The historic riverboat town of St. Joseph, Louisiana, is experiencing a rebirth. St. Joseph is located along the Mississippi River levee in one of the state’s poorest parishes. Local entrepreneurs are buying historic buildings, renovating them and turning them into trendy clothing and home decoration and antique shops, galleries and restaurants.
“It was dead, it was absolutely dead,” says Donna Ratcliff, who grew up in St. Joseph, population 915. Ratcliff is the tax assessor of Tensas Parish, Louisiana’s smallest parish. Ratcliff’s father owned the town’s Western Auto Store on Plank Road. She bought the two-story dilapidated building in 2013. Since then, she has been transforming it into a collection of shops, offices and a second floor art studio for her daughter-in-law, Leslie Ratcliff. Leslie’s large art studio is full of daylight from tall windows, and overlooks the transformation taking place on Plank Road.
rebirth brings fashion to tiny st. joseph
Natalie Schauf met her husband in college in Louisiana and then moved to St. Joseph, his hometown. She could see something was starting to happen. First an antiques store and an interior design business. “I definitely wanted to jump on board and get a part of it”, explains Schauf. So she opened Shop All Daye, a fashionable women’s boutique on Plank Road. She expected that her online sales would outpace her in-store customers. But that didn’t happen. And she has moved her retail store to a larger building a half-block away to handle the larger volume of shoppers.
a global headquarters in tiny st. joseph
A funny thing happened on the way to success in the big city for Rebecca Vizard. After starting an interior design business in New Orleans, she moved back home to St. Joseph and opened a second location. Her shop on Plank Road sells collectibles and design pieces. But she specializes in creating pillows from antique fabrics that can cost several thousand dollars. Vizard sells those high-end pieces to customers around the world. Because of that, the sign on the front of her St. Joseph, Louisiana store says ‘B. Viz Design – Global Headquarters’. Vizard says, “I went from trying to get out of town to realizing how many talented people were here, even though it’s such a small area.”
St. Joseph’s growth continues
At lunchtime and in the evening after work, you see people having a casual meal and sitting at a sidewalk table outside Maria’s Mexican Restaurant. And a second restaurant is under construction, which will add to the downtown experience in St. Joseph. Support for this rebirth also comes from nearby Lake Bruin, an oxbow lake surrounded by some upscale residences, vacation homes and Lake Bruin State Park. The summer season brings a crush of people to this normally sleepy river town.
history on display in historic library
The Tensas Public Library is located in the middle of St. Joseph’s downtown renaissance. In addition to books, the 1850’s antebellum structure also houses the parish museum. You can see numerous photographs and artifacts from the riverboat and plantation days of this Mississippi River community.
tv feature on st. joseph
rebirth of st. joseph, louisiana in pictures
getting there
The town of St. Joseph, Louisiana is located in the delta farming region of northeastern Louisiana, midway between Ferriday and Tallulah along U.S. Hwy 65.
Jo Tatum
Congratulations Mayor Alexander!
Jo Tatum, Dubach😊
Mary K. Berry
So happy to see this!. It is a perfect place for this to happen…Having read history all of my life, there is so much there and, along with the aforementioned attractions, my hope is that the tremendous history of the place , will become incorporated into the new thrust ! It is there, friends and the combination of the wonderful businesses, the fresh new cared-for look makes it on its way to a great future…Too much there to not offer it to travelers and historians! Burton would love this…He lived here for his later years but his his life in Tensas Parish was close to his heart…I loved going back with him…Best of luck to all….
Phil & Glenda Bostick
So excited to hear about this rebirth of St. Joseph. We lived there from June 1987 to August 1994. Love this tiny town and it’s residents.
Fay Miller Breaux
My parents lived in or near St. Joseph when I was born. I have always wanted to know more of the history. I will definitely be making a trip to visit and explore. Thank you for sharing!
Mary Williams-Green
I grew up in St Joseph and I’m thankful to here about the rebirth. I brought My Grandchildren there to see their heritage. We lived on Leeve Rd.. I look forward to coming to My hometown again. I still have family that lives in St. Joseph, it’s a great place to go fishing.
Ken
I can never find the court house on Google maps, is it still there?
Dave McNamara
Hi Ken. Yes, the Tensas courthouse is still there (Photo in story above). Located at 201 Hancock Street. Google maps does seem confused, but you can search for the Tensas Parish Clerk’s office.
Portia Ratcliff Peterson
So glad to see St Joseph getting a new breath of life. I just stumbled across this article as I was trying to decide how to find information on a hotel that used to be there. We’d call it a B&B now! It was across a road from a large park that had what I thought was the tallest slide in the world! The hotel was my grandmothers. Mostly,it was used by hunters, but to me it was the most beautiful place n the world. I was devastated to find it had been torn down when I went back for my grandmothers funeral in the early ‘80’s. My aunt and uncle, Russell and Helen Ratcliff lived there as well. How I loved going there to visit as a child. I would love to see a picture of the hotel I was almost born in!
I was surprised to see another “RATCLIFF” mentioned in your article. I don’t know if we’re related or not.
tang watson
Hi yes, I think I will leave a mention.st joe was not idea for me,but I loved it then, and I still love it,coming home is always so exciting and interesting for me. I was born in Tallulah,but grew up in st. joe.from 1 year old to 17 years old, when I left. I know and care about alot people in the Tensas areas,I love spending as much time here as i can,with them and home. I encourage others to support the new growth st joe. I will as much as I can and I will always come home.
Doretha Morris
I remember you Tang Watson. You probably also remember my siblings Alex Earl, Jr. or Oohlah and Lavada Earl Johnson. We grew up in Saint Joseph and our parents were Reverend Alex Earl Sr. and Rosa Earl. I agree that life in our little town was not entirely ideal, but we experienced some good times just the same. Tensas Rosenwald High School basketball and football games, fish fries over the levee, Vacation Bible School picnics to name a few. We didn’t have much back then, but we did have each other! Nice hearing from you man. Doretha Earl Morris
Shirley Wison
My mother 👨🍼 Rosie Mae sexton, my grandmother Eliza garner, grandfather frank sexton, great grandmother lucenda homes, and my great great grandmother & great great grandfather Eliza & Lindsey Daniel
👴 all came from tensas parish
Shirley Wison
My grandfather 👴 ❤ 💙 is buried there at the mayflower cemetery Frank sexton, along with his wife and son.
Susan Fett Ussery
My family built a camp on the island side in 1968. I have so many great memories from it. We loved going into St Joe and exploring. We also used to take the ferry near the State Park . There were many things to explore including the Windsor ruins. I call this the ‘good ole days’. My brother still has the camp. I am so glad it is getting revived.
Martin Clark
My mother’s great grandfather crossed the Mississippi on a ferry in the 1800s that docked at St Joseph. Is there any evidence where the landing was? My elderly mother lives in Winnfield and wants to come see St Joseph.
Dave McNamara
Hi Martin, I didn’t see any evidence of an old ferry landing when I was there. That also would have been before the modern levee system was build. You might check with the local museum which is located a couple of blocks from the riverfront in downtown St. Joseph.
Claribel L Villarreal
It’s been like over 40 yrs ago, and we used to go to St Joseph. My husband and some other family members used to work at the cotton gins close to St Joseph. We lived in some white cabins next to a lake I. St. Joseph. Do you know if they still exist?
Sheila Martin
Downtown is coming along nicely. What about all the blighted houses on the north side of levee rd. That would be a great extension of businesses of plank road.