I moved to Baton Rouge less than two weeks ago and noticed a number of intriguing abandoned buildings. There are Deco, midcentury, and timeless (aka, I don't know what style to label them) creepy buildings in varying states of decay, all begging for documentation. My first subject is the '60s/'70s wonder Militello's Shoe Repair, located on Government Street near the intersection of Acadian, resplendant in wood paneling. (Click photos to enlarge)
Don't miss the lone shoe...I would totally wear those if there were two. I also want the chairs.
"Guncase Repair"
One of these things is not like the others...(it's the RED DOG can)
Notice nobody uses the word "aids" anymore, on posters that aren't about AIDS.
Stumble It!
Lovin' the new blaahhhg. I spy, with my little eye, last pic, mouse pooples.
Posted by: Jordaan | August 30, 2007 at 12:34 PM
I could totally see you in those.
If there were two.
Posted by: Lioux | August 30, 2007 at 12:54 PM
I could totally see you in those.
If there were two.
Posted by: Lioux | August 30, 2007 at 12:55 PM
I could totally see you in those.
If there were two.
Posted by: Lioux | August 30, 2007 at 12:55 PM
I could totally see you in those.
If there were two.
Posted by: Lioux | August 30, 2007 at 12:55 PM
Jordaan, Thanks. Those are monster mouse droppings. Nutria droppings? Please God, no.
Lioux, cool! I only have two feet though, not eight.
Posted by: cokane | August 30, 2007 at 12:59 PM
creeeepy! I'm so excited for this new feature/blog!
Posted by: jew | August 30, 2007 at 01:37 PM
I love this!
Posted by: julepandme | August 30, 2007 at 02:39 PM
I will fight you for those chairs!
Posted by: Therese | August 30, 2007 at 02:45 PM
Yay, thanks to ma ladies for your enthusiasm! I am so nerdily excited about this project.
Posted by: cokane | August 30, 2007 at 03:06 PM
That's it! That's my new catchphrase! I'll yell it when everything is fucked.
SEBAAAAGOOOOOOO!!!!
(I believe it's "see-bay-go")
Posted by: Amanda | August 30, 2007 at 03:26 PM
And that ghostly cobbler will appear over your head.
I thought of it yelled, too, like SEBADOH!
Posted by: cokane | August 30, 2007 at 03:52 PM
SEBAGO. Still proudly made in Maine. Grab a pair for your next yachting trip.
Posted by: Steve N | August 30, 2007 at 05:18 PM
I just wish I had that problem/solution poster to end all my shoe problems...especially the fallind down one.
Posted by: Kartek | August 30, 2007 at 05:58 PM
Good idea! :)
Posted by: Jules | August 31, 2007 at 08:54 AM
I think Lioux had too much caffeine
Posted by: Big Daddy | August 31, 2007 at 04:15 PM
whoa!
niiiiiiiiiice.
Posted by: stew | September 01, 2007 at 11:35 AM
The Militello's that you saw used to be Tic Toc Shoe Repair & I went there with my grandmother as a child. The part of town that you're highlighting was the "center" of BR for a long time. Militello's has another shop on S. Sherwood Forest (southeast BR). I've brought boots & other shoes for repair & polishing. Also, I used to live in the apartments right behind that shopping center (The Villas) while in college...they are really cute since most have single owners who renovated them. You really need to strike out into the rest of BR. You'd be surprised at what you see. Reply to my email address if you want a tour guide.
Posted by: Christi | October 07, 2007 at 11:53 PM
Oh, I do plan to branch out--my first two months here have been carless. By a little over two weeks from now I'll have my car down here & I'll give you a shout. Keep the background info coming--it must be strange to see a place you went to as a kid all trashed like this.
Posted by: cokane | October 08, 2007 at 09:02 AM
I do remember this store. Tic Toc shoes is correct and my parents bought me many shoes there in the 60's. They had a little 3 stair platform that was great for testing shoes. Also in the shopping center was a Rexall Drugs, A&P Grocery, Cohn Turner (the place to rent tux's for prom) and D.H Holmes department store.
Posted by: pauls | February 24, 2008 at 04:06 PM
mitello's was originally a full service retail shoe-ewery called Tic-Toc Shoes. It was the best, most professional shoe store in Baton Rouge. They sold the best brands, such as Allen Edmundson (?), Stride Rite, etc. You couldn't walk out of the place with an ill fitting pair - they simply wouldn't allow it! If you had a hard to fit foot, this was the place to find quality, stylish shoes that fit. They did a huge business in children's foot ware, as well as work boots, casual and of course dress shoes. Tic Toc Shoes was originally owned by Mose Wanda. My X-Wife worked there while in high school during the late nineteen sixties. I have a hard to fit foot, and the first pair of properly fitting shoes i ever owned came from Tic-Toc with her loving and expert fitting. I was always fascinated by the "shoe culture" of the place. Everyone there was totally committed to the cobbler's art. Thanx for this really cool blog. I have an interest in these old abandoned places. I could tell a few personal stories about the Belmont Motel as well. Anyways, keep up the interesting explorations.
Posted by: stephen langley | June 12, 2008 at 07:30 AM
It saddens me to see TicToc in such disrepair. I remember a large Pied Piper mural on the wall and the little bridge that kids could run on. And Miss Cotton. It was said that Miss Cotton sold Christ His first pair of sandals. I got all my shoes at TicToc in the 50s & 60s. I got my first child's Stride Rite's there in 1980. Thanks for the blog, albeit bittersweet.
Posted by: LaTrenda | July 02, 2009 at 10:57 AM
Just one question: how to add your blog into my rrs reader, thanks so much.
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