D. H. Holmes (1842–1989)
Daniel Henry Holmes moved from Ohio to New Orleans and opened a dry goods store on Chartres Street in 1842. He was a direct importer for all types of textiles, from fine silks for evening gowns to rough cloth for slave clothing. In 1849 Holmes moved his business to a large establishment on Canal Street, between Bourbon and Dauphine Streets, where it flourished for over a century. Steadily expanding through the nineteenth century, D. H. Holmes eventually occupied the entire block and included a restaurant and departments for women’s clothing, men’s clothing, hosiery, and household textiles. By the turn of the twentieth century, D. H. Holmes was the largest department store in the South and a landmark on Canal Street.