Another reason I haven't been back is that I was afraid "things" had changed at the store. No, Mr. Martin said that he had been doing pretty well.    
    Update: As of March, 2006, Mr. Martin is still getting around. I saw him getting into his car on the Morgan City Ride.
   He said the store is hanging on, even though it was costing him money to stay open.  No, Mr. Martin has not changed a bit.
   Lately I've been  taking pictures of all these deceased businesses and crumbling homes.  It occurred to me ....
....that it was not too late to see some living history.  Mr. Martin still runs a real  business. I think it is fine dispite his financial assessment. This store was built in the late 1800's. I wanted to interview him, but, the store was humming with locals, many who had  come by just to see him. So, I had a coke in a glass bottle, top popped off by him, and, I  savoured life reminiscent of fifty years ago, talking ........
.......to a man who is still able to savour it everyday.
    At times it has not been easy.  A while back,  the store was robbed and  Mr. Martin was beaten within an inch of his life.  He feels that the trauma of the incident led to his wife's deminishing health and death, I think he said 9 years ago.  The store is his life now. He has managed the store sinc 1935.
    You need to go have a coke with Mr. Martin.
   He loves to tell about the history of the place.       Below, you can see that I am not the first "publication" to honor this man and his business.       Some guy had the gaul to try to buy his Jax Beer sign. That was a mistake. Jax Beer signs are proud possessions.  I use to have a lighted one.
   The picture below says it all. Mr. Martin's Store is today and yesterday.  You need some brake fluid, trasmission oil, Windex , sure. You want to look at interesting, old  pictures and an antique coffee grinder? That 's there , too.
   And, there are reminders of how good we have it today.  Bugs in the summer and cold in  winter, visiting the "little house".  Many times, the store was the owner's home. That was not the case here. There is a large part  I didn't see from inside. On the next visit he told me his uncle would sleep there from time to time.???
   And, his sense of humor stays on top the whole while. Get him to show you his funny toys and take some home.  Know you have been in a great store owned by a great guy.  I keep thinking of things I wanted to ask him.   If you want to see the place not as it was, but as it still is, go. It is perfect.  And, buy something.  And, remember, you are in a store, not a museum.
     In April '04, a windy afternoon's  "local"  ride  yielded a chance to take care of some unfinished business.   Carl and I had been to Mr.Martin's Grocery two years ago and thoroughly enjoyed our visit.  I don't know why I don't come this way more often.  Finding the place was a job. An accident, last time.  It is near Bayou Teche. Remember, in LA, follow the water for "what to see".  It's on Irish Bend Road, accessible from La.182, north of Franklin.
Back home, I know it's hard.  It was for me.
  The picture, above right, interested me. I thought he had said it was a graduation picture. This memory is over 2 years old and  wrong. I did have it correctly located in New Orleans. It is at Ursuline Academy, an all girls, Catholic school.  I turned the mystery over to the man who I knew could come up with the answer, Henry, an ex-New Orleans police officer. Within hours, with help from his network, "This Case Solved" was stamped on the Mystery Picture Folder.  The findings are at the bottom of the page. Way to go Henry.
About that old picture:  

      Here is the note Henry passed onto me from Ms. Harris, the secretary at Ursuline High School this morning:

   "We have the original picture belonging to our Alumnae Assn.  The picture was titled (your picture's title is faded out) "Summer School of Catholic Action, Ursuline College, August 1-6, 1938."  It was a gathering of Archdiocese Catholic educators and students, and the girls pictured in the center with Archbishop Francis
Rummel, were students of Ursuline's College.  All other attendees of the conference were from around the Diocese.
Hope this helps clarify---
Mary Lee Harris".

      Again, it becomes evident how a little digging with the right shovel (Henry), will yield such treasures. I am sure Mr. Martin does not have the title to the picture. I will take that to him.
     
      A side note. Henry first presented the picture to his New Orleans Forun where locals chat about  the city and what makes it the country's most interesting, among other things.  It is great reading from an insider's perspective. Check it out.
These are the "grounds" of his little enclave. Just about as pretty as it gets. What a setting.
Yes, that's his car, a Caddy. Fitting. Positively.
   Everyone knows that when you are looking for gold, you won't find it, period.  It comes to you when the stars and the moon line up just right. Like yesterday. A friend, actually, my riding partner for years, called me  ,I am never ready for what's coming, and he wanted to know if  I wanted to go with him to Golden Meadow.  I have shyed away from joint rides lately due to the camera thing and riding at my own pace, etc. But, Golden Meadow sounded interesting and I was tired of Domestica.  Now Golden Meadow is on La. 1, south of Donaldsonville, a bunch, about halfway to Grand Isle, the end of the road before you fall into the Gulf. He wanted to make some contacts for buying large quantities of shrimp. With Carl, how large, Carl?  "Oh, 500 pound or so". Borderline personal consumption level.
    That sets the stage.  Off we went on a fine ride, down, yes, La. 87, the same. We both have a disdain for larger, bussier roads, and as I forgot to say, La.87  follows US 90, but it hugs the winding Teche Bayou. "Teche" means "snake".
      "It's an  Indian word.  Indians said that a great snake (which they killed) melted the meandering hole into the river. Thus they called it Teche", my mistaken information corrected by Marie, a long time friend and teacher.
      Thank you.
      If you catch me with totally, woefully, and criminal wrongs, let me know.
                                          

                                                   Mr. Martin's Grocery.

     I had seen the store on a Sunday morning ride. Months before this trip. Two old gentlemen were drinking beer on the front porch, well it might have been pop in those custom fit, brown paper bags. No, beer. I would have stopped but, when you see the pictures, you'll understand. I just saw the great old JAX BEER sign, no EVANGELINE  BREAD sign to give the place the  "G" rating. Guess I missed the huge sign that said "GROCERY", also. Side note, Mr. Martin's store is open untill noon on Sunday. Tricks of the mechantile trade.
      By accident, Carl and I had found it again  The place, the man, and the whole atmosphere was a living time machine, not a museum.  The place was working authenic. While we were there, local customers were coming in and laughing at the us, the tourist.  We did present our credentials as bonifide residents of the area. But, I didn't know anybody he did.  That is not good for "connecting" in South Louisiana.  He did pick up when I told him I had lived in New Orleans.  He had spent three months there, a story I need to add to the site. The conversation livend up. Then he gave us the top end tour and we had a great visit.
     In 2004 I visited with him for a short while. He was very busy.  This is one of the last old time country stores still in business, that I know of. And, I go down a "few" roads looking. If you can, take a ride by the store and buy something.  Mr. Martin is, said by a source, 96, and still very much a part of the fabric of South Louisiana.
How I Found the Store
More Louisiana