mothers were honored, speeches and
prayers delivered, bands performed music and songs were presented by groups like the
New Orleans Opera Association, and review parades of military and civilian units were
held. A flagpole was dedicated by the Carrollton Post No. 228 of the American Legion at
the 1949 Memorial Day commemoration. The flag was donated by Mrs. Frederick Shell,
whose nephew had been killed at the Battle of the Bulge. The flag had originally draped
his casket. 67
A parade and rally was held in Palmer Park in for Veteran’s Day in November 1947. The
rally's purpose was to advocate for the hiring of disabled veterans. The event featured
32
military personnel, a speech by the mayor, and a screening of the navy film "Operation
Crossroads," which showed an atomic bomb being detonated on the Bikini atoll in the
Pacific. 68
Palmer Park was also the site of the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the
annexation of Carrollton by New Orleans in April 1949. A parade featuring turn of the
century vehicles started at St. Charles Avenue and ended at Palmer Park, where a
program of speeches, high school marching bands, and community songs followed. 69
WWII Memorial, Palmer Park, Dedicated March 11, 1945. Courtesy of The Times
Picayune March 12, 1945.
33
Cover of the Carrollton Centennial Booklet, with a picture of the WWII Memorial in
Palmer Park. The Carrollton Centennial Booklet, published by the Carrollton Business
Men's Association, depicted the history of the neighborhood. It was assembled as part of
the centennial commemoration in 1945.
The Monument Today.
34
35
36
Memorial Day political cartoon. Courtesy of The Times Picayune May 30, 1948.
Laying of a wreath on the Palmer Park WWII Monument May 1949. Courtesy of The
Times Picayune May 30, 1949.
37
Memorial Day Parade 1950. Courtesy of The Times Picayune May 29, 1950.
Memorial Day 1955 Palmer Park. Courtesy of The Times Picayune May 30, 1955.
38
Memorial Day 1967 Palmer Park. Courtesy of The Times Picayune May 29, 1967
Carrollton held a parade in March 1949 to commemorate the 75th anniversary of New
Orleans's annexation of the town, ending in Palmer Park. Courtesy of the Times
Picayune March 27, 1949.
39
John Ackerman was awarded a plaque as part of the annexation 75th anniversary
celebration in Palmer Park. Ackerman won the award for performing the most
outstanding service for Carrollton in 1948. Courtesy of The Times Picayune April 4,
1949.
40
11.
KREWE OF CARROLLTON AND PALMER PARK
In 1947, the Seventh District Carnival Club, originally formed in 1924, returned to
parading after a hiatus during World War II. The club changed its name to the Krewe of
Carrollton and also changed its Mardi Gras parade route to include Carrollton Avenue,
ending with a review stand at Palmer Park. The 1947 theme was a “Fantasy of
Fairytales.” 70 That same year the Krewe also held an Easter parade, culminating in an
Easter egg hunt in Palmer Park for local White children and orphans from throughout
the city. Members of the Krewe dressed up as Easter bunnies and hid the eggs
throughout the park. 71 The Krewe is now one of the oldest existing Mardi Gras parade
organizations.
In 1979, the Spontaneous Krewe of Platefaces made their debut at Palmer Park. The
organization was founded by John Smith, a New Orleans resident that decided to form a
Krewe that anyone could afford to join; the only requirement was a paper plate with
holes cut for the eyes and mouth. The Krewe assembled at Palmer Park and then
boarded the streetcar to toss out handmade doubloons to passersby. The Krewe has
continued to participate in Mardi Gras festivities, even having an annual ball at Joey K's
Restaurant on Magazine Street. 72
41
Queen and Maids of the Krewe of Carrollton 1947. Courtesy of The Times Picayune
February 19, 1947.
Picture of Easter Day Parades and Easter Egg Hunts, 1947. Courtesy of The Times
Picayune April 6, 1947.
