THE ROMEO CLUB EATS OUT

In Historic St. Francisville, Louisiana

by Anne Butler

It started five years ago with just a few lonely elderly gentlemen, Clifford Wilcox and John Peter Ristroph and Conville Hobgood, growing unavoidably older and wanting to get together on a regular basis for some quiet conversation, some reminiscing about their school days, and, this being south Louisiana, of course some good food. The first month there were just the three of them; the second month there were six, and by the third monthly luncheon there were a dozen. They called themselves the ROMEO club: Retired Old Men Eating Out. But they made the mistake of having too much fun, and pretty soon the ladies wanted in, the wives and widows and female classmates from way back when.
So now the ROMEO club includes anybody who attended the area's first central public school, Julius Freyhan School, built just after the turn of the century on a bluff overlooking the Mississippi River in the heart of historic St. Francisville. The club members get together once a month for lunch in one of St. Francisville's charming little restaurants, and for some of the widowed or isolated members, it is a social event that is greatly anticipated and thoroughly enjoyed. While they eat, they talk about the good old days at Freyhan School. Jimmy Murphey, class of 1946 and one of the more computer-literate members, even made calendars for the group with photos of their alma mater and its founder, as well as its good old anthem:
By the Mississippi waters, stands a school house fair,
Feliciana sons and daughters long have gathered there.
Julius Freyhan, we adore you. We will ere be true.
Hail to thee, our Alma Mater. Hail, oh hail to you.


An influx of Jewish immigrants arrived in America in the mid-1800's escaping religious persecution in the Old Country, and many of them followed the westward movement of the cotton empire, their mercantile skills proving invaluable in the agrarian South. One of these immigrants was Julius Freyhan of Germany, who arrived penniless in Louisiana in 1851 and through shrewd fiscal policies died one of the richest men in the South. His extensive business interests included dry goods stores, cotton gins, saloons and opera houses, cotton mills and real estate, first in the St. Francisville-Bayou Sara area and later downriver in New Orleans. The historic museum in St. Francisville exhibits old crockery whiskey jugs stenciled "J. Freyhan & Co. Handmade Sour-Mash Bourbon," some still sporting corncob stoppers. Freyhan & Co. in a single year often sold upwards of a million dollars worth of goods and handled some 14,000 bales of cotton.
When Julius Freyhan died, his obituary in the New Orleans newspaper said, "Through his energy and business acumen, he was able to build up one of the largest supply houses in the states, and during the hard times which swept over the country at various periods, he was able to keep the farmers on their feet until the price of their crops rose." As hard-working immigrants like Julius Freyhan prospered, the South became the center of Jewish population in the country, and the Jews shared their prosperity in great philanthropies, funding museums and civic improvements, hospitals and public schools for both black and white students. Upon his death in 1904, Freyhan left $8,000 to help build the first public school in St. Francisville, a legacy increased by his widow by another thousand, and in 1905 the eight-room slate-roofed brick structure of 2½ stories opened to great public acclaim.Imagine the horror, then, of the townsfolk when, on the evening of February 8, 1907, the magnificent new school building caught on fire and burned to the ground despite the best efforts of the frantic local hose companies.

Within a year, the school would be rebuilt, on the same site and of almost identical construction, spacious classrooms resplendent with beaded wainscoting and archways, divided stairways and patterned tin ceilings, and a splendid third-floor auditorium; down the hill toward the Mississippi River was a football field and amphitheater used for graduation exercises. Today's members of the ROMEO Club are too young to remember school benefactor Julius Freyhan himself, but some of them vividly recall the outdoor privy and later the unheated lean-to restrooms where the water froze in the toilets in winter. They also remember the row of horse stalls behind the school for youngsters who rode in from the surrounding countryside; during rainy weather students were let out early, as some had many miles to ride home, and when the creeks were up and fords impassable, some of these country students had to spend the night in town with relatives or friends. Other country students boarded in town during the week and went home to their families only for weekends.One garrulous Cajun actually rowed across the Mississippi River every day to attend Julius Freyhan School and survived the experience to graduate with the Class of 1907.

