Poor old Kaw-Liga. After his
unrequited love, he got swept down the street.
Unfortunately, the last line is for real, not a song lyric.
The old wooden tobacco store Indian returned home three weeks after Hurricane
Katrina, a bit battered but whole. It wasn't exactly "home" since all that had
been Vieux Marche Antiques in Biloxi was destroyed in the storm, including the
1930s house that partners Peter Webster and Wayne Williams rented for their
downtown business.
Three weeks after Katrina the American Legion called to tell Webster and
Williams that the Legion had been storing the Indian since the storm. A member
had recognized and rescued it from a pile of rubble three blocks from the store.
Since the 1999 opening of Vieux Marche Antiques at that location - 120
Lameuse St. - the vintage wooden Indian had been the official porch greeter.
It had no name before the storm, but Webster and Williams decided he deserved
one and the tune of the wooden Indian, who fell in love with a wooden Indian
maiden popped into their minds. So he became Kalija, the "Kaw-Liga" of the song
written by Hank Williams Sr.
Webster and Williams, who like many antique dealers were underinsured for a
Katrina-type disaster, also lost their own home. Immediately after the storm,
with no shop to tend to, they used their antique knowledge as hurricane damage
appraisers. That, combined with the insurance money they did get, allowed them
to re-open in January at Centuries Antiques Mall in D'Iberville.
They hope to eventually reopen in downtown Biloxi, but in the meantime are
concentrating their antique buying trips on the more functional items and
furniture required as people rebuild.
Kalija is at the D'Iberville mall, too, greeting customers as he's always
done.
"He'd been through a lot so we had to name him," said Webster. "Poor old
Kalija.
"People say in the antique business everything is for sale but he's not. We
were offered $5,000 and turned that down. He's a true Biloxi Indian who stayed."
- KAT BERGERON
But we are back...
For over 30 years Vieux Marche Antiques has been a landmark business on the Gulf Coast. Vieux Marche Antiques, formerly located in downtown Biloxi on Lameuse Street, has relocated to 1203 Bienville Blvd (Hwy 90) Ocean Springs MS. Our company is the Mississippi Gulf Coast specialists in estate liquidations, appraisals, restorations, as well as an in-store retailer.
Vieux Marche Antiques offers professional services for estate sales and liquidations. If an estate requires liquidation, we provide a contract giving the court or the executor of the estate an itemized listing of the contents with fair-market-value pricing. When the estate is finalized we can provide an accurate accounting of the all items sold. To make the process even smoother we can even handle the removal of unwanted items not sold.
The knowledgeable owners of Vieux Marche have a combined experience of over 50 years in appraising the value of new and antique furniture, pottery, glass, art, silver, and collectibles. Unlike other companies that offer appraisals; we at Vieux Marche Antiques, extensively research every item to verify authenticity and value. We also conduct repair/replacement estimates for disaster damaged items. Our appraisals/estimates are accepted by federal and state courts of law and major insurance companies.
Many homes and antiques receive damage from hurricanes and floods along the Gulf Coast and most items just receive general wear-of-use over time. Vieux Marche offers restoration services that can restore your cherished items to their original finish. These services combine the same traditional restoration and repair techniques used by master craftsman with modern materials to create a restoration that will last through generations.
If there is anyway that we can be of assistance to you or your clients please feel free to contact us.