42
Advertisement for Easter Egg Hunt in Palmer Park, 1947. Courtesy of The Times
Picayune April 4, 1947.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE SPONTANEOUS KREWE OF PLATEFACES:
ANGUS LIND, "PAPER PLATES ON PARADE: THE SPONTANEOUS KREWE OF PLATEFACES HAS
BEEN DISHING ON CARNIVAL FOR 25 YEARS." THE TIMES PICAYUNE FEBRUARY 8,
2004. HTTP://WWW.POLITICKLES.COM/PLATEFACES/ONPARADE.HTML.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE KREWE OF CARROLLTON:
LISSA CAPO AND BEN LEWIS, “KREWE OF CARROLLTON, ORIGINS,” NEW ORLEANS HISTORICAL,
ACCESSED MARCH 2,
2014, HTTP://WWW.NEWORLEANSHISTORICAL.ORG/ITEMS/SHOW/467.
43
12.
CHANGE AND CONTENTION: PALMER PARK DURING THE 1970S
The 1970s was a period of contention over the future of Palmer Park as local residents
opposed efforts by the city to incorporate the park and convert its use to a playground.
Residents, labeling themselves “Concerned Citizens of Carrollton,” ran an advertisement
in the Times Picayune in 1972 in opposition to the park being taken over by the New
Orleans Recreation Department (NORD), arguing the park would be turned into a
playground and suffer the same fate as other NORD parks: disrepair, declining property
values for nearby homes, and warning it would become a “public disgrace.” 73
In May 1972, a lawyer whose home was across the street from Palmer Park sued the City
Parkway and Parks Commission over proposed playground equipment. 74 He argued the
equipment would not be used by small children as intended but instead would become a
hangout for teenagers who would be “nuisances.” He asked for the proposed equipment
to be moved and the commission complied, placing it in the center of the park instead of
the periphery, and stating they never had any plan to turn the park into a major
recreation area. 75 Several small pieces of equipment were built in the park; one resident
complained that the slide that was built by the NORD was used by older teenagers who
“intimidated” younger children. 76
The fight against the conversion to the NORD was continued by the “Concerned
Citizens” group, led by the local attorney. He argued the commission intended to use
public funds to convert Palmer Park into a playground, when nearby playgrounds
already existed; he threatened to report the misuse of the funds to federal authorities. 77
The group was adamant the space be preserved as a “promenade park.” The battle was
waged both at meetings of the NORD and in the Times Picayune where both sides
published letters to the editors. The dispute between the city and local residents became
even more agitated when it was reported the park was also being considered as the new
location of the Second District Police Station; the report was denied by the City’s
Planning Commission. 78
44
In 1975, the Parkway and Parks Commission announced they had approved a $240,000
dollar “facelift” for the park. They argued the plan was a compromise with nearby
residents. One half of the park would be preserved as a “passive area emphasizing quiet
recreation such as walking, reading and jogging”; the other half would have “low-key
play equipment” that “would blend into surrounding neighborhood.” The play
equipment would be made of wood and the idea was for “children to use their
imagination.” They also announced one spot of the park would be marked as an area for
a small football game. The commission promised general improvements for the park
including better drainage, raised sidewalks, improved lighting, more water fountains,
and more trash cans. Residents were not pleased with the compromise; one letter to the
editor argued the equipment that had already been placed had turned the park into a
“howling, noisy place” made even worse by the fact that the children using the
equipment were not from the neighborhood but rather “brought by automobile and
dropped off and later picked up.” 79
The commission’s proposed plans became even more ambitious later that year. As part
of an overall plan to green and beautify the city, they intended major improvements for
thirty parks and squares in the city and the addition of new small neighborhood parks.
In addition to the afore-mentioned playground equipment, several projects envisioned
for Palmer Park were planned: regrading of the park to include new berms--small hills-with pedestrian bridges spanning the gaps; plants and small trees in the park; large
trees along the perimeter; repainting the archway in bright colors; a new walkway from
the arch to the center of the park that would be covered by a canopy of trees; and new
paths throughout the park. The commission argued that public spaces in the city had
been “allowed to deteriorate to become something less than inviting for people.” The
changes would “enhance quality of city life, to make it a more pleasant experience for
the city dweller.” They also stated that the people of the city had their say in the matter
and were in favor of the new changes. In particular, neighbors of Palmer Park, they
noted, wanted the park changed to make it more amenable for small children and
adults; also, the berms would help cancel noise emanating from the park. 80
45
The issue was far from decided, however. The Times Picayune noted a “Battle a Brewin’”
over the matter. City Councilman Frank Friedler, Jr., warned he would oppose the
changes unless the commission also provided someone for daily maintenance and
security. Similarly, during the August 1975 final meeting on the matter, local residents
urged the money for improvement to be spent on security. They argued the park had
been “invaded” by “winos” and other “undesirable characters.” They stated they were
afraid of being assaulted or mugged in the park. The commission urged the residents to
address the issue with the police and countered the proposed improvements would
attract more “desirable” users. They approved the city’s proposed changes.