The student body was small, many classes having less than 30 members, and the students were close. Even today, a careful perusal of newspaper accounts of early graduation exercises reveal many family names still present in the parish. Freyhan School was replaced in 1951 by a more modern school building, so the ROMEO Club is a group whose numbers can only diminish, not increase. Two out of three of the ROMEO Club's original founders have gone on to that great class reunion in the sky, making present chairperson Sidney Spillman think twice before accepting the dubious honor of taking over the reins; among his self-imposed duties are the leading of prayers for the sick and the keeping of obituary records as the ranks thin. But still the monthly luncheons consistently draw twenty or thirty congenial old friends. The oldest members of the ROMEO Club today are Clayton Perkins, well up in his 90's, and Bill Plettinger, Class of 1928, with Bill's wife of more than 70 years not far behind him; the youngest in the group, Anne Bennett, well, let's just say she'll never see thirty again; or forty; or fifty; or even sixty.
After all these years, these old friends still cherish their time together, and the laughter rings out as they remember the good old days; one ROMEO member, asked to write a short biography, simply wrote, "Those years at Julius Freyhan were the happiest years of my life." They remember the strict but beloved teachers, they remember the pranks (disassembling a rusty old car and secretly reassembling it on the third-floor stage in the school, only to have an inspection of fingernails that resulted in those with grease on their hands doing time after the bell rang), they remember going for fresh oysters at Mr. Frankie Sansoni's grocery or for treats at Mrs. Elsie Gillikin's place called Sally's Sweet Shop (Jimmy Murphey married Mrs. Gillikin's daughter Margaret). They remember Club South of the Border in the forties when it was the fanciest place around; says Morris Bennett, "Many's the night I cut the mustard on the dance floor there and then saw double lines all the way home!"

For the ROMEO Club's 2005 Christmas luncheon, Jimmy Murphey jotted down a priceless little jewel of a memoir, beginning with an introductory spin along the one main street of St. Francisville of the forties, past Mr. Leet's cypress pirogue shop, the Boll Weevil cafe', the big old live oak where a black man named Hoffman sold fresh fish, the Oaks Cafe' and Bar run by the Virgos, and the complex of businesses owned by the five Vinci brothers, Sammy who had the gas station, Tony the grocer, Frank the butcher, Joe the proprietor of the 3V Cafe' and Tourist Courts, and Salvadore who ran the bar, behind which was a dancehall where Sheriff Teddy Martin threw his re-election parties. Farther along came Vance Hamilton's bar and radio repair shop, Mrs. Vinci's clothing store, the big Joe Rosenthal store and Jimmy d'Aquilla's little feed store, the Alamo Theater with upstairs balcony and projectionist named Jelly Langlois, and Mr. Benny Weydert's hardware store where Jimmy Murphey bought his first 16-gauge single-shot shotgun for about $16 (this is now the town historical museum). On a short side street were drugstore, barbershop, church and the big bank, its upstairs housing the telephone company switchboard and the local dentist.

Murphey was an astute observer, with a remarkable memory and a keen eye for detail. He remembered when the ferry crossing the Mississippi River was just a little barge tied to a small tugboat operated by Mr. Bennett, some of whose offspring are now stalwarts of the ROMEO group; when the river was high and the ferry landing had to be moved into the protected waters of Bayou Sara, Murphey recalled picking berries down there one summer and spying Irma Bennett and Tiny Morris jitterbugging to "In The Mood" on the ferry barge. He also remembered Eudora Ard walking home from work pulling a little red wagon loaded with a block of ice from the icehouse to make homemade ice cream. And Murphey could never forget the Boy Scout initiations, running through the "belt line" and then swallowing raw oysters attached to long strings (you can well imagine the final step in the initiation, and it was a good 40 years before Jimmy Murphey ate another raw oyster). He vividly recalled the day someone brought a radio to school so the students could listen as President Roosevelt declared war on Japan, and he remembered Elisabeth Ann Kilbourne playing the piano in May 1946 as the 17 members of his senior class marched in to the graduation ceremonies.Yes, the ROMEOs always have plenty to reminisce about.

