Caire Cousins and Stores History
- Sharon Spell
- Apr 23
- 4 min read
The history of the Caire Stores begins in the Ubaye Valley in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence region of Southeastern France. In the early 1840’s, several residents immigrated from this region of France to St. John the Baptist Parish in Louisiana. Two of the first newcomers included Jean Louis Aubert, who arrived in 1840, and his cousin Jean Baptiste Caire, who arrived in 1842. Both men started working as traveling salesmen, or colporteurs, along the lower Mississippi River.
Sometime in 1856, the original brick structure for the future Caire Store was built right on the riverbank. Jean Louis Aubert previously started a general mercantile business on the site in 1855. Jean Baptiste Caire helped his cousin operate the store for several years. By 1860, the store had become the most successful store in the parish. Having made his fortunes, Jean Louis Aubert sold his interests in the store to his younger brother Jacques and Jean Baptiste Caire on July 28th, 1860. The store was originally called Caire’s Landing since boats traveling the river would dock there.
The store was originally called Caire’s Landing since boats traveling the river would dock there.
After five years, Jean Baptiste Caire completed his buyout of Jacques Aubert. His store originally provided dry goods, hats, boots & shoes, clothing, hardware, crockery, drugs & medicine, saddlery, groceries, wines and general plantation supplies. The Caire’s Landing store was promoted in the local newspaper Le Meschacébé as the “Grand Bazar de la Côte” or the big bazaar on the coast. Jean Baptiste Caire operated the store until his death in 1879.
Jean Baptiste’s widow Félicie and their young son Etienne Joseph managed the store for the next six years. The brick store was moved back from the riverbank in 1881 with the addition of the levee system. After E. J. Caire completed his formal education at Jefferson College in Convent, he began to oversee the store single-handedly. He renamed the establishment “E. J. Caire and Co.” A larger wooden building was built adjacent to the original brick structure in 1897. The business was relocated to the wooden building the next year and the brick structure was soon converted into a warehouse. E. J. subsequently shortened the business name to “E. J. Caire’s” and branded it as “The Store of the People.”
E. J. Caire’s enjoyed several decades of prosperity in the early twentieth century. It was apparently the largest retailer along River Road between New Orleans and Donaldsonville. The store primarily sold groceries, dry goods, hardware, furniture, and clothing. Since E. J. received pharmacy training in college, he dispensed prescription medications from his office. The store had a liquor license and sold a selection of alcohol but never operated as a bar. E. J. Caire’s never operated as a traditional plantation store, though workers from the neighboring Columbia and Church Place Plantations shopped there. Since transportation was challenging for many in the community, locals could buy necessities at E. J. Caire’s and have them delivered to their house at no additional cost. E. J. Caire guided this successful enterprise until his death in 1955.
Sidney Caire, Jr., the grandson of E. J., soon took over store management. The business was renamed “Caire’s Store” since several family members worked there. Unfortunately, commerce in St. John the Baptist Parish began shifting to the East Bank after the construction of Interstate 10 and Airline Highway in the 1950’s. Many local families relocated to urban areas. Large retail chain stores provided tough competition and the remaining residents began shopping more in the larger cities. Caire’s Store finally closed in the mid 1970’s.
The wooden Caire’s Store was home to several other businesses in the next few decades, including professional offices, restaurants and bookstores. It provided short-term meeting space for the adjacent parish courthouse. The St. John the Baptist Parish Library was also temporarily housed there.
Both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 2001
Both buildings were added to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29th, 2001. Recently, the National Trust for Historic Preservation added the West Bank of St. John the Baptist Parish to the 2023 list of America’s Most Endangered Historic Places. Although both buildings suffered hurricane damage in 2005 (Katrina) and 2021 (Ida), they stand as rare surviving examples of rural American stores.
The Caire Stores have remained in the Caire family since 1860. They were acquired by Sharon and Derrick Spell in early 2023. Sharon is the 2nd-great-granddaughter of E. J. Caire. The Spells plan to restore, preserve, and maintain both Caire Stores and the attached family property.
Keep up to date with ongoing renovations to the Caire Stores and learn how you can help by visiting www.cairestores.com and subscribing to our newsletter, as well as following us on Facebook and Instagram.
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