Improvements were gradually carried out over several years. 81
In 1977 Palmer Park officially became part of the Park and Parkways Commission. A
1978 dedication ceremony, co-sponsored by the Carrollton Business Men’s Association,
featured speeches by Mayor Moon Landrieu, Parkway and Parks Commission
Superintendent Charles Nutter, and the “honorary” mayor of Carrollton J. C. Meynier,
Jr., as well as a performance by the Tulane University Concert Band. 82
Palmer Park Dedication Program, 1978, Winston Lill Papers, Louisiana Research
Collection, Tulane University.
46
13.
CRIME AND DECLINE: PALMER PARK DURING THE 1980S
The 1980s saw a notable decline in the park's prestige. Numerous residents wrote letters
to the editor in the Times Picayune complaining about litter in the park, one going so far
as to label her letter “Palmer Park Dump.” 83 The most common complaints were about
broken bottles throughout the park, especially in the sand areas where children played,
and vagrancy; one article labeling the park as a “hotel for winos” and another describing
the park as a place where the homeless slept every night. 84 In September 1980 Nancy
Shepard adopted the park through the Parks and Parkways Commission’s “Adopt an
Area” Program; she noted her plan was to collect money to hire youth to clean up the
park. 85 City Councilman Bryan Wagner also became involved and organized park cleanups and was able to secure the hiring of a full-time groundskeeper. 86 He also passed
through a city ordinance banning the drinking of alcohol in the park in 1984. 87 In 1982
the Palmer Park Neighborhood Association was formed and listed as their top priority
eliminating litter and crime in the park. 88
Crime had become a larger problem in the park in the 80s. Numerous Times Picayune
articles described armed robberies and violent assaults in Palmer. 89 The park did
continue to be the site of community gatherings like the annual Carrollton caroling, the
inauguration ceremony for two state officials in 1988, and a 1988 “World Peace Through
Race Unity” rally, but the area was more often described as a site of litter and crime than
as a community space as it had been in earlier decades. 90
47
14.
THE ARTS MARKET, HOLIDAYS, AND PLAYGROUND IN PALMER
PARK
Palmer Park has undergone a renaissance in recent years, most notably due to the Arts
Council of New Orleans’s Art Market, holiday celebrations, and the rejuvenated
playground. The Arts Market, held the last Saturday of every month in Palmer Park, has
become a popular event. The market, held in Palmer Park since 2007, features over one
hundred local artists, craft people, food vendors, and musicians. The November and
December markets are holiday-themed and last both Saturday and Sunday.
The park is also the site of the annual Carrollton caroling, an event originally began in
1979-when it also featured a live nativity scene-and revived in 2007. 91 Holiday
celebrations in the park go back over eighty years. In 1930 the city for the first time
decorated trees with colored lighting, including the oak trees in Palmer Park. 92 On
December 25, 1933, the Old Regular Democratic Organization distributed toys to
children while a 60 person band played Christmas songs. 93 In 1946, Palmer Park was
the site of “Yule Fest” on Christmas Eve. The event featured the Loyola University male
choir singing carols; speeches by the mayor, the president of Loyola, and the pastor of
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church; and the “Carrollton Tree of Life,” a Christmas tree that
had electric lights fit by the city engineer. 94
In 2011, new playground equipment was installed. The project, spearheaded by the
Friends of Palmer Park, was a partnership with Kaboom!, a national non-profit
dedicated to building playgrounds, Disney, and local volunteers. 95 Children can often be
seen in the new playground, marking a striking contrast to efforts for decades to keep
playground equipment and sports out of the park. Palmer Park’s identity has changed
over its one hundred plus years of existence, but its role as a center for the Carrollton
community remains.