But besides good conversation, the ROMEO Club always looks forward to good food at its lunchtime gatherings, and it's fortunate that in the St. Francisville area they now have a number of enjoyable,reasonably priced restaurants from which to choose. These folks well remember the days where there was not a lot of choice: just a few boarding houses that set a good table, plus the 3-V and Oaks Cafe's in the fifties, preceded by Benny Kendrick's Cafe' and the Blinking Fish restaurant and bar in the early forties. After the demise of antebellum opulence, when steamboat passengers dined in style in long-gone hotel banquet rooms in both St. Francisville and Bayou Sara, the prospects for getting a meal that wouldn't just about kill you were pretty slim for a good many years. Thank goodness that has changed.
In January the ROMEO Club splurged and ate at one of their favorites, the Oxbow Restaurant, St. Francisville's upscale eatery just relocated to a newly refurbished building of bright turquoise with glistening white trim, gleaming chandeliers and tons of mirrors. The Oxbow, owned by longtime professional restauranteurs, is justly famous for its fabulous appetizers of escargots or oysters kung pao, fresh seafood entrees and luscious desserts like the signature bread pudding. A second newly opened upper-end restaurant in the area is Varnadoes at The Myrtles, presided over by a noted New Orleans chef blown into town by the winds of Hurricane Katrina.

Another of the ROMEO Club members' favored eating spots is D'John's, where the spacious interior permits easy conversation and the fried catfish is crispy and good; all-you-can-eat buffets here are especially budget friendly, but all of the entrees are easily affordable. Magnolia Cafe' in the heart of St. Francisville is another favorite with the ROMEOs, though its popularity means that at mealtime it can get crowded; best known for its lunchtime pita-bread sandwiches in intriguing combinations, fresh salads and homemade soups, the Mag now has more substantial evening specials as well, often accompanied by live music on weekends.

The golf resort at The Bluffs on Thompson Creek features one of the popular Cocodrie's restaurants, and near the Mississippi state line is the venerable South of the Border, both nice restaurants just a bit out of town. St. Francisville is also fortunate to have several in-town restaurants with ethnic specialties: Que Pasa down by the Mississippi River with its Mexican dishes and marvelous Margaritas, and East Dragon with a huge variety of low-priced and well-prepared Oriental specials. Roadside Barbeque's atmosphere is casual and the barbecue finger-licking good (road widening projects may displace this little eatery, at least for awhile). For Sunday brunch complete with blues music, Lola Blue's offers something decidedly unique, and Cypress Grill in its historic building often has live music as well. There are smaller eateries, too: Audubon Cafe' in an antiques mall with great plate lunch specials; Benoit's Meat Market and Feliciana Seafood (best fried chicken in town), both with a few tables to eat in or orders to take out; Elm Park with its family diner atmosphere; Sunflowers and Junebugs with home-cookin' take-out plates; and Sonny's Pizza for pizza lovers. There are also fast-food outlets, McDonald's and Sonic, along US Highway 61.

The ROMEOs, some of whose hearing isn't what it used to be, like quiet dining spots so they can hear the conversation whizzing about them, but other diners may find the live music and entertaining crowds just what they are looking for. And if they should happen to run into the ROMEO Club partaking of a good meal and good fellowship, they should feel free to say hello. The ROMEOs are always glad to share their memories with others; they've got plenty to go around.

Located on US Highway 61 on the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge, LA, and Natchez, MS, the St. Francisville area is especially enjoyable in the winter when all of the antebellum gardens are filled with colorful blossoming camellias, but it is actually a year-round tourist destination, with six historic plantations-Rosedown and Audubon State Historic Sites, Butler Greenwood, the Myrtles, the Cottage and Greenwood--open for daily tours, Catalpa Plantation open by reservation and Afton Villa Gardens open seasonally. Eclectic shops fill restored 19th-century structures throughout historic downtown and surrounding area. Some of the state's best Bed and Breakfasts offer overnight accommodations ranging from golf clubs and lakeside resorts to historic townhouses and country plantations; a modern motel has facilities to accommodate busloads. The scenic unspoiled Tunica Hills region surrounding St. Francisville offers excellent biking, hiking, fishing, birding, horseback riding and other recreational activities. For online coverage of tourist facilities, attractions and events in the St. Francisville area, see www.StFrancisville.us, www.StFrancisville.net, or www.StFrancisvilleOvernight.com or telephone (225) 635-3873 or 635-4224.