The Grove
Status: Closed
Parish: Calcasieu
Location: Vinton/East Orange
From http://www.texasfreeway.com: “On the right side of the road as Texans exited the east end of the mile-long bridge stood …Mud Lake, (and) on the left, stood The Grove.” From www.orangeleader.com: “Across the ÒMile BridgeÓ, and the last of the bigger clubs was The Grove. The Grove was an elegant club operated by Sam Smith and his wife Marian. The Smiths had opened the Grove in 1937 and it soon became known as the best of the East Orange night spots. There was a gambling room with slot machines, roulette wheels, dice and card tables, a large dining and dancing area and a smaller ÒPeacock RoomÓ. The Peacock Room had originally been a pit for fighting roosters when the club first opened. After about a year, the Smiths decided that cockfighting was not something they wanted to keep in their club, so they stopped it and remolded the pit into a dining room. At times the Smiths booked big band entertainment. They had a house band that played nightly, but at times brought in extra attractions. Couples and groups from Orange would drive to the Grove for a special night of dining, dancing, entertainment, and maybe a little gambling. When they went to the Grove they always dressed in their best. There was never a club like the Grove in the Orange area and may never be again.”
Gallery:
Photo Credit: Orangeleader.com
Dee Dee Davis
My mother told stories of her childhood, spending summers (1955-1962) at her grandmother’s house in Vinton, which was on top of a nightclub called The Old Grove, owned by my great-grandmother. My mother very clearly remembers the horse-racing board, the dance floor, the stage, the kitchen, the bar, etc. The nightclub was eventually sold to a hunting club, and the house on the 2nd floor was lowered to the ground and the club was moved. According to my mom, my great-grandmother, Olive Dupre (nee McCarver), lived near Blue Lake and Lost Lake (my mom remembers being tossed into Blue Lake. I visited Grandma Dupre when I was a child in 1974, and clearly recall the swamp area surrounding her house. When Grandma Dupre died, her children sold the merchandise (glasses, paintings, mirrors, etc.) that she had saved from the nightclub.
I am wondering if anyone remembers this club, my great-grandmother, the location of the club, the merchandise, anything??? Thanks!!!!