48
A CHILD PLAYING ON A TIRE SWING PALMER PARK. COURTESY OF THE TIMES PICAYUNE APRIL
23, 1987.
RELATED SOURCES
ARTS COUNCIL OF NEW ORLEANS. HTTP://WWW.ARTSCOUNCILOFNEWORLEANS.ORG/.
ARTS MARKET AT
PALMER: HTTP://WWW.ARTSCOUNCILOFNEWORLEANS.ORG/INDEX.PHP?TOPIC=ARTSMARKET.
PICTURES OF THE KABOOM BUILD IN PALMER
PARK: HTTP://KABOOM.ORG/BUILD_PLAYGROUND/PHOTO_GALLERIES/PALMER_PARK_NEW_
ORLEANS_LA.
49
END NOTES
CHAPTER 1 “HAMILTON SQUARE: THE ORIGINAL PALMER PARK”
1
"Carrollton Boasts of Own Centennial," The Times Picayune July 18, 1926.
2
"Edgar A. Perriloux Papers," Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University.
John Kendall, History of New Orleans (Chicago: The Lewis Publishing Group, 1922).
Melony C. Soniat, “The Fauborgs: Forming the Upper Section of the City of New
Orleans.” The Louisiana Historical Quarterly, Volume 20 (January-October
1937): 192–211.
3
"Edgar A. Perriloux Papers," Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University.
4
John Paul Bordes, Carrollton Columns (1978): 48.
CHAPTER 2 “PALMER PARK: THE NAME”
5
"Carrollton Resident's Death Ends Wide Career," The Times Picayune November 17,
1924.
6
"Edgar A. Perriloux Papers," Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University.
7
Thomas Cary Johnson, The Life and Letters of Benjamin Morgan Palmer (Carlisle, PA:
The Banner of Truth Trust, 1906.)
8
Benjamin Morgan Palmer, “Thanksgiving Sermon, Delivered at the First Presbyterian
Church, New Orleans, On Thursday November 29, 1860” (New York: George F.
Nesbitt and Company, 1861).
9
Wesley Jackson, “Famous N.O. Bell Rings Anew after 30 Years of Silence.” The Times
Picayune February 18, 1984.
10
"Palmer Park Safe," The Times Picayune March 12, 1912.
CHAPTER 3 “RACE AND PALMER PARK”
11
"Edgar A. Perriloux Papers," Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University.
12
Ibid.
13
"More Fireworks Explode in Hot Race for Senate," The Times Picayune September 6,
1924.
14
"Protests Bring Stand's Removal," The Times Picayune Oct, 31, 1934.
15
New Orleans City Park Improvement Association v. Mandeville Detiege, Individually
and on Behalf of Others Similarly Situated, 252 F.2d 122 5th Cir. (1958).
16
New Orleans Public Library, “A Place to Play: The First Years of the NORD, 19471948,” http://nutrias.org/~nopl/exhibits/nord/nordcontents.htm.
17
City of New Orleans et al. v Barthe et al., 376 U.S. 189 (1964).
18
New Orleans Public Library, “A Place to Play: The First Years of the NORD, 19471948,” http://nutrias.org/~nopl/exhibits/nord/nordcontents.htm.
19
"Attorney Claims Orleans Abandoning Small Parks," The Times Picayune August 16,
1972.
20
“The End of Palmer Park as a Promenade Park,” The Times-Picayune, May 10, 1972.
21
"Views of Readers: Don't Ruin Park," The Times Picayune February 5, 1975.
CHAPTER 4: “PALMER PARK ARCH AND EARLY IMPROVEMENTS”
22
John Paul Bordes, Carrollton Columns (1978).
23
"Palmer Park Safe," The Times Picayune March 12, 1912.
50
CHAPTER 5: “THE JULIA MONTGOMERY MEMORIAL OAK”
24
"D.A.R. Dedicates Tree to Woman," The Times Picayune March 15, 1923.
25
"Julia Blocker Montgomery," The Times Picayune May 23, 1897.
