| My mother, Florelle Garrett Jackson, worked in the Data Processing Center of Commodity Credit, which is an agency of the federal government's Department of Agriculture. When she first started working there, the offices of CCC were located in the old Masonic Temple building on St. Charles Avenue; they later moved to the Wirth Building on Canal and Marais Streets, across from the Jung Hotel. Shortly before my Mom retired, Commodity Credit moved its offices, once again, this time to the NASA-Michoud Facility in New Orleans East. The photographs below were taken between 1940's-50's and the late 1970's. Unfortunately, I don't have many names to accompany the photos. Nancy |
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| The link to this page is: http://www.old-new-orleans.com/NO_commoditycredit.html Back to Old New Orleans The Past Whispers - Home |
| My Mom is standing in the second row, fifth from the end on the right, directly behind the lady in the horizontal striped blouse. Of these smiling faces, I can only identify two of the ladies, and only because they were my Mom's dearest friends. Mildred Cox is standing in the second row, fourth from the left; Marie Bertucci is in the third row, second from the right. The date reads 1970. |
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| My Mom is in the front row, third from right. This photo and the one directly below were both taken in the late 1940's or early '50's. The title of the job was officially "Data Processor," however, my Mom and her co-workers always referred to themselves as "Key Punch Operators." The data for all of the commodities grown, sold and traded in this part of the country came through the Commodity Credit Operators' machines, the biggest crops, by far, were cotton and sugar. |
| This photo and the one below were probably taken in the 1960's. |
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| My Mom's retirement party. |
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| The second Masonic Temple building; constructed in 1892; it was demolished in 1926 to make way for a new building. This photo is ca. 1915. I couldn't find a photograph of the first building. |
| The third Masonic Temple building, constructed in 1926, dedicated in 1927. This photo was taken shortly after it was completed. It was the second high-rise to be built in the Central Business District. |
| Another view of the third building. |
| The Masonic Temple was sold in 1992. After a recent $11 million dollar renovation, it is now open as the New Orleans Hilton St. Charles Avenue Hotel. |
| Historic Masonic Temple The Masons bought a building known as the Commercial Exchange in 1853 and used it, renting out office space to help offset the cost, until 1892, when it was demolished and a new building was constructed. This building, pictured below left, was torn down to make way for a larger, more modern building in 1926 (below right); it was in this building that Commodity Credit was housed until the late 1950's. Finally, an era came to an end in 1992, when the Masons sold the building, leaving behind a history of 129 years at St. Charles and Perdido. The building is now used as the New Orleans Hilton St. Charles Avenue Hotel. Although it has changed hands at least two times, and been extensively renovated twice since its sale in 1992, fortunatetly, the owners have left a substantial amount of the original exquisite interior design features in place. Still in place: the original chandeliers, original marble floors and marble walls, original hand-crafted inlay tile ceiling in the Grand Entry Hall. I can remember the magnificent impression it made on me when I visited there the first time as a child. |
| The Wirth Building, Canal and Marais Streets, across from the Jung Hotel. Commodity Credit used this building from the early 1950's until the 1970's. I'm not sure when this was taken, but it was after they'd moved to NASA, probably 1980's. When I last drove by there (April, 2010), I found that the building had been demolished and a new building was under construction there. |
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| I don't know the date, so I don't know if this was my Mom's recognition for 20 years or 30. |
| A work-related banquet of some kind, probably at the Blue Room, but I don't recall the occasion or date. My Mom is third from right, seated next to friends: Marie Bertucci, in black dress, and Mildred Cox, first lady on the right. Margie Bailey is first lady on the left. |
| Above: My Mom is the first person seated, on the left; I recognize Margie Bailey as the third lady from the left, standing. Photo below: Mildred Cox is the second from left, seated; Anna Reagan sits next to her--third from left; Marie Bertucci is standing in the back row, third from right. Thanks to a thoughtful visitor to this page, we now know that the 5th lady from the left, front row, in the white blouse, is Lorraine Stillwell. |
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| This was a Commodity Credit Christmas party some time in the 1950's. |
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| Photos: Masonic Temple Building ~&~ Photos: Commodity Credit Corporation |