Our History

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The general/grocery store at 120 N Main St. Loreauville, Louisiana has a long history. The original founder of of the business was Adrien Gonsoulin. Adrien Gonsoulin, a native of Iberia Parish and descendant of the early settlers of this area, might be best known as the owner of Mariah Sugarcane Plantation. For the village of Loreauville he is the man who help the village recover after the Civil War.

Gonsoulin's first store in Loreauville was a coffee house and bakery he started in 1867. Two years he would transform the bakery into a general mercantile store. Sadly, A few years the general store would catch on fire and the original building was lost. Gonsoulin was undeterred by this and went ahead with plans to build a bigger and better building for his business. By 1881 he was able to erect a fine two story brick building for his businesses. While running the store Gonsoulin was able to get the first railroad in the area constructed with the goal to be able to transport the cane from his plantation to his sugar mill. He must have felt that he could do more for Loreauville and serviced as the Village's Post Master for 12 years. 

In 1907 half a block from Gonsoulin's general store, where First National Bank used to be, Alfred Granger Sr started his own business called "Granger Store". By 1930 Adrien Gonsoulin was looking to sell his store (Adrien would pass away 3 years late at his daughter home in Montegut). Alfred Granger Sr. snapped at the chance to move into the two story brick building down the road. In 1944, "Granger Store" officially became known as Alfred Granger & Sons. The brick building, Gonsoulin's Mercantille or Alfred Ganger's & Sons, was the place to pick up groceries, home items, fancy foods and even farm implements. The story of the building was home to a number of apartments that members of the Ganger’s family lived in over the years. Edward Granger recalls that his father would on occasions called the upstairs apartments the Honeymoon Hotel. As members of the Granger family would get married at St. Joseph Church and have a brief honeymoon in the old store’s apartments 

On July 11th, 1958 Alfred Granger, Sr. passed away while attending a wrestling match in Lafayette, LA. With Alfred Granger’s spouse, Roslyn Granger, passing away in 1955, the ownership of the store was divided among Walter, "Benny", and Maude Granger. The Granger's operated the business in the old two story brick building while a new Alfred Granger's & Sons building (i.e. the current building) was going up behind it. The old building was torn down by Norris Rader in 1966 right after the move to the new building. Edward Granger remembers helping cleaning up bricks and other items during the demolishing. The land where the old building once stood would become the parking lot for the store. With the grand opening of the new store on the horizon the Daily Iberian published a piece on the 80 year old two-story build that was a fixture of Loreauville life on October 12, 1966. One of the people interviewed at the time, Gerald J. Delcambre, was quoted saying that Alfred Granger & Sons was the place "the latest gossip was learned as many used to sit and stand in or near the store on weekends and swap stories and yarns". This new store was still very much a general mercantile with clothing, washing machines and other appliances were on sale. The right side of the store was the Women’s Department (around where the current deli is located) and the office was located in the back of the store (where the current meat department is). 

In 1970 Alfred Granger & Sons incorporated their business. Just 5 years later Walter, Benny and Maude Granger decided to sell the store and dissolve the business. Oran Steiner, Sr. bought the building in 1975 and became Steiner's Market. Mr. Steiner would move the entry from the south side front corner of the story to the front of the building. After the new doors were installed Mr. Steiner expanded the south side by 20ft across the entire length of the building. The back office was moved to the front of the store and the bathrooms were moved to the warehouse. The women’s department was removed as the store became more focused on selling grocery items. Part of the old department was convert into a storage closet. Steiner added more coolers to care produce, dairy, meat and frozen items. Steiner would also pave a couple of stales in an old barn behind the store and use it to make fresh cracklin and grattons.  

Steiner sold the business in 1998 to Ron & Judy Miller and the name changed to Miller's Market and formed Miller’s Market LLC. Ron Miller came with plans of his own. He added more coolers and freezer to increase the space for cold items. He open up the walls of the storage closet and brought in a hot and cold deli. He also had a slab poured behind the store to improve the loading dock area. Mr. Miller also brought in/back the Ziggy the Clown toy vending machine. 

Todd Simon bought the store from the Millers and took ownership the Miller’s Market LLC in November 2013. A short time later he would formal change the name of the store to Village Market. Since taking over the store Todd has worked to make improve the deli by adding more equipment and new food items over the years. He has also sought to be a helpful hand to the community by seeking to help homebound costumer with grocery delivery. Todd has many plans to expand the store, not unlike many of the previous owner have done before him. 

After over 140 years who knows what the future holds for the store at 120 S Main Street. What new memories will be made and what new stories will be told? 

--- Resources ---

-Southwest Louisiana Biographical and Historical, Biographical Section, pp. 111-112., 1891

-Tech News from St Martinville August 5, 1933

-Welcome to Loreauville, Louisiana: Village on the Teche, Est. 1871, 2012

-Edward Granger, Grandson of Alfred Granger Sr.

-Loreauville Memories Facebook Group