26
"Back to School at 85: Death Only Time to Graduate, She Says." The Times Picayune
July 26, 1919.
27
"Society," The Times Picayune July 22, 1900.
28
"Julia B. Montgomery's Eighty-Eighth Birthday," The Times Picayune March 16,
1919.
29
"Back to School at 85: Death Only Time to Graduate, She Says," The Times Picayune
July 26, 1919.
30
“Obituary," The Times Picayune November 26, 1922.
31
Ibid.
32
Ibid.
33
Ibid.
CHAPTER 6: “MUSIC IN PALMER PARK”
34
"Palmer Park Concert," The Times Picayune July 3, 1924.
35
"Concert at Palmer Park," The Times Picayune July 14, 1932.
"Concerts in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune June 26, 1926.
"First of Civic League Concerts Set for Tonight," The Times Picayune July 3, 1930.
"Five WPA Bands to Give Concert," The Times Picayune August 16, 1936.
36
"Bandstand is Torn Down," The Times Picayune December 14, 1946.
37
John Paul Bordes, Carrollton Columns (1978): 48.
38
"Palmer Park to be Site for Free Concert," The Times Picayune April 2, 1971.
CHAPTER 7: “POLITICAL RALLES IN PALMER PARK”
39
“Fight Talk Growing as Campaign Remains Contentious,” The Times Picayune
November 9, 1920.
40
"Noe to be Heard Tonight at Three Ward Rally," The Times Picayune November 24,
1939.
41
"Cyr says escape from Louisiana is Long's Desire to Avoid Carsh," The Times Picayune
August 28, 1930.
42
"Louisiana Losing Out in Congress, Says Hale Boggs," The Times Picayune August 28,
1940.
CHAPTER 8: “RECREATION AND ROWDYISM IN EARLY PALMER PARK”
43
"Bat Sullivan Realizes Dream of P. S. A. L. Home,” The Times Picayune April 27, 1919.
44
"Anti-Dance Hall Ordinance Loses," The Times Picayune July 2, 1924.
45
"Park Tennis Plan Urged by League," The Times Picayune October 23 1929.
46
"Pool is Opposed in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune August 28 1937.
47
"An Impossible Project," The Times Picayune December 6, 1929.
48
"Residents Urge Ban on Rowdies in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune November 28,
1929.
49
"Policeman Copies Prince of Wales as Bridle Breaks," The Times Picayune November
5, 1927.
51
"Residents Urge Ban on Rowdies in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune November 28,
1929.
51
"Let There Be Light," The Times Picayune September 27, 1936.
52
"Croquet Discovers New Youth in New Orleans, Takes Brains, Is Boast of Banker
Enthusiast," The Times Picayune July 22, 1928.
50
CHAPTER 9: “TINETTE LICHTENSTEIN, DEFENDER OF THE STATUS QUO IN
EARLY PALMER PARK
53
"City News Briefs: Mother's Day Parade," The Times Picayune May 5, 1918.
54
"Boy Scout Nation Heads Here for Convention and Review," The Times Picayune
February 2, 1911.
55
"New Regulars Plan Busy Week," The Times Picayune September 3, 1922.
56
"Clubwoman Runs for Legislature," The Times Picayune October 31, 1923.
57
"Pool is Opposed in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune August 28 1937.
58
"Bus Shelter Base Opposed in Letter," The Times Picayune May 25, 1938
59
“Opposes Plan for Auditorium in Park,” The Times Picayune March 27, 1941.
60
“Public Toilet in Park Opposed,” The Times Picayune September 17, 1943.
61
"Fountain or Shaft Opposed," The Times Picayune December 12, 1944.
62
"Views on Sundry Topics: Park Memorial Opposed," The Times Picayune December
23, 1945.
63
"History of 'Those Things' In Palmer Park Is Cited," The Times Picayune December
23, 1963.
64
“Pithy Palaver,” The Times Picayune May 24, 1967.
CHAPTER 10: “THE WORLD WAR II AND CARROLLTON CENTENNIAL
MONUMENT IN PALMER PARK”
65
"Wounded Heroes Urge Bond Buying," The Times Picayune June 20, 1944.
66
"New Carrollton Shaft Dedicated," The Times Picayune March 12, 1945.
67
"Memorial Rites," The Times Picayune May 30, 1949.
68
"Mayor Says Give Disabled Break," The Times Picayune November 9, 1947.
69
"Carrollton Observes 75th Anniversary of Annexation," The Times Picayune April 4,
1949.
CHAPTER 11: “KREW OF CARROLLTON AND PALMER PARK”
70
"Hail Three Carnival Parades," The Times Picayune February 17, 1947.
"Carrollton has Carnival Parade," The Times Picayune February 19, 1947.
71
"Easter Parade Set for the Afternoon." The Times Picayune April 5, 1947.
"Hail Three Carnival Parades," The Times Picayune February 17, 1947.
"Younger Set Sees Bunny and Mayor in Carrollton," The Times Picayune April 6, 1947.
72
Angus Lind, "Paper Plates on Parade: The Spontaneous Krewe of Platefaces has been
dishing on Carnival for 25 years," The Times Picayune February 8, 2004.
"Platefaces Ride for Mardi Gras," The Times Picayune Febraury 27, 1979.
CHAPTER 12: “Race and Palmer Park”
52
“The End of Palmer Park as a Promenade Park,” The Times-Picayune, May 10, 1972.
"Attorney Claims Orleans Abandoning Small Parks," The Times Picayune August 16,
1972.
75
"City to Move Park Swing Sets," The Times Picayune May 11 1972.
76
"Views of Readers: Supervise Slides," The Times Picayune July 7, 1972.
77
"Park Planning Under Fire," The Times Picayune August 21, 1972.
78
"Views of Readers: Don't Ruin Park," The Times Picayune February 5, 1975.
79
"City Hall Reports: Speaking of Fireworks," The Times Picayune August 24, 1975.
80
"Park Face Lifts Decided," The Times Picayune August 28, 1975.
81
"Battle a Brewin," The Times Picayune August 17, 1975.
82
Winston Lill Papers, Louisiana Research Collection, Tulane University.
73
74
CHAPTER 13: “Crime and Decline: Palmer Park During the 1980s”
83
“Your Opinions: Palmer Park Dump,” The Times Picayune September 5, 1980.
84
“Four Corners: Where Claiborne Meets Carrollton,” The Times Picayune June 27,
1982.
“God Kept Him at the Corners, And Won’t Tell Him Why.” The Times Picayune
September 20, 1981.
85
“Community Cleans up Own Park,” The Times Picayune October 1, 1980.
86
“A Clean Park: Thank Councilman,” The Times Picayune February 14, 1981.
87
“Ordinances,” The Times Picayune August 23, 1984.
88
“A Housing Comeback in Carrollton,” The Times Picayune April 17, 1982.
89
“Battery,” The Times Picayune July 21, 1983.
“Robberies,” The Times Picayune June 27, 1980.
“Robberies,” The Times Picayune November 21, 1980.
90
“Inauguration Sunday for N.O. Lawmakers,” The Times Picayune March 2, 1988.
“Orleans Clubs,” The Times Picayune September 15, 1988.
Chapter 14: “The Arts Market, Holidays, and Playground in Palmer Parks”
91
"Caroling in Palmer Park," The Times Picayune December 10, 1982.
92
"Colored Street Lights Planned During Holidays," The Times Picayune November 25,
1930.
93
"Toy Distribution to Music Planned," The Times Picayune December 22, 1933.
94
"Originator of Carrollton Yule Tree Helped Another," The Times Picayune December
22, 1946.
"Yule Fest is Set at Palmer Park," The Times Picayune December 6, 1946.
95
"New Playground is Born at Palmer Park," The Uptown Messenger June 6, 2011.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kevin McQueeney is a graduate student in the Department of History at the University
of New Orleans, with a concentration in Public History. His research focuses on the
African American park experience in late 19th and early 20th century New Orleans,
exploring the segregation and desegregation of the city’s public parks, the creation of
Black parks, and the use of parks to form identity and claim a part of the public space.
Follow me on Twitter: https://twitter.com/KevMcQueeney
Email me: kevmcqueeney@gmail.com
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